Arts & Activities Magazine May 2017 by Arts & Activities

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CONTENTS VOLUME 161, N o. 4

MAY 2017

THINKING AND CREATING IN 3-D

YEARLONG ART II CURRICULUM SERIES

BIKE STUDIES Debi West

12 14 16 23 26

TOOTHPICK SCULPTURE Paula Wiese PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN OCTAHEDRONS Sandi Pippin COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: FOUND-OBJECT PILLARS Cheryl Halsey CONCEPTUAL ART PROVOKES CRITICAL THINKING Kristine Winters Hamidou DEMONSTRATING INNOVATION THROUGH LIGHTED SCULPTURE Rebecca Wheatley 28 INTEGRATING THE CURRICULUM, DANTE’S INFERNO: A MIXED-MEDIA DIMENSIONAL MAP Kelly Clark

10 WHERE THE TECHNICAL MEETS THE CREATIVE, LESSON 9 OF 10:

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS 8 STEPPING STONES, COLLABORATION IN THE ART CLASS Heidi O’Hanley 9 CHOICE-BASED ART, ARTIST STATEMENTS FOR ASSESSMENT AND STUDENT GROWTH Linda M. Papanicolaou

38 TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: 3-D ART AND COLLABORATION

Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES 19 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: WILLIAM MICHAEL HARNETT, THE OLD VIOLIN Tara Cady Sartorius 37 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: CASA BATLLO CHIMNEYS Antoni Gaudi

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 34 MARKETPLACE 36 AD INDEX

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITOR’S NOTE 30 MEDIA REVIEWS 33 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

PILLAR FINIAL Found objects and mixed media on cardboard concrete-forming tube. By 7th-grade students of Ginny Moore Freitag at Madison Middle School in Madison, S.D. See “Community Connections: Found-Object Pillars,” page 16.

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26 3

e d i t o r ’s n o t e

Enrich your students’ lives— and education, of course — by challenging them to think and create in three dimensions! This month, we are sharing an assortment of 3-D lessons, which use such media as cardboard tubes, toothpicks, dental floss, acetate, small items such as bottle caps and googly eyes, and more! Here’s a taste of what’s in store ...

In “Toothpick Sculpture,” Paula Wiese highlights the work of artists Christo and Jean Claude to inspire her students as she introduces them to the art of wrapping. “The abstract, geometric planes of the toothpick sculpture will contrast with organic curves of the wrapped sculpture; toothpick construction will be transformed into abstract/nonobjective sculpture,” she writes. See page 12 to read more. Visiting artist Cheryl Halsey shares her experience with students at several South Dakotan schools in “Community Connections: Found-Object Pillars” (page 16). The benefits of her visits are many: teamwork, the use of interpretation, composition, repetition, texture and more. “Remind students to consider solving problems rather than starting new ones,” she advises.

To stimulate her students to think on a much deeper level, Kristine Winters Hamidou embarked on a conceptual sculpture/earthwork assignment with her Sculpture II and III students, and “Conceptual Art Provokes Critical Thinking” (page 23) is the story of how it went. “We talked about the meaning and how traditional aesthetics don’t play as big of a role in conceptual art,” she writes, concluding that, “All around, it turned out to be a productive and educational assignment for all. Some students really identified with conceptual sculpture and have continued assembling found objects to convey a deeper meaning. I definitely achieved my goal: To inspire my students to think critically!” Don’t miss Rebecca Wheatley’s, “Demonstrating Innovation Through Lighted Sculpture” (page 26). This six-month project involved Rebecca and her students measuring, cutting, melting, bending, painting, and lighting 2,800 pieces of plastic — all to create 40 lit centerpieces for their school’s Spring Gala. It was an ambitious project, and the results were beautiful. The kids were thrilled to see their centerpieces lit on the tables, and they were even more awed when they saw the 8-foot sculpture, created out of the centerpieces that remained after the gala, in their school’s foyer.

Surprise, awe, teamwork, innovation, problem solving and critical thinking … these are just a few of the things students experience with 3-D art. Give it a try … challenge them to think and create in three dimensions.

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

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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

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LESSON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS

Students will research the coral reefs and the species that inhabit them.

Utilizing inquiring methods of observation, research, and experimentation to explore unfamiliar subjects through art making.

