Arts & Activities Magazine March 2017 by Arts & Activities

PASSION

How many college graduates do you know that would choose a kiln over a car for their graduation present? We know of at least one.

Meet recent graduate of the Stephen F. Austin State University BFA program and now full time Potter:

Erica Williams THrĂľ - Owner Hemphill, TX

See more of Ericaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work at

throstudio.com

We help people make great things! www.skutt.com

503-774-6000

AA1703

CONTENTS V O L U ME 1 6 1 , No . 2

16 18 20 28 30 32 34

CRAZY ABOUT COLOR

MISSISSIPPI COASTAL CREATURES Tara L. Meleones PASTELS INSPIRED BY JANET Stephanie Stamm ALIVE AND KICKING: ANGLING WITH ODILI Don Masse OLD-SCHOOL INSPIRATION Anne Hoffman A SWEET INTRODUCTION TO DRAWING Rebecca Tarman EXPLORING THE ART OF EMILY CARR Gary Kohl SELF-PORTRAITS WITH CLAY PENDANTS Josey M. Brouwer

YEARLONG ART II CURRICULUM SERIES 14 WHERE THE TECHNICAL MEETS THE CREATIVE: LARGE-SCALE FOOD STUDIES

Debi West

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS

10 12 27 36 46

MARCH 2017

STEPPING STONES: BOOKS FOR EVERY ART-TEACHER LIBRARY Heidi O’Hanley CHOICE-BASED ART: LET THE STUDENT BE THE ARTIST Ian Sands YOUNG ARTIST: NATALIE WEBB Karen Starr ON THE ART CAREER TRACK: STAR TREK AT 50 Irv Osterer TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: SPRINGTIME IN THE ART ROOM Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES 23 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: PAUL KLEE, THE VASE Tara Cady Sartorius 45 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: NOMAD Odili Donald Odita A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 41 AD INDEX 42 SCHOOLS AND SUMMER WORKSHOPS

DEPARTMENTS 8 EDITOR’S NOTE 38 MEDIA REVIEWS 40 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

PINEAPPLE Acrylic paint and oil pastel, 34" x 28". By student from North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, Georgia. See “Yearlong Art II Curriculum Series: Large-Scale Food Studies,” page 14.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (888) 651-7567; ads@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: www.artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128.

45 4

Arts & Activities® (ISSN 0004-3931) is published monthly, except July and August, by Publishers’ Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. Subscriptions: one year, $24.95; two years, $39.95; three years, $49.95. Foreign subscriptions, add $35 per year for postage. Single copy, $4. Title to this magazine passes to subscriber only on delivery to his or her address. Change of address requires at least four weeks’ notice. Send old address and new address. Periodical postage paid at San Diego, Calif., and at additional mailing offices. Printing by Democrat Printing, Little Rock, Ark. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Arts & Activities®, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

NEXT TIME BUY AN L&L KILN. Elements will not droop out in an L&L Kiln.

There are no pins like this in an L&L kiln.

There is a solution to this problem.

Moving elements will not break the firebrick on an L&L Kiln.

The Smooth, Hard Surface of the inside ceramic channel allows the elements to expand and contract freely. No Pins! This prevents catastrophic element failure. Elements do not droop out of easily broken firebrick channels. The Dense Ceramic DynaGlow holders extend element life because elements run cooler due to better heat transfer.

The Inside of an L&L Kiln!

505 Sharptown Road • Swedesboro, NJ 08085 Phone: 800.750.8350 • Fax: 856.294.0070 sales@hotkilns.com • hotkilns.com

L&L Kiln’s patented hard ceramic element holders protect your kiln.

Scratching the Surface Glaze on Glaze Technique AMACOÂŽ Lesson Plan Level: Grades K-12

(800) 374-1600

amaco.com

Steps

1. Glaze: Apply two coats of Teacher's Palette glaze to a glazed (and fired) tile.

2. Create Design Sketch a design onto dry glaze.

3. Spritz Spray tile lightly with water.

4. Etchďż˝ Following your penciled design, etch the unfired glaze to expose the fired glaze.

5. Sgraffitoďż˝ Create a contrasting design by scratching away at the covering glaze.

6. Fire to Cone 05.

Fun Fact Sgraffito was first used as another way to decorate walls. Layers of tinted plaster in contrasting colors were applied to the wall, then scratched through to show the color beneath.

for more detailed instructions and a video demonstration

AMACOLessonPlans.com

editor’s note

The pineapple on our cover simply shouts that we’re “Crazy About Color.” Yep, that’s right! To prove this claim, we offer you a collection of lessons in which a kaleidoscope of color is the star. If the pineapple whets your appetite for art, check out “Large-Scale Food Studies,” the seventh installment in Debi West’s 10-part Yearlong Art II Curriculum Series (page 14). There you will find a brilliant banquet of oranges, berries, peppers … even some popcorn of preposterous proportions!

Without doubt, artist Janet Fish is a master of color and light, and Stephanie Stamm’s students successfully rose to the challenge presented in “Pastels Inspired By Janet” (page 18). "I am in awe of the detail, intricacy and the beautiful jewel tones of her work. Her ease in capturing reflected light as well as light through glass is amazing,” writes Stephanie. "I wanted my … art students to learn about her, but I didn’t want to do oil painting with them. What else could they use? Oil pastels were the logical choice; they came in bold beautiful colors, they were easy to blend, and gave the effect of Janet’s work.” Read more from Stephanie on page 18.

Painter and art educator Odili Donald Odita loves color, too. And, much to our delight, he was happy to share his painting, “Nomad,” with us on page 46. This came about when he learned of "Angling with Odili,” the latest in Don Masse’s "Alive and Kicking" series, which aims to introduce children to the work of living artists. Turn to page 20 to see for yourself how Odili’s art inspired Don’s students.

In “Mississippi Coastal Creatures,” working artist Elizabeth Huffmaster is introduced to youngsters, who respond by creating colorful interpretations of the wildlife in their area. Using white oil pastels to incorporate the artist’s trademark white lines into their compositions, they learned that color and line can add emphasis in an artwork. Art teacher Tara L. Meleones invited the artist to visit their school to see the kids’ art ... “When she came … she spent time with each grade, answering questions and explaining her life as a working artist,” writes Tara. At a local art show a few weeks later, Huffmaster was approached by many of Tara’s students, who introduced their parents to the “real artist” who came to their school. “I’m so pleased this project made art and a career in art real for them.” See the whole story on page 16. We hope this issue sparks something inside you that makes you shout, “I’m crazy about color!” You”ll be in good company if you do.

president

Thomas von Rosen

e d i t o r a n d p u b l i s h e r Maryellen Bridge

a r t d i r e c t o r Niki Ackermann

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Cris E. Guenter Professor of Arts Education/Curriculum and Instruction California State University, Chico

Jerome J. Hausman Lecturer, Consultant and Visiting Professor, at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Barbara Herberholz Art Education Consultant, Sacramento, California Mark M. Johnson Director, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama George Székely Senior Professor of Art Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Geri Greenman Art Department Head (Retired), Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, Illinois Paula Guhin Art Teacher (Retired), Central HighSchool, Aberdeen, South Dakota Nan E. Hathaway Art Teacher, Crossett Brook Middle School, Duxbury, Vermont Amanda Koonlaba Art Teacher and Arts Integration Resource, Lawhon Elementary School, Tupelo, Mississippi Glenda Lubiner Middle-School Art Teacher, Franklin Academy Charter School, Pembroke Pines, Florida Don Masse Heidi O’Hanley

Art Teacher, Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, San Diego, California Art Teacher, Brodnicki Elementary School Justice, Illinois

Irv Osterer Department Head – Fine Arts and Technology, Merivale High School, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Debi West Lead Visual Art Teacher, North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, Georgia

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

a d v e r t i s i n g m a n a g e r Tracy Brdicko tracy @ artsandactivities.com 800.826.2216 or 888.651.7567 p r o d u c t i o n d i r e c t o r Linda Peterson p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r Kevin Lewis production @ artsandactivities.com HOW TO REACH ARTS & ACTIVITIES Subscription Services To subscribe, renew, change an address or buy single copies,

visit artsandactivities.com, contact subs@artsandactivities.com or call (866) 278-7678.

Letters to the Editor Letters pertaining to magazine content and art education in

general are welcomed. Arts & Activities reserves the right to edit all letters for space and clarity. Send to ed@artsandactivities.com

Manuscripts Subjects dealing with art-education practice at the elementary and secondary levels, teacher education and uses of community resources, are invited. Materials are handled with care; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for loss or damage. Unsolicited material must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For Writer’s Guidelines, visit artsandactivities.com/submit/writers-guidelines/ Address all materials to the attention of the Editor. Simultaneous submissions will not be considered or accepted. Indexes Articles are indexed in January and June issues. Issues of Arts & Activities are available on microfilm and photocopies from: ProQuest Information and Learning, P.O. Box 1346, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. (Issues beginning with January 1977 are available in microfiche.) The full text of Arts & Activities is also available in the electronic versions of the Education Index. Copyright Permissions Reproduction of any portion of this magazine without written

permission is prohibited. Contact the Editor at the address shown below or the email address to the left or contact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, copyright.com.

The opinions and recommendations expressed by individual authors within this magazine are not necessarily those of Publishers’ Development Corp.

artsandactivities.com

Maryellen Bridge, Editor and Publisher ed@artsandactivities.com Follow us on

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

We’re so much more than brushes! Look for our products through your favorite catalog supplier or distributor. Big Kid’s ChoiceTM Brushes

www.royalbrush.com twitter.com/royalbrushart instagram.com/royalbrushart facebook.com/royalbrushart.com youtube.com/royallangnickelart.com

Engraving ArtTM

Essentials Acrylic Paint

Soft-GripTM Brushes

Essentials Watercolor Paint

Essentials Pencils & Pastels

Potter’s SelectTM Tools

Clear ChoiceTM Brushes

Sketch Books & Surfaces

Education

Stepping Stones is a monthly column that breaks down seemingly daunting tasks into simple, manageable “steps” that any art educator can take and apply directly to their classroom. Stepping Stones will explore a variety of topics and share advice for art-on-a-cart teachers and those with art rooms.

BOOKS FOR EVERY ART-TEACHER LIBRARY

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

hen I first started teaching, I tried to soak up any resource I could find to help me with my career in art education. I purchased tons of books about classroom behavior, material management, techniques, lesson ideas, working with gifted/special needs, and more. I have since donated many books to help experienced teachers and early professionals, and we even swapped to share “good reads” and ideas. I would like to share four books I have in my own personal “art teacher library” that have helped me with ideas and strategies with my career.

