Arts & Activities Magazine April 2018 by Arts & Activities

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CONTENTS V O L U ME 1 6 3 , No . 3

20 27 30 32 34

APRIL 2018

COOL PAINT PROJECTS STUDENTS WILL LOVE

PRIMARY PAINTING: MIXING COLORS WITH CONFIDENCE Cathy Felice PAINTING AND THINKING LIKE MONET Gigi D’Ambrosio SCRAPING THE EDGE: PALETTE-KNIFE PAINTINGS Shelagh Gamble PAINTING THE BRIGHT COLORS OF THE RAINFOREST Suzanne Dionne JUNGLE PAINTINGS INSPIRED BY ROUSSEAU Carrie Keene

Debra Cline

16 STEAMING IT UP Kerri Waller 18 THE ELEMENTS OF CHEMISTRY MEET THE ELEMENTS OF ART Kari Achatz

YEARLONG SECONDARY ADVANCED ART SERIES 12 AN AMPED-UP CURRICULUM, ARTICLE 8 OF 10, VERBS & NOUNS:

THE ART OF STORYTELLING Debi West

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS 8 STEPPING STONES: CELEBRATING EARTH DAY IN THE ART CLASS Heidi O’Hanley

10 ART IS AT THE CORE: LAUREL BURCH Amanda Koonlaba 46 TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: WHAT I’VE LEARNED Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES 23 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: EDGAR DEGAS, HORSES IN A MEADOW Tara Cady Sartorius 45 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: IMPRESSION, SUNRISE Claude Monet

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 40 ADVERTISER INDEX 41 CLAY CORNER 42 WEB CONNECT

DEPARTMENTS 6 EDITOR’S NOTE 38 MEDIA REVIEWS 39 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

POLAR BEARS (detail) Acrylic paint on Masonite board. By Lauren A., grade 11, Holy Family Catholic High School, Victoria, Minnesota. See “Scraping the Edge: Palette-Knife Paintings,” page 30. SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (800) 651-7567; amy.tanguay@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: www.artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128.

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e d i t o r ’s n o t e

A number of cool paint projects students will

Thomas von Rosen

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

love await you inside this month’s issue. A variety of techniques are featured, and there is something for every grade level. Let me tell you about

president

just two ...

a r t d i r e c t o r Niki Ackermann EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

In Cathy Felice’s “Primary Painting: Mixing Colors with Confidence,” seven separate lessons have kindergarten through fifth-grade students creating original designs inspired by some of the “big names” in art. Curious? Turn to page 20 to take a look. Shelagh Gamble sought a way to prompt her high-schoolers to jump out of

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 George Székely Senior Professor of Art Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington

their painting ruts and experiment with a new technique that directly opposed their tendencies to paint up close and precise. Enter “Scraping the Edge: Palette-Knife Paintings.” The challenge she presented to the young artists was for

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Geri Greenman Art Department Head (Retired), Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, Illinois

them to create entire paintings using palette knives. All blending, painting,

Paula Guhin Art Teacher (Retired), Central HighSchool, Aberdeen, South Dakota

drawing and texture had to come directly from the knives—no pre-sketching

Nan E. Hathaway Art Teacher, Crossett Brook Middle School, Duxbury, Vermont

was allowed! Shelagh tells all, starting on page 30).

Amanda Koonlaba Art Teacher and Arts Integration Resource, Lawhon Elementary School, Tupelo, Mississippi

The theme of this year’s NAEA Convention is “Art + Design = STEAM.” We have gotten into the spirit by including a special “Powered by STEAM” section in this month’s issue. First up is Debra Cline’s “The Vedic Square: Math Infusion in An Art-Based Curriculum” (page 14), where middle school students strengthen their math skills, use Adobe Illustrator to create beautiful, bold, symmetrically balanced patterned designs, and gain technical skills and visual awareness.

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 Art Teacher, Art Education Consultant, Suwanee, Georgia

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

Kerri Waller is “STEAMing It Up” in her art room, as her students explore environmental impacts such as evaporation, erosion, silt distribution and weathering in their works of art. “I realized that STEAMing up my art room was less about changing what I was doing,” she writes, “and more about verbalizing the ties to science, technology, engineering and math that were already happening.” Read more about this fascinating experiment on page 16. Then, closing our special STEAM section is Kari Achatz’s “The Elements of Chemistry Meet the Elements of Art” (page 18), where students used pho-

a d v e r t i s i n g m a n a g e r Amy Tanguay

amy.tanguay @ 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 Kevin Lewis p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r Tong Ros production @ artsandactivities.com

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

tography to identify key properties of a chosen chemical element from the peri-

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

odic table, and made artistic choices to define that element. “Not only were

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.

the photographs high-level middle school work,” writes Kari, “but the ways students were able to articulate what they had learned about their elements in the process showed a deep level of understanding.”

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

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

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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.

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY IN THE ART CLASS

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

arth Day is celebrated on April 22, which marks the anniversary of the start of the environmental movement in 1970. On that day, we find ways to take care of and replenish our planet. Earth Day is now the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year. There are many ways to recognize Earth Day within your classroom, as well as ways to conserve your materials and give your part in helping the earth. No matter how to try to help the planet, you can be an advocate for Earth Day!

INCLUDE RECYCLED PROJECTS IN YOUR LESSONS AND CLASSROOM. There are plenty of project ideas

you can find in blogs, Pinterest and online forums that incorporate recycled materials. Think about what materials are easy to collect yourself, or use materials that have been donated to you. Bottle caps make great murals, and they also make great bug sculptures for spring projects. If you plan far enough ahead, you can have letters send home to parents asking for materials, such as papertowel tubes, newspaper, unused paper plates, washed out containers, 2-liter bottles, and more! You can also collect recycled materials to use in the art room for water cups, plates, containers, and storage bins. As beautiful as the room could be with color-coded, purchased storage bins, recycled containers will achieve the same purpose.

DESIGN GIFTS THAT CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE CLASSROOM OR AT HOME. There are many projects

that can be designed in the art room that can continue to bloom at home! Ceramic projects (pots, cups or vessels) can hold plants and can grow seeds (chia seeds, grass, etc.). If you do not have access to clay, you can always use milk carton containers to design, or any other vessel that can hold seeds and plants. You can also have students document the growth of a plant from seeds by having them sketch the stages of growth from seedling to full flower, which ties in science.

EXPLORE THE WORLD OF EARTH ART. One of the most popular “Earth Art” lesson ideas is inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy, who is known for his artworks created from natural elements. Earth art is also known as “Land Art” or “Earthworks,” where artists use the natural landscape to create sculptures. Earth art comes directly from the source, such as stones, water, dirt, and tree elements (branches and leaves). Other 8

Earth artists to study would be Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt, and Richard Long. April would be the perfect time to take classes outside to create individual or collaborative earthworks within your school grounds. If you receive permission from administration, you can use any collected leaves, branches, rocks, soil or water. Creating a collaborative Earthwork would be a fun project and a beautiful addition to any school or community!

CREATE A COLLABORATIVE OUTDOOR ROCK GARDEN.

TEACH STUDENTS TO WATCH THEIR WASTE. Do you

A very popular collaborative school-wide project that’s been successful in many schools is the rock garden, inspired by “Kindness Rocks” or the book Only One You by Linda Kranz. Rock gardens make a beautiful addition to any school and leave a lasting memory. The project can include all faculty and students within the school. Although rocks are a natural element of the earth, rock gardens are created with painted images on each rock, along with an acrylic spray coating to help the colors last longer. If you’re ever interested in creating a rock garden of your own, first bring the idea to your administration. When approved, contact local landscaping companies for possible donations. Many would be happy to donate pebbles needed for your garden! Because it is against the law, please instruct the children to not collect rocks from state and national parks.

have students who want to throw the paper away after one little mistake? One of the main rules I share in the beginning of the year is to watch the waste with paper, paint, and other materials used. Students are shown how to turn their papers over if a mistake is made, as well as how to save space with colored construction paper when creating collage projects. The best way to have students watch their own waste is to follow by example. Make sure to remind students to watch what they use, especially when it comes to paint and construction paper

RECYCLE! If your school has a recycle program, make use of it! Create a recycle bin and guide students to watch where they place their waste at the end of class. It will help them to remember to recycle throughout the day! Even with all the consumable materials we use for lessons, we can still teach our students how to be aware of their waste and help take care of our planet. One step at a time! n

Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Heidi O’Hanley (NBCT), teaches art at Brodnicki Elementary School in Justice, Illinois. Visit her blog at www.talesfromthetravelling artteacher.blogspot.com. a p r i l 2 0 1 8 • 85 Y E A R S

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Art is at the Core offers tips on integrating for visual art teachers and teachers of other subjects. Arts-integrated lessons offer students the opportunity to meet objectives in art disciplines and other subjects. Arts integration strengthens traditional core classes, but does not replace art-specific courses.

