Pierz High School Art - The Art Blog

Thanks and see you later!

7/18/2021

Thanks for visiting the Pierz High School Art Blog! This blog was edited by Sara Underhill - who has taken a new position at Little Falls Community High School.

This site will no longer be maintained and you may or may not have access to the files linked on the other pages. Hope you found this website helpful at some point!

Mrs. Underhill will probably be starting another blog for her students at Little Falls. Maybe our paths will cross again in the future. Until then, take care and MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

Motivation Monday

4/12/2021

We always start the week off with something positive on Mondays. I call it Motivation Monday or Mindset Monday. Monday means new beginnings. All sorts of possibilities! You never know what GOOD might happen!

So... Sometimes I share a motivational quote or video, like this week. Here's the link to the video if you want to watch (I think he's even more excited than I am!)

Or sometimes I start with a silly question to answer. This way, students start the week thinking about something that makes them feel GOOD or ponders the possibilities of what might happen if they do focus their energy on positive intentions. Either way, I get to know a little bit more about my students.

Art Madness!

3/26/2021

Because artists steal, I decided to steal an idea from the NCAA but switch it up. March will now be for ART MADNESS!

My goal was to introduce students to a variety of artists working in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.

We started with 16 contemporary artists. By contemporary art, i mean artists living, working, producing meaningful art today. Ok, so one of the artists on the list is deceased, but still meaningful.

The first round of voting saw these artists facing off:

Damien Hirst vs Jeff Koons
Jean-Michel Basquiat vs Banksy
Yayoi Kusama vs Amy Bennett
Ai Weiwei vs Nick Cave

Amy Sherald vs Cindy Sherman
Kehinde Wiley vs Sandra Chevrier
Roberto Lugo vs Johnson Tsang
Shepard Fairey vs Barbara Kruger

Voting took place each Wednesday. Results have been posted on the hall bulletin board by the Friday after the vote. This week was the final round of voting - Banksy vs Chevrier. Results will be shared in class Wednesday, March 31.

Who will be voted the winner??

Building in the Art Room

3/3/2021

Intro to 3D Art students just finished a unit on Architecture. We started with the definition of architecture:

And then we talked about what they think of when they hear the word "architecture."
- their own homes
- cabins
- fish houses
- fairy houses
- dream homes

Next, we looked at some famous and local architects and some artists who create artworks based on architecture:

Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles R. Stinson, Hema Upadhyay, David Umemoto, Beverly Buchanan, and Do Ho Suh

The artworks students created were as diverse and unique as the individuals who created them.

Handbuilding in Ceramics

2/26/2021

Ceramics students start out with a bunch of simple hand-building projects. Art students explore clay techniques in Art 8 and Intro to 3D, but are able to go more in depth if they take Ceramics. They also created signature stamps to "sign" each of their clay works.

Here are some of their first creations.

Pinch pots (above)

Ceramic Spheres (below)

Mrs. Underhill's pinch pot

Slab Box with Texture

Students created their own texture rollers with PVC pipe and hot glue.

Coil Vessel (these are still in progress but looking good!)

Next up is a Relief tile.

After developing their handbuilding skills, students can apply what they've learned on more student driven artworks.

The Best I Can Draw, For Right Now

2/2/2021

Art 8 grade is the first official art class for students at Pierz. It's also their only required visual arts class. With that in mind, my goal as their teacher is to get them making art right away and to expose them to as many materials and artists as I can in a semester. First thing, 8th grade artists start by exploring drawing materials with an activity called Draw Around the Room (which I adapted from Cynthia Gaub at Artechtivity.com - she's awesome). I had to make some changes due to Covid, but students learned vocabulary and practiced techniques using colored pencil, crayon, marker, drawing pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, and oil pastel.

After testing out materials available, students created an artwork based on their interests showing their current drawing ability. As a teacher, it's so fun to get to know students this way! Here are a few of their creations - can you tell what they're passionate about?

New Semester - coming back to school

1/25/2021

The start of this semester is like no other. There's still much uncertainty - will students be in person at school? Will students learn from home? The one thing that IS CERTAIN is THERE WILL BE ART!

Much of first semester was spent in distance learning. Art students were persistent and demonstrated innovation with ideas and materials, but for some it was quite a challenge. For others, art is what got them through working at home. Because, like the quote in the picture says, "The 'Earth' without 'ART' is just "EH!"

Knowing the students are coming back to school slowly by grade level makes me excited for the rest of the year.

Back at School... For now...

12/22/2020

At Pierz High School, we've been in Distance Learning since the beginning of November and we were in Hybrid learning starting in early October. Other than the noise from the construction going on in the art room, it's been a quiet place!

But, not now! Students have been invited back to the building for a short semi-hybrid learning model. Some worked on holiday themed art projects. Some brought current artworks from home, but everyone created in the upgraded art room for a few days. It was good to see students.

When we return after winter break, we'll still be in distance learning, but the plan is to invite students back in by grade level a few weeks at a time.

Art Room Remodel!

11/20/2020

The Healy High School art room underwent a transformation this past month--complete with new flooring, tables, storage, and sinks. Prior, the 1968 art room was in its original form and function. The remodel will allow students to have their own storage areas, more spaces for seating, and options for flexible work spaces.

First Weeks

9/28/2020

These first few weeks of school, students (and the art teacher) have been getting into some new routines and practicing with familiar and new materials. This year, we're on a block schedule, so each class is 94 minutes. The longer class periods have been good to engage & persist - lots of time to focus on art making!

Here's what each of the classes have been working on:

Eighth graders are doing "Around" the Room activities COVID style - in their own seats, with their own supplies, not moving "around" anywhere. So far, we've done drawing and painting. Collage is next.

Intro to 2D Art students have tested out different drawing materials and have started "The Object" artwork - focusing on balance, repetition, and color. Each student will create an artwork based on a favorite or familiar object. I've seen video game controllers, plants, trophies, stuffed animals, deer antlers, and special jewelry, to name a few items. Lots of different materials are being used, as well - pen & ink, marker, black and white charcoal, chalk pastel, colored pencils, and drawing pencils. It's great seeing watching students stretch & explore with new materials and push themselves out of their comfort zones!

Painting students finished Painting Bootcamp (another color wheel, Underhill? REALLY??) and have started Artists Steal. Looking forward to seeing what this group appropriates!

Intro to 3D Art students are working through Media Fair - so far they've tested cardboard, taskboard, paper sculpture, found object, Styrogami, altered books, kinetic art, wire sculpture and two different types of plaster. After Media Fair, we'll start on Architecture - which will be the favorite materials?