4th Grade Direct Contour Drawing on the Mirror with One Eye Closed

4th Grade Direct Contour Drawing on the Mirror — With One Eye Closed!

This week in art class, our 4th graders took on a classic observational drawing challenge: direct contour self-portraits using a mirror—and with one eye closed!

What Was the Goal?

The purpose of this lesson was to practice true observation—learning to look like an artist. When students close one eye, their view of the world becomes a bit “flatter,” making it easier to translate what they see in the 3-D world onto a 2-D drawing surface. This activity helps students understand that drawing isn’t about symbols or shortcuts; it’s about closely studying shapes, lines, and proportions.

How Did We Reach Our Goal?

Students began by setting up their mirrors on easels and sitting tall in front of them. Then came the fun part: each artist closed one eye and carefully studied their reflected face. Using slow, focused lines, they drew exactly what they saw without looking down too often—just like real contour artists!
This process encouraged patience, concentration, and trust in their observational skills.

What Did We Learn?

We discovered that drawing is a learned skill, not a magical talent. It takes practice, persistence, and a willingness to truly see. Many students were surprised by how different their drawings looked once they relied on observation instead of memory or imagination—and that’s the point! Every line brought them closer to understanding how artists translate life onto paper.

Artists Who Inspired Us

We looked to two incredible contemporary portrait artists for inspiration:

• Amy Sherald, known for her stylized, thoughtful portraits and use of grayscale skin tones.

• Kehinde Wiley, celebrated for his vibrant, heroic portraits that combine traditional poses with modern subjects.

Both artists reminded students that portraits can be powerful, personal, and expressive—no matter the technique.

 

Lower School Monthly Open Studio: The Month of October

 Lower School Monthly Open Studio: October — Create 

At the end of every month, our K–5 artists dive into a choice-based Open Studio inspired by the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) model. This approach transforms the classroom into a true studio, where students lead the way—choosing materials, exploring ideas, and expressing their creativity in authentic ways.

 October’s theme is Create — encouraging students to be art explorers!

What’s Happening in October:

- Air Dry Clay Sculptures: Cute Ghosts or Marshmallow Characters
-  Drawing on Easels
- Metallic Watercolor Exploration
- Light Sensory Shape Table
-  Building with Picasso Tiles
-  Building with Cardboard Shapes

- Origami Paper Folding (G4-5)

At the Picasso Tile station, students explored art as an experience—building, connecting, and imagining together. We talked about how art isn’t always something you take home — sometimes it’s what you build in the moment with others. 💫

This open, choice-based environment nurtures creativity, independence, and community. Students are learning that art is not just a product, but a joyful process of discovery and collaboration.

Kindergarten Self Portrait: Observational Drawing

Kindergarten Self-Portrait 

Medium: Oil Pastel on Tinted Paper

At their own easels, our Kindergarten artists took on a timeless challenge—drawing themselves from observation. Equipped with mirrors and a sense of curiosity, each student studied their reflection and began to capture what they saw through line, shape, and expression.
The goal of this lesson was to explore the relationships between facial features—the curve of a cheek, the distance between eyes, the shape of a nose—and to notice how these unique elements come together to form them. More importantly, students were encouraged to express themselves freely, embracing bold, untamed mark-making that reflected their individuality.
The resulting self-portraits are vibrant and full of character. Every line and color choice reveals not only what the students observed but also how they see themselves. These expressive works celebrate confidence, self-awareness, and the joy of creating art that is as original as each young artist.

What is Visual Thinking Strategies?

What is Visual Thinking Strategies?

Learn more about VTS Home 

First… Take a quiet moment to look.

Then ask…

• What’s going on in this picture?

• What do you see that makes you say…?

• What more can you find?

You can try to look and think deeper with different images every week.

Image of the Week

1st Grade Our Trees of Peace, Inspired by Wangari's Trees of Peace

 Our Trees of Peace – Inspired by Wangari’s Trees of Peace 

This week, our first graders created beautiful mixed-media artworks inspired by Wangari’s Trees of Peace, the inspiring story of Wangari Maathai — an environmental hero from Kenya who planted trees to bring back peace, beauty, and life to her country.

Students began by drawing a horizon line with oil pastels, dividing their paper into sky and ground. Then, using soft watercolors, they gently painted the sky and land, learning how colors can blend and flow together.

Next, our young artists explored symmetry by folding and cutting out trees in many unique shapes. They practiced overlapping to show which trees were closer or farther away, discovering how foreground, middle ground, and background help create depth in a picture.

As they worked, we talked about Wangari’s message — that even one person can make a big difference by caring for the Earth. Our classroom filled with conversations about kindness, peace, and the power of planting trees.

Each student’s artwork became a personal “forest of peace,” reminding us all that small actions, like planting or creating, can grow into something beautiful.

Kindergarten Art: Houses in the Sunset

Kindergarten Art: Houses in the Sunset

Exploring Shape, Color, and the Concept of Home

In this week’s kindergarten art activity, we combined watercolor and collage to create “Houses in the Sunset.” It’s a simple yet powerful project that helps our students explore shape recognition, spatial awareness, and creative expression—all while thinking about the idea of home.

Students began by painting a beautiful watercolor sunset—warm washes of orange, pink, purple and gold blending together. Once dry, they used cut paper shapes to build their own houses on top: squares for walls, triangles for roofs, and rectangles for doors and windows.