LAUREL BURCH

BY AMANDA KOONLABA

aurel Burch is probably most famous for her stylized cats. These are colorfully patterned cats that overlap. She was born December 31, 1945 and died September 13, 2007. She was an American artist, designer and businesswoman. Below are ideas for integrating Laurel Burch’s Cats with other subjects.

LOOKING AT THE WORK. Have students make a list of

every color they see in the work. Get them to really dig in by using the color wheel. For instance, there are several different variations of orange. Some are red orange and some are yellow orange. Have them discuss if they think the colors are pure or mixed with anything. They may note that some are lighter and probably have some white mixed in. Ask the students to think about why Laurel Burch made certain color choices. They won’t know the actual reasoning, but they can make guesses based on what they know about art. Lead them to discuss the complementary colors, contrasting colors, and balance of colors.

CREATING THEIR OWN VERSIONS. The shape of the cat is quite easy to copy. However, it would be acceptable for the teacher to create a template for students to trace. Tracing is a skill that students need to master. Additionally, many professional artists use templates as part of their process. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources and links related to this article.

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with other teachers! Learn how here:

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Have students draw or trace one or several overlapping cats onto a large sheet of black construction paper. Then, have them outline with a black oil pastel. Use construction paper crayons to add patterns to each cat. Follow Burch’s lead by using patterns made of circles or triangles. Have them think about contrasting and complementary colors as they work.

ESTIMATION. Have students estimate how many

circles or triangles are on each cat and record the number. Then, have them count and determine exactly how many. They can round the exact number to the nearest 10. They can multiply the exact number by a multiple of 10. They can add or subtract ten. They can do doubles and doubles plus one. They could add all of the numbers together to determine how many are in all. There are several math skills that can be practiced from obtaining the numbers from how many circles or triangles are on each cat.

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING. Descriptive writing is always a great way to have students write about their artwork. Have them start by generating a list of words that describe their artwork. Then, they can sort the words into categories. For instance, a student may have words that describe the colors, words that describe the shapes, and words that describe the personalities of the cats. Those categories could be their paragraphs, and they would use the words in each category to compose sentences. Remind them to use transitional words and topic sentences.

FINALE. Have students practice reading their writ-

ing with a partner until they become fluent. Then, give them five minutes each to stand before the class to present their artwork and read their writing. This is a great way to hit those Speaking and Listening skills without a lot of prepping. Additionally, these look great hanging in the hallway side-by-side with their writing. Put a sheet with the standards covered in the hallway with the work to document student learning. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Amanda Koonlaba, NBCT, teaches at Lawhon Elementary in Tupelo, Miss. Before teaching art, she was a classroom teacher, and used arts integration as the cornerstone for instruction. The activities described in “Art is at the Core” may encompass Common Core State Standards for Math, the English Language Arts Anchor Standards of Writing, Speaking and Listening, and the Next Generation Science Standards Performance Based Expectations of Science and Engineering Practices for Analyzing and Interpreting Data. They also encompass the National Arts Standards processes of Creating and Responding. Please refer to particular grade-level standards for specifics.—A.K. a p r i l 2 0 1 8 • 85 Y E A R S

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Verbs & Nouns: The Art of Storytelling by Debi West

et’s be honest, there is nothing more important in education than literacy. Kids must learn how to read and write to be successful in life. Over the years, I have found that one of the best ways to teach and reiterate literacy concepts is through the visual arts! And, it’s an exceptional prompt for my advanced art students. I believe a strong visual artwork tells

a story, inviting the viewer in to explore the imagery. I remind my students of this daily. So, what better way to get them into the visual storytelling mode than through the art of storytelling, specifically through verbs and nouns? I INTRODUCE THIS LESSON by reading

a short story to my students and then sharing several images of master art works with them. I ask them to consider the imagery before them and to think about which of the images goes best with the story. They love this activity and it gets them thinking creatively and motivates them for the final project. They often agree to disagree, and that makes for a very exciting class as well. By having students discuss the story and the images, they are already thinking critically about the art of storytelling.

I then have students actually write a short story of their own. The story can be an autobiography, a memoir, fiction, surreal, but it must be full of verbs, nouns and adjectives so that it paints a tale that will ultimately keep a viewer “reading” and fully engaged. The story is completely up to them and they are urged to be as creative as possible. ONCE THE STORIES have been writ-

ten, I have them circle the verbs and nouns they used and use these words as their prompts. When they have a list of verbs and nouns, they begin to brainstorm the imager y that will flow with these words. It’s truly wonderful to see them dig deep and find portions of their stories to illustrate, and often what they end up with in their final piece is only a small part of their whole story. They

Students realize that when a story is attached to an artwork, it gives it more meaning and relevance, keeping viewers more engaged. As artists, that should be a constant goal.

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ARTICLE 8 OF 10

My art students love this activity and it gets them thinking creatively and motivates them for the final project.

realize that when a story is attached to an artwork, it gives it more meaning and relevance, keeping viewers more engaged. As artists, that should be a constant goal. I love this lesson because it’s open ended and very choice based. Students have full ownership over their narratives so their art is completely personal. Therefore, I allow them to use surface areas, size and media of their choice, which helps them, illustrate the verbs and/or nouns they have selected. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

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april 2018

The final works are nothing short of spectacular and often can become the basis for their concentration work. I have done several variations of this lesson and am excited to share another one with you next month! Next Up: “Poetry & Song Lyrics.” n A&A Contributing Editor Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, was an art educator and department chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. She is now involved with her two businesses, WESTpectations Educational Consulting and Crystal Collage Children’s Art Studio in Suwanee. 13

Vedic Square

The

Math Infusion in an Art-Based Curriculum by Debra Cline

work for a school that believes in the use of arts infusion. As a sixth-grade digital art and technology teacher, I am always looking for new ways to develop interesting graphics projects for students to work on in the computer lab. Engaging students in critical thinking and artistic endeavors, helps to demystify some of the learning process, while encouraging the use of creativity. The Vedic square is a pattern created by the use of number sequences. The patterns show an abstract form in design and can be explored as a symmetrical piece of art. THE EXERCISE, STEP-BY-STEP 1. Students fill in the multiplication table grid, 1 through 9. 2. Students reduce double-digit numbers to a single digit by

adding the numbers in the sum. Example: If 9x9=81, add the numbers in the sum (8+1), and put the sum of 9 in that square. If the new sum is also double-digit, add those numbers. Example: 7x8=56; 5+6=11; 1+1=2. Place the number 2 in that square. 3. Students assign a color to each number. For example: All number 1 boxes may be blue, number 2 boxes may be green, and so on. Students then proceed to fill in the squares with the assigned colors they have to each number (see illustration below). 4. Students have now created one quar ter of the Vedic square. They now need to create a copy of their ar t and reflect their colored patterned squares on a ver tical axis (my graphic students do this in Adobe Illustrator). This creates a mirror image of the first grid. Next, select both squares and make Illustrated here a copy of them, is the correlation and rotate them of numbers to a 180° to complete student’s color choices. the Vedic square. 14

The Vedic square is a pattern created by the use of number sequences. The patterns show an abstract form in design and can be explored as symmetrical art.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS IN BIG IDEAS • Critical Thinking and Reflection: How can art be

used for multiple design purposes? For example: traditionally patterns can be seen on tile walls of mosques. What are some other uses for repetitive designs? Think about things you may see in your community such as a stained-glass window design or an advertisement. How many uses can you think of for your design? Students will share their designs with other students and discuss ideas. Allow students to add a personal spin to their artistic creation, maybe it reminds them of a quilt their grandmother made, pursue questions, for example; ask how do feelings evoke responses to art? • Historical and Global Connection: Discuss the origins of Islamic art, and talk about similarities and differences in see

VEDIC

on page 36

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle school students will … • strengthen math skills. • learn historical origins of the Vedic square. • create beautiful, bold symmetrically balanced patterned designs. • gain technical skills and visual awareness.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Conceiving and developing new color patterns for symmetrical designs. • RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating color theory. • CONNECTING: Relating artistic ideas and work with external context.

