Description of the Unit – This is a purely technical unit that allows students to explore combining watercolor painting techniques with other media.
8th grade – watercolor & mixed media
Category: mixed media
7th Grade – Japanese Notan Designs
Description of the Unit –
In this unit, students observed the traditional Japanese art of Notan designs, exploring the relationship between positive and negative space between elaborately cut designs, and how this relationship affects composition, balance and symmetry. Students created their own Notan designs.
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4th Grade – Dioramas of Native Californians
Description of the Unit – To support their research of California’s first Americans, students worked in groups to create dioramas representing the lives of a particular tribe (assigned to their group).
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3rd Grade – Cityscape Mosaics inspired by Paul Klee
This is an exciting, multistep exploration of shape and color inspired by one of my favorite artists, Paul Klee. This unit is an extension of a previous one, which you can see here: https://anitasagastegui.com/2020/06/08/3rd-grade-paul-klees-magic-square-series/. The difference being that this time students are creating mosaic collages rather than drawings, so we emphasize the terms background, middle ground and foreground, as well an understanding of overlapping elements.
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1st Grade – Spooky Halloween Scene Emphasizing Positive and Negative Space
Description of the Unit – Following our previous unit on shape, this unit will emphasize what students learned while introducing them to positive and negative space, and the way they interact with one another. We will also reinforce the concepts of cool and warm colors via the expression of a warm-colored sky.
6th Grade – Masks inspired by traditional masks of the Pacific Northwest
Description of the Unit – Students explored the interesting history and dramatic artistry of masks of First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest. Taking inspiration from the colors and patterns observed in these masks, students made their own masks primarily using…egg cartons!
2nd Grade – Northern Lights Landscape emphasizing Texture
Description of the Unit – Students learned all about the element of texture in art, both two- and three dimensional. They created textured mountains out of ripped paper and rubbing stencils, and then added the soft, wispy texture of the aurora borealis and the lake below using chalk pastels and brushes.
6th Grade – Self-Portrait inspired by the art of George Littlechild
Description of the Unit – Students will create fantastical, energetic self-portraits inspired by the portraits of George Littlechild. Students will use a mix of sharpie markers, colored pencils, watercolor and acrylic paint for their portraits.
Kindergarten – Simple Watercolor Resist
Description of the Unit – Students will learn about oil’s resistance to water both in nature and through the media of watercolor and crayon, and explore this resistance via playful experimentation and one finished composition.
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7th Grade – Joseph Cornell’s Memory Boxes
Description of the Unit – Students will observe and discuss Joseph Cornell’s memory boxes, and, gathering their own personal objects, found objects and other materials, students will thoughtfully create their own memory boxes.
In the K-8 Art Studio with Anita Sagastegui 