Visiting
the China Museum each year is one of the most inspiring experiences for
everyone in the BNS community. The bold and bright reds in the artwork,
the strength of the brush marks in the calligraphy, the dynamic projects with
warriors, silk patterns and materials to teach of the vivid culture of
Ancient China leave us in awe.
An equally inspiring, subtle, and discreet study takes place in the art room, where third graders learn how to
"look at" bamboo. They explore line, form, and "chiaroscuro:" the darks and lights of the forms. Then, using pencils and shading techniques students create three dimensional
appearances. One can not get bored looking at these dozens of drawings of
the same scene. Bamboo, in all it's loveliness, is so appealing to the
viewer, but also to the artist. Discovering it's distinctive markings,
soft and hard lines and it's unique compositional structure is thrilling.
Savor these
drawings and look at how each artist's study differs from the next. The
power of the drawing lies in the eye and hand of our third graders.
By Janine Sopp