MATERIALS

• Templates and handouts • Computers, Adobe Illustrator software, color printer Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. a p r i l 2 0 1 8 • 85 Y E A R S

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STEAMing It Up by Kerri Waller

professional goal of mine is to incorporate more STEAM concepts and ideas into my art room. Our school has a strong STEM department that is willing to work with me and help me grow as an educator. I have found that opening my mind to STEAM in the beginning was more difficult than the actual incorporation. I realized that STEAMing up my art room was less about changing what I was doing and more about verbalizing the ties to science, technology, engineering and math that were already happening. I WAS INSPIRED by a collaborative tile wall created in Janet

Malone’s elementary school studio. Each student was given a 4" x 4" glazed white tile. They added color with Sharpie®

markers, dropped on isoprophyl rubbing alcohol and, when dry, Janet sprayed them with clear acrylic. The tiles were beautiful on their own, but together they made up an amazing, eye-catching wall above her sink area. I knew my middle school students would respond to the aesthetics and process of the project, and I knew I could adjust the lesson to hit some of my STEAM goals. THINGS BEGAN in a home improvement store, where I bought a box of 100 4" x 4" glazed white tiles for about $15. I then picked up some rubbing alcohol, a few eyedroppers, and clear acrylic spray paint. I pulled out my massive stash of Sharpies and experimented on my own to get the process

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle school students will … • create a work of art that ties into the science standards. • discover the impact of weathering and erosion in regard to silt and soil. • observe changes in a work of art over time due to evaporation.

It all started with a clean, pre-glazed, white tile and a set of Sharpie markers.

Students picked a color family and used brush-tip Sharpies to fill up the empty space on their tiles.

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. • CONNECTING: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

GEORGIA SCIENCE STANDARDS Using a medicine dropper, students slowly dropped rubbing alcohol on the colored surface of the tile.

The rubbing alcohol pulled the Sharpie ink off the surface of the tile and the colors started to blend.

Middle school students will … • investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed. • explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works.

MATERIALS

After the tiles had dried, they were sprayed with clear acrylic gloss.

• • • • •

White Glazed Ceramic tiles Fine point sharpies or Brush Sharpies Isoprophyl rubbing alcohol (at least 90%) Medicine dropper Clear acrylic gloss spray-paint

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Students make it “rain” on the “earth” of their tile. Rubbing alcohol–covered tiles drying before coats of clear acrylic spray-paint are added.

down before introducing it to the kids. I discovered that I like the way the brush Sharpies worked when the rubbing alcohol was added better than the fine-point Sharpies. I also realized that a limited color palette worked best to keep the colors from getting muddy. While making my own tiles, I started seeing the ties back to STEAM, and was able to come up with a lesson that embraced concepts like solvents, environmental impacts, silt distribution, evaporation, weather, and color theor y. THE PROJECT STARTED with a review of previously taught color theory concepts. Students were then each given a tile and told that it was a representation of land. The Sharpie marks they would make on the tiles represented silt, while the droppers of rubbing alcohol represented rainstorms. Students were guided in the process of “making it rain” on their tiles by dropping two full droppers of rubbing alcohol onto them. I prompted them to create “events” that would could change the flow of the water on/around the silt. Some shook the table to imitate earthquakes, others blew across the surface of their tiles to create wind. A few added

an extra dropper full of rubbing alcohol to create monsoons, while others did all of the above! As the rubbing alcohol worked to dissolve and lift the Sharpie from the tile, we discussed how it worked as a solvent. Students periodically made scientific observations about the changes in their tiles during the class period. The next day, we made connections to evaporation. Students studied their tiles and were able to infer that all of the rubbing alcohol evaporated, leaving the Sharpie ink behind. We revisited the discussion we had in the previous class on the silt/Sharpie analogy. We explored the idea of silt disruption due to weathering and construction. Students were asked to think of what construction sites look like, and we talked about what steps construction workers take to keep silt from filling the streets and drains. Students brainstormed the lasting effects in the environment due to erosion and silt displacement. I then asked students to study their tiles; there were very evident dark lines that surrounded the evaporated puddles of rubbing alcohol. These areas were where the Sharpie was displaced from its original spot and then resettled during the evaporation process. Students made connections to what they saw in the tile and where soil would be left behind after being displaced. The tiles were then given two coats of clear acrylic spray paint and left to dry. TO WRAP THINGS UP, WE HAD A REVIEW to reinforce the lesson’s concepts, ideas and explorations. Students wrote down as many ideas from the project as they could within a 10-minute period. Then they shared those ideas with their peers at their table groups. Students were given a sheet of paper cut down to the same size as the tile and asked to mimic the colors and color blending seen on the tile onto their paper. This extension activity allowed students to study color in a new way. n

Finished student work. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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Kerri Waller teaches art at Simpson Middle School in Marrietta, Georgia, and is the GAEA Middle Level Teacher of the Year. 17

Photograph by James: “Coburn Flourine,” demonstrating the solid properties of Fluorine.

he “Adopt an Element” project has been a staple at our school for the past 10 years. In 2017, I joined the art department, and photography, which I am passionate about, became the preferred medium to bring the “Adopt an Element” project to life. This project began in the classroom of seventh-grade science teacher, Sandy Smith. “Adopt an Element” has blossomed under her watch, as she is always looking for new ways to create cross-curricular connections. TO BEGIN THE PROJECT, which takes

place in the winter, each student was asked to choose which element on the periodic table they wanted to learn more about. This student-driven learning created the optimal learning environment, as it was their own curiosity that led them to discover the nuances about their elements. After conducting research on their selections, students created thumbnail sketches that symbolically represented their elements. Without the ability to

Photograph by Ava: “Plata Titanium,” demonstrating the metallic properties of Titanium.

use recognizable images or symbols, the students were challenged to use the elements of art—color, line, shape, texture, form, value and space—to convey five or more characteristics of their chemical elements. Students used Nikon point-and-shoot digital cameras in macro mode and Pixlr.com, a web-based set of image tools and utilities. Pixlr is a great resource for art teachers because it offers two versions of their photo-editing program and both are free. For this project, we used Pixlr Express, which is a great tool if you are introducing digital photography and photo editing for the first time. Abstracting a world that students knew so well and see on a daily basis was difficult at first, as they wanted images to be somewhat recognizable. Students were put in pairs to take pho-

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Photograph by Elaina: “Combs Iodine,” demonstrating the solid properties of Iodine

Photograph by Kyle: “Keane Chlorine,” demonstrating the gas properties of Chlorine.

tographs so they would have another set of eyes and ideas to assist in the art-making process. With cameras in hand, students were challenged to take only 10 photographs in two separate locations on school grounds. This forced them to really think about the composition and

The Elements of Chemistry Meet the Elements of Art by Kari Achatz

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

Middle school students will … • identify key properties of a chosen element from the periodic table, and make artistic choices to define that element. • use the elements of art to create an abstract photograph. • identify the strong elements that make a good photograph. • share with their peers what they learned about their elements and the art-making process.

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CREATING: Generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas and work. Organizing and developing artistic ideas and work. Refining and completing artistic work. • PRESENTING: Analyzing, interpreting, and selecting artistic work for presentation. Developing and refining artistic work for presentation. Conveying meaning through the presentation of artistic work. • RESPONDING: Perceiving and analyzing artistic work. Interpreting intent and meaning in artistic work. • CONNECTING: Relating artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

MATERIALS

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Digital cameras Computer/tablet with Internet access

attributes of the element they were trying to capture. They had to consider the following questions while taking their photos: “Is my image recognizable as an object?” “Should I get closer?” “How can I change my perspective?” “Do I have leading or dynamic lines?” “Do I have balancing elements?” STUDENTS THEN UPLOADED the images

and chose the two photos they felt best portrayed their elements. Using Pixlr, they added a minimum of five editing choices, such as overlays, color changes, crops, and so on. It was exciting to see their enthusiasm for the changes they could make when working digitally. It appeared that students were more confident in this artmaking process because if they made a change they did not like, it could easily be undone. Following the completion of their compositions, students wrote artistic statements in which they discussed their intent, their artistic choices, and other important information about their elements. www.ar tsandactivities.com

Photograph by Rose: “Saperston Gold,” demonstrating the metallic properties of gold.

