Third Grade

In our ongoing exploration of color, students delved into the concept of color value through a sweet and creative study of cupcakes. Inspired by the renowned artist Wayne Thiebaud, known for his delectable depictions of everyday objects, students observed how he skillfully employed light, medium, and dark values to craft lifelike light and shadows in his artwork.

To emulate Thiebaud's technique, students mixed paints to create tints for the cupcake icing and shades for the shadows. They experimented with different values of brown and another color of their choice to bring their cupcakes to life. With guidance, students carefully painted the light, medium, and dark parts of their cupcakes, then learned to blend the colors seamlessly with their fingers to achieve smoother transitions between sections.

Through this hands-on exploration, students not only honed their understanding of color values but also gained insight into the artistic process of blending and shading to create depth and dimension in their artwork.

Students immersed themselves in the rich cultural tapestry of Dia de los Muertos, a cherished Mexican holiday celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd. This deeply meaningful tradition pays homage to departed loved ones, weaving together gatherings and festivities that resonate across Mexico and within Mexican communities in the United States.

Guided by an embossing technique utilizing metal tooling, sharpies, and gems, students delved into the essence of this vibrant Latin American celebration. Dia de los Muertos serves as a poignant time for both celebration and remembrance, as families come together to honor their deceased relatives. The decorations often showcase whimsical skeletons engaging in activities reflective of their lives, while the iconic sugar skull emerges as a beloved symbol adorned with vivid flowers and colorful embellishments.

Third grade delved into the world of architecture, discovering the dual purpose of gargoyles. These architectural features served not only to ward off evil but also had a functional role. In Gothic architecture, gargoyles are carved or formed equipped with spouts designed to divert water from a roof and away from the sides of buildings. 

Architects strategically placed multiple gargoyles on buildings to effectively manage the flow of rainwater off the roof, minimizing potential damage during rainstorms. Gargoyles typically feature elongated and fantastical animal forms, as their length determines the distance over which water is directed away from the wall. A trough is carved into the back of the gargoyle, allowing rainwater to exit through its open mouth.

Students recreated these fascinating architectural elements using Model Magic and paint. For a closer look, you can explore the intricate gargoyles adorning St. George's by the River Church right here in Rumson!

Fauvism emerged as a pioneering avant-garde movement in France during the early twentieth century, representing a bold departure from both Impressionism, famously associated with Claude Monet, and traditional artistic norms. Fauve painters challenged conventional methods of perception, expressing a spontaneous and subjective reaction to nature through bold, unapologetic brushwork and vibrant, high-keyed colors straight from the tube.

In our study of Fauvist artist Henri Matisse, we crafted collages using just paper and glue. Later in his life, Matisse, facing illness, turned to paper cut-outs to create large-scale collage pieces—a technique he aptly termed "painting with scissors." Through this exploration, we not only delved into Matisse's innovative approach but also explored fundamental artistic concepts such as complementary colors, positive and negative space, and composition.

We also delved into the themes of negative and positive space. In a composition, positive space holds greater visual weight, while surrounding space, deemed less visually significant, is considered negative space. Understanding complementary colors involves identifying their placement on the color wheel, where they sit opposite each other. For instance, green is the complementary color to red. Basic complementary colors comprise one primary color paired with one secondary color.

Pop art emerged as a prominent modern art movement during the 1950s and 60s, spearheaded by artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and Roy Lichtenstein. Drawing inspiration from popular mass culture, including advertising and comic books, pop art reimagines everyday objects in new and unexpected ways.

Everyday objects are often isolated and transformed through collage techniques in pop art, bridging the gap between reality and artistic expression through abstract means. Key themes of the movement include notions of popularity, consumerism, affordability, humor, and innovation.

In our exploration of pop art, students honed their skills with oil pastels, learning to render everyday objects such as crayons in dynamic and expressive forms.

Students engaged in the creation of functional pottery using the slab forming technique. They began by embossing clay with various patterns, shaping it into cylinders, and applying glaze.

Slab building pottery involves joining walled pieces together using a method known as slip and score.

Handbuilding in ceramics entails shaping clay using hands and simple tools rather than relying on a pottery wheel.