Upcoming Fine Arts Events

An announcement for ARCHWAY CHANDLER families only. Please disregard if your student attends Archway Lincoln. Sincere apologies for any confusion.

A few events that the Fine Arts Department would like you to be informed about:

Friday, April 8: Spring Music Concert

Higley Center for the Performing Arts

4132 E Pecos Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85295

Important parking information will be sent home near the concert!

K-2 Concert: 5:30 PM

3-5 Concert (featuring the Women’s Ensemble and Men’s Chorus): 6:30 PM 

Mrs. Olsen (K-1): polsen@archwaychandler.org

Mrs. Carpenter (2-5, choirs): pcarpenter@archwaychandler.org

Friday, May 13: Fine Arts Night

Archway MPR: 

Studio Art Gallery

5:00 – 8:00 PM

Mrs. Wuerfel (2-5 Art): nwuerfel@archwaychandler.org

Ms. Tye (K-1 Art): rtye@archwaychandler.org

CPA Theater:

Archway Singing Strings, Women’s Ensemble, 

Men’s Chorus, and Drama Club Performance

6:00 PM

Ms. Elie (strings): cjelie.cfa@gmail.com

Mrs. Carpenter (choirs): pcarpenter@archwaychandler.org

Mrs. Buske (drama): astoppa-buske@archwaychandler.org

Lady Liberty and Texture Saguaros

Kindergarten

Students observed and discussed the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes/objects. This allowed for us to look at a different type of art: sculpture. Kindergarten students studied a photograph of The Statue of Liberty and discussed what they noticed about the sculpture. We learned that The Statue of Liberty  was a gift to America from the French people for our 100th birthday. We also pointed out that, to make the statue look more realistic, the artist (Frederic Auguste Bartholdi) created movement on Lady Liberty's gown using curved lines.

Once we finished observing and discussing the statue, we got to work creating our own drawings of the sculpture. Following guided directions, Kindergarten students drew The Statue of Liberty with pencil, then traced with black gel pen. The students used a special copper green crayon to give the statue her iconic color. Last, they drew their own backgrounds--discussions on the Fourth of July were had--and added color with crayon.

First Grade

Students experimented with the element of texture over the last few weeks in Art. We began the unit by doing texture rubbings of objects in the classrooms and outside on the playground. The students thoroughly enjoyed this activity! We discussed some of the textures we discovered all over our campuses. We took a closer look at photos of cacti and discussed the textures we observed.

Then, students got to work and dove into their Saguaro Projects! They began by creating painted paper as a base for their cactus drawings. Using different brushstrokes allowed for all sorts of textures to be seen. Once the paint dried, students drew a saguaro cactus and outlined it with black oil pastel. Students learned a new technique for their backgrounds: scumbling. This technique of controlled scribbling was used to create various textures for the sky and the sand of the desert. Next, the students cut out their cacti and adhered them to their scumbled papers. Now they were ready to add texture to their saguaros. First, lines of glue were carefully added to the length of the cactus. Once dried, the students used raw rice to create the spikes. Finally, small pieces of pink tissue paper were used to create the delicate blossoms that bloom on the saguaro's tips.

The First Grade students worked tremendously hard on these projects. I am very proud of the way they turned out! Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016!

Here is an update of what students at Archway Chandler and Archway Lincoln have been learning & doing at the start of the new quarter:

Kindergarten-Students were introduced to the element of shape and hunted for shapes in their classrooms. We learned about the Swiss-German artist Paul Klee and studied his painting Castle and Sun. Students were guided on how to complete their own Klee-inspired painting by drawing a castle and using horizontal and vertical lines to create shapes throughout. Color was added with crayon and the sky was painted with watercolor, to create a resist effect.

1st Grade-Students reviewed the elements of line, color, and shape as they studied various paintings by Piet Mondrian. We observed that Mondrian only used horizontal and vertical lines (no diagonal lines) in his paintings, and the palette he used mainly consisted of Primary Colors. Using a square template, 1st Grade students traced overlapping squares all over a piece of paper with a black crayon. Then, using red, blue, and yellow crayons, they colored in only full squares and rectangles.


Up Next...

Kindergarten-Two-Dimensional vs. Three-Dimensional Shapes; sculpture (The Statue of Liberty)

1st Grade-Texture and Cactus Multi-Media Project

Kindergarten-Klee's Castle and Sun Project

1st Grade-Mondrian-Inspired Project

Lines, Lines, Lines...and A Dot

All K-1 students were busy these last two weeks discovering the element of line.