ENGAGING STUDENTS in this photogra-

phy project was an outstanding way to make the elements found everywhere in our world come alive. According to seventh-grade student Macy, “This project helped me understand how elements have many uses, even though they’re the simplest substances in the universe. This project helped me underapril 2018

Photo-editing software or app Periodic table of elements

Photograph by Sal: “Deni Plutonium,” demonstrating the metallic properties of Plutonium.

The images were printed into 12" x 12" squares and showcased together, just as they would be seen in the periodic table of elements. This project was extremely successful and grabbed the attention of all those who passed by the exhibit. Not only were the photographs highlevel middle school work, but the ways students were able to articulate what they had learned about their elements in the process showed a deep level of understanding.

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stand more about my element, lead, and other elements and their relationships.” Our students’ and teachers’ commitment to interdisciplinary work continues to foster connections between all disciplines, engaging students with the community and world around them. I would like to thank science teacher Sandy Smith, for her ability to excite students and teachers alike through her love of science and cross-curricular connections. Without her knowledge and passion, this project would not have been possible. n Kari Achatz is a middle school visual ar ts teacher at Nichols School in Buf falo, New York. 19

Primary Painting: by Cathy Felice

he object of my “Primary Painting” unit is to give students the experience of painting with a primary palette, just as an artist does. Mixing gives students the experience to confidently answer color questions on the year-end exam. But what I’ve really fallen in love with are the complicated colors that my students create. Students love it too, judging by the shouts of glee from the younger children when they mix green or orange for the first time. Their finished pieces look more painterly than when using colors from the bottle. By the end of this unit, I am guaranteed a huge array of unique paintings to display. I ORDER ENOUGH BOTTLES of turquoise, yellow, magenta and white tempera paint to put a set on each table of four children. The bottles are kept in inexpensive totes that fit all four colors for easy carrying. Students notice that magenta and turquoise are not the familiar red and blue; I explain this by calling magenta the “true red” and turquoise the “true

ABORIGINAL ARTISTS, K Kindergartners were inspired by Aboriginal art to paint curved lines.

Matthew, kindergarten.

PAUL KLEE SQUARES, 2nd Paul Klee has a wealth of inspirational paintings based on a grid of straight lines. Second-graders used a flat brush to paint their squares.

Zahir, grade 2.

Cameron, grade 2.

Evelyn, grade 2.

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Mixing Colors with Confidence LEARNING OBJECTIVES

KLEE NAME DESIGNS, 1st To my eye, Klee’s painting “Blue Night” looks like jumbled letters. So I asked first-graders to start their paintings with the letters of their name.

Elementary students will … • use the color wheel to identify and mix primary colors to make: secondary, intermediate, neutral and tints needed to make a finished painting. • create an original design for their painting based on the inspiration of a notable artist or work of art. • maintain the use and care of their work area and supplies, necessary to create a quality painting.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

Leah, grade 1.

Juliana, grade 1.

CREATING: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Refine and complete artistic work. • PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.

WAYNE THEIBAUD LANDSCAPES, 5th The unique perspective and altered color palette of Theibaud’s landscape paintings helped inspire these abstract landscapes. I asked students to start with an interesting line. It could be a road, river or stream. They divided the remaining space into interesting shapes. Then it was time to paint everything in and finish with patterns.

MATERIALS

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Magenta, turquoise, yellow and white tempera paint • Paper, paintbrushes, water • Egg cartons, muffin tins

VOCABULARY

Natalia, grade 5.

Mason, grade 5.

blue” for artists who are mixing colors. They make better and brighter oranges, greens and violets. While white is not a primary color, I found if I don’t give it to students, their colors get too dark. White also gives us the opportunity to teach more vocabulary, like value, tint and neutral color. I make a game of figuring out which one is not a primary before we start. EACH STUDENT GETS A PIECE of egg

carton with four cups for mixing. At www.ar tsandactivities.com

first, students think they can only mix four colors! But, during my demonstration, I show how just one cup of the egg carton can be used to mix many colors. If I mix green, I can add more yellow to make yellow green, then a drop of blue to make blue green. And, if I add a complementary color, I get a neutral, and if I add white, I get a tint. By giving them a limited number of cups, I am forcing them to think beyond combining the first two colors. I have the color wheel hanging nearby

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• Complementary • Intermediate • Neutral • Primary • Secondary • Tint • Value so I can review how students can use it to plan their colors. I show them that all I need is a few dots of paint. Of course, there is some waste. To minimize this, the children stop pouring paint the last few minutes of class. Instead, they pass around their egg cartons so others can use their extra paint colors. I also invite students in at recess to paint a mural on large paper, using the leftover colors. The egg cartons can be reused one or two days later, when the paint in them dries. 21

FRANK STELLA, 3rd

DAVID HOCKNEY, 4th

After looking at Frank Stella’s “Protractor Series,” these third-graders traced a protractor and painted in their own design.

Fourth-graders looked at David Hockney’s “Garrowby Hill.” We drew a horizon line with a road that vanishes at one point. Students divided the remaining space into shapes. Smaller shapes in the background, larger in the foreground.

Alexis, grade 3.

Ariel, grade 3.

I CREATE A SIMPLE ASSIGNMENT for

each class that involves little planning so their time is spent painting. Abstract artists are a great source of inspiration, plus the colors can be nonobjective. I’ve had students recreate the concentric circles of Arthur Dove’s Foghorns using their own color scheme. And, why not paint tangled lines on a sheet of paper and then fill each of the shapes in a different color? Paintings usually take two 40-minute class times to complete. Once I set up the tables with paint, every class uses the bottles throughout the day—K–5. Students also share a small muffin tin of water to clean their brushes.

Aidan, grade 4.

CUBISM, 5th Fifth-grade students drew or traced a recognizable object—it could be a hand, a heart, a star. They then used a ruler to draw lines across the paper to split the shape into sharp shapes like a cubist painting.

AT THE END OF EACH CLASS, students

empty the dirty water from the muffin tins into a five-gallon bucket. I dip the tin into a basin of clean water to refill it before it goes back on the table. This leaves the sinks free for dirty hands. It is a lot of work to prepare and get started, but the results are well worth it. n Cathy Felice teaches art at Johnson City Elementary School in Johnson City, N.Y. 22

Kerrigan, grade 5.

Kara, grade 5.

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A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect Edgar Degas (French; 1834-1917). Horses in a Meadow.

“It is very good to copy what one sees; it is much better to draw what you can’t see any more but is in your memory. It is a transformation in which imagination and memory work together. You only reproduce what struck you, that is to say the necessary.” Edgar Degas

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Space • Color • Texture • Shape • Value

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COLOR: The muted colors of the countryside seem to indicate the very beginnings of spring. Note the barges on the side of the river and the smoke emanating from the chimneys on the building, indicating an active economy within a restful scene.

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OPHTHALMOLOGY: Degas began to have trouble with his vision in his 30s, possibly as a result of retinal damage when he served in the French National Guard. His eyesight became so impaired that he had to have someone read the newspaper to him. Bright light was painful to him, and it is possible this is why he began to sketch and draw indoors, choosing the subject for which he is best known: dancers.

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IMPRESSIONIST OR NOT? Breaking with the traditional Salon, Degas was one of 30 artists who had works in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874. He continued to exhibit in all eight major Impressionist exhibitions, but also chose to distance himself from the movement. He considered himself a “colorist with line,” and did not want to be categorized as an Impressionist.

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ARTISTIC PROCESSES: Often an artist will create study drawings before attempting a painting. In this case, however, Degas copied his own painting 20 years later, but on a smaller scale. The etching below is about onethird the size of the painting. Since Degas copied the image directly onto the printing plate, the image appears reversed once printed on the paper.

AMERICAN CONNECTION: Edgar Degas’s mother, Celestine Musson, was from New Orleans, Louisiana. Degas’s brothers built a cotton exchange business there, and Edgar visited them in the early 1870s. He was the only French painter associated with the Impressionists to depict American scenes. His painting, A Cotton Office in New Orleans, 1873, is actually a group portrait of real people. His brother, René, is seated in the middle of the painting, reading the newspaper.