TEACH LIKE A PIRATE, by David Burgess: After reading

this book, I was encouraged to be more “dramatic” in my teaching strategies with the younger grade levels. I found that in adding more emphasis and passion into my delivery of instruction, the students were more engaged. As stated in the book description, the book offers inspiration, techniques, and ideas that will help the reader increase student engagement, boost creativity, and transform the way you manage your classes. The author shares how you can increase your passion as a teacher, develop engaging lessons, establish rapport in your teaching environment, and have your students share the excitement of your classes outside of the art room. This book came in high recommendation as a summerread for art teachers in the online Art Teachers Facebook group. After reading the entire book that summer, I was inspired to create more engaging lessons and projects for the next school year, and it did make a huge difference in student engagement.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT FOR ART, MUSIC AND P.E. TEACHERS, by Michael Linson: In my school, I

teach over 700 students a week. Educating a high number of students each week presents the biggest classroom management challenge, and if you’re unprepared, you’ll be thrown way off course from the amount of stress with dealing with all the behaviors. This book is broken down into five parts that provide tips and strategies to help simplify and manage any teaching environment (no matter how out of control), so you can focus on giving your instructions. One chapter that stood out for me was “restarting” your class. I still have moments, even after 10 years of teaching, where I feel like I’ve lost control of the class, and with the raised voices, I feel like I’m talking over them. It’s as if your train had 10

derailed from the track, and the longer it takes to get your class back “on track,” the harder it will be. The chapter mentioned to find something to attract their attention, and after researching and testing many avenues, I’ve found (thanks to the recommendation of a friend) a chime that gets their attention quickly. Once your mallet hits the chime, all heads turn directly at me and they know I have something to say.

FROM STEM TO STEAM: USING BRAIN-COMPATIBLE STRATEGIES TO INTEGRATE THE ARTS, by David A.

Sousa and Tom Pilecki: Our curriculum director gave this book to me as a gift. I like it because it is from the perspective of a non-art teacher, and explains more about how to think more creatively while incorporating the A in STEAM. In the book description, it is mentioned how research has shown that arts activities enhance creativity, problem solving, memory systems, and analytical skills, which are critical for reaching academic success. As art teachers, we already know how the arts are vital in students’ education and we advocate this message in everything we do within our teaching practice. Reading through this book, I was excited to see the importance of art from another view!

THE ANNOTATED MONA LISA, by Carol Strickland:

Even after receiving my bachelor’s degree in fine arts, I still had holes in my art knowledge to fill before teaching in an art space. During my National Board certification process, I came across this book while finding resources to study for the final test. This book is literally a crash-course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern, and offers an illustrated tutorial of each art period in between. It covers fine art, architecture, photography, installation, performance art, film, and much more. After reading the book from cover to cover, I was able to not only gain enough information for the test, but also incorporate knowledge within my current lessons. The book also covers art from different cultures as well, so you can view the styles of artwork created from Africa, Mexico, Eastern continents, and more. I highly recommend the book for any art teacher library, especially when you don’t have time to soak up an entire encyclopedia of art history. There are more books I hope to share with you that have helped me over the years. I hope you can find the right books for your own personal art teacher library that will help you in your practice! n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Heidi O’Hanley (NBCT) teaches elementary art for Indian Springs School District #109, in the Greater Chicago Area. Visit her blog at www. talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com. m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Choice-Based Art

Edited by Nan Hathaway

Choice-Based Art classrooms are working studios where students learn through authentic art making. Control shifts from teacher to learner as students explore ideas and interests in art media of their choice. This concept supports multiple modes of learning to meet the diverse needs of our students. Learn more at teachingforartisticbehavior.org.

LET THE STUDENT BE THE ARTIST BY IAN SANDS

id you ever see an art project and immediately fall in love with it? Perhaps you found the application of color fascinating or you were intrigued by the technique. Maybe the particular use of media struck your fancy or the subject matter just happened to be your favorite. Your reaction was immediate and your response was the same as would be expected from most any art teacher: “I have got to do this lesson with my class!”

ART TEACHERS ARE EASILY INSPIRED. We see projects on

Pinterest, works by artists, or even every day real life objects that make us want to create art. Our desire is to share our enthusiasm by having our students emulate what has inspired us. We recreate lesson plans, or write entirely new ones, in order for our students to create an artwork based on the work that we found so intriguing. From the position of an art teacher, this makes absolute sense. However, it often does not generate the results we anticipate. While we are interested in our selected subject, this does not always equate to our students sharing our enthusiasm. After we eagerly present the project, our students often plod along at a level that might be described as only one step higher than total apathy. Once the project is completed, we are quick to express our disappointment when a student wants to trash a project. While we may be discouraged that our students didn't share our zeal for our selected project, the stakes are even higher for the students. Their disinterest and lack of commitment to the project often results in not only poor work, but low grades as well. THE TEACHER IS NOT THE ARTIST. If we consider how artists think and work, then we will come to the realization that using the teacher’s inspiration to kick off a project is inherently backwards. When beginning a work of art, an artist will make three decisions: They will decide the subject, the technique and the media. Many artists—from old masters such as Rubens to today’s contemporaries such as Jeff Koons—first made these decisions, but then had other people execute their directives. These artists selected the subject, the technique 12

and media, and then incorporated assistants to execute their vision. Their assistants, however, were not the artists. They were assistants. When we as art teachers make the decisions about the subject, the techniques, or the medium, we run the risk of becoming the artist. Our students in turn become the assistants. Our students should never be the assistants. They should always be the artists. THE STUDENT IS THE ARTIST. As teachers, we do not need to provide students with a subject, technique or required medium. Instead, we should allow them to become the artists and to make those decisions. Many students already have something if their life they are passionate about. These interests make excellent starting subjects for making art. For other students who do not have an immediate passion to draw from, it may be more challenging to think of a subject. Nonetheless, everyone has something that they find interesting. It is the work of the artist to seek out the subject matter that they will use as inspiration. Our students need to take on this role and become the artists. Once the student becomes the artist, the teacher is free to take on the role of facilitator. Our responsibility changes from that of one who imposes a technique or medium, to one who demonstrates technique and use of media as needed throughout the development of the project. As teacher-facilitator, teachers allow students the freedom to seek out and discover their own inspiration. We can still encourage our students to explore artists that match their interests. We can also support their learning when it comes to new techniques. We can help them discover ways to turn their newly found inspiration into project ideas. WHEN THE STUDENT FINDS THE INSPIRATION, engagement

will increase and learning and growth will result. Students will then share their enthusiasm with us. They will express excitement for the subject, the technique, or chosen medium through the art making process. After all, this is the job of the artist; to visually explore and express inspiration. The teacher’s job is not to be concerned with students making art, but rather with students becoming artists. n Previously from Apex High School, Ian Sands currently works as the visual arts instructor at South Brunswick High School in Southport, N.C. He has authored articles and has presented at national and state art-education conferences on the topics of choice-based art education, social media, and technology. m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

An easy to learn way to create beautiful images with repetitive patterns. Discover the empowering qualities of the Zentangle Method and share with your students! NEW! 213 Piece Black Tile Classroom Pack

193 Piece White Tile Classroom Pack

#50009

#50008

Anything is possible ™ . . . one stroke at a time.

A paint for every palette...

All Handy Art ® products are proudly made in the USA

Quality products, reliable service since 1974. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

Check out our catalog and vendors page online! www.handyart.com 13

Yearlong Art II Curriculum Series | WHERE THE TECHNICAL MEETS THE CREATIVE

LESSON 7 OF 10

Large-Scale Food Studies by Debi West

Students enjoy experimenting with the pastels, paint and the various brushes, using their fingers to blend and working on their negative space, which often takes their food study to the next level.

his is always a super fun, super motivating lesson with delicious results! Students have often told me that this is the one lesson they are most excited to do. It’s a challenge, but one that they are all ready for! They have learned to SEE! They have learned to Paint! They have learned how to use line, shape and color harmonies in order to create a successful composition, so they are ready! They are HUNGRY to have the opportunity to paint large.

I BEGIN THIS LESSON by asking stu-

dents to consider their favorite foods. As they ponder this, I tell them not to divulge this information. Instead, I have them describe the food using their senses. I will ask them what it Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

smells like, what it feels like, what it tastes like, again, without telling anyone what the actual food item is, so it becomes a guessing/thinking game. They find this to be rather difficult, but after a lot of laughs and a lot of deep critical thinking, the food items begin to reveal themselves. As the discussion continues, I have them begin to doodle small thumbnail sketches of their food items in their visual journals based off of memory. And just like that, day one comes to an end. It’s imperative that they bring their food item in the following day, because the large-scale sketches will begin promptly. ON DAY TWO, I give my students a large piece of poster board and have them lightly sketch out their food onto it, creating a light under painting. From here, they begin layering their paint

playing with a variety of painting techniques and color harmonies, always measuring and looking closely at their food sitting in front of them. I do allow students to take photos of their food, although I prefer they paint from the actual food and use the photo as an extra tool to help them see subtle shadows and color changes. Students enjoy experimenting with the pastels, paint and various brushes, using their fingers to blend and working on their negative space, which often takes their food study to the next level. This is a lesson that really emphasizes how important compositional arrangements and negative space are. Generally, the works are complete in about a week and a half STUDENTS ENJOY PRESENTING their paintings to the class. We make it a “food allowed” day, with students who

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

LESSON 7 OF 10

ART II CURRICULUM SERIES

Large-Scale Food Studies LEARNING OBJECTIVES

MATERIALS

High-school Art II students will ... • learn the importance of drawing from life utilizing the elements they see in direct observational studies • creatively utilize the principles of art to enlarge the objects before them. (I have found that food works the best.)

• • • •

Students’ favorite foods (photos will work, but I prefer actual food items) 34" x 28" poster board Oil pastels Acrylic paint, paintbrushes; palettes; water cups

PROCEDURES 1. The teacher will discuss past drawing and painting lessons and introduce the students to this large-scale food lesson. 2. The teacher will emphasize the importance of measuring, value, color theory, negative space and textural awareness. 3. Students will begin sketching out their food onto their poster boards.

4. Students create under paintings and consider color harmonies as they begin to build up their paintings. 5. Students will be encouraged to creatively utilize new material and layer materials to see innovative results. 6. Students will have two weeks to complete their works and install them into a student exhibit titled: “Food Studies.”

ASSESSMENT We do in-process critiques using my “2 Glows and a Grow” model: Each student selects a classmate’s work that speaks to him/her and attaches three notes—two with what works, and one with what the artist might want to consider or change. There is also an evaluation form that prompts students to appropriately reflect on the learning at hand and provides space for them to comment on the process and how they feel their final piece turned out. There is also space for me to comment and give them a grade based on their learning and the final work.

wish bringing in samples of their food to share with their classmates. Currently, we have six of these large food studies being displayed at the Atlanta airport in the Youth Art Gallery … make sure you stop by the E terminal to take a look. Up next ... “Pinspiration Portraits”! n A&A Contributing Editor Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, is Art Dept. Chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga.

www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

henever I can, I like to center the projects I create for my students around a local artist. Once I encountered Elizabeth Huffmaster’s paintings, I knew I found the subject for a new lesson. Huffmaster works from two studios at her home in Saucier, Mississippi, and spends up to six hours each day painting. Her main medium is watercolor, and she uses bold colors and whimsical subjects, which are appealing to children and adults alike. Her paintings seem joyful; I think that is why she is so famous here on “the Coast.” The artist includes her famous signature in each painting—white lines. She doesn’t use a masking medium, however— she just leaves these areas white. She has been “the artist” for my school’s big fundraiser for the past four or five years and created posters for the event; so many of my students were familiar with some of her work. To begin the project, I showed my classes Elizabeth Huffmaster. Pelican. Watercolor; 24" x 18" several of Huffmaster’s

paintings on my interactive whiteboard, pointing out her famous white lines. I asked my students to think about why she might use them and how they affect the overall painting. Most agreed the white lines drew their attention to certain areas and made the paintings very interesting. Because of the project I had in mind, I selected only Huffmaster’s paintings of animals and sea creatures. Then it was the kids’ turn. We brainstormed creatures that are native to our area, and came up with at least 30 ideas in each class. Then, each student in each class chose one. I didn’t want duplicates within each class. Our subjects ranged from alligators and fish, to birds and crustaceans. A few students even chose to depict magnolias (our state flower and plentiful here on the Coast). They then created several practice sketches. Once each child was comfortable with his or her design, it was time for watercolor paper—almost. I teach first through sixth grade and, because of my schedule, it’s best if each class works on the same project at the same time. Since so many children would be painting like Huffmaster, I had to find an economical and safe way for them to be able to incorporate white lines like she does. OIL PASTELS TO THE RESCUE! This meant that my students

would draw (not sketch) their creatures on the back of the watercolor paper. I encouraged them to go against everything I had instructed them on other projects and press hard with the pencil. They needed to make the lines of their

“You Me in the Sea,” by Kaylee, grade 4.

