Making our own Sketchbooks

8th graders have been busy since the school year started!  In the process of building our classroom community, we designed and decorated covers and learned how to bind our sketchbooks using a Japanese 4-hole book binding process.  Covers were decorated using a variety of media and students were given complete freedom in the design.  We then covered cereal box cardboard with our covers and holes were drilled.  We followed the binding process together as a group.  Some students needed the next day to finish, but I think they all turned out amazing!  Students were also really interested in the process and surprised themselves with their results!

African Masks 6th grade

As part of a Global Unit, my 6th graders studied African Masks from different tribes, regions and cultures.  We learned about the animals and what each feature and characteristic represents.  We watched videos that showed how they were used and the actual size of some of them.

I made a worksheet that students had to complete and then from there, they got to design their own mask using the characteristics.  One really helpful website can be found here.

On the worksheet, students looked at masks from 5 different tribes.  We answered some basic questions and then students created 3 different sketches of what their masks could look like.  Once they were happy with one, we reviewed clay vocab and examples and we started building!

Students were really engaged and had a lot of fun with this!  The only bad part was that some students made some parts of their masks too thin or some details of their masks too thin, even though we learn about the ideal thickness.  In class, I tell them they need the thickness of their pinkie,  not too thin, not too thick.  And some didn't score and slip, but what are you going to do?!

Next time, I want students to write about their masks and the characteristics they chose.  I want to add a writing piece to each artwork so students have a chance to reflect and really think about their artwork.  Plus it gives me a chance to add to our writing program review and help with all those misspelled words!

Here are some of our African Masks:

8th grade selfies

The self-portrait, the landscape and the still life.  The Big 3 for 8th graders. Atleast those are the Big 3 that I have worked on with my 8th graders.  Not all at once, I was testing the waters first.  So far so good.  In the past we have looked at the Illuminists, made Still Lifes from their own personal objects (because it all means something) and now, we did Self Portraits.

(future thought: draw landscapes, paint self portraits, printmaking still lifes) or (draw self portrait, paint landscapes, printmaking still lifes) I like that one.

We looked at Masters Kehinde Wiley, Henri Matisse and Fracis Bacon.  We responded, we compared and they chose which ones "style" they wanted to practice.  Most picked Kehinde.  Only a handful picked Francis, but it was interesting to see who....

I noticed 8th graders are still ALL about the realism, as much as I try to incorporate abstraction, they just want it to look "right".  I think I need to either 1) practice realism or 2) limit their materials so they HAVE to experience abstraction.  I'll probably try both.

The Self portraits were fun.  I think only 3 in about 65 kids didn't take it seriously.  You know, the kind of self portrait that makes you want to prescribe a trip to the therapist.  But, for them, I focus on the process.

In reflection, we practiced value shading facial features in pencil for practice, but that concept didn't transfer to shading in paint.  I would like to add a study in proportion, practice shading in paint and then maybe make them smaller.  I wanted to go big, and it took FOREVER!

So, add proportion, practice shading in paint, and 8x10.  Below are some of the Selfies from my 8th graders.

Twists, Stars and Gallery Shows

This post is really for the last 2 weeks because we have been so busy!  Join the club, I know!

First, I want to share an activity I do with my classes when we begin a painting artwork.  I call it Painting with a Twist, despite not having the real "Adult Beverage Twist" like most of these events, ours is "Painting with a Twist" as in, follow the teacher and let's learn some vocab and processes.

I always pick a scene that has a distinct background, middle ground and foreground so that I can teach that feature of the painting process.  Always start big and in the back, then work your way foreword to the foreground.  I also wanted a scene that would help with creating a skin color since that is probably one of the most difficult colors to make!  Here is the picture I chose, I paint it in my sketchbook to model for the students as well as to have for my own notes.

I always do this!  I find a picture or a video on Facebook and think "Oooh!  I need to remember this!"  Well, this time, I did remember!  I had re-posted a video of an art teacher making these stars out of paper bags and I HAD to try it!  All I had on hand were brown lunch bags, but they still worked!  I want to make eight total, 2 each of red, yellow, blue and green and then hang them above the color-coordinated tables.  So easy for clean up and getting materials when tables are color-coded.

I am ALL about my Art Rage on my student computers!  I ordered tablets to go along with the program and can't wait to get the kids on creating some Deviant ART of our own!  I made this playing around with the Art Rage app on my phone.  Only $2 and hours of fun!

One of our teacher has a girl scout group and they were needing to participate in a Clay Art activity.  So of course, I opened up my studio and helped them make some pinch pots, birds and little bird baths.  We got glass beads to melt with the bisque fire so it looks like water in the bird bath!  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  I took a picture of my daughter joining in on the fun.

I also got the opportunity to help hang artwork for the 2016 Calendar Art Competition for FCPS.  It's down at the Lyric theatre and I think the show is next Tuesday night.  Good luck to all!

Last but not least, the weather has finally taken a turn for the better.  Knock on wood, it stays this way!  It has been beautiful!!  Get outside and enjoy!!!

Ukiyo-e Geisha 6th grade

6th grade students are studying Japanese culture around this time in the school year, so I wanted to incorporate some Ukiyo-e artworks.  I found this lesson on the "Incredible Art Department" website.  Link is here.  They have a ton of art lessons to choose from and I really liked this one in particular because we drew the Geisha upside down, then painted with watercolors and added some sharpie for detail.  It was a huge success and students really liked it!  

I also showed the video about Ukiyo-e art from Goodbye Art Academy.  Link is here.

I played Japanese music on Pandora while we worked on the Geisha paintings.  It was awesome.  Took about a week, answered some questions on Google Classroom pertaining to Anchor Standards and we were good to go!

This week, we are looking at Printmaking and Haiku's, still keeping with the Ukiyo-e and floating world theme.  Those pictures will be up shortly.  

And!!!  This is perfect timing for our Literacy Night!  Students will get to display their Geisha paintings, their prints and their Haiku!  More pictures to come, but here are the Geisha's.

Artful Diagnostics

For this week, I am sharing a STEAM activity that I found on Education Closet.  You can find the link here.  I have not tried this yet, but will add this into my curriculum during an Art History section, probably more for 8th grade.  I have been really wanting to try the Thinglink.com activities!

The below activity includes diagnostic testing, it's purpose and various methods and applies this thinking to researching an artwork.  I like that it includes the Google Art Project and allows for student choice.

Art Integration, is it worth it?

I was always the student who had to sketch in my notes, I had to draw examples in math and science and little figures in social studies.  I remembered things better with visual imagery and making mini-illustrations.  I'm still that student, sketching ideas in my notes during classes and meetings, connecting the dots in my head and on paper.

With today's technology (smart phones, video games and movies) I would say a large percentage of our students are extremely visual.  Visual, hands-on and kinesthetic (they gotta move).  Focusing on an Art Integration, or even beginning baby steps into Art Integration, could be a game changer for student engagement, information retention and motivation to learn.  I strongly support Art Integration into other classes and for Core Content Integration into the art room!

I love Core Content Integration into the Art Room!  Sometimes, in order to fully understand and comprehend Art Integration, I have to start in the Art Room and then add Core Content, then I can share what we learned and produced in the art room with Core Teachers.

Here is a Download from Art of Education regarding Art Integration.  I love this website!