Edgar Degas (French; 1834–1917). Horses in a Meadow, 1891–92. Softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint on laid paper; 5.62" x 5.68". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. / Public domain. ©

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AESTHETICS: Degas was inspired by Japanese prints, which led him to explore asymmetrical compositions and unusual points of view. In this work, Degas seems to almost sculpt the horses and the landscape behind them. The planes of perspective are simplified in this work.

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SPELLING: In 1832, two years before Edgar’s birth, his father changed the spelling of the family name to de Gas. Edgar’s whole name began as Hilaire-GermainEdgar de Gas. When Edgar was in his 20s, he believed the new spelling was pretentious and changed his name back to the original.

HISTORIC CONTEXT: Degas joined the French National Guard in 1870 in order to defend Paris during the Franco-Prussian war. The war ended in May 1871, possibly right around the time he painted Horses in a Meadow. Perhaps this bucolic scene is a metaphor for the new time of peace in France.

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APRIL 2018

Edgar Degas (French; 1834–1917). Horses in a Meadow, 1871. Oil on canvas; 12.5" × 15.7". National Gallery of Art, / Public domain. Washington, D.C. ©

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

GRADES K–6

GRADES 7–12

COMBINE AN INSPIRING FIELD TRIP to a carousel museum with

designs by Laurel Burch, and here is what we get! These abstract horse heads by sixth graders at Lincoln Elementary School begin with simplified overlapping shapes. Within each horse is a different colorful design that seems to indicate its personality. The overall compositions are influenced by the original designs of Laurel Burch. Studying the evolution of Burch’s artistic career can be inspiring for any artist of any age. She overcame many difficulties to achieve her great and lasting success as an artist and designer.

Art by high school students of Barbara Ferreira, who recently retired from Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas.

THE WILD PONIES of Chincoteague, Virginia, are quite different Carousel horses (above and below) by sixth-grade students of Lee Ann Karsbaek from Lincoln Elementary School in Palatine, Illinois.

Teacher Lee Ann Karsbaek has taught and modified her lesson over the years. Above are some from a past year where students were free to experiment with patterns and colors. This year, Karsbaek required each student to apply a different theme to the overall design and then apply that theme to each individual horse. Below we might see a theme of super-heroes and possibly a theme of seasons.

from the calm, tame horses in Degas’s meadow. Inspired by the powerful energy of horses in action, teacher Barbara Ferreira brought a dynamic art-making method to her students. Ferreira originally selected the subject for her students to enter an art competition celebrating national and state parks. “We watched several videos of these wild horses to get the feel for their power and majesty. We chose cardboard for a more rugged surface, and I left it optional to tear away the top layer to create more texture.” The steps in the technique are labor-intensive, and the results are worth it. The atmospheric effects of the layering technique are remarkable. “Working with the glazing medium, fixative, matte medium, wiping back colors quickly to save highlights, was challenging and fun for them. If the finished piece needed more highlights/contrast, they solved the problem by applying white acrylic paint on top in certain areas,” she says. “They learned that you have to plan and think ahead, because once the matte medium is applied and has dried, you can't go back and alter the colors. We all enjoyed the surprise effects of color changes when a new color was applied. It was a great lesson for teaching color theory of primary and secondary colors.”

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: 7-12

Karsbaek says, “Students were given a planning worksheet to write and/or draw symbols, colors, and designs that would represent each theme for their horses.” Her lesson is a good example of freedom within structure, allowing the students to explore their interests while developing artistic skills in colorfully joyous expressions.

CREATE: Choose from a range of materials and methods of tradi-

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: K-6

How to use the monthly A&A Art Print: Carefully unbend the staples at the

CREATE: Formulate an artistic investigation of personally relevant content for creating art. Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly. CONNECT: Generate a collection of ideas reflecting current interests and concerns that could be investigated in artmaking.

center of the magazine, pull the print up and out of the magazine.

tional and contemporary artistic practices to plan works of art and design. Through experimentation, practice and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and knowledge in a chosen art form.

Rebend staples to keep magazine intact. Laminate the pulled-out section and use it as a resource in your art room. — Editor

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y third-graders love to paint their experiences at beaches, rivers and lakes. Artist Claude Monet also liked to paint landscapes and waterscapes, once saying, “For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment, but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life—the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true values.” TO SET THE MOOD FOR THIS UNIT, I read to the class, Twilight Comes Twice, by Ralph Fletcher and Kate Kiesler (Clarion Books, 1997). This book has beautiful watercolor illustrations and free-verse text, describing the magical moments of dawn and dusk. It creates the perfect ambiance for the lesson, with its atmospheric illustrations perfectly partnered with its imagery-rich text. Jamie works on the group project.

Kayla applies her paint like Monet

Painting and THINKING

like Monet by Gigi D’Ambrosio

I then project several of Monet’s paintings that feature reflections in water mirrored by breathtaking skies (e.g. Morning on the Seine Near Giverny, Impression Sunrise (see p. 45), and Sunset in Venice), and ask the children to describe what they see. Sunshine, sunset, yellow, pink, purple skies, mysterious, and foggy skies are some of the descriptions they share. “Monet was painting in a new and different way,” I tell them. “He used dabs of paint visible when viewing a painting up close, but as a viewer moved away from his paintings, the clearer the subject would become.” We then stand very close to Monet’s projected artwork and then slowly back away from it. Students exclaim, “Ms. D., you are right; you can barely see his brushstrokes far away, but when you step closer everything comes together!” NEXT CLASS, I tell the children we are going to paint water-

scapes like Monet by using their choice of tempera, oil pastel, watercolor or acrylics to paint a sky. I project Monet’s paintwww.ar tsandactivities.com

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ings once more, to Ralph Fletcher’s remind them how book, Twilight he used small dabs Comes Twice —with its and strokes of beautiful color, and how he watercolor reflected the colillustrations and free-verse ors in the sky onto text—creates the water. the perfect atmosphere for this lesson. I also tell them (Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. Clarion Books, 1997.) they will all have an opportunity to paint on the large canvas displayed on one side of the room. It would be an “impressionistic” group project with acrylics, which we would proudly hang in the art room. To begin the art making, I demonstrate how to use tempera by adding a vibrant, opaque color to a flat brush and touching my paper in small horizontal strokes (known as “tache,” French for blotch, mark or stain). Monet would use 27

Leticia Brayden

NEXT, I DEMONSTRATE USING THE OIL PASTELS, telling stu-

this impressionist technique for his reflections. My students love to experiment with color-mixing, so they each have a plastic plate to create unpredictable colors. “Wow, I mixed a little red with violet and made a perfect color for my sunset,” says one student. Such moments of discovery provide opportunities for me to point to the color wheel on the wall, and talk about the intermediate colors. I suggest students repeat some of their sky colors in their water, so there will be reflections of the sky in the water. I use the simile, “the water is like a mirror” and ask, “If you have an orange shirt, will it be blue in the mirror?” Students understand the point, and make sure the colors match. 28

dents that using them is like using crayons, but there are many more ways to take advantage of them: like dipping them into water or brushing water on top of the pastel to make the artwork look “paint-like.” I then show them how to use the “wet-on-wet” watercolor technique, which produces unpredictable and exciting results. The way colors flow, diffuse (spread), and blend (mix) with each other seems magical to the children. First applying a layer of water on your paper and then applying small dabs of color to it produces transparent colors—a striking effect. Students also see how, if paint is applied to the paper while it is still glossy wet, colors will diffuse (spread) over the painting, producing undefined shapes. When softer, more controlled brushstrokes are wanted, just wait until the surface is no longer glossy, but still damp to the touch, before applying the paint. To create lighter areas, touch the darkened area lightly with tissue paper and carefully lift it straight up. Students love doing this to make clouds while the paper is wet. I also demonstrate the table-salt texture technique, as I tell them to watch closely as I perform a “magic trick.” A little salt sprinkled on damp watercolor paint creates an intricate flower-like spot. Each crystal takes away pigment, making a lighter area beneath it. Students use this technique to create such things as flowers, snow, leaves on trees, and stars in the sky. I tell them to take only a pinch of salt in their fingers and sprinkle a few crystals (otherwise, they often use way too much salt.) I also tell them to let the painting dry a p r i l 2 0 1 8 • 85 Y E A R S

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • learn about the art of Claude Monet. • apply and expand their critical-thinking skills in a creative process. • learn to use tempera, acrylic, and watercolor paint. • learn to use oil pastels. • learn the watercolor techniques of “wet on wet” and “wet on dry.” • paint a seascape reflected in water and further their understanding of shapes in nature. • learn how to mix two colors next to each other on the color wheel to create “intermediate colors.”