“The Flat Flounder,” by Jillian, grade 5.

MISSISSIPPI

Coastal Creatures by Tara L. Meleones 16

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

“Feralligator” by Jaden, grade 4. “Blue Jellyfish,” by Addyson, grade 5.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

Elementary students will … • view some Elizabeth Huffmaster paintings and become familiar with her style. • understand how color and line can create emphasis in an artwork. • understand how oil pastels create a resist for watercolor. • create a colorful watercolor painting using white lines to add excitement.

• • • •

CREATING: Conceiving and developing artistic ideas and work. PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. CONNECTING: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

MATERIALS

• Pencils • Watercolor paper

• •

Oil pastels Watercolors, brushes

drawings very dark. Why? They were about to find out. I had them turn their papers over and trace their drawings on the front with white oil pastels to create areas that would stay white when they painted. Older grades included backgrounds and smaller details, while the goals for my younger students were much simpler. Everyone was successful. After seeing how great the projects were turning out, I reached out to Elizabeth Huffmaster and invited her to our school to see the kids’ artwork. She graciously accepted. When she came to school she spent time with each grade, answering questions and explaining her life as a working artist. One student from each class was chosen to show the artist his or her class’ work, which was hanging in the main hall. She was impressed, as were my colleagues, administrators and every visitor who walked down our main hall. I ran into Elizabeth Huffmaster at a local art show a few weeks later. She said that many of my students had come to her there and introduced their parents to the “real artist” who came to their school. I’m so pleased this project made art and a career in art real for them. n Tara L. Meleones teaches first- through sixth-grade art at St. Vincent dePaul Catholic School, in Long Beach, Mississippi. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

“The Floating Crab,” by Abby, grade 6. 17

b� O

ne of my favorite artists is Janet Fish. I am in awe of the detail, intricacy and the beautiful jewel tones of her work. Her ease in capturing reflected light as well as light through glass is amazing. I wanted my ninth-grade Advanced 2-D art students to learn about her, but I didn’t want to do oil painting with them. What else could they use? Oil pastels were the logical choice; they came in bold beautiful colors, they were easy to blend, and gave the effect of Janet’s work. Students started by practicing with the oil pastels. I had them follow me, step by step, to color the values and texture of an ocean wave, to get them used to how to apply the medium and to blend the colors smoothly. They were very pleased with the results. They then saw a short PowerPoint presentation of Janet

by Stephanie Stamm

Fish’s paintings and they learned about the artist and saw her brilliant work. A few years before, I had gone to a solo exhibit of Fish’s work at Lehigh University where she was giving a talk for the opening. I was thrilled to meet her, and she was very gracious and allowed me to photograph anything I wanted. Some of the works exhibited there are not on public display, so I was very glad I did. Later, I found more images online to use, as well. I cropped the compositions, selecting areas that had visual interest, yet weren’t too complicated for the students. I printed these in color, and the students chose the one they liked best. They had to grid the 8" x 10" color copy and double it for their final work. They had the option to transfer their work to another piece of paper once they were done drawing, but

“Cheese Please,” by A.B.

“Apple,” by M.H. 18

“Azul,” by T.M. m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

“Colors,” by M.S.

“Honey Jar,” by E.R.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

MATERIALS

High-school students will … • become familiar with the art of artist Janet Fish. • practice oil pastel techniques. • render light, reflected light and shadow smoothly with oil pastels. • gain experience and refine their technical skills.

• • • •

Color copies or prints of sections of paintings by Janet Fish Oil pastels in 24–36 colors 18" x 24" heavy pastel paper Pencils, rulers

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• •

CREATING: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

most used the same paper on which they drew the composition. I encouraged them to draw in the color/value changes so that when they were using the oil pastels it would be easier. The results were amazing! I was thrilled to see how beautifully they captured the details and colors. The students loved this project, and were very pleased that their work turned out so well. When these projects were in the showcase for the Art Show, they were a real showstopper. The students received many compliments. Eight of the works were also chosen for publication in our local paper, in a special weekly section written by and about local teenagers called “Voices.” The students’ vivid oil pastel projects prove that, without a doubt, Janet Fish is an inspirational artist. n Stephanie Stamm teaches art at Boyertown Junior High West in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

“Seashells,” by S.B. 19

ALIVE

and kicking

recently introduced the work of Odili Donald Odita to my second- and fifthgraders. Odili was born in Nigeria, moved to the U.S. with his family when he was a young boy, and now is a very successful painter and college professor at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia (where I studied as a young man, many moons ago). Odili works in an abstract style that relies on sharp angles, crisp edges and vibrant colors. His color choices are inspired by local and global experiences he has had over the course of his life. Through his use of pattern and composition Odili also explores aspects

of the human condition in his largescale paintings and murals. I started both lessons by sharing photos of Odili’s abstractions as well as a couple short videos of mural installations he has done, so students could see some of his technique and hear him speak directly about his creative process. The students really enjoyed this aspect of the project introduction because they could identify with him more directly. With both groups, we looked at his use of masking tape to keep edges well defined and clean, so students could connect the use of a crayon resist watercolor technique with Odili’s work

later on in the project. We also noticed how he made preliminary plans before starting on large-scale wall works. AFTER INTRODUCING ODILI AND HIS WORK to the second-graders, I asked

them to make two sketches—one vertical, one horizontal. I wanted them to focus on creating with angular shapes. Earlier in the year, they used a lot of curved shapes to create a drawing inspired by the work of Santos Orellana (see Local Love, Jan. 2017 issue). They were required to use zigzag lines, at least one diagonal pattern, and a number of diamonds. The composition of

by Don Masse

The second-graders focused on creating with angular shapes.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Second-graders were inspired by Odili’s visual vocabulary of angled shapes.

Even with firm sets of parameters, all the kids approached the picture plane in unique ways.

those elements was up to the students. Once their sketches were done, they selected the one that would make a more interesting painting. As always, I encouraged them to think about why they were choosing one over the other, and to share their reasoning with a neighbor. When their choice was made, they drew out their sketch on a larger piece of watercolor paper. With this step, I reminded them that it’s okay if their final design looks a little different than their original sketch. If they wanted to add more detail to larger shapes they could. They then selected three colored crayons to use and colored about half their image. The color choices were up to them—primaries, secondaries, warms, cools, personal faves, or colors that had certain meanings to them. Students completed the project by adding watercolors to the remaining white shapes. They could add more or less water to their colors to make their colors lighter or darker. WHILE THE SECOND-GRADERS FOCUSED

The compositions were completed by filling in the remaining white shapes with watercolors.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • explain creative decision making to another student. • experiment with crayon-resist watercolor techniques. • create artwork inspired by different elements of their personal experiences.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork (grade 2). • CREATING: Combine ideas to generate an innovative idea for art-making (grade 5). • CREATING: Identify, describe, and visually document places and/or objects of personal significance.

Odili Donald Odita (African American; b. 1966). Nomad, 2012. Acrylic on canvas; 90" x 80". © Odili Donald Odita. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Please see page 46 for a larger reproduction of this artwork.

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. www.ar tsandactivities.com

MATERIALS

• Sketch paper, watercolor paper • Pencils, erasers, crayons • Watercolors, paintbrushes

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

on creating an image inspired by Odili’s visual vocabulary of angled shapes, the fifths were tasked with an additional aspect on a symbolic level. After being introduced to Odili’s work, students were asked to come up with at least two personal symbols and at least two symbols that represented our Zamorano school community. After brainstorming, I asked them to modify those so that the symbols were created with primarily straight lines and a variety of angles—obtuse, acute, and right, to connect visually to Odili’s style. They then combined a personal and a school symbol to create a composition that had at least three sections. Students could rotate and flip the symbols to create a design that had symmetry or asymmetry. If students were working with small or thin symbols, they could add repeated border lines to activate the negative spaces in their designs. During this process I worked my way around the classroom, asking individual kids how their symbols stood for them and school. It was quite interesting to listen to their reasoning. It also gave me more insight into the things that were important to kids that I did continued on next page 21

Personal and school symbols were combined by the fifth-grade artists to create compositions that had at least three sections.

not know previously. Upon completing their sketches, students selected the more interesting composition, explained their reasoning in writing and shared their thoughts with a neighbor. They then translated their chosen designs to 6" x 18" sheets of watercolor paper, drew out their images lightly in pencil, and used up to four crayon colors to fill about half of the paper. Color choices and the reasons for those choices were, like the second-graders, up to the individual students. They completed their compositions by filling in the remaining white shapes with watercolors. To wrap it up, the fifths completed an exit slip that had them explaining the meaning of their chosen symbols and

The older kids completed exit slips explaining the meaning of their chosen symbols and how the crayon resist technique was similar to the masking tape method they saw Odili use on video.

how the crayon resist technique was similar to the masking tape method they saw in action in one of the observed videos. ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY LIKED about these two projects

was the amount of visual variety present in so many of the student creations. Even with a firm set of parameters—like primarily using angles throughout the design—the kids approached the picture plane in unique ways. Also, I feel that working in an abstract style while experimenting with a technique such as crayon resist for the first time, allows kids of all skill levels to be more relaxed and less afraid of failure. There is a freedom in abstraction that is not present in representational work for a lot of people, including children. Introducing students to abstraction and experimenting with it at a young age also develops a sense in them that there is hard work and critical decision making involved in creating a successful abstract composition. It can shatter the stereotype of “if it’s abstract anyone can do it” for future generations. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Don Masse, is a K–5 visual arts teacher at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, California.

Fifth-graders translated their chosen designs to 6" x 18" sheets of watercolor paper. 22

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect Paul Klee. The Vase, 1938.

“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.” Paul Klee, 1920

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Line • Shape

• Space • Harmony • Abstraction

•

DESIGN LANGUAGE: The plant “sprig” can be found in many variations in numerous pieces by Klee. He believed in nature as a driving force behind the creation of art, often commenting that there was little or no separation between nature, art and humanity. He wrote, “Nature does love me! She consoles me and makes promises to me.” While acknowledging the importance of nature, however, he also sought to simplify it and to strip it down to its very essence. As a result, Klee’s images of plants are often symbolic of growth, abundance, change, and more. In 1909 he wrote in his diary, “Nature can afford to be prodigal in everything, the artist must be frugal down to the smallest detail. Nature is garrulous to the point of confusion, let the artist be truly taciturn.”

•

ART MATERIALS: Paul Klee painted The Vase on burlap. He experimented with many alternate materials, some of which, today, pose challenges for museums in their efforts to conserve his work.

