Welcome to the 2015-16 Academic Year!

Dear Archway Arete Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you, whether you be new or returning, to Archway Arete as the new academic year begins. My name is Ms. Arce-Lindsay, and I will be teaching art for Kindergarten, 1^st, and 4^th-5^th grade. This will be my second year working as a Visual Arts teacher for Great Hearts Academies, and I feel truly fortunate to be afforded such an opportunity. I received a degree in Studio Arts from Biola University, and also graduated from the Torrey Honors Institute, a program which specializes in Socratic dialogue centered around classic works of literature, poetry, theology and philosophy. Additionally, I have been working with children in an academic setting for over four years. I feel that these qualifications uniquely outfit me to not only teach your children about art, but to help them see the goodness, truth and beauty in it as well, and there is so much to see!

Fine art, especially the visual arts, is a great passion of mine. I am so excited to have the opportunity to share that passion with your students. This year, we will delve into great works of fine art as we learn how to view them in the light of their historical context. We will learn how to identify the various elements of art used in these works, and how to interact with them with wonder and reason. This year, I hope to see students expand their visual vocabulary, feed their hunger for understanding, and expand their curiosity.

If you have any questions, whether it be about curriculum, class, or even if you would like to know if there are ways you can help, please feel free to contact me. I will be updating my blog regularly, and if you have any questions in particular, please feel free to email me. I have great hopes for this class, and I am eager to work with you to make it a success for you and your students. Here’s to a fantastic year!

With great sincerity,

Ms. Arce-Lindsay

Carce-lindsay@archwayarete.org

http://cal-archwayareteart.blogspot.com

5th Grade Quiz Study Guide

5^th Grade 4^th Quarter Quiz: Study Guide

• ·         You will be expected to remember the elements of art we have learned throughout the year: line (organic, or natural, and inorganic, or manmade), pattern, color, shape, value.
• ·         Be prepared to answer basic color theory questions (primary, complimentary, which are across from each other on the color wheel, analogous, which are next to each other, and the difference between warm/cool colors).
• ·         You will be asked review questions about our last two projects: Our Wing of Blue Roller imitated the work of Albrect Durer, who was known for his hyper detailed paintings of animals. He was well known for his work in wood cut prints, water colors, and oil paints. He used an opaque paint called gouache to add fine detail to his transparent water color paintings. In our Japanese Wood Cut Print project, we talked about how wood cut prints were used as early as 764 to make the reproduction of text and image faster, cheaper and easier. We used the reference image Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms at Night by Suzuki Harunobu, ca. 1765 to direct our project.
• ·         You will also be asked some cumulative review questions from the year. Make sure you are familiar with the definitions for: self portraits, focal points, one point perspective, controposto, and the difference between visual and tactile texture.

Happy Studying!

4th Grade Quiz Study Guide

4th Quarter Quiz: Study Guide

•  You will be expected to remember the elements of art we have learned throughout the year: line (organic, or natural, and inorganic, or man-made), pattern, color, shape, value.

•  Be prepared to answer basic color theory questions (primary, complimentary, which are across from each other on the color wheel, analogous, which are next to each other, and the difference between warm/cool colors).
• You will be asked review questions about our last two projects: Our Chinese Ink wash painting used line and natural imagery. We also discussed the use of calligraphy, or beautiful writing, in the writing of Chinese characters. We made a tryptic, or three paneled painting. Our Monticello Architectural drawings focused on Andrea Palladio, who was best known for his Neoclassical architecture. Neoclassical art is art that references classic Greek and Roman art. Thomas Jefferson looked to Palladio’s work to inspire the design of his own home, Monticello.
• You will also be asked some cumulative review questions from the year. Make sure you are familiar with the definitions for: self portraits, Gothic Architecture and its definitive components-gothic rib vaults, stain glass windows, and flying buttresses, and the difference between visual and tactile texture.

Happy Studying!

Summer Classes: Oil Painting and Arete Art!

As this semester winds down, many students are wondering what they could possibly do to fill the terribly dull hours of free time summer brings. Luckily, Archway Arete has a solution! Great Hearts offers many wonderful summer classes where students can not only have summer fun but also be enriched by what they learn and do.

This summer, it is my joy to personally be teaching two of these classes. First of all, for those budding artists in the family who want to get their hands dirty while improving their fine arts skills, there is my beginning Oil Painting class, offered the first two weeks of summer courses for 1st- 5th grade.

This course will introduce the age-old medium of oil paint. Students will learn how to use oil paints while being introduced to a review of its history. By the end of the class, not only will they have learned how to handle this medium, they will also complete an oil painting of their own!


Arete, as we know, means excellence, and the Arete Art class will encourage just that, all while exploring many fascinating art forms. Students will experience a variety of medium while learning about their history.

This class is meant to let students learn and experience many different art forms (such as watercolor painting, collage, origami, sculpture, charcoal drawing, and more) while deepening their understanding of their origin and how they have developed throughout the ages. This class is offered for 1st-5th grade as well.

Hope to see you there!

5th Grade: Japanese Wood Block Printing

Our fifth graders are learning about Japanese Wood Block printing. They learned about the earliest wood block prints found in Japan, Buddhist scrolls distributed around the year 764.

The Japanese wood block printing process was applied not only to text but also to image. It developed into the art form that gave birth to such famous images as Hokusai's Great Wave At Kanagawa and Red Fuji.

The printing process, initially limited to as few as three colors, was enriched by the artist Suzuki Harunobu, who through experimentation and thanks to generous sponsors, pioneered the use of up to twelve colors in his wood block prints.

We will be using his work, Woman Admiring Plum Blossoms At Night, ca. 1765, as a reference image for our next and final project.

Wings!

Here is a sampling of some of our fifth graders completed reproductions of Durer's Wing of Blue Roller. They learned about the art elements line, shape and color, with a focus on organic shape and texture.

The Art Show and Monticello

First of all, a warm congratulations to our students and their beautiful work as it was seen displayed last Wednesday. I saw so many of our families come enjoy our showcase of their student's work, and it was a joy to see everyone appreciate the hard work that their students have completed this year. Well done!

Secondly, I want to share what our fourth graders are currently working on. They have been introduced to Neoclassical architecture, which derives its aesthetic from ancient Greek and Roman architecture. We learned about one of the most influential Neoclassical architects, Andre Palladio.

Palladio's structures were the inspiration for many famous Western buildings. We looked specifically at his Villa Rotonda and talked about how his work and Neoclassicism in general was the inspiration behind many famous American buildings and monuments.

The Villa Rotonda is thought to have directly inspired the designs for Thomas Jefferson's personal estate, Monticello, which provides the reference for our current project. Our fourth graders are currently working on an architectural drawing of Monticello. They have been making excellent progress and I am excited to see their finished work!