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

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CREATING: Conceiving and developing new 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

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Color-wheel poster Canvas, 9" x 12" watercolor paper Tempera and acrylic paint, spackle Variety of paintbrushes Table salt, tissue paper Plastic plates for mixing paint Watercolor sets

VOCABULARY

• Atmosphere • Background • Blend • Broken line • Diffuse • Foreground • Glossy • Horizon line • Impasto

• Intermediate colors • Landscapes • Middle ground • Opaque • Reflections • Transparent • Waterscapes • Wet-on-wet • Wet-on-dry

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Erin Eli

without disturbing the salt so they can brush it away after it dries. My students get so excited during the next class, after they brush away the salt and see the astonishing results. MY NEXT DEMONSTRATION is the wet-on-dr y technique.

Using a small brush with a point about three-quarters of the way down the paper, I paint a broken line to create a horizon. I use a dark color made by mixing blue with brown and tell the children that Monet would mix these two colors for a more natural hue, instead of using pure black. To create a background on the horizon line, I add small nature shapes found in our region of South Carolina, like mountains, and palm or cypress trees. To give an idea of scale, I may add larger shapes, such as a peninsula of trees or grass, to the middle ground on one side of my paper. In the foreground, I add even larger images, such as grasses, cattails, and more trees on the shore. I tell students to add more water to the black mixture and repeat the www.ar tsandactivities.com

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shapes upside down to make reflections in the water. Finally, I show students how to take a stiff, flat, dry brush and scrape the brushstrokes vertically to make a more water-like reflection, much like is seen in Monet’s paintings. I demonstrate how to mix acr ylics with spackle to make the paint resemble cake icing, giving it a thick texture called “impasto.” This was a wonderful motivator to get the process started. As they create their art, students happily chat with one another about materials, techniques and processes. When the artworks are complete, each student has the opportunity to talk about their work during an “artist share.” They celebrate their learning and are proud of their accomplishments. It makes it all worthwhile when my students ask, “May I paint like Monet again?” n Gigi D’Ambrosio, NBCT, teaches art at Inman Elementary School in Inman, South Carolina. 29

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High school students will … • use appropriate skill applications of various painting techniques, and compositional planning. • experiment, plan, and produce artworks that explore unfamiliar tools through a self-selected idea or concept. • apply color theory to mixing and blending of selected values.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

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CREATING: Generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas and work. Organizing and developing artistic ideas and work. Refining and completing artistic work.

MATERIALS

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Plastic or metal palette knives Painting surface: any type would work, prefer Masonite board • Acrylic paints (tempera for younger levels)

Abbie, grade 11. Eleanor, grade 12.

by Shelagh Gamble

ooking for a way to get your high school students out of their painting rut? Have them try something new and different. Make them experiment with a technique that directly opposes their tendencies to paint up close and precise. One semester, I had a painting class with a tremendous amount of skill in realism, yet they lacked creativity and motivation to try new things. Many of these students worked from drawing outlines and “filling in.” In response, I designed this lesson as a forced experience in thinking about painting differently, and the results have been tremendous. I’ve used it in my class for several years, students taking on their own approaches, and each painting expressing the individual student’s painting personality. THE CHALLENGE: Create a painting entirely using a palette

knife. All blending, painting, drawing and texture must come directly from the palette knife, no pre-sketching allowed. 30

PALETTE-KNIFE PAINTINGS

On the first day, students took out a variety of palette knives and practiced making marks using acr ylic paints. They tried layering the paint using different techniques, they tried scraping the paint off, they tried dabbing, smooshing, splotching, and ever ything else they could think of to make something happen on Variety of palette knives. their paper. Their papers were covered with marks, some interesting, others not. Some colors mixed well, while others made the “mud” color we try to avoid in my classes—you know, that greenish-gray color you get when everything mixes too much. At the end of class, we discussed our experience. What was different about using a p r i l 2 0 1 8 • 85 Y E A R S

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palette knives? What do you like/dislike about the process? What discoveries did you make about color mixing and blending in this experiment? DAY TWO, students needed to select a subject for their final

Caitlin, grade 12, working on her sunflower.

piece. The possibilities were wide open, and students varied in their selections. Many selected animals or botanical subjects, but those who really wanted to venture outside their norm selected portraits. By choosing a subject they were interested in and intrigued by, many students were inspired to either photograph their subject, or find multiple images of their subject to work from. Once the research phase was complete, students began composing their works on large Masonite boards (minimum of 16" x 20", but most went even bigger than this). As a budget-conscious art teacher, I have found Masonite board to be an inexpensive way to go big. It can be purchased at most home improvement stores in 8' x 4' sheets, and cut into many sizes for my classes.

Sheilla, grade 12, adding finishing touches to her elephant painting.

THE THIRD DAY, students started in with the paint. Some

decided to gesso their boards, but others decided to just go for it. The rest of the time was spent working on paintings with individual critiques and discussions as needed. Most paintings took two weeks of 45-minute classes to complete.

Lauren, grade 11. Caitlin, grade 12.

Each day, students built onto their paintings, using more color and values until the image was complete. Deciding when it was complete is always a debate, so some had to stop, take a break, and come back with fresh eyes several times before deciding the piece was done. For this assignment, the focus was on tr ying new ways of painting and exploring the concept of “building color.” A discussion about Monet’s haystacks, with his use of different shades of white, helped students understand how layering in a palette-knife painting could work. Discussing how artists experiment and push themselves to use new materials and expand their work in new ways also helped to inspire the finished work. Viewing other palette-knife paintings works also helped with color-mixing ideas and ways to develop three-dimensional form using multiple colors. Projects that make students use new techniques and encourage new ways of thinking are important for developwww.ar tsandactivities.com

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ment in visual arts. They help students understand that risktaking can be rewarded with new ideas and understanding of their creative process. Holding a friendly group critique session at the end of a project is a beneficial way to discuss our whole experience as a class. In addition to this in-class critique, students complete a self-evaluation and a portfolio review at the end of each quarter. While this lesson was used in a high school painting class, modifications could easily be made to have it work for middle school. I would recommend selecting a subject for the students that easily translates to palette-knife painting, such as flowers, for the class to work from. Also limiting the color scheme to “monochromatic” could help them to understand more the nuances of the palette-knife idea. n Shelagh Gamble teaches art at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, Minnesota. 31

by Suzanne Dionne

ring out the paint and students are motivated! When I shared that we would be painting birds in the rainforest, students were eager to begin. First, we discussed the rainforest and viewed pictures online. Most of the students were aware of the destruction of the rainforest, and expressed their empathy and concern for all living things in that area. Students in grades two through five worked on this project for about three to four hours. If your students study the rainforest, this project could ser ve as an integrated art lesson. It could tie into social studies, science, or reading/literature. Mackenzie

THIS PROJECT BEGAN with drawing a

tropical rainforest bird, which I guided on the Smart Board. Once that was complete, I stopped my drawing, as I wanted them to draw their bird design independently. Pictures of a variety of birds were available as a resource. I reminded students to sketch ver y lightly in pencil, so any mistakes could be erased more easily and thoroughly. Once the drawing of the bird was complete, students drew a branch under the bird, making sure the feet on the bird were on the branch. Designing the bird offers students creative choice, as they added a variety of lines, shapes and patterns to the bird’s head, body, wings and tail. A second white paper was used for drawing the outlines of jungle leaves. These leaves were drawn from all four sides.

PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED! There was one problem with the guided drawing on the Smart Board. Most of the birds that the students had drawn were facing the same direction! Even though there was freedom of choice on design and color, I had hoped they would tr y to draw the bird in a variety of positions. The students worked ver y hard on their drawings, so I made a note of this for the next time I would teach this lesson. Self-assessment is not just for students! I decided that students would do simple sketches of a bird in a few different positions, then choose one of them for their project and add details. It may take a little more time to do this, but will allow for more learning and creativity.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • refine motor skills. • gain knowledge of the elements and principles of design. • make connections between science and art. • use appropriate art vocabulary to discuss artwork.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Making art or designing with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity. Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

•

Artists and designers shape artistic investigations, following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative artmaking goals. • Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and art-making approaches.