•

• •

•

INDEFINABLE STYLE: The Vase barely looks like a vase. Klee used colored lines and shapes that appear tossed up into the air. The parts are all there, but they seem re-arranged, floating in an environment that lacks gravity. A visionary, Klee managed to combine calligraphy and cubism in one expressive piece that defies categorization. It’s positively twitterific!

PEDAGOGY OF BAUHAUS: The Bauhaus school of art and design, where Klee taught from 1921 to 1931, was built and founded in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, by Walter Gropius. Its purpose was to break down the barriers between painting, sculpture and architecture, and to apply them all to daily life.

TYPOGRAPHY: Klee often wrote words and incorporated letters into his art, but he re-arranged the forms so they weren’t obvious, In Klee’s Death and Fire, 1940, seen here, he incorporates the German word for death, “tod,” into the features of the face of death.

MUSIC: Klee was a fairly accomplished violinist, and his wife was a pianist. He saw connections between color and music, appreciated musical notation as a visually artistic language, and related musical rhythms to patterns in visual art. He practiced “polyphonic painting.”

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Paul Klee was also a writer. In 1920 he wrote Creative Credo, which was strongly influenced by his friend Wassily Kandinsky’s 1911 book, On the Spiritual in Art.

ART HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Paul Klee is associated with several important art movements that shaped the direction of 20th-century Modernism, including the Bauhaus, Der Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider), German Expressionism and Dada. He also had a close friendship with Wassily Kandinsky.

PHILOSOPHY: Paul Klee was a transcendentalist, meaning that he valued the spiritual and ephemeral nature of things beyond the physical world.

MEDICINE: It is thought that Klee suffered from a rare skin disease named scleroderma (skleer-oh-DUR-muh), which is a hardening of the skin and other connective tissues. He began to exhibit symptoms in 1935, and he died in 1940. The Vase was completed in 1938, so he was not well at the time of its creation.

Wherever you see this symbol, it means there are resources related to this article available online. Visit artsandactivities.com and click on this button to explore these topics further. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

Paul Klee (Swiss; 1879â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1940). The Vase, 1938. Oil on burlap on burlap; 34.6" x 21.4".

MARCH 2017

Beyeler Foundation, Riehen/Basel. Photograph by Peter Schibli. Artwork is in the public domain.

In the Studio: Create and Present Annotations and lessons on these pages by Tara Cady Sartorius, Program Director, Alabama Alliance for Arts Education

GRADES K–6

GRADES 7-12

PICNIC ANYONE? Based on Paul Klee’s painting, Park near Lu.,

THE ART OF TEXT The images seen below were created in Photoshop. Here is the process: 1. Produce a simple composition with one to four words in contrasting colors. 2. Divide the original words into quarters (rulers help) and copy each one. 3. Produce four separate files, and rotate two of them. 4. Re-arrange, re-assemble, and flatten the layers into one whole. 5. Use the paint bucket to fill areas of color.

1938, these student interpretations (lesson titled, Tree in the Park) make use of warm colors and active lines. Each student seems to have borrowed the vocabular y of Klee, and especially the small tree form, but they have also invented their own imaginative environments. Notice the varied placement of the tree by the students.

Artwork by fifth-graders at Georgetown Elementary School in Hudsonville, Michigan. Teacher Josey Brouwer says her main goals were to “promote a discussion on abstract art and the use of symbols in art.”

Paul Klee. Park Near Lu., 1938, 129. Oil and colored paste on paper on burlap. Original frame 100 x 70 cm. Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern. © Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Bildarchiv.

When studying art by masters, whose works have been reproduced online in numerous formats, be sure to check for accuracy. Search for “Park Near Lu.” online and note the differences in color between various reproductions. When at all possible, consult images provided by the current owner of the work. The original piece (left) is located in Bern, Switzerland at Zentrum Paul Klee— an entire museum dedicated to the life and work of Paul Klee. This reproduction is accurate in color, since the Zentrum Paul Klee includes it on their website, and kindly provided us with the image to the left.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades K–6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: How does engaging in creating art

enrich people’s lives? How does making art attune people to their surroundings? CREATE: Identify, describe, and visually document places and/or objects of personal significance. PRESENT: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. RESPONDING: Compare one’s own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of others.

This whole process could also be accomplished “low tech” as a collage on paper. Simply physically cut up the original words, rearrange and rotate, then glue onto a new piece of paper and paint.

Contemporary Ohio artist Derrick Hickman engages in a similar process with his work, but with many more words; he is often telling a story as he plays with linear connections between the letters, creating an overall exploration of color and meaning. “My intent is to mimic the process of re-telling stories, specifically the way in Derrick Hickman. Rose. Acrylic on canvas; 48" x 48". which we try to incorpoReproduced courtesy of the artist. © Derrick Hickman. rate meaning to memory,” writes Hickman. “The exaggerated size, distortion of line and how colors seem to change when placed next to other colors, are meant to visually represent the dif ferent ways that a story will be told depending on when it’s told, to whom it’s told, or its intended desired ef fect.” To learn more about of Derrick Hickman and see more of his art, visit his website: www.derrickhickmanarts.com

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades 7–12 CREATE: Consolidate production processes to demonstrate

How to use the A&A Monthly Art Print: Carefully unbend the staples at the center of the magazine, pull the print up and out of the magazine. Rebend staples to keep magazine intact. Laminate the pulled-out section and use it as a resource in your art room. — Editor

deliberate choices in organizing and integrating content and stylistic conventions in media arts production, demonstrating understanding of associated principles, such as continuity and juxtaposition. CREATE: Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

“Kit Kat.” Acrylic on canvas; 12 x15.

“Grazing at Sunset.” Acrylic on canvas; 14" x 18".

Self-portrait. Pastels and water on paper; 6" x 18". Mosaic frame. Tile and cement; 10" x 10".

y name is Natalie Webb and I have been taking art lessons from my grandmother for about two years. The reason why I love art is because I get to express my feelings and I get to use my creativity. What art means to me is being free, relaxed and just doing what you love. I have created a variety of artwork from acrylics, pastels, colored pencils, and watercolors. So get out there an express your feelings and just do what you love!

Natalie Webb South Eastern Intermediate School Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania Karen Starr, Art Teacher www.ar tsandactivities.com

“Chameleon.” Watercolor on paper; 12" x 14". 84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

ave you ever felt so inspired by an emerging artist that you jump right into creating a lesson plan for your students because you want to share your excitement with them? That is how I felt when I recently saw the work of the contemporary street artist, WRDSMTH. I instantly fell in love with the artwork, the concept behind it and, also, the mysterious nature of the artist himself.

Old-Sch

WRDSMTH FIRST APPEARED on the art scene in November

2013 and since then has been “tattooing” his conceptual artwork mostly in Los Angeles, but has also marked Chicago, New Orleans, New York, West Palm Beach and a handful of other places around the world. His popularity continues to grow. Like a superhero, he works under the mask of night and secretly installs his messages on public spaces such as vacant building walls, electrical control boxes and telephone poles. These messages can be whimsical, motivational and/or about Art by WRDSMTH. Photo by love and relationships. Dimitri Lorin. Reproduced with permission from the artist. WRDSMTH hopes to create an impact on (and perhaps even inspire) those individuals who come across his work wherever they may come upon it. I was so inspired myself by WRDSMTH’s artwork that I developed my own lesson plan to share with children.

Lucy, who had felt that WRDSMTH’s messages truly came from his heart, reflected that same sentiment in her own piece.

DAY 1 To begin this lesson about WRDSMTH, I showed my fifthgraders a presentation that I created. During the slideshow, some of the things we discussed were: different types of street art; why an artist would choose not to use his real name or be recognized in public; why he uses the typewriter image (symbolism); and which part of WRDSMTH’s art is most important—his message or image? One of my students shared how she could feel that WRDSMTH’s messages “really came from his heart.” After our group discussion, students went back to their tables to brainstorm their own message ideas in their sketchbooks, and to practice using letter stencils. My students were excited to come up with their own messages and my heart melted at how incredibly inspirational they were!

Even though Maxwell’s gold Sharpie bled a little when he moved his plastic letter stencil, he kept the “mistake” to reinforce his message.

DAY 2 Once the students decided on which messages they were going to use, they stenciled them onto white drawing paper using Sharpies. The children had to ensure that their words fit within the six-inch space width of the paper and that they were spelled correctly. I of fered a couple of dif ferent letter stencils sizes: shor ter messages required the larger stencils while longer, wordier messages required smaller stencils. During this class period I also handed out to each student a photocopy of a drawing that I made of WRDSMTH’s typewriter image, which students cut out, careful to leave a little white space around the entire image. Some children also had time to begin to enhance the image using Sharpm a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

hool Inspiration by Anne Hoffman

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Upper-elementary students will ... • learn about the street artist WRDSMTH. • brainstorm, research and create their own positive messages. • learn how to use letter stencils, focusing on how to neatly fill in and align letters.

•

What kind of things have you seen or heard that have inspired you in the past? • How has WRDSMTH impacted people’s lives by creating his artwork in public spaces? • How can we promote the same positivity here within our school?

MATERIALS

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Organizing, developing, refining and completing artwork. • CONNECTING: Synthesizing and relating knowledge and personal experiences to make art. • RESPONDING: Perceiving, analyzing and interpreting artistic work.

• Typewriter handout • Scissors • Mat board with visual or

• •

ies and/or opaque paint markers.

actual textures Glue sticks and/or glue dots 1-inch letter stencils

•

Fine-point and extra fine-point Sharpie® markers, opaque paint markers • 6" x 12" white paper • Variety of media to embellish artwork

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

When my students had completed designing their messages and typewriters, they used glue sticks to adhere the paper to mat boards. We were fortunate to have a local frame shop donate a stack of 16" x 20" mat boards for this project. The mat boards came in a variety of both visual and actual textures, as well as colors, which made it fun for the children to pick out the one that “spoke” to them and created unity with their artwork. My fifth-graders were then able to further embellish their mat boards by using sequins, shape stencils and shapes punches. One creative boy even used paper clips along the border to show his individuality and to make his work feel more “old school”! During the entire span of this project my students felt so happy to be creating work that would be displayed throughout our school, which would inspire, motivate and simply make everyone feel good. This lesson is also highly versatile in that it can be taught anytime during the school year and to a wide variety of grade levels, and it benefits both the artist and viewer! n

> >

DAYS 3, 4 AND 5

Grant felt that attaching paper clips to the border would make his artwork look more “old school.” Brianna chose a simple, yet bold design using a limited color palette and sequins.

Anne Hoffman teaches art at Shabonee Elementary School in Northbrook, Illinois. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

A SWEET introduction to DRAWING by Rebecca Tarman

Joseph, grade 9.

Anastasia, grade 9.

s the “Introduction to Art” teacher, I teach a diverse group of students from grades 9–12. These students come to my class with varying levels of interest and ability. Finding projects to keep all of them engaged and to help them grow can be a challenge. The first major drawing project of the year is the “Junk Food Grid.” A week before we begin this project, I send a note home with students telling them to start collecting the wrappers from candy, chips, sports drinks, etc. They are told to save as many as they can so they have a wide variety to choose from. To begin, each student is given a paper with a 4" x 6" rectangle printed on it, on which they will create a composition of junk-food wrappers to fill in the rectangle. We review what we have already learned about good composition. I talk with them about color placement, using large interesting shapes, overlapping wrappers, etc. We spread out any extra wrappers on a table, where students may choose extra wrappers to add to their collections. The students then receive pieces of transparency film that have 4" x 6" one-inch grids printed on them. They cut out their compositions and tape them to the back of the plastic grid. They are then given 12" x 18" white drawing paper, which they grid into 3-inch squares. After these steps are completed, they begin to enlarge their compositions onto the drawing paper. After the students’ enlargements are complete, we discuss proper use of colored pencils. Then, on scraps of paper, students experiment with mixing colors as close as possible to the colors of the actual wrappers. And, once they achieve sucess with this, they add color to their artworks. n Rebecca Tarman teaches art at Fairfield Junior/Senior High School in Goshen, Indiana. 30

Brittany, grade 9. m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Jacie, grade 9.

