The TBS K/5 Studio is a place to build a community of creatives and art makers.

We create norms / routines for our time together

We define Hopes and Dreams for yourself as a creative and an artist.

We center hearing first hand from artists, recorded and in person, about their processes of finding their voice as an artist.

We help students experience many languages of art through hands-on exploration of materials and tools

Together we define ideas, concepts and notice what we are inspired by.

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In beginning this new school year in the art studio I want to build on the unique set of skills that each young artist brings. I felt it was important to start right away with exploration of materials and processes of making while at the same time building in routines and habits of a shared art studio experience.

K -3rd classes were reintroduced to a mind relaxing process called “Taking a line for a slow walk”. This type of mark making helps relax the nervous system. By using a continuous line on paper in the style of contour drawing, the brain relaxes. An extension of adding color to the spaces made by the crossing overlines is another way to relax and enjoy color and shading.

Kindergarteners started out working with oil pastel and watercolor in the form and style of Jasper Johns and his work using numbers as his imagery. The oil pastel resists the watercolor, making for a dimensional drawing surface.

1st/2nd students drawing their own Mandala design as a precursor to remaking the Mandalas on the South facing side of the TBS University Ave Art Studio. We explored mixing the color brown with acrylic paint. Now students are mining their own experiences on understanding as many ways of communication that they know about or have experienced so that we can work well as a community of artists. We’ll be working on a process of creating a small town.

3rd graders have taken the “Take a line for a walk” further by hearing from artist Shantell Martin https://shantellmartin.art/ via recorded video of her sharing her artistic process.

In our sharing of summer art experiences I heard from a few 4th/5th students about their excitement for carving wood. Over the years, the TBS art studio has acquired many tools. The carving knives had been idle for a few years. As we started exploring carving tools, students began with carved eraser stamps and then moved right on to working on whittling and carving wood. Using sharp tools in a safe way is a way to explore a larger language of materials and processes.

I am looking forward to making thinking visible to ourselves and one another as we create community in our art studio classes. Please feel free to connect with me about your creative inspiration, passions, and making. I am dedicated to helping students build their creative lives inside and outside of school.

Julanne Hughes
ECC-5th Teaching Artist
Jhughes@theberkeleyschool.org