Fin.

This is the last necessary post for the class.  But it may not be the last.  Despite the effort that this blog has exuded from the limited amount of time in a day or even week (seriously can we just add like 2 more hours to every day to fit everything in?), I appreciate that I can now reference back information and materials that would have long escaped my poor tired brain.

Before I get into my final reflection, let me sum up class this past week.

When I arrived this projection was plastered to the wall:

and I LOVED it!  I absolutely love projections and how they so easily transform spaces creating an atmosphere that can easily change and doesn't take much effort.  This projection was of the plastic wrapped balls (cut in half) using packaging tape.  It looked like fiberglass or even crystalline and swayed in the wind ever so slightly from the open window.  

I guess this kind of leads me to the stations which were basically wrapped up this week.  I discussed them briefly in my previous post.  

For the Spheres we had 4 stations:

1. Stop-motion using straws.
2. Clear packing tape to create molds of balls.
1. wrap ball with tape sticky side up
2. once covered, wrap entire ball again with a few layers (sticky side down)
3. cut a seem in mold and remove ball
4. Tape seem to structure ball back together.
3. Finishing our cardboard scrap ball and installing it somewhere.  (We chose the window in the hallway because we liked the lighting)
4. And sketching some spheres Aileen had made as observational drawings.

We used the cardboard spheres, and the tape spheres to create an installation in the hallway that turned out pretty nice.  I think students would have fun working together to create a collaborative installation and see how their work can play off of each others.

Stations promote choice, movement and play.  Through play, students make discoveries and create connections.  Stations allow students to feel like their is no teacher and they have a bit more freedom.  They allow teachers to have more options and cover more material.  I definitely intend on using stations in my classrooms.

To finish up my sketchbook I created another collage using sharks and a Goya print:

  

FINAL REFLECTION:

How has my thinking changed this semester in terms of:

1. Materials? The first thing that pops in my head about materials is Printmaking. I had never even made a print before this class and now I am in love with the process.  I also had never made a book before and I think it is such a nice way to make a cohesive body of work with students that can be taken in a limitless amount of directions. On top of this, I have been reaffirmed in my belief of teaching with recycled and cost effective materials.  Many times your means as a teacher are very limited and this class gave me so many examples of ways I can teach creative projects, on a limited budget, using new materials and thinking outside of the box.  
2. Themes, practices, and concerns of contemporary art and design?  As an Undergrad, I was swayed away from using text with art.  The first theme we covered was textuality.  This theme changed my perception of using text and enlightened me to many contemporary artists who use text effectively.  It also broadened my perception of using art mixed with interdisciplinary elements like literacy. I have always believed that relating art education to contemporary artists and movements would be at the forefront of my teaching, and this class expanded my knowledge of artists and movements alike.
3. Visual Resources?  Although I've always known that books are an effective resource this class reiterated their importance.  Of course I plan on using contemporary art websites, art blogs (like from studio to classroom), and even youtube for visual resources, but in this day and age I love the intimacy of books. Many of the books that Aileen brought to class gave an enormous amount of information that I as a teacher can reference for lesson ideas and students can reference for creative inspiration.
4. Instructional Strategies?  I intend on using stations, which I have done in the past.  This class has solidified my belief in their effectiveness. I also hope to use cooperative learning groups for setup and clean up, which will allow more time for instruction and play.  I intend on using technology, like projected lessons, and student work for a deeper understanding of concepts and critiques.  I also intend on creating collaborative lessons for students where they can work together to create artwork together.  Overall, I plan being as organized as possible, while keeping students engaged so that instruction is interesting and time effective.   

How can I take this into:

1. my own studio work? As a sculptor I haven't done much with 2D besides the basic drawing and painting classes I took in my first few years of college. This class forced me to expand in my sketchbook where I've discovered a love for incorporating photos that I take with collaged pre-existing pictures. This class has emphasized exploration with materials that has allowed me to play and discover materials which I knew little or nothing about. Like I said before, I had never used printmaking and now I can't stop thinking about it.
2. work with children and adolescents? It's hard to answer this question, as every element we have discussed in class will have an effect on my work with children and adolescents. The materials we've covered have given me ideas for lessons. The instructional methodologies have given me ideas for creating an effective learning environment using technology and classroom structure.  The themes have given me references to contemporary artists, and movements that I hope to extend to my students. From the first day when we formed our cooperative learning groups, to this last class where we worked in small group stations, to collaborative assignments, to projected critiques; I intend on implementing everything in my work with children and adolescents.

