Post 51 - So much work to share... Student work, and some thoughts...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience...

I realized while printing out screen captured pages of my blog, for my Culminating Project paper, that I have a huge file of student work that I keep planning on sharing, and for some reason, mostly being too busy to breathe, I just haven't shared. So...

Here it comes!... First, some fairly straight forward drawings, in which the students were asked to draw an object I provided, from three different perspectives. The contour and values were observed from the vantage point they chose, for each view, and then the students had to decide how to compose the object views, deciding and "inventing" the effect that each object would have on the others, as if they really had three of the same thing. They were required to think about the effect each view had on the others, as if it existed in either real space, or imagined.

Aaron

Brittany

Janae

Joe

Terrance

Next... I have a few scans and photos that show examples of the project that my Art I and Art II students are doing. Very high level problem-solving! The first three scans are of the actual projects I did IN COLLEGE! Yes, the design project I gave my 14 - 18-year-olds was one I was assigned in college. The twist came later, when I decided to teach the lesson myself at Norwood HS, several years ago. The twist is... I added a three-dimensional step/project to the design unit. That step/project is the one my kids are all on right now, and they do not all have to use one material.

So, I have groups of students using ceramic clay, using paper mache, and using painted fabric. All of the students are creating relief wall pieces... They are simply using the materials and tools, and the help of their group, to build their creation from clay, paper and cardboard, or fabric... Yes, there is a lot of mess in my room right now, but they are having a "grand old time"!!... I told my superintendent recently that the surest sign of a room full of engaged art students, is that it is... messy!! Not neat... I think she agreed!

Anyhow... Here are the examples of Project 1, Project 2, and a scan of the page from my binder that shows all three projects together. (I will share my students three-somes when they are finished!)

Project 1 - Realistic Observational Still-Life - Contour line/Marker

Project 2 - Abstracted Vignette- Acrylic paint - Abstract shapes are pulled from the above step, and twisted, duplicated, re-sized, and colorized

Example of all three projects - Three sets of three (clay, fabric, clay)

Art I student working on Project 2

Art II student working on Project 2

The last two photos show two of my hardest working students creating their abstracted vignettes. This painting stage only happens after... three different vignette designs are sketched out, and discussed, and after three different color system combinations are considered, in colored pencil, and discussed. My kids put just as much effort, if not more, into the process, as they do the product... And, they get credit for all of that problem-solving too! That's my secret... That's how I get them to stretch, and think outside of the box, and consider more than one or two solutions... I make them! They know I expect nothing less!... And, they do it!

Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam