Welcome Back!

Welcome to a new school year!  In just a few days we will be making new artwork and filling our room with  wonderful creations. Throughout the year we will reuse materials to create recycled art projects or need to use these items for painting.  If you and your family have any of these items and would like to donate them to the art room, please bring them to Mrs. Ritter!
Flat cardboard sheets, (please no boxes, but flat pieces)
Yogurt containers, big and small
Meat trays
Bubble Wrap
Newspapers
Buttons
Plastic bottle caps, any size
Please no paper towel rolls....we've got enough for the year :)

Fourth grade ended the year with a painting project inspired by Mola art from Panama.  They learned about the cultural importance of these designs and incorporated similar attributes of repetition and bold color in their own designs. 

Have a wonderful summer!  

1st Grade Pinch Pots

1st Graders have finished their pinch pots and they look beautiful!  Students learned how to impress designs into the sides of the walls with textured beads and other tools.  They also learned about glaze and its purpose on ceramic objects.  They were delighted to see their dull glaze "paint" turn into glossy bright colors after being fired again in the the kiln. 

   

                                   

First Graders are learning about clay and are creating pinch pots.  They are also designing the

pinch pots with clay tools and other objects to add texture and pattern on sides of the pinch pot.

After they are fired in our kiln students will learn about the glazing process!

Mud Cloth Paintings by 3rd Graders

3rd Grade is in the process of creating a mud cloth style painting.  On the first day of this lesson we have used an interactive website to learn about Bogolanfini from Mali, Africa.  Each student participated to create a piece of mud cloth as a class.  Students then used their imaginations and symbols and designs from authentic cloth to design the brown paper.

March is Youth Art Month!

Here are some Smithland Students in action on their wonderful creations!  During March we will be celebrating Youth Art Month with special activities in art class and also have a PTO sponsored "Art Expressions" Exhibit.  This is artwork that students choose to display, either from home or made in art class. 

HCPS Art Show is Coming Up!

It will be at the Massanutten Regional Library through April.  The opening is Saturday, February 25th, from 1-3pm.

4th Grade Coil Pots

4th Graders are now creating coil pots.  Most classes have finished building them and adding their own creative details, including spirals, lids, and handles.  As soon as they are dry they will be fired and then we will glaze them!