Egyptian Pharaoh Portraits

Probably four or five years ago, I purchased one of Patty's first PDF packages at Deep Space Sparkle. At the time I was working for a summer camp as the art specialist and this lesson fit in perfectly with our "World" theme that year. Since then, I have completed this lesson at two different middle schools. I love it because from the teacher's point of view, you can really use whatever materials you have and you know your students are going to be successful. From the student's point of view, it may be a challenge to draw a face, but its well worth the "risk" and there is plenty of room for creativity.

This year, students used oil pastels and metallic color pencils on black paper. Students were encouraged to blend oil pastels to make new tints and shades, especially for the skin tone.
Another reason I like this lesson is because both boys and girls tend to like it. Middle school students can get a little touchy if topics aren't approachable for them. Selecting lessons that are welcoming for all students is something to really think about when selecting any lesson really.

It wasn't a requirement, but students were encouraged to integrate their background knowledge in their designs. I have been trying this year to have my seventh grade lessons follow the chronological order of the Ancient Civilizations students are learning about in Social Studies. I have also been using Visual Thinking Strategies whenever possible this year. For this lesson, I projected an image of a mummy mask, straight from the Museum of Fine Arts' (Boston) online collection, and we discussed what we saw using VTS. Allowing students to make connections on their own, with just a little guidance from me, made this lesson a richer experience.

Middle School Art "Choice" Day

First of all, this was the longest week on record! I was as bad as the kids, anxious for Winter Break, but had a crazy schedule and a cold to contend with before making it to Friday.
As I looked around my classroom yesterday afternoon though, I realized how lucky I am. Despite my hemming and hawing trying to figure out what to do this week, my kids were so content with what they were doing in the art room. That was a good feeling. And as I took a step back and observed, I realized that I am so lucky: I have a job that I love, great students and a supportive staff. The tragedy in the news mixed with the feeling of the holidays made this week surreal for me, but in the end I'm glad I had that little moment to step back, enjoy and be thankful.
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Seventh Grade Mandalas

This was my second time doing this lesson. I found it before school started last year in Arts and Activities (September (?) 2011).  In the magazine the name design is called a kaleidoscope design and originally I did it in order to learn my new students names. This year, I knew my student's name (although I am still having trouble with the twins! I feel awful about that) and attempted to link the activity to social students. I introduced a "mandala" as an ancient design used for meditation and reflection, that represents us and our inner world.

Class #1
After introducing the term mandala, I displayed an example using my brand new, spectacular document camera. I asked how the example is a reflection of me? After a couple seconds of silence, a few rumbles started and I poinedt out to students that I spelled out my name. I then asked how balance was used? (We had reviewed the elements and principles the week before, so balance was fresh in their minds) I drew on the whiteboard, over my projected image, all the lines of symmetry and introduced radial symmetry. At that point, I passed out photocopies of a 45 degree triangle and walked students through the steps:

1. Write name in block or bubble letters inside the triangle. Think about how your name will be reflected. If you want your letters to touch, where should you draw it?
2. Add lines and shapes to break up the remaining negative space.
3. Trace lines heavy and dark.
4. Fold paper along the bottom line of the triangle.
5. Keeping the paper folded, trace the lines that can be seen through, making sure to apply pressure in order to make the lines "jump" to the blank space on the inside of the folded paper. (Hopefully at the very least, students can finish up to this step in 40 minutes)
6. Open the paper and retrace the lines that "jumped" so that the photocopier can see them.

That should bring the class to the end of a 42ish minute period. At the end of each day, I made 4 photocopies of the completed pages. I made sure students knew upfront that I needed the pages done, so that I could help them by photocopying. If they didn't finished, it would make more work for them. At the very least, if students finished step 5, you could photo copy the front and the back four times each.

Class #2

1. Pass out 12x12 paper and instruct students to divide the page evenly into four quadrants.  I did a quick refresher how to draw tally marks and connect the dots.
2. Each photocopy will be cut and pasted into a quadrant.
3. Review symmetry including  how to apply color symmetrically and go for it! We used a combination of Crayola classic and bold conical and thin tip markers. For the background/ negative space students could use color pencils

 

 Sorry these pictures are on a weird angle. The bulletin boards I hung these up on are above lockers!

