Past projects 2
Brushes and Watercolor Paper for Aspiring Artists
Funded Feb 16, 2023This project really allowed students to explore the fundamentals of art while using real art materials. The students really loved the nice brushes with the grips and were excited to use them. They were very careful with the use of the watercolor paper and my special needs students really enjoyed layering watercolors over the paper and seeing how the texture of the paper was different.
Next this group of students will be moving on to exploring acrylic paint and understanding how watercolor paints and acrylic paints are different. The goal for this class for all students is to expose students to as many forms of art as possible. Thanky ou for helping us to accomplish this goal.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. R. Santos
Mixed Media Still Life
Funded Oct 25, 2021I can't tell you how absolutely thrilled I was at the results of this project. Your donation of mixed media supplies was absolutely essential to my student's art development and their confidence. We used the pastels to explore form and value to bring dimension to our compositions. We used the watercolors to learn new techniques of color mixing and discover how the natural behavior of water can make compositions more interesting.
When my student first saw the chalk pastels, they couldn't believe how nice they were. When they began to use them, they were surprised at how easy they were to work with. They are very messy, but the students didn't mind. They were too busy being engaged and excited about how the colors could be blended with only a finger. The students were just as surprised at the vivid colors of the watercolor pains. When they held the watercolor paper, they commented that we were using "real" art supplies as opposed to just construction paper and markers.
When I lined up all the finished works for photos, students were able to choose their favorite and discuss an element of art that each student excelled in. Many students discovered their own combination of techniques and composition style that made their art unique. Students began to talk about each other's work as "Jatavius' style" or "Cameron's style" and so on. They suddenly recognized the uniqueness in each other and their art as a feature spoken of positively and with respect.
After students finished this project, they explored many famous African American artists and chose an artists whose themes, styles, or media interested them. They independently created a new work that mimicked the composition or style of the famous art icon. Several of my students chose artists who were watercolorists. Having explored watercolor techniques and completing the Mixed Media Still Life project, they were confident in their ability to create a watercolor painting in the style of a world class artist. With your help, I have been able to introduce my students to new art media and all of them found a new way to be successful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. R. Santos