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Bridget Houghton » Staff Profile

Staff Profile

My name is Bridget Houghton and I am thrilled to be your student’s visual arts teacher this year at
Westgate Community School. I am so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of your students’ creative experiences and Artistic Growth. This year will be my fourth year as part of the Westgate Community. I received my BA in Art Education from the University of Wyoming and am pursuing an MA in Art Therapy and Social Emotional Learning. 


Throughout the year, I aim to expose students to a wide range of different artists, art styles, and art mediums such as charcoal drawing, printmaking, and kiln fire clay among others. Through instruction and encouragement, students will talk intellectually about art and discover the beauty in the world around them. They will learn how to use the elements of art and design principles within their work and recognize them in others' work, including their peers. They will also learn about how art has evolved throughout history and explore multicultural art from around the world.

 

Classes

Posts

3/10 - 3/14

Good Morning!
 
Happy Tuesday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I apologize for the late post; I was out yesterday. 
 
First, I want to give my middle school art students a huge shoutout! Yesterday, I hung their work at the Adams 12 District Art Show, and I could not be prouder of the accepted work! 
 
If your student's work was accepted, you will be receiving an email from me this afternoon with all of the details. 
 
Welcome to Quarter 4! What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will jump into our next element of art, value. Value is the use of lightness and darkness within an artwork, whether that is black and white or tints and shades of a color.  We will be creating a winter scene utilizing value to show shadows. 
 
1st Grade - This week students get to study the parts of a face, creating a portrait inspired by Yali Ziv. She is a contemporary artist from Tel Aviv who focuses a lot on shape and color, which are the elements of art we will be focusing on as well! 
 
3rd/4th—This week, students will learn about and begin planning their clay creations for this year. We are going to be creating tic-tac-toe boards, encouraging self-expression through themed boards. We are starting this early so that students will have an ample amount of time to be able to paint their pottery at the end of the rotation.
 
5th/6th—This week, we are jumping straight into clay. Students are going to learn about Japanese culture and create a Japanese Tea Bowl that is unique and personal to them. Students will sketch out multiple design ideas this week, and start creating hopefully on Thursday. We are starting this project first so that students will have an ample amount of time to be able to paint their pottery at the end of the rotation.
 
7th/8th - Welcome to Quarter 4 where we are exploring art through the digital realm. Students will start this quarter by working on various websites to create Digital artworks, exploring and learning new techniques, and how our digital world is not all bad. The second half of this quarter, we will explore photography, its history, and steps that professional photographers use to create some of the most eye-catching images. 
 
Students are prohibited from using AI for this quarter, as I am looking to see what they can create on their own, not what a program can create for them. I will be monitoring their processes through Go Guardian and will give an automatic 1 in the grade book if AI is used. 

3/3 - 3/7

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Don't forget, conferences are this Thursday and Friday. Signups will close at 4pm today. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week Kindergarten will be glazing their pottery. Glaze is a special kind of paint for clay with microscopic pieces of glass so that when it is fired, the glass fuzes together to create a shiny, waterproof surface. 
 
1st grade - This week, 1st grade will be finalizing their habitat sketches and glazing their pottery. Glaze is a special kind of paint for clay with microscopic pieces of glass so that when it is fired, the glass fuzes together to create a shiny, waterproof surface. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, Students will be finalizing their self-portraits and glazing their tic-tac-toe boards. Glaze is a special kind of paint for clay with microscopic pieces of glass so that when it is fired, the glass fuzes together to create a shiny, waterproof surface. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are finalizing our reverse self-portraits. Students are working in the style of Roy Lichtenstein from the Pop art movement of the 1950s, taking on a comic book style. Students have been painting on a transparency so they have been working in reverse, starting with their details and then finalizing their painting with the big general colors. Then students will have time to glaze their Japanese tea bowls. This process (if instructions are followed) will result in a bowl that students will be able to eat or drink from because the glaze creates a water-tight seal. 
 