Students will learn about and discuss the impact of human influence and climate change on coral reefs.

Applying visual organizational strategies to design and produce a work of art, design, or media that clearly communicates information or ideas.

Students will learn ceramic techniques and methods to create coral reef creatures and plants.

Understanding the effects of human impact and climate change on environments and ecosystems. Understanding geography and oceanography and how these help locate, research, and save coral reefs from extinction.

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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.

COLLABORATION IN THE ART CLASS

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

ome of the best opportunities we can use in art classes are collaborations. A collaboration occurs when your students actively work with another student or set of students to produce or create something. This can be done to complete individual projects, group murals, develop ideas, or share art experiences. There are many ways to have a successful collaboration without worrying about the students who do all the hard work while other sit back.

CHOOSING PARTNERS TO WORK TOGETHER. While in class, you can pair up students to work together on drawings, paintings, sculptures or prints. I pair students up to share materials, and I find that with the students working closer together, they bounce ideas off of each other. The ideas shared help in many ways to enhance the products because they are self-critiquing each other’s artworks.

GROUP PROJECTS. Group projects work when there

CLASSROOM “BUDDIES.” This collaboration happens

are big ideas to be made into reality. Take care in working with groups to make sure that one student doesn’t take on the entire load. It is also in the group setting where you’ll find students developing their teamwork abilities. I enjoy walking down the school halls watching groups work together to design posters, create stories and research facts needed for reports and presentations. If well organized, students can create amazing larger than average projects that can awe and inspire others.

when you combine two grade levels to achieve a goal (for example, kindergarten students with sixth-graders). Buddies can be used throughout the school year or with specific projects you assign. Our school promotes this because younger students look up to the older students, and the older students take pride in handling the responsibility. I like to use this system to not only assist with craftsmanship practice, but to encourage ideas and inspiration.

ART PEN PALS. Writing buddies have been a popular collaboration since I was in elementary school. It was always exciting on the day our letters from our pen pals would arrive and we were able to write back. With having art class pen pals, you can create ways for students to combine their efforts in creating artworks for students to enjoy sending back and forth! If you’re attempting to work with pen pals and you’re worried about which student would be able to keep their projects, try to have students create two art8

works that can be shared and added to, which will alleviate the challenge of which student keeps the artwork.

CROSS-SCHOOL PROJECT COLLABORATIONS. This year,

ALL-SCHOOL COLLABORATION. There have been some

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY. There are many

the junior-high art teacher and I worked together to plan a joint project between my third graders and her students. My students created a drawing of an alien creature inspired by the surreal artworks of Joan Miró. They had to create the alien, give it a name and special abilities, and create an environment for it. When the students were finished, the drawings were sent to the junior high. From there, the older kids create sculpture prototypes of the aliens in a box, as if they were making an actual toy. The purpose was to learn how to market the aliens with the specifications given. The completed sculptures were sent back to my students as gifts. Our students were in love with the overall results! If you have multiple schools within your district, or already have art pen pals, this would be a great way to combine artistic efforts to create amazing artworks.

amazing murals created at our school. Once you have a theme, every one of your classes can work together to create visual masterpieces. My favorite collaboration is for International Dot Day. Each student creates their own “dot” project that can decorate the walls of your school. Another successful mural was using self-portraits to promote our diverse community. There was also a year where each of my classes created a large-scale artwork representing Earth Day. We had over 25-five six-foot artworks hanging around the school for students to view during an all-school exhibit.

ways to work with your local community to create amazing artworks. One popular idea is the Dale Chihuly– inspired plastic bottle sculptures that can decorate gardens and parks near the school. Students and local residents can work together to build pubic artworks that share pride in their neighborhoods! Students can also work together with the community to create interactive murals at their local village halls, public libraries, or local businesses and galleries! Consider having your students collaborate to bounce ideas, share input, and grow in their imagination. Opportunities like this help students develop their team building skills and provide experiences the students will never forget when they grow up! 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 y 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

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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.

ARTIST STATEMENTS FOR ASSESSMENT AND STUDENT GROWTH BY LINDA M. PAPANICOLAOU

f you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”—Edward Hopper. When the artist is of Hopper’s caliber, the work itself will convey the message, but for TAB-Choice pedagogy, artist statements are an important part of a school art exhibition.

