Lafayette artists are learning about the power of the arts to transmit joy, transform sorrow, change minds, and heal hearts! In Lafayette’s art studio classroom we are not only learning about the elements, principles and media of the visual arts, but are using the arts to gain a greater understanding, depth and richness of language arts, math, science and social studies curricula. We are hoping learning in and through the arts at Lafayette nurtures lifelong learners and creators!

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Following the Rainbow North... A Priceless Memory of a Precious Time in Your Child's Life!


The 2017 5th grade quilt melds our learning about the role of quilts in American history, the creation of digital quilts, and the basic (and useful) skill of learning to sew! This year, inspired by our focus on embracing diversity, we have created a rainbow quilt using the flying geese pattern. This beauty below will be signed on the back by all our Lafayette 5th graders and auctioned off to the lucky high bidder at this weekend's Lafayette fundraising auction!!!
Creating our digital quilts based on the myth of Underground Railroad coded message quilts; in mathematical translations, reflections and rotations

Hand stitching our triangles




Sewing the hand stitched pieces together on the sewing machines

Creating the sandwich and tying the knots at our quilting bee

Sunday, March 5, 2017

It's a Bumpy, Scratchy, Slippery, Fuzzy World

Lafayette first graders just finished dabbling in the world of TEXTURE!!!
First we explored tactile texture that we can touch with our hands... finding it everywhere... even on our shoes! 
After exploring how artists made visual texture we can see with our eyes, we created our own visual texture rubbings.
...we noticed that Sofonisba Anguisola's
Self Portrait is
full of visual texture like scratchy lace
and smooth skin, soft hair
and a furry collar...
...we created visual texture out of tactile texture
 with rubbings

Our rubbings became delightful sea creatures inspired by Eric Carle's textured paper cutouts: 
Our visual texture sea creatures took on some
tactile texture add ons!
And finally, did anyone say habitats?