The altering of the maps is going along well. I am really impressed to see the creativity happening as the Art Enrichment students cut and paint and collage their maps for the backgrounds of their tree project with no limitations on what they can create.
Day One of Art Class we always spend the bulk of the class period creating art. I personally am a bit Attention Deficit in meetings so I can't expect my students to sit in our colorful, stimulating art room and not create! We tackled some simple rules, got seats and then moved into our first projects....... the first of which was a simple piece of functional art.
It was hard keeping a secret but I made it to day one of art today without telling the kids what the cereal boxes were for that they collected.
Sketchbooks!
I'm excited because, after a 3 year hiatus, we are using formal sketchbooks again... and this time we're making them with a few simple supplies.
Zooming back a few years: Every student had a sketchbook AND I gave them all weekly drawing assignments AND I vowed to check that they completed the drawings AND all before the end of the class period/school day. It was CRAZY. Half the kids loved it and half said "ART HOMEWORK??!" and didn't complete the simple assignment. My intentions were in the right place but what a task. So, I canned it and gave out optional vacation and summer drawing prompts.
But, I really love the idea of the kids having a sketchbook and how easy it is for the kids to make them while being "green" in their art so that's what we did today.
My students made two sketchbooks today: one to keep in art class and the other to take home. The home book has 30 weeks of optional sketchbook prompts inside if the kids want to use them. Of course, they can just fill up the pages as well with drawings and writing of their choice.
I started to think "here we go, again!" as the piles of recyclables started to pour in. I have found myself in this situation all too often having a classroom filled up with "trash" or cumbersome materials. Fortunately, this is a one week project, the kids are really liking these sketchbooks and (here's the big one) the cereal boxes do not attract bugs since they are clean and.
Cut!
Fold and cut
Add a binding
Pages and rubberband so that more pages can be added easily
It's finally July and we have been out of school for a week. As my mind decompresses from a very busy year, I find myself thinking about the many different types of art teachers that I meet and how each of us can be so different. Kind of like the actual subject of art... so vast.
I know that part of my love for art is how wide of a subject it is. Exploring the subject and getting into the creation of art never gets old for me. Ever since I was a child, I have always enjoyed making things.
In such a wide open subject, I am definitely branded. The wonderful art teachers in my school district all seem to have an area that speaks to them individually. My area, my brand, that I hold close and that seems to speak to me individually is my love of green art, mosaics, collaborative art projects and large scale installations, especially those that have community service aspects tied in. These four areas seem to be my veins in my teaching and in my personal exploration so much of the time. It's what I love and what I share that so far has been uniquely mine.
As an artist/educator, it can be tough to have a unique interest but I find that the dozens of art teachers that I have met and worked with all have separate, individual interests. I respect and admire that. I wonder if musicians have similar feelings.
So as I reflect on the 2012-13 school year and think about 2013-14, I am excited to keep exploring my brand since it never, ever gets old.
I am looking forward to sharing with my students a new piece of green art that I started working on last month utilizing recyclables (of course). Since I started working with recyclables many years ago, I have found that I enjoy the struggle of the materials. I enjoy hunting for what I need and the cumbersome nature and high maintenance side to re-purposing throwaways. So, this summer, I will be resting, but I will continue to pursue my interests. What areas of art are you especially inclined towards? Do share!!
What a chilly, windy Earth Day! We stayed mostly inside to create art for Earth Day with the exception of some classes drawing on the pavement with sidewalk chalk.
I am a huge fan of green art and using everyday materials to create installations. Our bottlecap mural a few years ago was our first "green" installation at Bear Tavern. We collected caps for 8 months before creating our bottlecap mural.
This year, we created mandalas heavily inspired by artist Virginia Fleck. We aimed to reduce the amount of plastic bags going into the ground by reusing them to create several wonderful mandalas. Our school community brought in an extraordinary amount of beautifully colored plastic bags that were cut up for the kids to use today.
Virginia Fleck is so inspiring. She's such a nice woman and I am looking forward to sending her some pictures of our finished designs.
We also snuck in some large leaf paintings towards the end of the day.
I really love all of the art created today and am glad that I can restore the art room to "normalcy". For the past week I've had plastic bags all over getting them prepped for the kids today.
I felt pretty happy to hear students say things like "I want to be an art teacher when I grow up!" and "This was so much fun!"
Some people wonder why I do so many projects each year and the answer is "because it's my job...and I love art".
Thank you to the parents who volunteered their time today and to the staff who assisted in prepping for the event... I couldn't have managed with out you...thanks for making today a fun one for our kids!
Leaf painting....I'm in love
I love this leaf painting
3rd grade boys laying out strips
Students working on a mandala with help from Mrs. Majkowski
From the time you receive your brown paper assignment bag in art class until the due date listed below, it is your job to collect 50-100 "little things" from everyday life. You will select ONE type of item and then collect 50-100 of the exact same item. (Small variations in the item are okay)
Tara Donovan is a Sculptor that creates huge sculptures using everyday objects in an interesting way. Because she uses tons of the exact same object to create her sculptures, the sculptures are very interesting and help you to appreciate the everyday "little things" better.
"It's not about how many, it's what they come together to create"
Some examples of items you can collect in your bag are: pencils, pens, buttons, paper clips, hair ties, little caps, straws, ....you name it. Think about a tiny everyday object that you come across a lot. If you collected 50-100 of them, will they ALL be small enough to fit in your bag? Can you alter the size so that they do fit??
Would the object be interesting to create a sculpture out of?
You will be using your "little things" in art to create a fantastic sculpture that will be simply "genius"
See below for more information on Tara Donovan!
P.S. If you can find "little things" that you would normally throw away, save the environment and use those "little things" in this art project!
Person standing UNDER styrofoam cups installation! They look like hornet nests, or hives don't they?
Tara Donovan is an inventive young sculptor whose installations bring wonder to the most common objects of everyday life. Donovan’s site-specific, sculptural works transform ordinary accumulated materials into intriguing visual and physical installations. Choosing a single object – such as a transparent drinking straw, scotch tape, a Styrofoam cup, or a paper clip – Donovan experiments with assembling it in different ways. Sensitive to the specific needs of her materials and the nature of her exhibit spaces, her installations are often arranged in ways reminiscent of geological or biological forms.
Pencils!!
Thank you to....
Eve. A fabulous 2nd grade artist who inspired this grade level project when she recently shared a Tara Donovan inspired project with me that she created at The Met.
START COLLECTING NOW- you have a little over one month!
It's finally July and we have been out of school for a week. As my mind decompresses from a very busy year, I find myself thinking about the many different types of art teachers that I meet and how each of us can be so different. Kind of like the actual subject of art... so vast.
In such a wide open subject, I am definitely branded. The wonderful art teachers in my school district all seem to have an area that speaks to them individually. My area, my brand, that I hold close and that seems to speak to me individually is my love of green art, mosaics, collaborative art projects and large scale installations, especially those that have community service aspects tied in. These four areas seem to be my veins in my teaching and in my personal exploration so much of the time. It's what I love and what I share that so far has been uniquely mine.
As an artist/educator, it can be tough to have a unique interest but I find that the dozens of art teachers that I have met and worked with all have separate, individual interests. I respect and admire that. I wonder if musicians have similar feelings.