FOR CHILDREN, THE ART EXPERIENCE is centered on idea and making rather than on product. Consequently, their drawings, paintings or sculptures are more the artifact of a process than the self-contained art object we expect from adult artists. To fully understand children’s art, some sort of interpretive gallery label is needed. For Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE) displays— based largely on a whole-class lesson plan—a paragraph by the teacher that explains the famous artwork that was studied, lesson objectives and relevant standards would suffice. In TAB-Choice exhibitions, where each artwork represents an individual creative process, the best practice is to include artist statements by the children themselves. Collecting a few sentences from each participant in an inclusive exhibition is a huge job, but worth the authenticity of artist voice this brings. In Engaging Learners Through Artmaking, Katherine Douglas and Diane Jaquith offer a few prompts that will serve any grade level: 1. Tell me about your artwork. 2. What do you want people to notice? 3. Where did you find his idea? 4. How did you make this? MY OWN BASIC PROMPT, which I use often so students become familiar with it, is a simple yet open variant on these: Tell something you’d like a viewer to know about your artwork (that they can’t just see for themselves by looking at it). For many of my middle-schoolers, particularly those with weaker language skills, thinking and writing about their art can be difficult at first, but “Present” is part of the Visual Art standards. In addition to exhibiting their work, my students write for assignments and for digital portfolios throughout the semester. Recorded when thoughts are fresh, their uploaded writing may be retrieved as needed for exhibition and has also become an important part of my assessment. For assessment, however, I’ve found a need more than the “Tell something” prompt. It’s a good snapshot but www.ar tsandactivities.com

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insufficient to show growth over time. There are many online resources on writing about art, including a post by Tracy Hare at theartofed.com, which describes an extensive flow chart that scaffolds students into deeper thinking. But I’ve opted to keep things simple by relying on what students are already doing in their English classes. ONE OF OUR EIGHTH-GRADE TEACHERS explains the types of informational texts they study in Common Core: Description, Compare-Contrast, Order-Sequence, Problem-Solution, and Cause-Effect. All are applicable to writing about art. Of these examples, “problem-solution” is my favorite because it’s fundamental to the art process: • What was your idea? How did it change or develop as you worked? Describe in order the sequence of decisions you made as the artwork progressed. • What color scheme did you choose for this assignment? Describe how your choice affected your work. • Describe a question, decision or problem that arose as you were working on this artwork. How did you deal with it? Fortify with specific details. • Using specific examples in your sketchbook and portfolio, compare and contrast your work from the beginning of the semester to the art you create now. Explain how this shows your growth as an artist. THESE ARE NOT LIKE QUIZZES WITH RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS, nor is a five-paragraph essay required. My stu-

dents take art to make art, not write about it. I believe that if the prompt is kept simple and relevant, students will respond with an authenticity that gives me a good understanding of their progress, as well as thoughtful label copy for exhibition. Even more importantly, a well-crafted prompt makes writing part of the learning itself. Katherine Douglas likens artist statements to “speed bumps” that cause viewers to slow down and look more carefully They’re also much-needed speed bumps for students. Mature artists like Hopper can intuitively self-critique, but children don’t yet have this skill. Regularly writing short artist statements can be a closure routine that helps students reflect and realize what they’ve accomplished. It’s the difference between just “making stuff” and an Art class that gives students a foundation for their future creative growth. n Linda Papanicolaou teaches middle-school art in the Bay Area of Northern California. She has been a TAB-Choice teacher for over 10 years and is a contributing author in “The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills through Art.” 9

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

LESSON 9 OF 10

Bike Studies by Debi West

am always excited to introduce my students to the bike drawing lesson in that I know that they will be quite challenged, but I also know they are ready for the challenge because their Intro Art curricula and Art II lessons have prepared them well. I think it’s extremely important to have our Art II students draw from life daily, but drawing bikes is essential in building up their portfolios. Many colleges and universities require a minimum of two bike studies, and often that number is higher. It is also important for scholarship opportunities because, let’s face it, drawing bikes is tough! Students have to look, they have to measure, they have to be exact, and they have to pay attention to details that often go unnoticed. I have been teaching my bike study lesson for the past nine years, and this Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