The Sketchbook Project 2012

First of all, thank you for continuing to read my blog!
I know I have been rather absent and haven't really posted anything about lessons, which is one of my primary goals for this little side project, in like months. I can't promise that I will go back through anything I did this past school year over the summer, but I'd like to say that I will try. While the school year wrapped up for kiddos back in mid June, I just finished an intense online course that started in May and started another course in person, this week. I'm truckin' through my grad school requirements! I really enjoyed the online course, albeit crazy amounts of reading and sometimes rather abstract, like how chaos theory could help explain creativity... yea, that happened.  It was called Seminar in Creativity. I will try to explain later, this post is about The Sketchbook Project.

I spent hours this afternoon at LynnArts viewing my students' sketchbooks and random selections from various themes and places around the world. You can see a few selections from my students' work as well as my own book(s) and ranting here.

The space itself was pretty cool. Really high ceilings with fun chandeliers that had intricate crown moulding around the base on the ceiling. There was a fire place and huge windows with natural light pouring in despite the over cast day. 

From where I live, Lynn is like traveling to a foreign country. Its only forty minutes away, but on the other side of Boston. The buildings are much closer together and the streets are narrow, even the main drag, and winding and occasionally one way. I went through numerous tunnels (thanks Big Dig!) and two rotaries or " round- a- bouts" for you non- New Englanders, just to get there.  I'm very happy I had a GPS. And thankfully there was free on street parking. However there was next to nothing that looked open in the surrounding area. Of course, there was a Dunkin Donuts. As my boyfriend would say, "You can't swing a cat without hitting a Dunkin Donuts" around here. I don't advise swinging cats though.

Thats me! With the co-founder of the Sketchbook Project, Steven Peterman.

During a lull in the action, there were only a few people in the space along with a camera crew and the staff. I'm not sure what the crew was for, but I was asked if I wouldn't mind being taped while answering a few questions. Turns out Steve, who chatted with me, is co-founder of the project! Since none of my students came during the time I was at the show, I plan to write a little something up for the local paper and perhaps attach the photo. 

I know its a huge project, with thousands of books from around the world, but I am very glad that I participated and was able to provide my students with the opportunity. 

Would I do it again with kids? I don't know. There are things that I would need to change if I did, on my behalf. One of the things I've really had to learn as a new teacher is how to advocate for myself. And while I got the funding to do this project, that was it. I had no other support. Administration wanted this project to get our name out there, but no one set anything up to get it there. I think the long time frame of starting the books in October and the show not being in the area until July was an "out of sight, out of mind" type situation. No one asked me if they could set up some publicity for me and I did what I could during the art show and passed out "save the dates" to students, but the end of the year came and went. I know what I could do differently next year and I hope that if I decide to do this again, that my ideas are fully supported and I'm not just pushed forward on my own. I need support.

What I like about the Sketchbook Project, with my heightened sense of how creativity works thanks to my grad school work, is that it provides people with the opportunity to be creative. This is a chance for people to test the water so to speak. There is no right way or wrong way to fill out a sketchbook and thats the beauty of it!

I came across this "Encyclopedia of..." sketchbook and the ideas that came through the imagery resonated with me. This person's book became therapeutic.  She had something she needed to work through, like my book from last year, and it probably felt awesome to get it out! 

For kids in particular the Sketchbook Project is a way to find a process that works for the individual and be able to have confidence in the final product. By mailing it back, you get this sense of accomplishment. You have finality. Some people get stuck there in their creativity, they don't want to finish their work for fear of not knowing what happens next or fear of outside criticism. You will never have to know what others think about your Sketchbook and if you do, go to the show! Or post images online. In today's global society, if you really want feedback about your work, you can find it. Just be prepared for the good AND the bad. 

For my students, I know how great they feel for having put so much time and energy into their books. Each one is so different! Through the process, they found materials they liked to work with, or not. They had days they didn't want to talk to anyone while working and days they couldn't stop laughing. I know that for them, just having the opportunity to come to the art room for a few hours each day, and to be welcomed and encouraged, boosted their self esteem in ways that I will never fully know. As cheesy as it is, thats the truth. Whatever process they find, whatever their favorite medium, doesn't matter. That confidence and positive relationship with themselves is the biggest thing I could ever hope to provide my students.   