ballz

Matthew Barney began his restraint drawing series in 1987 while attending Yale. The pieces examined his athleticism with resistance bands not allowing him to reach the canvas he attempted to draw on. When Aileen described this piece during class I found it interesting for several reasons:

• First, I think its a wonderfully simple yet impactful performance piece.
• Second, during  the critique for my ideas on what to do for the end of semester project, I was told  to restrain myself from getting carried away with materials.  The element of simplicity through out my collages has been one of their strong suits.  And although I fell in love with printmaking it need not be an element in my final. If it is, I need to figure out a structured way of adding prints with restraint and without creating clutter.
• And finally, restraint with children and students is necessary when it comes to materials in the art classroom. This idea has resurfaced over and over again in this class and definitely in this blog. It is not necessarily helpful to give students an endless supply of resources to "explore" because they don't use the materials in front of them creatively or to their full potential. 

and, I am serious that Matthew Barney's piece did make me consider all of these things.

Arturo Herrera, Get it Right (red)

During critique Aileen told me to check out Arturo Herrera because his work is similar to what I'm doing. In Get it Right (red), he experiments with shape and line; and sthe breaking down of both.  I too have been examining this idea in my collages and drawings.   Here are my latest two:

For our activity we experimented with creating spheres and different techniques to do so:

One station was with clay and using stop motion video:

The next was covering balls with clear packing tape and removing the tape with scissors to make a kind of tape mold:

  

And finally creating a big sphere using cardboard and bamboo:

This is the station I was at and it was interesting figuring out how to work together with 2 people.  Although, it kinda looks like an egg, I think we did ok :)

Only three more classes to go...

wrapping up

Last week we finished our section on printmaking.  In order to tie it all together we created folios that would house each of our printed examples which I explained in detail in my previous post.  The folios are a nice way to wrap up the section as a finished product as well as elevate the work to something that involves a little more care and attention.

As an art teacher, I plan on doing this.  I intend on having little shelves installed in the room for presentations and display so that students can see the work heightened and valued.  I hope to work alongside students in creating simple folio structures, but also understand that sometimes the bulk of the work will lie with me in order to create a cohesive and elevated body of student work.

Sometimes heightening the work can be produced through learning the proper procedures with specific processes.  For Example, Aileen had us finish our prints by properly signing the bottom of each with the format that established printmakers use.

A/P or 1/3, TITLE, SIGNATURE,  and DATE.  (In a crisply sharpened white pencil, after tearing the edges to make the paper look hand-made)

Even laying down black paper on a table like we did in our discussion about our graphic novels can easily heighten the final critique.

my graphic novel on a shelf

During our graphic novel crit we discussed how we could expand this idea with students and my favorite was the idea of creating pop outs.  I'd like if the entire book was black and white, but the pop outs were colorful.  I've always loved secret pretty details! like the stuffed heart I found inside my dog's teddybear after he tore it up.  

Because one of our prints was turned into stickers, we discussed Nancy Spero an artist who uses sticker art often.  Here is one of her pieces:

I heart Printz part deux.

This week we printed again!  If the week prior I was in lust, then this week I fell in love.  The processes are so fun, full of surprise and just make me feel like a kid again!

The room was set up in four stations with directions hanging next to each station:

The Paul Klee station,  is where you set up a plate with oil based ink, place a piece of paper on top and lightly sketch.  When you pick up the paper, the image has been transferred to the other side.  Here are two prints I made using this technique:

Here are my prints:

In this station we were to collaborate our corrugated animal prints.  Many of us ran out of time, so we plan on doing this next week.  But, I love this idea for the classroom and collaborating artworks together to make a larger cohesive piece with students.

We created callograph prints again this week, in the 4th station.  This time however, Aileen had us create the prints together as a class, and move forward together.  She talked us through each step.  For Example,  cut out a big shape, cut a hole in the shape, cut scary legs, cut 4 scary teeth...  She kept us on track with time, so as to keep us all at the same pace and make sure everyone completed each task.  This management style is necessary in the art room because many times it is easy to get really sucked into one aspect of the process that the project doesn't get completed. 