year we took it to the next level. In the past, I always had students draw several contour studies of our “hanging bike” in our room (at right). These are generally quick sketches to loosen them up and calm their artistic nerves. Once these are complete, students begin focusing of specific areas of the bike and draw with graphite in full detail. We discuss the ways in which the light reflects off of the metal and we discuss how we can show this using a variety of media so once their graphite study is complete, they move on to another area of the bike and use pen and ink and finally, they finish up their studies by the end of the week, using charcoal. Students are excited with their detailed work in that they are encouraged to take photos of the bike and they draw from both life and their photos,

truly enhancing the ability to evaluate the details needed to make these drawings believable. THE MOST FUN PART of

this lesson comes right when they think they are finished, this is when I give them three days to create a composition using their bike studies creatively! Students can create reliefs, collaged works and add mixed media into their negative space, while always considering the best ways to emphasize the bike work. These works remain black and white and are always a big hit when we display them in our “mini museum”! UPDATE: One of the reasons I enjoy writing these lesson for Arts & Activities is to hear about how art educators are springboarding from my lessons and creating exciting new learning opportunities for their students. After doing this lesson for so many years, I

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LESSON 9 OF 10

ART II CURRICULUM SERIES

Bike Studies LEARNING OBJECTIVES

decided to spice it up a bit this year. Dr. Lexi Cutcher, a colleague who was visiting from overseas, is a mark-making master artist. The two of us discussed ways to take this lesson and add simple mark-making activities to enhance the students’ final pieces, and push the inprocess learning, as well. Lexi’s idea was to have students use their whole body as they drew quick studies of the bike on 24" x 36" drawing paper, in 16 timed sections. Each section was done in 30 seconds, then 15 and then 10, and each section students had to switch hands! It was beyond exciting to watch these students work quickly creating contour “bikeness” in graphite sticks. They were energized and after the first three, they lost their fear of failure and began to realize that these were simply studies, learning tools, which are all part of the art process! Once they completed the first 16 timed studies, they turned their papers over and did another 16. But, this time they used ink and sticks, and again, the room palpitated with artistic excitement! For the final project, students took their three detail studies and their mark-making studies and combined them into a new composition. I also had them incorporate one color into their piece and the results were spectacular! It’s always fun to see the explored art processes show up in the final works, I believe that equals “Learning at its Best! Up next … Altered Books. n A&A Contributing Editor Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, is Art Dept. Chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga.

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High-school Art II students will ... • continue to learn the importance of drawing from life. • draw bike studies using graphite, charcoal and pen and ink. • creatively collage these drawings into a composition.

MATERIALS • Several different bikes placed around the art room (one hanging from my ceiling) • 9" x 12" white drawing paper • Graphite, charcoal, pen and ink • Glue and scissors.

PROCEDURES 1. The teacher will discuss the importance of direct observation drawing. 2. The teacher will demonstrate the importance of measuring and placement of still-life objects. 3. The students will lay out their drawings, experimenting with graphite, charcoal and pen and ink.

4. The students will learn the importance of negative/positive space in an artwork. 5. The students will creatively select areas in the bikes to draw, paying close attention to line, shape and value, creating textures. 6. The students will cut their studies out and make a creative composition out of their final works.

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.

Drawing bikes is tough! Students have to look, they have to measure, they have to be exact, and they have to pay attention to details that often go unnoticed.

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ost everyone knows how to wrap a birthday present, but can everyone wrap an artwork? The artist Christo and his late wife, Jean Claude, were the masters. They have wrapped mountains, rivers, cathedrals, and government buildings, and are the inspiration for our building/wrapping “Toothpick Sculptures.” The abstract, geometric planes of the toothpick sculpture will contrast with organic curves of the wrapped sculpture; toothpick construction will be transformed into abstract/ non-objective sculpture. Students love building, from early beginnings working with LEGO®s, building blocks or bricks. Putting things together—the additive process of sculpture— is easy to understand.

THIS PROJECT BEGINS WITH A LIVELY DISCUSSION about Christo and Jean Claude, the size of their work, the materials they used, places for their work, and recycling, This was followed by a PowerPoint that emphasized several of the famous duo’s artworks. To build their abstract toothpick structures, students start by forming a cube with a small number of toothpicks on a small piece of cardboard. This warm-up allows them to experiment with the toothpicks and hot glue, eventually figuring out how hot the glue is, and how long it takes the glue to dry and set up. Students may add on to the cube or they may add toothpick shapes, cubes and cones as they build. They may continue onward and upward to somewhere between 10 and 12 inches, which will take a few days. Students share the glue guns, which sometimes is a problem, so we added electrical strips to help at each table around the edge of the room.