MATERIALS

Nathan oulines his leaves before cutting. 32

Mackenzie cuts and glues leaves to her foreground.

• Pictures of the rainforest, rainforest birds • 12" x 18" white paper • Black permanent markers or crayons • Watercolor paints, paintbrushes • Spray bottles of concentrated watercolor

•

or dye Scissors, glue

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Fiona

BEFORE STUDENTS paint their birds and leaves, instruction is given on watercolor paints. I remind them to be considerate of their classmates’ space so water and paint doesn’t splash or spill over. Extra newspaper and paper towels are close by in case of accidents. On a small piece of paper, they practice blending. I have found that many students are working with too dry a brush or creating puddles. By practicing first, students better understood how to use watercolors. This was a great time to ask the Essential Question: How do artists and designers learn from trial and error? Even with practice, I observe their painting and guide them as needed. Students enjoyed blending colors. They remarked on how realistic it made their artwork appear. Paintings were see

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Sara

85 Y E A R S •

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Paintings Inspired by Rousseau

by Carrie Keene

nderdog stories seem to have such a positive impact on my high school students. Whenever possible, I include narratives about artists’ struggles to highlight the perseverance required to keep fighting for success. One such story involving Henri Rousseau, a self-taught French artist, is used in the middle of my painting unit with advanced students. At this point, students have roughly a year of experience with paint, yet they are often frustrated because they recognize that their paintings lack believable depth. Rousseau knew this problem well as he was often ridiculed for his paintings having a flat, almost childlike style. I show students Henri Darian

Shelby Penney

> >

Rousseau’s jungle-themed paintings, including Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!), In a Tropical Forest Combat of a Tiger and a Buffalo, and The Equatorial Jungle. These paintings represent a peculiar choice in subject matter, considering Rousseau never left France. To find suitable reference material to fuel his creativity, he relied on his drawings from visits to the botanical gardens of Paris. TO BEGIN OUR PAINTING with similar references, I created

a still life of large cuttings from our Florida landscape. The selection included 2- to 3-foot palm fronds and long bamboo branches, which served as the “jungle aesthetic” found in Rousseau’s work. Inspired by the sight and smell of the foliage, students were ready to paint! For this lesson, I chose to employ “Color” as the most influential element of design to give the illusion of threedimensional space. Using a 15" x 20" sheet of thick watercolor paper, we started with a light-valued background of blue that had been neutralized with yellow ochre and white. 34

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES High school students will … • use warm and cool colors to create believable three-dimensional space. • use layered shapes to create background, middle ground, and foreground. • use contrast to create focal point(s).

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• CREATING: Refining and completing artistic work. • RESPONDING: Perceiving and analyzing artistic work. • RESPONDING: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work. MATERIALS

• • •

15" x 20" watercolor paper (thick) Acrylic paint (white, blue, red, yellow ochre, green, purple, yellow, orange, black) Assortment of paintbrushes

•

Containers for water, paper towels • White chalk • Variety of foliage clippings for still life • Henri Rousseau painting examples

VOCABULARY

• Analogous colors • Atmospheric perspective • Background, middle ground, foreground FOR

Jordan Crystal

Recalling our atmospheric perspective lessons that stressed that colors become cool and gray as they recede, our first layer of shapes was drawn with white chalk and painted with a bluish monochromatic scheme, slightly darker than the background. This was a departure for most students, as they typically want to jump in directly to the most colorful and dynamic sections of their painting. To paint layers that progress from muted to saturated colors requires patience and delayed gratification. WE THEN ADDED the middle-ground layer using more shapes from our still life. Here, the colors needed to be analogous in a range of blues, blue-greens and greens. Knowing cool colors recede, the greens were “cooled down” with blue or purple so they would not compete with the brighter colors in the upcoming foreground. We usually have two layers of middle-ground leaves, which provides the opportunity to experiment with variations of color and leaf shapes. Some students bring in clippings from their own yards to add variety to our “jungle.” After drawing in our final layers with white chalk, students use a mixture of their darkest blue and red to fill in negative spaces between leaves in the foreground. Black can be added, if necessary. This creates a dark space that the foreground colors can contrast with to their fullest potential. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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• Contrast • Monochromatic colors • Saturated colors • Warm/cool colors THE

FOREGROUND

LAYERS,

students are finally free to use the saturated colors they like so much. Because they’ve built a layered background of cool colors, the bright yellow-greens and warm colors pop with eye-catching contrast. They continue to use the still life for reference in regard to shape, but are encouraged to play with the use of color, as Rousseau did. Because these shapes are near the viewer, details such as leaf veins and color striations that were omitted in the previous layers were now welcome. Some students used reference photos of bromeliads and other exotic plants, such as a Venus fly trap, to paint in their focal points. When the painting was nearly finished, we assessed our paintings from a distance of at least 8 feet. Looking at their work from a distance, students immediately saw when layers blended together or lacked contrast. Usually a simple addition of highlights and cast shadows made the layers stand out from each other. This lesson has proved successful in showing the power of simple color-theory concepts, such as warm/cool colors, monochromatic and analogous. I have adapted this highschool level lesson to use with third- to seventh-graders many times, just by simplifying the leaf shapes. n Carrie Keene teaches art at Orange Park High School in Orange Park, Florida. 35

art from various cultures around the world. • Innovation, Technology and the Future: Historically the Vedic square was not produced on the computer, how has technology changed the way ar t is done and how do you think technology has af fected other areas of ar t? • Organizational Structure: The Vedic square is an organized structure of small geometric squares. Think about and discuss how the combination of many Vedic squares may be used to create larger patterns for more monumental art forms. Give examples: What inspired you to choose the colors you did in your design? How would you change it if you were to do the design again? • Technical Skills and Processes: Although this is a technical design and specific colors are assigned to specific numbers, the pat-

VEDIC

continued from page 14

Savannah and her classmates created their art on the computer using Adobe Illustrator.

terns created are all unique and original. How can your technical skills be used to enhance your artistic process? Can patterns be used in the squares in place of solid colors, how about the use of gradients, how does this change your art? OBSERVATIONS: My students worked hard on making sure their math was correct before assigning colors to the numbers. This required a lot of focus. Getting their squares to line up neatly came easily to some, but was more challenging for others. In some cases, extending time and letting some students work in groups was helpful. Dividing up the process gave ever yone a chance to participate. For example, some students were better at math, some excelled at technical computer skills, while others had a good grasp of color theor y. This is not a time-sensitive lesson and can be used at any time during the school year. The students

loved having their finished work displayed at school and marveled at the number of color associations that were reflected in their finished art. This project has the ease and flexibly to work even without the use of computers. Make copies of the templates provided and have your students color, paint or paste paper color squares right onto the template. Be creative: the objects used to fill the squares may consist of cut paper, fabric, foil or even ribbon. Higher-level learners may want to transfer their images onto fabric to create a classroom quilt or a sewn paper mural of collaborative student work. Accordion-folded book designs could include the Vedic square examples with a historical time-line, integrating math, histor y and language arts. Possibilities are endless and so is the fun of experimentation and learning, while infusing the arts into other subjects. n Debra Cline is a digital art and technology instructor and department chair at Manatee School For the Arts, Palmetto, Fla.