Here is my new callograph print:

Then we were to create a folio to store all of our prints in.  Great idea to have a finished product with all of the examples of techniques that we used.

Chelsea and Clare making folios

I didn't get to this step yet, but we when we wrap up this section next week I will make my folio.  

These processes have got me thinking about my own work and a possible final project for this class.  I think I will make a book of prints using different techniques.

   

I heart printz.

Last week Mary substitute taught our class.  She taught us a method of art called callograph printmaking, which uses a build up of paper like a collage to create an image.  

Here are some examples of collograph prints that I enjoy:

Annie's Owl

Michele Landsaat

This lesson can be easily translated into one with children, as it is a simple form of this wonderful discipline.

We were first given a theme of monsters and some books for reference:

We would transfer the image by covering it with washable printing ink, then laying a piece of black construction paper on top of it, and finally smoothing over the back with our hands or a small roller.

Adnan's totally awesome print :)

*She had perfect squares drawn on the table cloth, so the image and paper would line up perfectly. (Really good for children!)

Then we cut out our image and placed it face up on top of an already painted square of plexi.  This would create a two color print when we placed our construction paper on top and rubbed.

Lucinda cuttin out her monster...

I can't wait to use this process with students (and again with my personal work!)  It's fun and simple with beautiful results!

class's prints.

my prints:  sea creature monster thing.

We briefly looked at each others graphic novels, and from what I saw, they looked great. Everyone took a different approach, but similar in the sense that either pen or pencil was the only drawing utensil used.  This project only used card stock, folded paper, and pencil or pen.  (Very do-able with students especially with limited resources.)

And, this week staying on the sea creature theme, I made a collage of sharks using a book that Jake gave me called "The Book of Sharks." :)

It had some beautiful illustrations of these scary animals.  This piece is called "Sharks have hearts too."

BOOOOOOOKS!

A Book
There is no frigate like a book To take us lands away, Nor any coursers like a page Of prancing poetry. This traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of toll; How frugal is the chariot That bears a human soul! Emily Dickinson

We started the last class with Aileen passing around a few books that had been printed online.  This really expanded my ideas on "homemade books".  And I am really excited for Christmas this year as I plan on using one of the online sources for a few gifts... Hopefully the people receiving these gifts are as excited as me!  (or they might have a bummer of a holiday :)

She recommended Lulu and Blurb as a couple of good online publishing places.

And we discussed some uses for them in the classroom:

• you can create documentation of student work in an end of the year book, 
• or one themed idea into a book...like "3rd grade Falls into Autumn" book.  
• Parents can order it directly online or you could use it for fundraising for other classroom needs.  (i.e. class trips or special supplies).
• Its also smart to document your teaching portfolio.  Printing one book a year, will be a great reference for yourself as well as for future career moves.  I plan on doing this!

We then looked at a few published books which were creatively organized (like this one):

It really opened my eyes to the limitless ways you can expand on book making. Seriously, you could spend an entire semester working with this theme and apply it to a variety of age groups.

A book called Eco Books was passed around which is a great reference for green recycled materials book ideas.

Another good idea besides the technique we are using for book covers is taking an old folder and transforming it with paper mache.

We also looked at home-made paper which Aileen had made and Alessandra shared some of her original  paper as well. They were beautiful!

Aileen's paper

Alexandra's paper

Its a pretty simple process.  Basically, shred paper and add water.  Blend in a blender and smoosh "pulp" onto a screen, where you can flatten and dry.  Easy, cheap, and fun with beautiful results!

check out this how to video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlX87tvei7c

We then went on to begin our graphic novels.  It was nice to have work time and to be able to discuss and bounce ideas off my classmates.  Although this graphic novel assignment is limited to pencil or black ink/sharpies..Romina and Sarah suggested for the future (sense I'm really into photographic collage at the moment) to use a marker called a white blender prisma, or winter green oil, which can be used to transfer xeroxed pictures onto other surfaces by placing the printed paper faced down on the other surface and rubbing the prisma or oil on the other side.  Super excited to try this technique!!

Finally, Here are my sketches from last week:

I went upstate and found these old classic prints at an antique shop.  So I cut them up and collaged them into a couple of recent photos that I took.