Jessica, grade 12.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will ... • create a composition of junk-food wrappers. • grid a large piece of paper into 3-inch squares. • enlarge their wrapper composition by drawing it onto a large sheet of paper. • use colored pencils to recreate the colors of the wrappers as closely as possible.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• •

CREATING: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.

• • • •

Paper printed with an empty • 4" x 6" rectangle Graphite and colored pencils Clean junk-food wrappers • 12" x 18" sheet of white paper

MATERIALS

www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

4" x 6" rectangle divided into one-inch grid printed on transparency film Glue sticks, scissors, tape

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle-school students will … • demonstrate line and form. • ensure final work demonstrates movement and flow. • demonstrate control of oil pastels. • manipulate pastels to include both lines and blends.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. • PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. • RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning.

MATERIALS

•

11" x 17" art paper (or butcher paper, which Emily Carr sometimes used) • Oil pastels • Pencils, colored pencils • Optional: acrylic paints, watercolor paints, or oil paints

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

This student featured a large carved Raven, a West Coast Native artifact that Carr featured in some of her work. Students carefully layered and blended the pastels.

by Gary Kohl

mily Carr’s work has garnered a lot of interest over the last decade, and her work continues its upward trajector y with a London, England, showing in 2015. It is her unique style that I used to inspire my eighth-grade art class as we examined line, shape and movement. I chose oil pastels for this project, 32

with an open offer to students who really wanted to work in acrylics to do so. All chose pastels, however, after experimenting with paints in their art journals. (They had just completed a different painting task, so that might have added a desire to use a different medium.) I encourage you to consider acrylics, oils, or watercolors, dependm a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

WHO WAS EMILY CARR? In her book, The Forest Lover (Penguin Books; 2004), here is how author Susan Vreeland describes Emily Carr (Canadian; 1871–1945): “In paint and words, Emily Carr casts a tall shadow. As a woman interpreting British Columbia in a bold and inimitable way, bringing modern art to the Americas, she has become a national treasure ... in Canada.” A Rushing Sea of Undergrowth, 1935. Oil on canvas; 112.8 x 69.0 cm. Collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Read more at www.svreeland.com/real-ec.html

Main themes in Emily Carr’s mature work were natives and nature. This student achieved the lush look seen in many of Carr’s paintings.

ing on availability and interests. We reviewed Emily Carr’s works on our smart board, and students perused websites with her work on their tablets. I encouraged them to take ideas from two or three different paintings, then put them together in their own verwww.ar tsandactivities.com

Students took ideas from different paintings by Carr, then put them together in their own versions of her work.

sions of the artist’s works. They sketched these in their journals, adding color notations with coloredpencil or oil-pastel samples. Once this step was done, there was one more thing to try and test in their journals: I wanted them to experiment with layering oil pastels, as well as smudging and blending them to achieve desired effects. Students did light pencil sketches on 11" x 17" paper, with only the most basic lines (no details or shading, as pastels do not always hide pencil lines). They layered and blended the pastels,

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

working carefully to avoid smudges where crisp edges were desired. I encouraged them to rest their hands on scrap paper, rather than on their pastel drawings’ colored parts, and advised them to be careful not to drag these scrap pieces across finished areas or place dark-colored scraps on top of lighter ones. Oil pastels are great and easy to control, but they never dr y like paints, so smudges were a concern. The students’ final artworks were signed and framed. When they were displayed in our school hallway, there were only positive comments and praise from those who viewed the student work inspired by one of Canada’s best artists—Emily Carr. n Gary Kohl teaches sixth- through eighthgrade art, as well as eighth-grade drama, English and media, at Unionville Montessori School in Ontario, Canada. 33

by Josey M. Brouwer

hile browsing a 2010 issue of Arts & Activities magazine, I was inspired to begin an ambitious portrait project with my first-grade artists. I wanted to introduce an easy clay project to my first-grade classes—one that would give them ample opportunity to explore working with clay for the very first time. I knew that they could successfully create a textured clay pendant, but needed something more to make the project come together. When I saw Aimee Fresia’s “Jewelry Portraits” in the June 2010 issue, my project idea was complete! Instead of making Aimee’s rolled-paper beads to display with their self-portraits, my students would create clay pendants. Combining their clay necklaces with their own carefully drawn portraits would give the students a perfect way to display their clay projects. TO PREPARE FOR OUR UPCOMING CLAY PROJECT, we began we began

“making our hands strong” at the end of each art class. We rolled imaginary clay spheres and then smooshed our pretend clay into a pancake, squeezing our hands together with all our strength. A few weeks later, when “clay day” finally came, my students were more than ready to begin! First we spent a few minutes exploring some pendants, learning that “pendant” was a fancy word for a piece of jewelry that hangs from a chain. We viewed images of pendant necklaces, and I passed around some dollar-store pendants so students could look at the textured details. My students were eager to begin, and their first task was to simply play with the clay. I encouraged them to roll snakes and coils, pound the clay, 34

squeeze it, and even smell it. The next steps were easy because we had practiced them often: roll a smooth sphere and then smoosh it into a round disc with their strong hands. I walked around the room and pushed a plastic straw into their pendants to create a hole for stringing, as students added texture and patterns to their pendants with a variety of texture tools. The containers of dry noodles, nuts and bolts, combs and toothpicks brought giggles and “oohs and aahs” as they discovered the designs each tool could produce. Their treasures were placed on a large tray to dry, and the waiting began. I was greeted at the beginning of each class with an anxious “Are they ready yet?!” while the pendants were dried and were bisque fired. Fortunately, the beauty of this project was that we could work on our self-portraits while waiting for our pendants to come out of the kiln! Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

Khloe

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Primary-level students will … • create a detailed, correctly proportioned self-portrait. • form a clay pendant and embellish it with texture and beads.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Experimenting and developing skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches. • CREATING: Demonstrating quality craftsmanship through care and use of materials, tools and equipment.

MATERIALS Clay Pendants

• • • • •

Images of pendant necklaces Dollar store jewelry samples Clay (quarter-pound per student) Various texture tools, glazes Colored plastic-coated wire, beads

Self-Portraits

Completed clay pendants, glazed and strung with beads.

• Reproductions of portraits, such as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Straw Hat • 10" x 16" heavy-weight manila tagboard • 12" x 18" black construction paper • Small mirrors • Permanent markers, crayons, watercolor crayons, paintbrushes, water

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

oval eyes, round pupils, curved eyelashes, eyebrows, and lips. Finally, it was their turn! In preparation for this project, I had lightly traced an oval on the students’ manila tagboard to help them get the portrait size large enough. Their concentration was amazing as they viewed their reflections in small mirrors and began drawing. Many students caught excellent likenesses of themselves as they added important details such as freckles, pointy chins, missing teeth, glasses, and hair bows. Over the next two classes, their images were traced with permanent marker and colored with crayon. Background colors were added with watercolor crayons.

Brenden

WE BEGAN BY LOOKING at a number

of portraits—from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to Van Gogh’s Self Portrait With Straw Hat. We looked at the placement of our facial features as we examined our images in 5" x 7" mirrors, and gently followed the outer part of our eyes around our heads to find … our ears! We noticed that our eyes are not close to the top of our heads, but in the middle. And, when we smile, some

Kingston www.ar tsandactivities.com

Chloe

of us have dimples and some have little lines around our mouths. We also learned that our necks need to be wide enough to support our heads, which can weigh eight pounds! If we have a little spaghetti neck, our heads will fall over! Next, I chose a first-grader as my model, and the class watched as I demonstrated how to draw a portrait. We talked about shapes and lines as I drew

Josey M. Brouwer, NBCT, is an art specialist at Georgetown Elementary School in Hudsonville, Michigan.

Kylie

84 Y E A R S •

BEFORE WE KNEW IT, we were ready to glaze our pendants and embellish the fired pendants with beads. My students spent an entire class selecting and stringing them on colorful plasticcoated wire (we used TwisteezWire®). Some chose favorite colors, while others created thoughtful color patterns, and they took great care to coordinate their beads with their glazed pendants. After attaching their portraits to construction paper, I used an awl to poke two holes through the paper so the pendants could be added. My students learned so many important skills while completing this long project. They also learned patience: Who knew a clay project took so LONG to dry, bisque fire and glaze? Along the way, they learned about famous artists who drew portraits, explored texture and pattern while creating their pendants, reviewed shapes, discovered the importance of proportion and detail, and fine tuned their blending and shading techniques as they captured their own skin color with crayons. My first-graders were so excited to see their portraits and pendants on display. The project was a big hit with parents, who enjoyed finding their own child’s portrait when they visited during our parent-teacher conferences. n

march 2017

on the

ART CAREER TRACK

STAR TREK by Irv Osterer

Sabrina

tar Trek: The Ultimate Voyage, featuring a live symphony orchestra, is one of many arts events that were scheduled in 2016 to celebrate a half century of Star Trek on television. The concert tour made a stop in Ottawa and was be followed by an interactive Star Fleet Academy experience at our Aviation Museum and the summer’s new Star Trek flick. An art show featuring 50 different artists and their Star Trek–inspired creations were featured at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto later in the summer.

different TV-set scans, from circa-1960s to newer models. An iPhone served as a unifying element linking the composition to the digital age. The students’ designs would be included in a 23" x 35" poster. To keep production costs down, all artwork would be printed in black and white. Students were free to choose the media for their designs, such as ink, colored pencils, watercolor, or Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator®. A limited palette exercise is useful as there are times that graphic-design professionals face similar restrictions, or must adapt their work so Sydney that it conforms to specific devices. The images had lot of variety. All the main characters make an appearance, but we also saw some of the villains, as well as the starship Enterprise. All the images were imported into a QuarkXPress® document (InDesign® would also work). The headline for the commemorative poster was set using Roddenberry Bold Italic, Pixel Saga’s version of the ever popular title logo of the original NBC series. THE

OUR COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN FOCUS PROGRAM

jumped on this pop-culture bandwagon by designing a special poster to mark this event. Almost all young adults are familiar with the franchise and identify with Kirk, Spock, et al., as well as familiar quotes from the series (“Beam Me up Scotty!”), though many of their Star Trek experiences are from recent films and animated cartoons. Each student was assigned one of the iconic Star Trek characters and asked to supply a strong horizontal design that could be scanned at 300 dpi, then copied and pasted into one of 18 36

FINAL

ARTWORK

was exported to PDF and sent to Jonathan Stokes at commercial printer, Trico Evolution, who arranged a printing time that would permit a field trip to the plant, where our students had an experiential offset-lithography learning opportunity. m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

Jonathan Stokes and students proudly show their Star Trek poster, fresh off the press.

