Art and the Cosmic Connection

Sixth Grade students have been studying Space Science, so in Art, we learned about a program created by artists Monica and Tyler Aiello. The Aiellos work with students and teachers, in collaboration with NASA, to explore how scientists can "read" photographs from space by examining Elements of Art, such as lines, shapes, texture, color, etc. For instance, circles can show craters, while blobs can be lakes or volcanoes. Straight lines show tectonic activity, while curvy ones show erosion. After viewing a slideshow created by the Aiellos and NASA, students practiced reading different photos of planets, moons, asteroids, or comets. Next, they each chose a NASA photograph to inspire them as they created abstract space art. We used oil pastels on a strange, vinyl-like paper, which gave us interesting effects.I hope you enjoy the spectacular results!