April 2011
Dear Spruce Street Families,
As third quarter comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to share
what your child has been doing in second grade in the art room.
The children began work on a long-term weaving project over the winter
months, focusing on the work of the southwest Native Americans. The
children began on a piece of burlap. They created channels by pulling out
pieces of the burlap and then wove yarn back into the spaces. The
children made patterns with the yarn, going over and under the same
amount of strings for the entire channel. Unity was added to the burlap by
limiting the amount of colors and by incorporating symmetry.
The children continue to build on their skills with clay by rolling out coils
and creating patterns. They learned the importance of scoring and using
slip to join pieces of clay. These were bisque fired and then glazed.
Glazing allows the clay to be used safely with liquids and food. This
project is a favorite for many and the results are quite striking!
After a short break, we went back to loom weavings. The children learned
several different styles of weaving including: tabby, basket, twill, tapestry
and raya knots. The children were asked to demonstrate at least three
different styles of weaving in their work. Unity was added to their weavings
by limiting the colors they used to no more than five. All though these
weavings take an extended period of time, the children really enjoy making
them and gain an appreciation for the time and patience it takes. If you
stick with it, you can accomplish anything you desire! Each year I am
anxious to begin and am always amazed with the results!
I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my love of art with the children
and families at Spruce Street Elementary.
Artfully Yours,
Marie Yarnell
Elementary Art Teacher
Sauk-Prairie School District
yarnema@saukpr.k12.wi.us