7th/8th - Students finishing their final project, working with wire. Students are working on proportion and the ideas of surrealism. Students will create a wire sculpture of their hand, adding a surrealist element. Once completed. students will have time to glaze their clay architectural structures. 

2/24 - 2/28

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten is continuing to work in three dimensions using line and shape. Students will create their own 3D paper sculpture, learning to create bends, corners, curves, swirls, etc with paper and glue. 
 
1st grade - This week, 1st grade is going to start working in the third dimension through an exploration of clay. Students will explore how to use clay through practice with playdough, before jumping into creating their own clay teddy bears. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are working on our self-portraits. Students will be working on value and shape, focusing on shading and gradations. Students will use a photograph of themselves, utilizing half of the photograph and recreating the other half for their drawing.
 
5th/6th—This week, we are working on our reverse self-portraits. Students are working in the style of Roy Lichtenstein from the Pop art movement of the 1950s taking on a comic book style. Students are going to be painting on a transparency so they will be working in reverse, starting with their details and then finalizing their painting with the big general colors.
 
7th/8th - Students starting their final project, working with wire. Students are working on proportion and the ideas of surrealism. Students will create a wire sculpture of their hand, adding a surrealist element. 

2/17 - 2/21

Good Morning!
 
Happy Wednesday! My apologies for the late post, yesterday got away from me. I hope you all enjoyed your long holiday weekend. 
 
This week, classes are working with clay so be aware of the clothing your students are wearing, if they do not want it to get dirty, maybe wear something else. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will finish our work with texture, creating their clay tiles. We will then continue with the idea of 3D work and create our own paper sculptures.  
 
1st grade - This week students will complete their self-portraits, taking inspiration from Yali Ziv, an illustrator based out of Tel Aviv who focuses on shapes and colors more than lines.  
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are finalizing our clay tic-tac-toe boards. Students are to choose a theme and create a board, as well as 10 tiles (2 kinds, 5 of each) that match the theme they chose. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are finalizing the building of our Japanese tea bowls. Students will use a pinch pot method to create their base, before adding details through additive or subtractive methods. 
 
7th/8th - Students finalized their clay architecture sculptures. They will choose their clay method for the base of their sculpture (pinch pot, coils, or slab building), creating a piece inspired by an architectural time period of their choosing. 

2/10 - 2/14

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend! Welcome to a new rotation (K-6). 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will jump into our next element of art, value. Value is the use of lightness and darkness within an artwork, whether that is black and white or tints and shades of a color.  We will be creating a winter scene utilizing value to show shadows. 
 
1st Grade - This week students get to study the parts of a face, creating a portrait inspired by Yali Ziv. She is a contemporary artist from Tel Aviv who focuses a lot on shape and color, which are the elements of art we will be focusing on as well! 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are beginning work on our final self-portraits, which we began last time we were together. We will begin with a short review and jump right into the project, focusing on Value and Shading. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are jumping straight into clay, so that students will have an ample amount of time to be able to paint their pottery at the end of the rotation.
 
7th/8th - Students finalized their planning sketches last week and will be starting on their clay sculptures this week. We are creating architectural constructions using the slab method, focusing on form and texture. 

2/3 - 2/7

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday!
 
This week, classes are starting clay so be aware of the clothing your students are wearing, if they do not want it to get dirty, maybe wear something else. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will jump into our next element of art, texture. Students will begin working on their clay project for this year, creating a textured tile, practicing mark-making, and creating different textures using varying materials. 
 
2nd Grade - This week, students start their clay project, using clay to create a turtle. They will use a pinch pot technique to create the shell and slab methods to create the fins and other details. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are beginning our clay tic-tac-toe boards. Students are to choose a theme and create a board, as well as 10 tiles (2 kinds, 5 of each) that match the theme they chose. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are starting the building of our Japanese tea bowls. Students will use a pinch pot method to create their base, before adding details through additive or subtractive methods. 
 
