Grade 1 Paint Explorations

Through the exploration of the viscous, fluid qualities of tempera paint, 1st graders learned how they could create a variety of lines and brushstrokes with their paintbrushes, as well as how they might mix a variety of colors using the primary and secondary colors. They started by looking at “The Mellow Pad” by American painter, Stuart Davis. After identifying a variety of lines they know (long, short, wavy, zig zag, etc.), students considered how they might make their own compositions using various black lines. 

After composing their abstract paintings in black line, they spent the following classes learning about color and how they might match and combine specific colors to make new colors inside their black line shapes. 

Finally, students learned about contemporary artist Elizabeth Murray and considered how they might use lines in a variety of colors to create contrasting patterns on top of the existing shapes.

Please enjoy these beautiful abstract paintings by our First Grade Artists!

Audrey, 1 Sharkey

Joey, 1 Sharkey

Mei, 1 Red

Yamiley, 1 Red

Benjamin, 1 Red

Rafael, 1 Red

Clara, 1 Red

Saniya, 1 Andrade

PTA Art Workshop

On January 8, Mr. Seligman and I led a PTA meeting Art Workshop! Parents of Post Road students, as well as our principal, Mrs. Ossorio, learned about a growth mindset, or learning to embrace mistakes and retrain your brain to take on risks/challenges so that you can grow! In the art room, this means that we try things we might not be able to do and use mistakes to help us learn. We read the book “Beautiful Oops” by Barney Saltzberg, then each person was given a piece of paper with either a yellow, blue, green, orange or red “mistake” shape glued onto it (a few people each had the same shape). Attendees considered how they might turn this mistake into a picture. They learned how they might change paper with their hands (tearing, folding, ripping, etc.) and scissors (cutting various edges, shapes and textures) in order to create their work of art incorporating the original “mistake” shape. 

At the end, attendees shared their work and discussed successes (things they were proud of in their art/during work time) and struggles (things that were hard for them), and also noticed the different ways others transformed the same shape they were given.  

Please enjoy these beautiful collages and allow them to remind you that we can learn new things, embrace our mistakes and challenge ourselves at any age!