PHOTOS: Students Deck The Halls at Gales Ferry School

Students at the Gales Ferry and Juliet W. Long schools decked the halls with nearly 400 pieces of art for an art show that’s currently hanging in the Gales Ferry School. Each grade had different assignments and appears to have explored just about every facet of artistic expression with painting, drawing and multi media.

First graders made alphabet posters and, “their job was to choose colors that would make their letters easy to read.” They also learned about patterns by drawing different patterns on areas of a cat, and the rug that s/he will take a nap on.

First graders in Mrs. Petrowski's class made scarecrow collages and explored perspective by providing space and background around the scarecrow.

Second graders reviewed their knowledge of neighborhoods and then made up their own. They cut colored paper into geometric shapes and drew in their own curves. They also explored the contrast between warm colors and cool colors by drawing fall leaves set against a calm blue sky. 

Third graders studied artist Peter Max, who became popular in the 1960s. Max's work served as inspiration for their own colorful artwork.

Third grade students in Mrs. Souza’s class made paintings of imaginative homes.

Fourth graders chose one word to describe themselves. They wrote or painted the word creatively and with expression. Words like crazy, cool and awesome were forbidden.

Fifth graders picked a character trait in themselves and turned it into a new soup flavor. They used Andy Warhol's 1962 iconic Campbell's Soup print as a template.

Sixth graders made self-portraits, to which they will add personal essays in the near future.

After being asked if they felt better about drawing faces, most responded positively.

“I feel like I could go and draw a piece worthy of da Vinci. I’m not the best, but I am a lot more experienced after this. Also this project taught me a good tactic for faces,” wrote one sixth grader.

Another said, “I feel better now about drawing faces. I do because now I know to put more detail in it and it has made my picture have more expression.”