7th/8th - Students finalized their cardboard sculptures and will be joining my other classes in creating their own clay sculptures. They will choose their clay method for the base of their sculpture (pinch pot, coils, or slab building).   

1/27 - 1/31

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all had a good snowy weekend! Welcome to the final week of January!
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will learn about Abstract art and how to create art using lines, shapes, and colors. We will practice with markers and then move on to a cut-paper collage.
 
2nd Grade - This week, students will continue to learn about patterns and how to create a style of art called zentangles through patterns and colors. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, students are going to be finalizing their Australian Aboriginal Dot paintings, focusing on the use of silhouettes and color schemes. 
 
5th/6th—This week, students are finalizing their self-portraits. We will also jump into clay planning at the end of the week. 
 
7th/8th - Students are finalizing their first project, upscaling an item out of cardboard. Students have learned different cardboard techniques to create a skeleton and are now utilizing their prior knowledge of painting and paper mache.

1/21 - 1/24

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend! 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will jump into our next element of art, value. Value is the use of lightness and darkness within an artwork, whether black and white or tints and shades of a color.  We will be creating a winter scene utilizing value to show shadows. 
 
2nd Grade - This week, students will be delving into patterns and how to create and use patterns in art. We will be making 2 small drawings, that will contrast each other on where there is a pattern and where there is color. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are finalizing our self-portraits, by creating background frames for them. Once completed, we will start on our pop art painting project. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are jumping into painting our self-portrait project inspired by the work of Pop Artist Roy Lichenstein. Students will be working in reverse, starting with the details and ending with the full-color backgrounds. 
 
7th/8th - This week, students will be working on calculating the scale of their cardboard sculpture as well as starting to create the skeleton of their project. 

1/13 - 1/17

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your break and were able to spend some quality time with your friends and families!
 
Welcome to Semester 2! This is by far the messiest semester so if you have a student in my class, please be aware they might get paint, clay, or other materials we use on their clothing. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week, Kindergarten will jump into our next element of art, value. Value is the use of lightness and darkness within an artwork, whether that is black and white or tints and shades of a color.  We will be creating a winter scene utilizing value to show shadows. 
 
2nd Grade - This week students get to study the parts of a face, creating a portrait inspired by Pablo Picasso. 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are beginning work on our final self-portraits, which we began last time we were together. We will begin with a short review and jump right into the project, focusing on Value and Shading. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are jumping into our self-portrait project inspired by the work of Pop Artist Roy Lichenstein. Students will be working in reverse, starting with the details and ending with the full-color backgrounds. 
 
7th/8th - Students are starting Q3 which is all about Sculpture art. Their first project will be to upscale an item out of cardboard. Students will learn different cardboard techniques as well as utilizing prior knowledge of painting and paper mache. 

12/16 - 12/20

Good Morning!
 
Happy Final week before break!
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
2nd Grade - This week we will create a still-life drawing, focusing on value and shape. I will help the students work with their pencils to "draw what they see". 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are beginning work on our self-portraits, which we will finish when they return to me in March. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are completing our second project, neuro doodles. Students will work on calming their minds and letting the artwork tell them what it needs instead of forcing colors, lines, or patterns. 
 
7th/8th - This week students will be finalizing our geometric animal paintings using masking tape, black paint, and tissue paper. I am looking forward to seeing how these turn out!  

12/9 - 12/13

Good Morning!
 
Happy Wednesday. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and start to your week! My apologies for the late update, the beginning of this week got away from me. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
2nd Grade—This week, we finalized our Pablo Picasso-inspired portraits and will start the process of creating a still-life drawing, focusing on value and shape. I will help the students work with their pencils to "draw what they see." 
 
3rd/4th—This week, we are finalizing our Zentangle Landscapes, using patterns and lines to create a unique landscape image. Students learned about the three parts of a landscape and how to use lines and shapes in varying ways to create a pattern. 
 
5th/6th—This week, we are finalizing our Still life project, focusing on form and dimension through value. Students will be completing this project by this Thursday and will be able to bring home their objects on that day. 
 