A little of this, a little of that

Forks and Spoon

I signed up to participate in the Sketchbook Project again this year, along with about twelve of my middle school students. We met once or twice a week for a couple of hours doing homework, eating snacks and making art. I think I only worked on my book a couple of times during the meetings, focusing more on helping students with their books or cleaning/ organizing/ planning. I am in the process of scanning each book and making a cd of images for each student, since we need to return the books by the end of next week.
 

I think next year I'd like to have an art journaling club and have "library hours" a few times during the school year, so the kids can keep their books and share them with friends and family.

cover of my book

It felt great to be able to make some little works of art. This year my theme was "This is a Sketchbook." I got most of the work done after the grad school semester was over, but it was great to have the kids asking me what I was doing in my book and keeping me accountable. Here are a few of the pages:

I spent a few days this week updating bulletin boards with new visuals for our new lessons. I have a few more things to add to this board, but so far so good. I am attempting to make it look like a Facebook page dedicated to the profile of an artist one of the grades is currently studying. Grade Eight started optical illusions last week, so this page is about Bridget Riley.

 

a glimpse and substitute plans

These are the bulletin boards to the right and the left of my chalkboard. I've only wished for a whiteboard just recently when I started teaching perspective... I've been going home covered in chalk dust after demonstrating on the board!

Tomorrow I am headed to my mentor's school to hang out and observe. That means someone will be covering my classes for the first time in my teaching career. At my school last year, I was out once and art classes were just canceled for the day. Needless to say, I am nervous. I have tried to lay out all the details, procedures and materials, and hid all the paint under the counter! I left three lessons for the sub to choose from:

I came across this plan via Pinterest. I followed it back to School Arts and felt like with a little prep, this would be a quality substitute lesson, especially since eighth grade has been working hard learning about perspective. The students will plan a design to flow from panel to panel of a cube template, color and assemble.

While over at the School Arts blog, I noticed that "Miss" at a faithfal attempt left a comment about her Black & White Doodle Design substitute plan. I've always loved black and white doodles and really enjoy the idea of creating a focal point, so this lesson was a natural fit.

Finally, a Jasper Johns "Numbers in Color" inspired name and birthday design, completed using, a pattern, color scheme or theme.

I left everything on the front table, except for the markers, crayons, colored pencils that are in the cabinet behind this table (and I pray are returned), adorned with plenty a sticky note for specific directions.

Lion's Club Peace Poster Contest

I'm a little late posting these... the entries were due in November. But between trying to figure out what I'm doing in my new school, graduate school and life, blogging has fallen by the wayside.

 

I gave students the option to work on poster designs in class for a few weeks after showing the video introducing the contest on the Lion's Club website. I think that could be why I had almost 50 entries! I knew from asking in my interview (if there were any traditional exhibits or contests) that the Lion's Club annual poster contest was a place my principal really wanted our school to be showcased. I have never entered an art "contest" or facilitated one, so I wasn't too sure of what I was doing. Add to that my principal being out the week entries were due and I really felt like I was in over my head. After speaking to a parent, whose son stayed up super late to make sure his entry was in, only to find out that he was over the age limit (above), I realized I needed to do more than just pick a winner. So, when my principal returned the following week and saw the above display in the lobby, I felt pretty good.

grade 8 Honorable Mention

grade 6 and 7 Honorable Mentions

grade 6 and 7 Honorable Mentions

grade 8 and 6 Honorable Mentions

This design went on to represent out school at the city level!  (grade 7)

Multi-Media Fall Tree Landscapes

I originally saw this activity on Art Projects for Kids where it was geared towards upper elementary. I felt like it would be a good fit for seventh grade because I have such a wide range of abilities in each class. I definitely think I will do this lesson again, but I would like to find a way for more students to bring it to a higher level and perhaps take more pride in their work.

Students first started with an introduction to "multi-media." From there, we painted a simple landscape and were encouraged to blend and mix colors, taking advantage of watercolor crayons and paper towel as tools. We reviewed "abstract" and "warm colors" to create a second painting of nonobjective colors.

I am not a huge fan of the black outline in this, but this student was absent during the last step, so this is what was left to take a photo of.

The next class we reviewed "multi-media" and created a list of what we had used thus far, adding what else we would/ could use that day. Students were encouraged to use any idea he or she had that utilized the particular materials at their table.

First, trees

then, leaves

and maybe some stuff from the scrap box

success for students with special needs.

these two are twins in two different classes... very interesting