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FINE ART ADVENTURES: 36 Creative, Hands-On Projects Inspired by Classic Masterpieces, by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw. Chicago Review Press, $19.99. Experienced authors Laidlaw and Pitamic have gathered together many artistic tasks resulting in facsimiles of famous artworks. Many of the products do allow for a degree of originality and aren’t simply copying in another medium. The activities are best for children between the ages of six and eight. The preface makes a convincing argument that busy families need this book to “play together, have fun together … learn about each other.” And, we add, to learn about 18 masterworks and twice as many art ventures. A supplies list accompanies each project; besides typical kids’ art materials, you’ll find doilies, dried pasta, salt dough, and other items already in the home or to be found in hardware or grocery stores. Two sidebars offer basic warnings and guidance: “Think About…” text boxes provide questions and answers about the masterpieces, while “Top Tips” is self-explanatory. Readers will find a mixed bag of chapters., some based on art elements, some on subject matter (animals, portraits, landscape, and there’s one chapter pertaining to myths and legends). Our pick of the children’s endeavors describes how to make “oil paint” from powder pigments and vegetable oil. Another choice project, in reference to a flat, monochromatic painting, involves creating a white, geometric sculpture from containers. Using a light source directed at their stabiles, young artists find shadows and reproduce them with paint on their constructions. Except for an Aboriginal painting (whereabouts unknown), locations of all the great artworks are listed at the back of the book. There, too, is a thorough glossary and biographies of each

BOOKS • DVDs • PRINTS • RESOURCES Jerome J. Hausman • Paula Guhin

master artist. With Fine Art Adventures, families, educators, and caregivers can inject some fun into their educational or recreational time.–P.G. DRIBBLE DRABBLE: Process Art Ex‑ periences for Young Children, by Deya Brashears Hill. Redleaf Press, $15.95. Author Brashears Hill is an adept writer and a champion for experiential learning. Dribble Drabble demonstrates her expertise with early childhood education. Straightaway, you’ll be reminded of the developmental stages and of the essentials for an art environment. The latter, the necessities: easels, a “free” art table with supplies, a sensory area for play with tactile materials, and an activity center requiring adult interaction, with ground rules. Hill lays out a considerable 145 projects, some of which can be experienced by kids as young as 2. Mostly applicable to preschoolers, many of the book’s activities could be adjusted for older children. Of the seven parts of the book, four of them focus on mediums, including paint, crayon, chalk, and modeling clay. Many of the “clay” recipes call for common kitchen staples such as flour, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. A different portion concentrates on collage and sculpture, another on printmaking. Again, the printmaking projects make use of numerous household ingredients. The final section, “Just for Fun,” is a catch-all chapter with various endeavors ranging from body tracing to marbleizing and more. The 106page softcover ends abruptly without final remarks, although there is a brief glossary. Unseasoned teachers of preschool and primary students will benefit from the author’s 30+ years of experience. They might even want to tell parents and grandparents about the book, too.–P.G.

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allowed to dry completely. Paint sets may be cleaned by a quick rinse and brushes can soak for a brief time.

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continued from page 33

OUTLINING. Before using permanent markers (we use Sharpie®), students made sure their sleeves were rolled up, newspaper was covering their work area, and smocks were available. I encourage wearing smocks, because even the most careful student can have an accident. They can also use black crayon. I prefer to give them a new crayon with a good point. Students were asked to outline all of the pencil marks on the bird, branch and leaves.

one was yellow and the other blue. The painting was placed on newspaper, and the bird covered with small pieces of paper towels or scrap paper. The paper was then sprayed with paint. A practice of a spray or two can be very helpful. At this point of the project, students do not want to “mess up.” It also helps to know how far away to hold the sprayer from the paper. If it is too close, there may be drip spots. The nozzle may need to be adjusted as well. ASSEMBLING. The final step involved carefully cutting out the leaves. The leaves will really stand out if the black outline is maintained. Students were asked to place the leaves at the edges

When you can “hear a pin drop on the floor,” you know that your students are really enjoying what they are working on Lines were added to the leaves as well. Because the leaves will be cut out, smaller-tipped markers are good for interior lines, while broader tips are better for the outer lines. PAINTING. Students need supervision and assistance with this step. I mixed concentrated watercolor paint with water in two spray bottles—

SPRAY

of the bird painting. At this point, spatial relationships were discussed. The leaves were in the foreground. The bird and branch were in the middle ground. The sprayed paint created a background, which students said could be sky or possibly plant coloring, because the yellow and blue painted created green spots. Once in place, they carefully glued the leaves on. For gluing, I pour a small amount on a small paper plate that two students can share. Glue is brushed on with small paintbrushes. I’ve found this much easier than using glue bottles. The finished artworks were beautiful. No two were exactly alike. Students were able to glue their paintings to larger colored construction paper to ser ve as a frame. When asked what they liked the most about the project: Painting and the bright colors! When you can “hear a pin drop on the floor,” you know that your students are really enjoying what they are working on. n Suzanne Dionne teaches visual art at Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School in Waterbury, Connecticut. Currently, she is president of the Connecticut Art Education Association. Note: This lesson was adapted from Denise M. Logan’s “Dynamic Art Projects for Children.”

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Claude Monet (French; 1840–1926). Impression, Sunrise, 1872. Oil on canvas; 18.9" × 24.8". Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, France. / Public domain. ©

STUDY PRINT

“Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained.” —Maurice de Vlaminck

pril is here and we have another month full of holidays and events. I’m sure by now most of you have had time to relax over spring break and rejuvenate for the last few months of school. This month, we celebrate Easter, Passover, Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Autism Awareness Month. The focus of my column this month will be on painting, composition and things we have learned from our students.

tip #1

H2O—WAY TO GO! I recently took a wonderful hands-on workshop at our state conference on Asian influence in Art and Culture. One great tip I learned from Ruth Anne Platt, elementar y art teacher at Florida State

students can make their own from cardstock paper, or if you have old slides, the plastic square works wonders. I usually set up complicated still-life arrangements so that students must find one interesting area to draw, then paint. Some of my sixth-graders have a hard time because they want to draw everything and want to concentrate on the painting the exact color of the item. I usually tell them to use only warm or cool colors. This limits their palette and they can concentrate on the composition.

tip #3

NO FIGHT TO UNITE. Trying to teach

your students that all the elements in a painting need to feel and look like they belong together can often be a difficult task. There are several ways to create unity in a painting. Have your students look at the balance and movement in their painting. They might want to

What I’ve Learned University Lab School (K-12) in Tallahassee, was to have your students practice sumi-e painting using water on newsprint paper. What a great way to introduce this type of Asian painting and not waste paper while tr ying to make those strokes to create the bamboo, leaves and animals. The paper dries quickly and can be reused. Once the students have the hang of the different brush stokes, they can move on to ink and rice paper.

tip #2

FINDING THE CORRECT VIEW. My stu-

dents find it very hard to isolate a part of a still life to draw or paint, and make it look interesting with good placement on the paper. Hence, the viewfinder. Older ATTENTION READERS If you would like to share some of your teaching tips, email them to: tipsforartteachers@yahoo.com

change a symmetrical painting to an asymmetrical painting or vice versa. Color can also add unity to a painting. Discuss different color theories or even have them add a glaze over their final paining to add unity.

tip #4

SAVE THAT PAINT. Empty dish-soap, ketchup and shampoo bottles make great paint containers for easier, less bulky, less messy dispensing paint from gallon jugs. The clear containers make it easy to see what color you're dealing with. Another way to save or make paint is to use those old markers. Pull the ends off and take the felt stick out of the marker casing. Put several of the same or similar colors into a lidded container, half filled with water. Allow the felt sticks to soak for several hours. Remove the sticks, add more water, and you now have liquid watercolors. We never waste anything in the art room! And, one more way to save paint:

Glenda L

ubiner

retired art teacher Sandra Traub from Broward County, Florida, had her students use 7-day pillboxes for paint palettes. When the student is done using the paint, the pillboxes can be snapped closed and will not dry out. These are sometimes available free from insurance companies or hospitals that use them for promotional aids.

tip #5

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY STUDENTS. Here are some things I have

learned from my students over the past 22 years of teaching art: First and foremost, I have learned to be patient. For me, that took a while as I used to be the most impatient person around. I have also learned that if you want to be respected, you must respect your students. Listen to them, help them, give them specific feedback and recognition. Address them by name and be grateful that they are your students. In addition to this, they have taught me what’s “trending,” what’s hot and what’s not, and they have kept me up to date on pop music! BIRTHDAY to Maurice de Vlaminck (April 4, 1876), Victor Vasarely (April 9, 1906), Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452), Joan Miró (April 20, 1893) and Cy Twombly (April 25, 1928). Thank you Ruth Anne and Sandra for your tips! n

HAPPY

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.

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Arp, Art & Intuition Lesson Plan for Grades 3–12, Special Education

Step 1: Dip string in a mixture of glue and water and allow it to fall on the board in a wandering line.

Step 2: Use a “stream of consciousness” approach to add words and thoughts.

Faber–Castell Grip Watercolor EcoPencils

Step 3: Fill spaces with colors, textures, designs, and small illustrations using a variety of media.

An intuitive approach to art-making! Randomness and chance are the central themes of this intuitive drawing and writing exercise inspired by the abstract art of Jean (Hans) Arp.

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