At Archway Chandler, we discussed line and brainstormed examples of the lines we see in the natural world. Then, we read the book Harold and the Purple Crayon, discussing the lines Harold uses to draw certain objects on his moonlight walk. On Day 2 of Art, students were each given a black piece of paper and a magical purple crayon. They were instructed to create a new adventure for Harold, using their knowledge of line. First Grade students added shapes with purple construction paper to enhance their drawings.

Kindergarten students created resist paintings of flowers, with black oil pastel and watercolor, by using many different types of lines.

1st Grade students also created resist paintings of sea turtles in their habitats, with black oil pastel and watercolor, using assorted lines and shapes.

Next up for Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Matisse

At Archway Lincoln, Kindergarten students prepared their portfolios and observed Georges Seurat's Sunday on La Grande Jatte. They learned to use specific positional words (e.g., middle, top, bottom, left, right, top right, top left, etc.) Kindergarteners practiced using this vocabulary as they located objects in Seurat's painting. We also discussed how Seurat painted this masterpiece, by applying paint in small dots. First Grade students listened to the book The Dot and created their own pieces using dots (one orange dot was provided). Also in 1st Grade, we began a discussion on line and where we find certain types of line in the natural world.

In both grades this last week, we spent time examining line in the story Harold and the Purple Crayon. We observed the types of lines Harold used to create his moonlight walk one night. Students were given a black piece of paper and a purple oil pastel. Some 1st Grade students added shapes using purple paper.

Next up for Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Resist Paintings

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Chandler

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

The Dot-Lincoln

Flower Resist-Chandler

Flower Resist-Chandler

Flower Resist-Chandler

Flower Resist-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Turtle Resist-Chandler

Turtle Resist-Chandler

Turtle Resist-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Turtle Resist-Chandler

Turtle Resist-Chandler

Harold and the Purple Crayon-Lincoln

Introductions, Beautiful Oops, and Seurat

And we're off!

The first few Art classes at Archway Chandler were filled with preparing our portfolios and observing our first painting together: Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Kindergarten and 1st Grade students studied the painting and used correct vocabulary to describe where certain objects in the painting were located (e.g., top, middle, bottom, left, right, etc.) Kindergarten students colored a sheet that looked just like the real painting, while 1st Grade students followed directions on what objects to color at specific places on the sheet.

Week 1 at Archway Lincoln allowed us to introduce ourselves and discuss classroom procedures, while we are in Art class. Both Kindergarten and 1st Grade students read the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. We discussed what a mistake is and how we can turn our mistakes in Art into something beautiful. Students were given an "oops" from the book and asked to turn it into something that looked like it was intended. 1st Grade students prepared their portfolios and are ready to discuss our first painting together! Kindergarten students, be ready! You get to prepare your portfolios this upcoming week.

Thank you, again, for giving me the opportunity to introduce your children to the world of Visual Arts. I feel so lucky to be teaching such an eager group of learners. Your support and patience throughout these first days of school has been so appreciated.

Have a lovely weekend!

Welcome!

Welcome! 

I would like to share a little bit about myself, as the K-1 Art Teacher at Archway Chandler & Lincoln.

This will be my third year with Great Hearts; my seventh year teaching. I spent the last two years teaching K-1 Art & Music, in addition to 5^th Grade History & Science, at the Anthem Archway campus. My love of learning extends into many subjects, however, Art holds a very special place in my heart.

As a trained classical ballet dancer, my eye is always drawn to subjects of Beauty. I grew up dancing and was, in turn, exposed to not only beautiful movement, but to beautiful music, as well. My grandmother was a painter and I spent much time with her, working on unique projects. An appreciation and love of Art continued into adulthood. While I worked towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Arizona State University, I took several types of Fine Arts classes (involving many disciplines), Art History being one of them. I knew I had to incorporate Art into my work as a classroom teacher, someway, somehow.

In my eight years of teaching various grade levels, I have strived to expose my students to Art in as many ways as possible—from adorning my classroom walls with beautiful pieces of art to incorporating Impressionist Art into a reading unit for 4^th and 5^th graders. Even during the incredibly busy months of my first year of teaching, I conducted a Van Gogh project with my 2^nd graders modeling The Starry Night.

It is my pleasure to introduce your children to the world of Visual Arts and to learn alongside them. Art is more than simply examining a painting. It tells us the stories of human life that preceded us. In K-1 Art classes, we will observe paintings and learn how to verbally describe what we see. We will, then, model certain components/elements that are contained with the paintings. I approach each project by focusing on the basic elements of Art, reviewing them with students regularly.

A note to my students: Always do your best, even when it feels like everything is going wrong. Together, we will learn new things, grow in our knowledge, and practice our art. I promise to share in your sense of wonder and to guide you towards goodness, beauty, and truth.

Thank you for trusting Great Hearts to facilitate your child’s curiosity, sense of wonder, and growth as a scholar!