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Rebecca

Eileen

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • create artwork for a specific subject using a restricted palette defined by the client. • learn how to scan art and images at the proper resolution for printing. • use desktop-publishing software. • learn how to export files for print as PDFs. • understand why offset lithography is only used for large-volume printing. • understand the differences between offset lithography and digital printing. • understand the importance of cut/trim marks.

MATERIALS

• •

James

• Adobe®

Photoshop® and Illustrator® • QuarkXPress® or InDesign® • Scanner, printer

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

Stokes walked the class through all the production steps and explained that, even though the job was being printed in black and white, a clear varnish coat would also be applied to keep the final product from smudging when handled. The group was ver y impressed by the speed of the large press, which completed our order of 250 copies in minutes, and how efficiently the work was cut and trimmed. Our students were able to follow up the offset-printing workshop with an activity at Canada Post through the kind auspices of Director of Stamp Ser vices, Jim Phillips, and www.ar tsandactivities.com

White paper or cover stock Pen and ink, pencil crayons (colored pencils), watercolors, paintbrushes

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

his assistant Joy Parks. Copies of our poster were feted with the new Canadian Star Trek stamps and postmarked with a special Vulcan, Alberta, postmark. For Trekkies, the colorful stamps, which resemble intimate TV screen captures, were featured at the recent World Stamp Show in New York. The United States issued a more abstract Star Trek postage Sept. 2, 2016. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Irv Osterer is Department Head – Fine Arts and Technology at Merivale High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 37

media reviews

® The widest range of colorful dinnerware safe glazes. Available everywhere.

Download Back Issues of A&A Magazine for only $3

AVAILABLE AT:

artsandactivities.com 38

DRAW LIKE AN ARTIST: A Self-Portrait Sketchbook, by Patricia Geis. Princeton Architectural Press, $12.99. It’s a children’s book. It’s a sketchbook. It’s both and so much more. Visual arts educators have long assigned projects “in the style of,” but they haven’t had access to this resource until now. Each activity asks youngsters to put themselves in an artist’s place, and the art superstars depicted range in time from the 15th century to the 20th. While some of the sketchbook pages include portions of reproductions (Vincent van Gogh’s straw hat, for example), about a dozen pages are quite blank. Geis’ book is meant to be cut up and drawn in and painted on, yet a savvy educator might keep a pristine copy from year to year. He or she could alter the projects by using other colored papers, wallpaper or magazine imagery. Kids age of 10 and up will relate to thoughts about our varied emotions and who or what we love. To reproduce portions of her book, the author requests that you obtain her permission.–P. G. DRAWING PERSPECTIVE: How to See It and How to Apply It, by Matthew Brehm. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., $19.99. Once students have the tools to draw in perspective correctly, most of them love it. And by tools we’re not just talking rulers, straight-edges, T-squares and the like. This book is one of those important tools. Inside the book’s tough, durable flexi-cover, readers will find a multitude of diagrams, of course, and striking artwork by a range of contributors. Brehm’s introduction begins with a brief history, made even more special by its beautiful illustrations. Many middle-schoolers will enjoy this book—the author spends 20 pages on one-point perspective alone! He is

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

AUDIOVISUAL BOOK/PRINT Jerome J. Hausman • Paula Guhin

just as thorough with every other type of perspective, including three-point, multipoint, and curvilinear. The latter fish-eye effect is particularly dramatic. The book states that its 30-page workbook, with grids and more, can be photocopied. Some pages even fold out wide. As was said, this reviewer believes that most students like perspective projects, given the performance tools. They should have this book.–P. G. MANGA MAKEOVERS: Create Amazing Drawings of Yourself, Your Friends, and Everything Around You, by Sonia Leong. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., $17.99. Manga Makeovers is based on a foundation of reference photos: photographic self-portraits or snapshots of friends, pets, vehicles, even fruit. Before diving into the stylizing of characters, author Leong begins with a techniques section that embraces both traditional and digital approaches. The drawing basics she illustrates include children, hands and storyboarding. Of the six manga styles covered in the book, some are appropriate for 10-yearolds, while two are usually aimed at an older market, even as mature as 18–30. Leong provides an overview of all six and figure templates for each. She recommends copying them and even tracing her shapes if necessary, but states in her intro, “—don’t copy the photos too rigidly.” (The italics are ours.) “Drawing Notes” and many “Pro Tips” add value to this adorable book, as do the exercises and comic-strip challenges. Fashion! Sports! Magic! Fantasy! Anyone who’s into cute Japanese comic styles will appreciate it.–P.G. www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

Share your Success and Expertise Get published in A&A! Learn how at: artsandactivities.com/ submit/writers-guidelines

march 2017

shop talk

ROYAL & LANGNICKEL Designed to appeal to students, Royal & Langnickel’s spiral hardcover sketchbooks contain 80 true-size sheets and heavyweight covers for durability. The sheets feature a special surface formulation that ensures clean erasing and exceptional performance. Sizes range from 4.1" x 5.8" up to 11.6" x 16.5".

SAKURA OF AMERICA The Soufflé ink pen from Sakura® creates an embossed effect on most any surface in minutes. The ink dries to an opaque, matte finish, which works well on both light- and dark-colored surfaces. Soufflé’s bold 0.7 mm lines provide a variety of possibilities. Waterbased and odorless, Soufflé ink works best on non-porous surfaces such as stickers, plastic, and glass.

www.art.royalbrush.com

www.sakuraofamerica.com

GENERAL PENCIL General’s® Classic Charcoal Set offers reliable quality for consistent results. This 32-piece set includes everything you’ll need to create detailed sketches and drawings: two Charcoal White pencils; eight black charcoal pencils; six Primo charcoal pencils; one Primo Bianco charcoal pencil; one Carbon Sketch pencil; 10 compressed charcoal sticks; two compressed Charcoal White sticks; one Little Red All-Art sharpener; and one Magic Black eraser. The pencils in this set are pre-sharpened.

Paragon introduces a new touch screen controller

www.generalpencil.com

fter subjecting the new Sentinel Smart Touch controller to ruthless testing, we are proud to add this to our family of kilns. Easy to install

The Sentinel is optional on most digital Paragon kilns. The Sentinel can replace the Sentry 12-key controller in minutes on existing Paragon kilns. Continuous voltage and amperage readout

New Paragon kilns equipped with the Sentinel give a continuous amperage and circuit voltage readout during firings. You will know at a glance if the voltage drops and when to replace elements. Easy-to-use touch screen

Easy-to-follow screen descriptions simplify programming. Give a title to each custom program. Use up to 32 segments per program. The novice mode is ingeniously simple, with questions that help you program each step. WiFi updates

As long as you have WiFi access, you can update the controller when new features

Paragon tested the Sentinel Smart Touch controller under grueling conditions for months before releasing it.

are available even from distant lands like Australia. Easy on your budget

For more details on the exciting Sentinel Smart Touch, please visit our website or call 800-876-4328. The controller you’ve dreamed of costs a lot less than you dreamed.

2011 South Town East Blvd. Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557 www.paragonweb.com info@paragonweb.com

SARGENT ART Sargent Art® has combined deep, luxurious fine-art colors with a smooth and easy blending texture to create an indispensable artist’s tool. Sargent Art Artists’ Oil Pastels are designed to help artists of all ages develop their sketching and illustrating abilities. The standard-size pastels come in sets of 12, 16 and 24, as well as in a classpack containing 432 pastels (36 sets of the 12 basic colors). Large pastels (2.75" x 0.5") are available in sets of 12 or 24.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.sargentart.com x

www.ar tsandactivities.com

ad index

To receive FREE product news, catalogs and samples from some of our Advertisers, visit Reader Service at www.artsandactivities. com. Once on the Reader Service page, click on the appropriate month, and then click on the companies whose products or services interest you. You will be instantly linked to their websites, where you may obtain more information. If you do not have Internet access, please call (858)605-0248 for more information.

ADVERTISERS Company Page

Company Page

AMACO/brent 6-7

Nasco Arts & Crafts

Arrowmont School of Arts/Crafts

Paragon Industries, L.P.

Aves Studio LLC

Ringling College/Art & Design

Bailey Ceramic Supply

Royal & Langnickel Brush Mfg.

Blick Art Materials

Royalwood Ltd.

Cress Mfg. Co.

Sakura of America

General Pencil Co.

Sax/School Specialty

Handy Art, Inc.

Skutt Ceramic Products

Spectrum Glazes, Inc.

Lightfoot/Cartoon Supplies

University of the Arts

Mayco Colors

Witzend Workshop, LLC

L & L Kiln Mfg., Inc.

THE ORIGINAL

KiSS-OFF Stain Remover ®

Kiss-Off® Stain Remover removes stains on the spot. It is unique because it needs just water to remove tough stains. Its convenient size makes it handy to take along anywhere a stain might find you. Kiss-Off® Removes: •Wet and Dry Oil Paint •Lipstick •Tempera Paint •Pencil Marks •Make-Up •Baby Spots •Wine •Grass Stains •Blood •Coffee •Pet Stains •Grease •Mystery Stains ...and More! Works on: •Fabrics •Carpets •Car Interiors •Rubber Stamps ...and More!

These companies show their support

MADE IN THE USA

you ... ore ay Bef it awOff! w sthrory Kis t

for art education by advertising in this magazine. Send a message of appreciation ... tell them you saw them in Arts & Activities.

Kiss-Off Inc. • PO Box 5311 • Redwood City, CA 94063 www.KissOff.com AA0216

MEDIA REVIEWS/SHOP TALK Company Page

Company Page

Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

Royal & Langnickel

Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

Sakura of America

General Pencil

Sargent Art

Princeton Architectural Press

www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

march 2017

WHEREVER you see this symbol, it means there are RESOURCES related to this article AVAILABLE online. VISIT artsandactivities.com and click on this button to EXPLORE these TOPICS further. 41

Schools & Summer

WORKSHOPS

2017

Ideas on how to make the most of art programs this summer. When contacting those listed, tell them you saw them in Arts & Activities! (Information subject to change without notice.)

