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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

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! 

11/4 - 11/8

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!
 
This week, I will be attending a conference on Thursday and Friday, so I will have a substitute cover my classroom. 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week we will complete our final project - Our Warm and Cool Sunsets. Students will learn about the difference between warm and cool colors and how to identify them. Students will then create a sunset landscape separating the warm colors in the sky and the cool colors in the ocean water. 
 
1st 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 beginning the planning process for our Second Life Paintings. Students will study and learn the techniques of impressionist and post-impressionist painters by giving a second life or "modernizing" some famous paintings. 

10/28-11/1

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week we will complete our second project - Color Wheel Umbrellas. Students will learn about the Primary and Secondary Colors and experiment with how the primary colors are used to create the secondary colors. 
 
1st 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 Jaque Miro who is known for the child-like nature of his artwork. 
 
3rd/4th - This week we are continuing/finalizing our first big project. Students will be working on their final zentangle landscape this week, starting with their outline and then moving to filling their shapes with different patterns. Our final Zentangle Landscapes which will be due Friday, 11/1.
 
5th/6th - This week we are finalizing 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 Friday, 11/1. 
 
7th/8th - This week students will be finalizing their Fairytale/Folktale watercolor paintings. Students are focusing on the use of color and how to add highlights and shadows without the use of white or black. These are due on Wednesday 10/30 and we will have a full class critique, Thursday 10/31. 

10/14 - 10/18

Good Morning!
 
Welcome back. I hope you all enjoyed your Fall Break. This week K-6 are starting a new specials rotation! 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Ms. Lubang'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. Then we will round out our week by completing our first project - Our Rainbow Self Portraits. Students will learn about different types of lines and colors to create the background for their self-portraits and attach their faces after our backgrounds are dry. 
 
1st Grade - Starting a new rotation. I will now have Mrs. Koenig'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. Papiernik'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 Mrs. Lounsbury'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 starting their new specials rotation for Quarter 2. This quarter will be all about Painting and different materials/techniques we can use to create with paint. This week, students will start with a small assignment to begin their sketchbook covers. Then we will move on to our first project, focusing on the art of Illustration through fairytales and folktales spanning history. 
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me! Have a fantastic week! 

9/23-9/26

Good Morning!
 
Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! Don't forget about conferences this week. We will have online conferences on Thursday, September 26th from 1 pm-5 pm, and in-person conferences on Friday, September 27th from 8 am-8 pm. I hope to see you there! 
 
What's on the Docket for this week?
 
Kinder - This week we will complete our final project - Our Warm and Cool Sunsets. Students will learn about the difference between warm and cool colors and how to identify them. Students will then create a sunset landscape separating the warm colors in the sky and the cool colors in the ocean water. 
 
1st Grade - This week we will finalize our abstract line drawings. These drawings are inspired by Jaque Miro, a famous French painter who is known for his more "childish" type artistic style. 
 
3rd/4th - This week we are finalizing our Zentangle Landscapes. They are due by the end of class on Wednesday, September 25th. 
 
5th/6th - This week we are finalizing our 2nd project, Neuro doodles. They will be working 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 their scratchboard animals, which are due at the end of class Tuesday, 9/25. We will complete a critique of their work as well as a peer's work, before the end of the quarter. 

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Name
Bridget Houghton
Position
Art Teacher
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