One of the best things about being a practicing artist is the visual record of your thoughts, energy, personality, style, interests, etc. Looking back through the work I have made and kept reminds me of who I was at one time and definitely tells me how I am different now. So a habit that I try to instill with students is reflecting on their own work and making choices about it!
So, we keep portfolios in art class. And each year we have an annual art show in the spring! It is your child's responsibility to look through their portfolio and find their best piece and finish it if needed. Having the authority to make decisions about what will represent them and their efforts is one of the most empowering things they experience throughout the year. They are the artist, and they choose their masterpiece!
Keeping a portfolio also allows us to collect work over time and notice changes or growth. Each year I ask the students to do a "Baseline" drawing as their very first and very last artworks to go in their portfolio. It is always amazing to see the differences over the period of a year, or perhaps, the prominence of a particular style or way of drawing something.
First graders focus on self-portraits as their baseline drawing and we do artworks that include many of their preferences or likes.
Second grade studies animals. We discuss how animals are shown in various cultures and with different habitats of the world.
Third grade studies landscapes. This allows for understanding spatial concepts.
Fourth grade studies abstract art. We also discuss imagination, science fiction and fantasy art.
Fifth grade studies figures and observational drawing.
Here are some examples of how the baseline drawings look "before" and "after" at each grade level:
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| 1st grade self-portraits |
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| 2nd Grade Animals |
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| 3rd Grade Landscapes |
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| 4th Grade Abstract |
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| 5th Grade Figure Drawing |
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| 6th grade Portraits |
