A 4th Grade student showing the different textures of all her favorite foods.
Welcome to the 2022 AFIA visual arts newsletter. I am excited to share some of the artwork we have created so far this year.
Creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance have been key components to our activities in visual arts. From storytelling, to sharing and teamwork, the scholars have had loads of opportunities to show what they know and share it with others.
The students have created a wide variety of artworks using MANY different art materials. One of the student favorites is always when we use clay. The AFIA scholars have been using a soft, malleable modeling clay to create sculptures of food, portraits, and characters for stories. For the younger students, working with clay is a great to practice fine motor skills. They love being able to mix the colors and use problem-solving to figure out the best ways to make their artwork 3 dimensional.
We have also done a lot of painting and observational drawing. We have studied flowers, butterflies, and found object still-life. Observational drawing is an excellent way to get students to think like a scientist and look closely for details. The scholars will notice shapes, colors, light and dark areas, textures, and proportions. They have been learning that art can be challenging and it is okay to revise and make multiple drafts. Just like writing or math, it is important for them to show their very best work.
These 3rd Graders showed off their fashion designs based on their learning about traditional bark cloth fabric.
These 3rd Graders showed their knowledge of patterns and warm and cool colors.
This Kindergarten student created a colorful display of all of his favorite foods.
In addition to regular weekly art classes, the students have participated in a Thursday afternoon intensive enrichment experience with Art, Theater, PE, and Music. The scholars have collaborated we each other and the other enrichment teachers to explore a variety of themes centered around innovation and community. We have created garments based on traditional Ugandan bark cloth and designed team uniforms and logos. Everyone looks forward to these collaborative afternoons together. I am excited for the students to continue to practice and expand the art skills that are an important part of all the work they do at AFIA.