FOR TEACHERS Arkansas The National Art Education Association (NAEA) has announced their School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville). Utilizing experiential, action-learning modules and in-depth conversations with expert leaders, the program provides participants with learning experiences and skills to successfully lead in any environment. Begins June 14, 2017 with an orientation webinar. www.arteducators.org/events/schoolfor-art-leaders

California Inspire the next generation of art students. Earn a degree online or in San Francisco. B.F.A. and M.F.A. in art ed; art teaching credential; continuing art-ed courses, and more. Academy of Art University, San Francisco, Calif., www.academyart.edu Florida Ringling College of Art + Design’s Summer Art programs offer traditional and digital art classes and workshops for adults. Information will be available on or about April 1, 2017. Ringling College of Art + Design, Sarasota, Fla., www.ringling. edu/TeacherInstitute

Ringling College of Art + Design

PreCollege 2017 June 25–July 22

Michigan The online M.A. in Art Education from the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University provides new and established K–12 art educators with advanced professional preparation in curriculum development, pedagogy, action research, leadership, and advocacy in the visual arts. Western Michigan University, www.wmich.edu/online/arteducation/ New York Engage with renowned practitioners, philosophers, psychologists, educators and researchers in the arts, cultural studies, and humanities. Applications are now open for M.A.; M.A. with Teacher Certification; Ed.M.; Ed.D.; and Ed.D in the College Teaching of Art. Specializations in museum education, community arts, studio practice and leadership. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., www. tc.columbia.edu/arts-and-humanities/artand-art-education/ North Carolina “Clay Gamblers.” Join instructors David and Tracy Gamble on a handbuilding adventure into clay faces and masks. There will also be brush making and then using the brushes to paint on glaze and underglaze on bisque and leather-hard clay. There will also be some tile work. Explore texture, image transfer. Work will be fired in electric kilns. All clay skill levels are welcomed. Sunday, July 9–15, 2017. John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, N.C., (800) 365-5724, classes.folkschool. org/class_details.aspx?pk=19716

LIVE & BREATHE ART + DESIGN IN COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED WWW.RINGLING.EDU/PRECOLLEGE PRECOLLEGE@RINGLING.EDU 42

Ohio The Educators’ Summer Studio (June 18-23) at Columbus College of Art and Design, is a professional-development program that offers creative experiences designed for high-school teachers of art, design, technology and arts integration.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Recharge your creative side, invest in your own creative growth and development, build relationships with other creative and innovative educators, and get specific activities and lesson ideas to take back to your classroom. www.ccad.edu/programsof-study/community-classes/art-educatorsummer-studio Pennsylvania Join colleagues from across the country for this four-and-a-half-day series of studio sessions! Deepen your involvement with craft mediums and processes while working with artists featured in the award-winning PBS series, “Craft in America.” Renowned art educator Dr. Marilyn Stewart will direct this studio environment on the beautiful campus of Kutztown University. June 25-29, 2017. www.arteducators.org/events/ summerstudio-craft-in-america

Texas NAEA’s Summer Studio: Design Thinking for Social Equity. Nationally acclaimed visionary leaders and thinkers in art, design and STEAM education will be brought together to bridge common goals through the human centered, transformative power of Design Thinking. Participants will be engaged in creating hands-on, innovative solutions to real life challenges of social equity using exciting design thinking

strategies. July 18-22, 2017. www. arteducators.org/events/summer-studiodesign-thinking-for-social-equity Washington D.C. Transform yourself personally and professionally within a museum setting in the National Art Education Association’s SummerVision DC program. Immerse yourself in the Museum Experience by spending four, art-filled days in continued on next page

Studio-intensive program for K–12 art educators in your craft of choice at Wayne Art Center, Goggleworks in Reading or Philadelphia. Participants attend a luncheon with a keynote speaker and earn graduate credits. The week concludes with an exhibition and reception. Visit website for dates and details. The University of the Arts, Professional Institute for Educators, Philadelphia, pie@uarts.edu, cs.uarts.edu/artsweek “Get Your Masters with the Masters: The MFA for Working Professionals.” A unique, low-residency program for an MFA in graphic design or illustration specifically designed for working art directors, designers, illustrators, new media artists and art educators who plan to pursue a degree while continuing with their full-time occupations. Receive personal, hands-on training from leaders in the design and illustration fields. Marywood University, Scranton, Pa., www.marywood.edu/mfa/index.html

UARTS’ ANNUAL ARTSWEEK FOR K-12 ART EDUCATORS Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA Goggleworks in Reading, PA UArts in Philadelphia

Tennessee Weekend, one- and two-week workshops taught by national and international studio artists and university faculty. Work and learn in professionally equipped studios on a 14-acre residential campus. Teachers receive a discount on tuition. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, www.arrowmont.org www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

June 26 - 30, 2017 July 24 - 28, 2017 August 7 - 11, 2017

This summer, join your fellow K-12 art educators for a week-long, studio intensive, art program at our Wayne, Reading or Philadelphia site. In addition to immersing yourself in your craft of choice, Artsweek participants attend a luncheon with a keynote speaker and earn 3 graduate credits! The week concludes with an exhibition and reception.

Visit cs.uarts.edu/artsweek for details. Contact the Professional Institute for Educators at pie@uarts.edu or 215.717.6092

march 2017

Washington, D.C. exploring permanent collections, current exhibitions, and the museums themselves as works of art. July 18-21, 2017. www.arteducators.org/ events/summervision-dc The National Gallery of Art invites K–12 teachers to apply for its “Art of the Renaissance” seminar. The 2017 Teacher Institute’s instructional sessions will integrate art, social history, language arts, and teaching strategies through the examination of the Gallery’s collections. Session 1: July 10–15, 2017. Session 2: July 24–July 29, 2017. Applications are due online by March 30, 2017. www.nga. gov/teacherinstitute

exclusively for art teachers—all online! Fully accredited and transferable degreelevel courses. Earn PD hours, advance on salary schedule, get grad credit, all from the comfort of home. The Art of Education, www.theartofed.com/classes

who wish to study at one of the top art and design colleges in the country. Serious young artists seeking to strengthen and enhance their art and design skills, as well as students with limited art training, are invited to participate. July 3-28, 2017. Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, www.otis.edu/summer-art

Earn your master’s in art education online while you teach. Join like-minded educators who love teaching art. Empower yourself with advanced skills in research and practice. Take control of the important decisions that affect you, your students, and your career. Western Michigan University, www.wmich.edu/ online/arteducation/

Ringling’s PreCollege 2017 summer program is open to students in grades 10-12. Spend four weeks at Ringling College experiencing life as an art and design college student, learning directly from the world’s best faculty, and working with the most advanced technology and facilities in the industry. Take immersions in Ringling College, majors as well as classes in art and design fundamentals. Improve as an artist while strengthening your portfolio. June 25–July 22, 2017. Applications are now being accepted. Ringling College of Art + Design, Sarasota, Florida, www.ringling.edu/ precollege, precollege@ringling.edu, 941-955-8869 n

FOR YOUNG ARTISTS ONLINE LEARNING Online continuing courses and accredited degrees in art ed. Academy of Art University, San Francisco, www. academyart.edu Online Professional Development designed and taught by art teachers,

Immerse yourself in a dynamic, creative environment with other students who are passionate about art and design. This summer, build and develop your creative and artistic skills while exploring a specific medium or aspect of art and design. Intensive, four-week, pre-college program is for individuals 15 and older

The Ultimate Resource for Art Teachers! For more than 84 years, Arts & Activities magazine has helped thousands of educators make art experiences exciting and real in the lives of students. Are you looking for tried-and-true tips from seasoned art teachers? Classroom-tested lesson plans? Then, look no further! Go online NOW to receive a SPECIAL PRICE on a one-year subscription to Arts & Activities (a $40 value):

artsandactivities.com/subscribe ARCHITECTURE

in the ART

ROOM

by Rebekah Laurenzi STANDARDS NATIONAL ART

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

students will … Middle-school necessary to achieve • follow the processes of the project. the stated goals a necessary to create • analyze the balance larger design.” “design within a elements that create • learn to use visual rhythm and unity relationships in a • understand coloras a composition develops. cohesive design

and developing CREATING: Conceiving and work. new artistic ideas and sharing PRESENTING: Interpreting artistic work. Relating artistic ideas CONNECTING: meaning and and work with personal external context.

• • •

MATERIALS paper

copying • 8.5" x 11" whiterulers, scissors • Pencils, erasers, pencils, fine-tipped black • Crayons, colored colored markers markers, assorted

• Color wheels • Poster board • Glue sticks

hen designing art lessons, one of the essential questions I ask myself is, “How do I ensure my students have both artistic guidance and creative freedom?” I want to give students just enough parameters to guide them toward success, while still providing open-ended approaches to learning and creating, and tapping into the joy that children experience when a project is just plain fun. Every now and then these elements come together into one dynamic lesson, such as this one that introduces students to the wonders and art of architecture.

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE We started this lesson by defining architecture, discussing what architects do, and comparing and contrasting famous buildings from various cultures and points in history. Students really enjoyed discovering

by Ken Klopack

MATERIALS

EARS 1 6 • 84 Y october 20

❘

ndacti www.ar tsa

vities.com

lthough fireflies aren’t common in the dry climate of Southern California, I thought these little beacons of light would make fun subjects for a summer art class. When I announced the project to my groups of kindergarten through fifth graders, some of my students shared their own experiences with these illuminated creatures during their travels to other states. After a bit of research, I was able to add that there are over 2,000 species of fireflies in the world. Antarctica is the only continent without them. The chemical that makes the fireflies glow creates no heat and is meant to attract mates and warn predators. And last, fireflies aren’t “flies” at all; they are beetles! Animal and insect art projects are always favorites in my classes. I find the children really appreciate learning some interesting facts about our subjects before diving into the art lessons. TO BEGIN OUR MIXED-MEDIA

pieces, I set out acr ylic paints in blues and purples and 12" x 18" sheets of black construction paper. I informed the children that we were using a dr y brush method—no water needed. They would simply “double” and “triple dip” their paintbrushes in the paint and brush them onto their paper using broad horizontal

Moonlit Fireflies Ana

it a spin—whichever architectural element it landed on would be the thing they would draw first at the bottom of TURNING ARCHITECTURE INTO A GAME When the practice the paper. I told them that with each spin they should add work was complete, I placed long, narrow pieces of drawing another element, creating a tower until it reached the top of paper on each table, along with a game spinner. I made the the paper. At this point students were hopping out of their begin. spinner using paper plates and spinner arrows that I ordered chairs and begging me to stop talking so theybycould Mary Bosley from an educational supply company. They eagerly flicked the spinners and began drawing. On the paper plate I wrote the names of the architectural elements. Stu- THE FINAL TOUCHES As students worked, they noticed how dents’ looks of surprise turned into the arches, columns and pediments seemed to balance on Full moons one another, immediately began looking for ways to cheers of excitement aswere theypainted beganin circular motions inand white acrylic, extending glowing makeathe towers appear to topple. When they had finished to understand the purpose ofoutwards the spin-to create effect. ners. I explained that they should give drawing, I modeled techniques for coloring with markers, and emphasized using what they had learned in previous > Names of architectural elements were lessons about the color wheel to help them make good color written within “pie wedges” on a choices. Many students added patterns and designs to make paper plate. A spinner attachment was

an original samples from nished star. drawing to the fi that Students understood of the origdoing accurate tracings the key in creating inal design was a Patience also played a quality piece. it this together since major role in putting Students learned is a repetitive process. element to a qualthat another important and the use of color ity tessellation was can change the relationships color how of the design. visual dynamics and was discussed Subject matter given, such were parameters specific positheme that was as creating a was in some way. It tive and uplifting

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

Washington, D.C. and the ruins of the Pantheon in Rome. Next, I showed them images of basic architectural elements, such as columns, arches, and arcades, and discussed how the ancient Greeks invented many of the elements that architects still use today. Then, I guided students as they practiced drawing them in their sketchbooks.

that their drawings, also emphasized should be reladesigns, or patterns up they could be lined tively simple so

on A&A Online.

be more balanced, their designs could on a sheet of ways to create and some interesting and placed in position to connect the intera visual sense. more motion in construction paper completed the As many students locking designs. of the applied with crayon, creative success Next, color was works, and the and more apparent, or markers. Students art became more colored pencils, properly after tracing. to refer to color in the room became the atmosphere the were encouraged were It really helped FIRST to set up excitement. Students wheels that I provided. PENCIL WAS USED how charged with confident that what allowed if it helped decisions about energized and felt them make good design. Rulers were and/or designs. something very special. work together. they created was to create patterns stu- colors can began to see cut and glued to the initial sketch, Artworks were then After a while, students After approval of the work all backing was their to outline to provide a firm come to life. That board L. posterOwen dents proceeded Pencil this project black markers. needed as they became needed for display. motivation they with fine-tipped It were exhibited, creating this work. erased. Using marker When the artworks quite focused on lines were then so the out could knew Others the work start that the image they were stunning. was exciting to see was essential so “Star to build into somethe paper as they the work as the students who did simply and continue be seen through process onto the certainly was approexciting. Artists.” That title thing so visually began the tracing ■ ways than one. other papers. 32 I priate in more and pencil tracings CREATIVE PROCESS, When all the all DURING THE I had and gifted completed on is a visual arts many discussions marker work was out enjoyed the small Ken Klopack for the Chicago work was cut students and education consultant with individual three sheets, the Illinois. over how colors Schools in Chicago, groups. We went placed, how Public and click on this 19 be more effectively would Go to artsandactivities.com to this article. related