7th/8th - This week students will be beginning the planning process for our final project. We are studying the cubist movement and learning how to break an organic object (animals) into geometric shapes. Students will be creating 2 large or 4 small geometric animal portraits for this project, and will be using an unconventional painting method that most have not worked with before. 

12/2 - 12/6

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving Week!
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
2nd Grade - This week we will discuss abstract art, using lines, colors, and shapes and how to use them to create an image. We will be studying the work of Wasley Kandinsky and utilizing the relationships between colors and emotions to create our own abstract art. 
 
3rd/4th - This week we are beginning our first big project. Students will be learning about the different parts of a landscape and how to create visual interest using lines and patterns within their landscape drawings. Our final Zentangle Landscapes which will be due Friday, 12/13.
 
5th/6th - This week we are beginning our first big project, Still Life drawings. We started by learning the basics of how to draw/form a still life. Then students will bring in their own objects to draw close-up "zoomed-in" viewpoints of in order to complete 9 small drawings for their final image. This project will be due next Wednesday, 12/11. 
 
7th/8th - This week students will be beginning their final pop art food paintings. Students studied the work of Contemporary Pop Artist Hannah Moore. This project is due this Friday, 12/6.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Westgate Families,
 
As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for each of you. Working with your children every day is a true gift, and I am thankful for the joy, curiosity, and enthusiasm they bring to our classroom. Their dedication and growth continue to inspire me, and I feel so lucky to be a part of their learning journey.
 
I am also deeply grateful for your partnership and support. Your involvement, encouragement, and trust make such a difference in creating a nurturing and enriching environment for all our students. Together, we are building a wonderful community of learners, and I couldn’t do it without you!
 
During this holiday, I hope you have the chance to relax, reflect, and enjoy time with family and friends. May your Thanksgiving be filled with warmth, love, and countless blessings.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Warm regards,
Ms. H

11/18 - 11/22

Good Morning!
 
Welcome back. I hope you all enjoyed your Weekend. My apologies for the confusion last week; I was off my schedule. This week, K-6 is actually starting their final specials rotation! 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
2nd Grade - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Ms. Freeland's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. We will then round out our week by talking about lines and patterns, while creating a Farm Landscape demonstrating what we learned. 
 
3rd/4th - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Ms. Rosenblatt's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. Using their prior knowledge of the human facial proportions, students will then set to work designing the covers for our sketchbooks, by creating their own original character. 
 
5th/6th - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Mr. McGinnis's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. Using their prior knowledge of the human facial proportions, students will then set to work designing the covers for our sketchbooks, by creating their own original character. 
 
7th/8th - This week students are continuing their Second Life Paintings. These will be due this Tuesday (November 19th) at the end of our class period. The students seem to be very excited and invested in this project so I am very excited to see the outcome! We will hold a critique on Wednesday and start our 3rd Painting Project on Thursday. 
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me! Have a fantastic week! 

11/12 - 11/15

Good Morning!
 
Welcome back. I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. This week K-6 are starting a new specials rotation! 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
1st Grade - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Mrs. Freeland's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. We will then round out our week by talking about lines and patterns while creating a Farm Landscape demonstrating what we learned. 
 
3rd/4th—I am starting a new rotation. I will now have Ms. Rosenblatt's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure by creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. Using their prior knowledge of human facial proportions, students will then set to work designing the covers for our sketchbooks by creating their own original characters. 
 
5th/6th - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Mr. McGinnis's Advocacy class. We will start off our art adventure creating our contributions to the school mural inspired by Thank You X, an LA-based street artist. Using their prior knowledge of the human facial proportions, students will then set to work designing the covers for our sketchbooks, by creating their own original character. 
 
7th/8th - This week students are continuing their Second Life Paintings. These will be due at the end of the week (Friday, November 15th). The students seem to be very excited and invested in this project so I am very excited to see the outcome! 
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me! Have a fantastic week! 

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Name
Bridget Houghton
Position
Art Teacher
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