Carmel's 6th Graders studied the work of Surrealists like Salvador Dali and the more recent Vladimir Kush, and then created Surrealist works of their own. All students captured the bizarre, dream-like quality and hints of symbolic meaning typical of Surrealism, but these two pieces in particular stood out amongst them all. 

Carmel's 7th and 8th Grade Visual Arts students created photorealistic pencil drawings, each of which exemplified 2 particular Principles of Design. Represented in the students' chosen images were the Principles of Contrast, Symmetrical or Asymmetrical Balance, and Emphasis, among others. Principles of Design aside, though, these incredibly talented students demonstrated their great skill at producing beautiful, highly Realistic drawings.

Starry, Starry Nights...

Carmel's Visual Arts students studied the artwork of Impressionists such as Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne, leading up to the artwork of post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Discussion topics centered around the way in which van Gogh's artwork was considered child-like and unimpressive at first, and was only appreciated later. These studies lead up to further discussion on Originality in Art, and questions surrounding what makes art "original." 


As their project for this unit, each student created their own reinterpretation of van Gogh's famous Starry Night, blending and layering oil pastels to create a paint-like effect that mimicking that of oil paints. Our starry nights transformed into everything from colorful fantasy lands, to meetings of fire and water, to eerie castle scenes, and more. Students later discussed and wrote on the subjective topic of whether or not their reinterpretations were, in fact, original.

8th Grade

7th Grade

6th Grade

Cubist Portraits

Carmel's Visual Arts students studied the Cubist works, with a particular focus on Pablo Picasso, one of the most prominent founders of the Cubism movement. Drawing inspiration from the work of Picasso and others, our students created their own Cubist portraits, reinterpreting the movement through the key Elements of shape, line, and color.

6th Grade

8th Grade