Art in the Middles (4th/5th)

Art happens on Friday mornings in the Middles. We believe art should feel accessible and enjoyable. We sit around the big conference table together where art materials and concepts are introduced. Currently, we are learning about color theory through monochromatic paintings. Monochromatic paintings explore color as a vehicle for both the potential and limitations of a painting. Students learn how colors, color mixing, and painting can be used to express feelings, convey meaning, and communicate ideas. We learn art vocabulary, like hue, tint, graduation, ombre, opaque, translucent, and saturation prior to starting our painting. These words empower us and challenge us to try new things! In our lesson, we looked at various examples of monochromatic paintings, both realistic and abstract. We noticed that generally, the foreground in a painting was darker and more defined, as the middle ground grew lighter towards the background. This adds depth to a painting. 

As artists and classmates, we learn how to appropriately comment on a classmate's work and we learn to appreciate the process. As one Middles stated, “Not everything has to be perfect!”  Constructive feedback can be valuable for challenging ourselves to try new things and “mistakes” are always allowed!