Post 52 - A reminder to have faith, some art and, some great news!

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

Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive.

- - David S. Muzzey

The following photos depict the altered book I traded with two other Art 42 (art trade site) participants...

Inside of book - without background preparation

Cover - Decorated

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

Pages - Background started

The following six photos depict the designs I created in the other two participant's altered books that they sent to me...



The great news... See for yourself!

Yes!!! I have my graduate degree!!!... I have a Master's in Arts degree in Art Education...

Thank you for your support...

Keep your eyes peeled... I am continuing the sharing and inspiration... This is only THE BEGINNING...

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

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

Post 50 - Wise words from John Keating...

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


I always thought the idea of education
was to learn to think for yourself.

---RobinWilliams, as John Keating 
("The Dead Poet Society", 1989)

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

Post 49 - A pat on the back always helps...

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

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

Post 48 - Earthworms and a hero project...

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

OK... Strange topic pair, I know.

But, actually I am simply referring to the coming of Spring, and a project my kids completed a little while ago, and how I need to "look" at the world... especially now.

Earthworms, first...

According to Gail Wood, "The Farmers' Almanac names the Full Moon of March as Full Worm Moon, drawing from the Native American tribes of the Northeastern United States... As a totem, Earthworm tells us that no matter how small our efforts may seem, we are reshaping the world, creating new mixtures for growth and revitalization. They teach us to persevere and work hard and that we will accomplish our desires, move mountains, and create change."

I needed to "hear" this, really. Right now, things are tough, in ways I am sure you all understand, and in other ways for which you are unaware. Trust me... I needed to be reminded of the value of perseverance, and that my efforts are not in vain.

My tribute to the mighty little earthworm is this stamp I carved from an eraser...

I needed to make something. Lately, all I do is write. So, I enjoyed the few minutes it took to carve this little cutie out.

Then, I thought, maybe I could consider making a little series of monthly ATCs, just to commemorate the changing of the months, and have a bit of fun creating a series of twelve artist trading cards (ATCs, see glossary). So, I started the first, with the intention of adding words, color, and embellishments, once I decided how the series would tie together. (See below)... Next month... April!

Hero project, second...

The photo above and the one below are of envelope designs, completed for a project my Paper & Fiber Arts students did not to long ago. The first one (above) was my example, and the second one (below) was by a talented young lady, who went to another school recently, because her family moved. (I miss her. She is an original... She loves purple, and so do I!)

The project involved the students considering and researching persons whom they considered worthy of the title "Hero". They had to choose people who were well known enough to be considered by most people to be "iconic", yet not too recent in history.

The students had to discuss and defend three choices with me, including at least one quote a piece for each "iconic hero", which "spoke" to the student on some level. Then, they had to find good clear photos online, that could be copied and used for the central image, which would be created with a lacquer thinner transfer (chemical transfer made with a carbon copy, and lacquer thinner, in this case).

They then transferred their images to large business envelopes, gessoed in the backgrounds, added their typography (quote), and embellished their piece to meet their "vision".

We had an envelope for MLK, Joe Nuxall, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jordan, ACDC (a young man who recently lost his father chose his father's favorite band), Judy Garland, Aaron Copeland, Larry King, Jimmy Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Harriet Tubman, and more!

I thought, that since I feel like I could really use a hero, or two, right now... I would share this project with you all... Hope you enjoy the idea behind the project!...

Tell me... Who is your hero? And, why?... I want to know...

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