South Boston Catholic Academy

As you are getting ready to return to school please keep the art room in mind when you are recycling at home. The following items are perfect for creating extraordinary art!

Recycle List

egg cartons

paper towel rolls

styrofoam trays

cardboard (does anyone know a printer who gives away leftovers from printing jobs?)

If you have something that you think we can use in the art room please feel free to contact me. It is amazing what our students can do! Thank you for your continued support.  See you all soon!
Mrs. Putnam

art room page

If you heard that a giant, 25 foot long sea serpent visited the school yard yesterday please be assured that it was a friendly visit! Students in grade 8 created this giant sculpture out of plastic and tape and inflated the creature using a fan. The sculpture was inspired by the subway grate sculptures  in New York City and is the final stage of our Sea Serpent Grant.

I apologize that students were not allowed to add painted scales to the sea serpent.  The wind was so strong that it made it impossible to keep the serpent still for painting.  An extra thank you to Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Marshall and Mrs. Cleary for their hands-on help!

Some of the eight graders suggested SBCA needs a mascot and suggested the sea serpent.  What do you think?

It is amazing how quickly this year has passed.  The work from the art show will be going home soon.  (Thank you for your patience).  On Thursday afternoon, June 3^rd, grade 8 will inflate the 25 foot long sea serpent they created using plastic drop cloths and tape! In the meantime grade 8 will also be printing t-shirts with the silk screen image designed by Chloe. In grade 7 students are creating parodies of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic”.  Grade 6 is painting away on their mummies.  Robert Indiana’s “Love” painting has been the inspiration for grade 5’s 4 letter word graphics. Grade 4 is learning about proportion and how to draw a figure in motion.  In grade 3 students have been doing radial weavings with yarn and are combining the weavings with a drawing for a mixed media project. Grade 2 has been creating awesome missing posters for imaginary creatures. A big thank you to 7^th graders Deirdre and Sabreena . They not only hung up the posters for 2b this week, but, have been eager helpers the entire year. Grade 1 loves the construction crayons they have been using to design bird houses. Next week we will add the lucky birds. Don’t forget to visit Artsonia to see the art work.  SBCA ranks 3rd in the state and has had over 50,000 visitors! Here are some cool art links, drawing manga, animation, weaving, etc.  to check out.

I hope the students have had as much fun as I have this year.  Thank you for the awesome art!

I hope everyone got a chance to visit and enjoy the Art Show in the cafeteria.  I would like to thank all the students for the time, effort, care and imagination that they put into their beautiful art objects. I would also like to thank Ms. Krim for her generousity of time in helping me to organize and hang the show.

Sometimes we forget how important art is in a child’s world so here are just a few reasons why they need it:

• Art stimulates both sides of the brain.
• 33% of kids are visual learners.
• There are studies that show that kids, who make art, read better and get better grades in  science and mathematics.
• The kids learn by using their senses and art is ideal in this process.
• The kids need a place to express themselves at school.
• Art promotes self esteem
• Art encourages kids to give more attention to the physical space that surround them.
• Art develops hand and eye coordination.
• Art stimulates perception.
• Art teaches that there is more than one solution for a problem.
• Art teaches kids to think creatively to solve problems.
• Kids can share and reflect on their work of art and learn something about the world they live in.
• When art is integrated with the other subjects in the curriculum, kids commit more to the learning   process.
• Art nourishes the human soul. One feels good doing it.
• Art brings the cultural resources of the community into the class.
• Art is valuable all by itself.

Art from the show will be available for viewing at artsonia.com in the next few days.

I can’t believe how quickly the year has progressed.   The ceramic mural created by Grade 6 has been installed in the school lobby but has some grouting to be completed and then needs to be sealed.  In grade 5 we have been creating art using words in the style of Robert Indiana.  Students in grade 3 have taken a strong liking to weaving while grade 2 has been experimenting with sculpture and the 3^rd dimension.  Next Thursday the 20^th will be the Art Show and the children are very excited to display their work. I hope you all can attend.

As we get closer to the yearly art show the art room is bustling with activity.  In grade 1 we have just completed some exciting paintings of pussy willows without ever picking up a paint brush.  Instead, students used pieces of cardboard to “draw” the branches and then used their pinky finger to print the soft, white blossom.  In grade 2, we are completing the “people pillow” self-portraits by stuffing them with newspaper before taking them home. Grade 4 is using paint to add details to the “story teller” sculptures they will be displaying in the art show.  Grade 5 has created some amazing pencil self-portraits which you can view in the hallway or on Artsonia.com. Grade 6 has started adding paint to their Egyptian mummy portraits while grade 7 used their names to create abstract designs with split-complementary color schemes.  Please mark your calendars for May 20 to see all the beautiful art! The Art Room

Congratulations to the following students: Thomas Bohan gr 5, Rebecca Donovan gr 2, Joseph Hamilton gr 1, Victoria Lynch gr 4, Jackie McDonald gr 4, Owen Meyer Golden gr 4, Sophia Tirabassi gr 4, and Mary Wallace gr 4! The Boston Public Library’s Collaborative Schools Writing and Design contest has announced that their artwork has been selected to be in the book this year. The students will be feted at the Copley Library on May 2 where they will receive a copy of the printed book. The library also issued a big thank you to all the students who created art work.

Students in grade 2 learned about Worry Dolls this past week and created their own using clothes pins and yarn.  They even created pictures of their own worries or homes for their Worry Dolls.

In grade 1 we finished up our awesome gumball machines which will be presented at the May 20 art show. Grade 6 has finally finished their mosaic squares which will also be presented at the art show.

Students in grade 6 are now working on mummy self portraits. In grade 5 students are learning about the proportions of the head and how to draw a self portrait.

Don’t forget to visit Artsonia to see our latest art work.  For interesting links and the art room wish list please visit Mrs. Putnam’s Artroom.

After looking at French artist Henri Matisse’s painting of goldfish, grade 2 students have been working on their own paintings for the upcoming art show.  Students in grade 8 are collaborating on a large scale sculpture made from large sheets of plastic and packing tape.  Also sculpting, but in clay, students in grade 5 are adding finishing touches to their sea serpents. During the next few weeks the students will be concentrating on completing work for the art show and look forward to displaying on May 20^th. In the meantime please continue to visit Artsonia.com to see our wonderful artwork.  South Boston Catholic Academy is ranked number 4 overall in Massachusetts thanks to your support! Click here to find the art room wish list and recycle page.

There always seems to be a flurry of activity in the art room. First graders have learned to use ellipses and curved lines  to create pots.  In grade 3 we are discovering how to draw like an Egyptian. Grade 5 has finished sculpting clay sea serpents and next will be painting them. In grade 7 students used acrylics to paint a still life in the manner of Giorgio Morandi.  The skill and care with which they have used the paint is allowing us to move on to some more expressive painting in the next few weeks.
Mark you calendars for the art show to be held on May 20th. In the meantime please see all of our art work on Artsonia.com!

More art stuff at ArtRoom page! Wish list, recycle needs, links, etc.

Everyone who has visited the art room this week is raving about the mural being created in mosaics by grade 6.  Students are creating a beautiful art object.  In grade 8 students have been working on  an op art project in the style of Victor Varsarely. Grade 7 students arranged two still life set-ups and are developing their drawing skills.  In grade 3 students are finishing up on their Yackey-Yack puppets while grade 4 is using plaster to make faux fossils this week.  Check out www.artsonia.com to view pictures of our students finished art work.

In progress sea serpent mosaic by grade 6.