First Grade Art

Matisse Murals

We are very excited to share our knowledge and appreciation with our school community through art making. All the painted paper that we made in art class was cut into organic shapes to decorate the arts wing hallway. This is what we call collaborative art. Not mine, not yours... but OURS! 

While we were working on this art project we did some nifty cutting tricks, practice makes perfect is no joke! Our shapes started to come out faster and better as we tirelessly worked on them.

Second Grade Art

Color, Textures and Meaning in Art

The work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Second grade met a new artist! We were presented with the life and work of a very colorful man. A nature man. Mr. Hundertwasser was born in Austria and had to leave his country because of the war.  He went on to study Art and Architecture. During his later life he settled in New Zealand where he bough land to reforest and make into a nature sanctuary. His connection with nature is evident in his work. We saw how a curved line -a spiral- can be land, water and also air. All of these elements are present in his work. He communicates his commitment to greener cities, cleaner air and a no waste way of life through his art and architecture.

The sketches that came out of our inquiry are in the process of being made into acrylic on canvas art pieces. Here is the process of exploring space, color and textures to communicate ideas and emotions.

2nd Grade Trip - "Madagascar, A Musical Adventure"

Over the past year and a half, producers and directors here in Panama City have decided to invest in opening their own theatres because the amount of productions done in a year's time has grown so much that it is difficult to find a space to perform them in.  

This past October, Aaron Zebede, a fellow actor, producer and director, who has also directed me in a couple of shows, premiered his new theatre, Teatro La Plaza in Obarrio. This past Saturday, Teatro La Plaza opened their doors to the 2nd Grade MET students and their families to see their latest production of "Madagascar, A Musical Adventure". We attended the 1pm show and were given a special permission to enter the theatre early to discuss aspects of the stage (proscenium), the sets (painted "drops" or fabrics to depict various settings, rolling platforms for set changes, etc.) as well as what to expect from the show.

It was a wonderful afternoon of theatre where families were able to enjoy this wonderful production together as well as have a mini-master class about terms used in the theatre culture.

The amazing lobby of Teatro La Plaza

Aaron speaking with our audience about how he opened this new theatre space and acquired the rights to produce "Madagascar".

                         

Fifth grade impressionist painting last class

During our last classes looking at French impressionist painting, we focused on the use of natural light and how it makes our eyes see different colors.









Using a limited palette helps the artist keep focused on the goal and eliminate frustrations.  Which is why we used only two neutrals and a range of "primary" colors (blues, yellows, reds) for them to make their other colors from.

Using small amounts of paint forces us to make colors over and over, creating nuanced areas which look really beautiful and impressionist.

Some students struggled to let go and paint loosely, others embraced the opportunity to finally set their hands free. 

These are our last weeks with these paintings, and we will be starting something new after passport adventures.

Creating our own Communities with the 1st Grade

While learning about all of the people that make up the Community around them, the 1st Grade has been given the task to create their own smaller communities or "families" to understand the concepts of Connection and Responsibility. 

Through the game "Shoe Walk", the class is split up into small groups. Each group makes a line and the line leader creates a very special and original walk to the piece of music that is playing. The rest of the group must follow the line leader exactly in order for the line to work as it should. Each member of the group must carefully observe the movements as well as the facial expression of the line leader and match it exactly. Once the entire group has gone around in a full circle walking this special walk, the line leader goes to the end and the next in line becomes the new line leader, who can create their own, original walk.....as you can see here!

In the next game, "Family Types", new groups were made and each group had to demonstrate the emotions or the professions that they were given. Some of the professions were those of our community that we are very familiar with. Others were ones that we could only dream of becoming. Here the groups must connect with each other while at the same time choosing completely unique ways of expressing the same feeling or job!

The Teacher Family

The Angry Family   

The Crying Family

The Superhero Family

The Rock Star Family!