•

CREATING: Conceiving and developing artistic ideas and work. Sketchbook or sketch paper • PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. 9" x 24" white drawing paper• RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating how the arts Pencils, markers with a wide rangeconvey of colors, black permanent meaning. markers (optional) • CONNECTING: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning Pointand Presentation*) • images of famous buildings (or Power external context. • images of architectural elements, such as columns, arches, pediments, post and lintel, etc. (or Power Point Presentation*) names of • teacher-made architecture game spinner (paper plate with MATERIALS architectural elements and spinner arrow attachment) x 18" • 12" black construction paper • Poster board or cardstock scraps • Acrylic paint, metallic tempera paint, large and small paintbrushes Go to artsandactivities.com• and clickwire, on this for resources Floral glue,button scissors related to this article. • Reference photos of fireflies • Colored pencils, markers, permanent markers, silver metallic markers, yellow highlighter markers similarities between buildings such as the White House in (optional)

• • •

Issues published September through June

assembe artists I work with he sixth-grade bled into a a challenge and are always up for connected really provided folstar design, students I believe this project process that lowed a repetitive them with one. school art class, an exciting compiVisiting a local high concluded with doing a tessellawoven patterns. I observed students a pro- lation of template which they used Copies of the triangular tion project, in so after a set design as had to be made, cess of photocopying the (see below) of the initial then assembling and about 100 copies template the effect making student), we began the tessellation design (three per copies to create star. the project. in the shape of a could simplify that I if wondered I stustudents create DISCUSSIONS, IN OUR OPENING process and have through the projdynamic dents were taken this fashion. Students ect in a step-by-step visual at the or original drawing would create their elementar y design, first triangular design on the level. Creating that original onto trace would and then a combination that identical designs triangular the other two of a star. tessellation into would build the shapes that can the process, I showed Demonstrating Template available

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upper-elementary art students will ... • define architecture and explain what architects do. • compare and contrast famous buildings from various cultures and points in history. LEARNING OBJECTIVES • identify basic architectural elements. understanding • create a tower drawing that demonstrates Elementary students will … of architecture. • make use of mixed media and different drawing and painting techniques to enhance artwork. use the elements of art and principles • STANDARDS NATIONAL ART of design to communicate ideas. artistic ideas and work. • CREATING: Organize and develop • understand a basic level of perspective as it pertains to objects artistic smaller work. as their • RESPONDING: Perceive and analyze becoming distance increases. knowledge andelements • CONNECTING: Synthesize and•relate arrange all artistic to create a balanced composition. personal experiences to make art.

Angelina

Laney

then inserted in the center.

m a r c h 2 0 1 6 • 83 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

83 Y E A R S •

see

TOWERS

on page 41 33

march 2016

button for resources

ndacti www.ar tsa

vities.com

❘

r • octobe 84 Y E A R S

2016

Painting the trees at an angle gave the viewer the impression of looking up at the sky.

The fireflies’ bright glow was created with yellow highlighters.

14 j u n e 2 0 1 6 • 83 Y E A R S

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

❘

www.ar tsandactivi ties.com

The fireflies were posed in different directions to give the appearance they were flying about the night sky.

strokes. Since we weren’t pre-mixing our paint, a more interesting background would be created. Next, the children added their full summer moons with white acrylic. I encouraged them to paint in circular motions extending outwards to create a glowing effect. To add larger illuminations from our fireflies, the students had the option of dotting their skies with spots of metallic paint using large round brushes. For a sense of depth and added interest in our summertime landscapes, black tree silhouettes were painted with small brushes. I illustrated how painting the trees at an angle would give the viewer the impression of looking up at the sky. Last, tiny flickers of firefly light were added by simply using the opposite end of their brushes dipped in white or yellow paint to make prints scattered about their nighttime backgrounds. Some children kept these sparse, while others chose to fill their paper with tiny dots of light. These were put up to dry and we turned our attention to the up-close fireflies. THE CHILDREN HAD THE OPTION of creating realistic or cartoon-like

tape pieces of floral wire “antennae” to the underside of their creatures. These could be bent, twisted and manipulated to their liking. I handed back the now dr y, painted backgrounds to the children. To create an extra touch of drama and illumination, my students added silver metallic marker lines on the sides of their tree trunks and branches closest to their painted moons. This was a great tip from art teacher, Natalie, from smAR T class blog, who shared a variation on this lesson. Finally, it was time to arrange and glue the “stars” of their artwork, the cut fireflies. I encouraged them to pose them in different directions to give the appearance of them flying about the night sky.

creatures on scraps of white poster board. Not surprisingly, the younger children opted for the latter, complete with smiley faces. My older elementary THIS LESSON PRODUCED VISUALLY STRIKING pieces from students were interested to my wide age-range classes. My students particularly enjoyed see photos of real fireflies to the process of using a variety of media and watching their render their drawings more collaged pieces come together in stages. accurately. This project could easily be modifi ed for larger groups or I led basic, directed line- tighter time constraints. Dark blue or purple paper could be drawing lessons for each type offered as an alternative to black, skipping the background of firefly on the whiteboard. painting process. Floral wire antennae, a fun bonus, could I suggested they create two easily be omitted. to four creatures to arrange Also, a variation on the lesson for younger children could on their backgrounds. After be done with one large firefly to accompany Eric Carle’s, pencil sketches, the students The Very Lonely Firefly. And as a mixed media art lesson, retraced their lines in thin a variety of drawing and painting materials could be used permanent marker. interchangeably, according to what is on hand or feasible. Later, markers and colI heard a lot of oohing and aahing from parents as their ored pencils were used to add children shared their artwork at pick-up time. It’s the perfect color and personality. Yellow end-of-the-school year art lesson to usher in summer and its highlighters were perfect for tiny ambassadors. creating the fireflies’ signa■ ture bioluminescence. Mary Bosley has a background in fine arts and graphic design, Once the fireflies were and teaches private children’s art classes in Orange cut out, I helped the children California. Visit her blog at marymaking.blogspot.comCounty,

www.ar tsandactivi ties.com

❘

83 Y E A R S •

june 2016

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Odili Donald Odita (African American; b. 1966). Nomad, 2012. Acrylic on canvas; 90" x 80". Â© Odili Donald Odita. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

STUDY PRINT

“A painting to me is primarily a verb, not a noun, an event first and only secondarily an image.” — Elaine de Kooning

arch is fun filled, with Youth Art Month, Women in History Month, St. Patrick’s Day and, for many of us, spring break. This is a good time to start your spring-cleaning in your classroom and start taking inventory of what you have and what you need. This month we will focus on some spring organization tips, color media, drawing, and literature and art.

tip #1

SPRING CLEANING Newly retired teacher Mark W. Phillips from George A. Smith Middle School in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, was one organized art teacher! Here are some of his tips to keep your organized and ready for your spring-cleaning. Keep a card in your desk drawer titled, “ART ORDERS 2016–17” (or whatever the next school year would be). When you notice that you are out of a certain item, add it to the card right

Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are to my students. They were appalled that I was reading them a “baby” book. After reading the book, I had my students create their own “wild thing” using pen and ink. When it was dr y, they had to use watercolors to enhance the drawing. Although pen and ink can be a little more difficult for the younger students, middle- and high-school students should be able to manage this media quite well. With the little kiddos, I had them create their own “wild things” in tempera and write a sentence or two about their drawings. Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, is another great book I have used as a basis for an art project. Carrie Brooke from North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, Florida, adapted this art lesson from an article in a past issue of Arts & Activities. She used a different medium for each part of the project. She had the students use yellow and brown watercolor to paint a piece of paper that would later be used to cut out Gerald the giraffe.

Glenda L

ubiner

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources and links mentioned in this article.

makes the kids a little more relaxed and ready to start drawing.

tip #4

COLOR THEORY CAN BE FUN Why do

the same old thing? Now is the time to think outside of the color wheel circle and get those kids actively involved in

Springtime in the Art Room away. That way, when order time rolls around, the list is handy to work from. Always keep an extra supply of paper towels and tissues in the room. Why? Because a custodian is not always available to refill the item when you most likely need it. Now is the also time to put sponges and cleaning supplies on your wish list!

They then used white crayon and blue watercolor resist to make the stars and the moon, which became the backdrop for Gerald. They also used crayons to make an abstract design that would become the border. For older students Native American proverbs are beautiful to illustrate, as are poems.

learning about color. One way this can be done is with food coloring, white frosting and cookies. How about using pieces of color pages from magazines, M&M’s®, flowers, objects of different colors (create a quasi-Louise Nevelson sculpture)—or even string or yarn? The ideas are limitless. This can even be a collaborative project with one group doing the primary colors, another doing the secondary, and so on.

LITERACY AND ART When I taught ele-

BLIND CONTOUR DRAWING Many stu-

mentar y school, I would start teaching pen-and-ink techniques when my students were in fifth grade. I had them do many practice sheets of just lines, swirls, hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling. One year, I read Maurice

dents are afraid to start drawing. I have heard things from “I can’t draw” to “I don’t like drawing.” But, as we know, drawing in art class is a must. I always start my drawing unit with blind contour. I demonstrate on the big chart paper so everyone can see, and I always start by drawing my hand. As I draw, the kids laugh hysterically because, as we know, blind contour doesn’t usually look like what you are drawing. So my hand usually looks a little, or a lot, out of proportion. This

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our women artists of the month Theresa Bernstein (March 1, 1890), Elaine de Kooning, (March 12, 1918), Diane Arbus, (March 14, 1923), Rosa Bonheur, (March 16, 1822), and Mary Beale (March 26, 1633). A big thank-you to Mark and Carrie for your wonderful tips! n

tip #2

ATTENTION READERS If you would like to share some of your teaching tips, email them to: tipsforartteachers@yahoo.com

tip #3

Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Glenda Lubiner (NBCT) teaches art at Franklin Academy Charter School in Pembroke Pines, Fla. She is also an adjunct professor at Broward College.

m a r c h 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Arts & Crafts

2017

2017 Arts & Crafts

Arts & Crafts

om/NYC

888-388-322

SchoolSpecialty.c Arts & Crafts

SX17_C1NY.indd

SchoolSpecial ty.com/NYC

Phone 888-3883224

Fax 877-3500699

10/26/16 11:40 AM

PROUD TO BE A DIAMOND SPONSOR OF THE

2017 NAEA CONVENTION

Make

E FRE - On Iron

! Patch” a t n i r “P

Make a FREE “Constructed Reed Sculpture”

Pick up your FREE Blick Canvas Covered Sketchpad with Blick Studio Brush Markers and 2017 Lesson Plan Brochure! Blick supports:

800•447•8192 DickBlick.com

Alliance for Young Artists Writers