Egg Crate Alligators
Since the beginning of the school year, each student in Grades 1-4 art classes has been working on art pieces of different mediums for display in the 2016 Lower School Art Show. They recently unveiled their hard work. We sat down with Lower School art teacher Jessica Abbondanzio to learn what went into the making of the show.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the recycled zoo animals, dot projects, portraitures, group murals or the collaborative heart piece, take a moment to stop by to see the colorful works of art covering the walls of Community Hall, the lobby of the Jacobs Family Library building and the foyer of Four Flowers Theater before Wednesday, December 7.
Question: This was your first year teaching at LJCDS, how did you kick off the school year?
Jessica Abbondanzio: I wanted a way for everyone to collaborate on one unifying piece, so all Lower School students created one-fourth of a heart using bright colors, lines and patterns. All the pieces were joined together on five mural panels that say SMILE, HAPPY, LOVE, JOY and LJCDS.
Q: Can you share more about each of the grade-level art projects?
Mrs. Abbondanzio: All students studied self-portraits, looking at the work of Pablo Picasso during his blue period, and used the color of their emotions to draw their own portraits. From there, each grade worked on different projects:
First Grade art students became science students by experimenting with how salt and rubbing alcohol affect watercolor paintings. They also learned the art of portraiture, focusing on family portraits, a monochromatic self-portrait and a self-portrait inspired by portraits of royalty.
Second Grade students observed the work of Wassily Kandinsky and created a double-sided painting demonstrating Kandinsky’s two abstract styles, geometric circular designs and music-inspired motion paintings. Students learned that Kandinsky related his paintings closely to music because he believed colors expressed sounds and instrumental music expressed color. Students listened to Gershwin as they painted to the movement of the music.
Second Grade students observed the work of Wassily Kandinsky and created a double-sided painting demonstrating Kandinsky’s two abstract styles, geometric circular designs and music-inspired motion paintings. Students learned that Kandinsky related his paintings closely to music because he believed colors expressed sounds and instrumental music expressed color. Students listened to Gershwin as they painted to the movement of the music.
Third Graders read the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and jumped into the world of abstract art with a focus on dots. The message in this wonderful children’s book is that everyone can be an artist if they give it their best try. Students created low relief foil sculptures by building their dot sculptures, covering them in shiny foil and coloring them with detailed designs.
Fourth Grade: In celebration of the San Diego Zoo’s 100th birthday, students were tasked with looking at recycled objects in a new way. A variety of bottles, boxes and other various containers were collected and students set off building a zoo animal of their choice. Craft materials were later added to accentuate animal features. The wild zoo was brought together in a display in the Community Hall.
Q: What did you enjoy most about putting together this show?
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La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440
© 2024 La Jolla Country Day School
Privacy Policy
COVID-19 Prevention Plan