Sometimes a discussion on support may be necessary as students are adding on to the sculpture. Some students need to double the thickness of the toothpicks for support, especially at the base. AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS, we share a brief critique session. It is stressed that students should make sure their structures do not look like a building or a church or a store. No one should be able to name what the structure looks like. Again I emphasize that the objective is to produce an abstract sculpture. This can be challenging for some students. We then start the wrapping. We often photograph the structure to provide a comparison of before and after. Students are anxious to get started. This is a good time to reinforce the idea of volume, hollow structure, and the change from geometric shapes and forms to organic forms. For wrapping, my preference is dental floss. It is thin and pliable, and minimally interferes with the final product’s appearance. Plus, most students are willing to bring in their own floss. Alternatives to dental floss are thin string and yarn, each with their own unique texture. Dental floss is thin, plastic, and light, and string is thicker, fibrous and becomes heavy with the spray paint. To start the wrapping, put hot glue on two vertical toothpicks at the base of the sculpture, slide in the string, let the glue dry for a minute, begin wrapping around the bottom. Only glue about every four to eight wraps. It does not have to be perfect. Pull the dental floss taut, but not so tight as to crush the beginning cube. On areas that are vertical, more glue will be needed. Keep wrapping until the structure is covered. WE THEN MOVE THE SCULPTURES to a well-ventilated

outside area where they are spray painted. Each student selects a single

The lesson objective is to produce an abstract sculpture, which can be challenging for some students.

Tooth 12

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To build their structures, students start by forming a cube with a small number of toothpicks on a small piece of cardboard. By starting small, students are allowed to experiment with the toothpicks and hot glue, eventually figuring out how hot the glue is, and how long it takes the glue to dry and set up.

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

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will ... • learn about Christo and Jean Claude. • build a sculpture using the additive process. • better understand the concept of abstract vs. realistic. • use materials and equipment responsibly. • design and create an abstract sculpture that will be wrapped with a string material to become organic.

Students may add on to the cube or they may add toothpick shapes, cubes and cones as they build. They may continue onward and upward to somewhere between 10 and 12 inches in height.

color for his or her sculpture. Because dental floss is plastic, it takes a small amount of paint, while the texture and thickness of the string will absorb more paint. It may take a few coats to cover the string. Make each sure student’s name is on the bottom of his or her cardboard. Just as Christo and Jeanne Claude built their sculpture, students will wrap the sculpture they create and achieve a sense of mystery and an object of wonder. n Paula Wiese teaches art at Portage (Indiana) High School.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• • • •

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

•

Cardboard base (approximately 6" x 6") • Toothpicks • Hot glue guns, refill glue

•

Electrical strips, extension cords • Dental floss, string, yarn • Spray paint

pick Sculpture www.ar tsandactivities.com

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by Paula Wiese

Principles of Design

Octahedrons by Sandi Pippin

very art teacher knows the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. How do we teach them so our students truly understand them? I would always tell mine, “The Elements of Art are your tools! The Principles of Design are how you arrange and use your tools!” Baking is a great analogy. You have your ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, etc. These ingredients are your Elements. How much you use and how you put them together are your Principles. A pinch of this ... a teaspoon of that ... when do you add the flour? One thing that really worked well with my students was an octahedron that I developed to be the format for them to investigate the Principles of Design. Each of the sides of the octahedron represents one of eight principles: contrast, repetition, unity, movement, balance, emphasis, variety and proportion. I demonstrated and provided visuals of each concept. The directions were also written for the students to reinforce the concepts. They were encouraged to ask questions and to plan their designs in their sketchbooks. CONTRAST deals with differences in art elements. The stu-

dents would choose two complementary colors and create a design with the first section of the octahedron. Choices are blue and orange, yellow and violet, and red and green. They can use colored markers or colored pencils (we used Prismacolor®) for this triangle.

These octahedrons can serve as handy references for the Principles of Design.

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

type of line from curvy, wavy or zigzag, and use an extra-finetipped permanent marker to create a design with it within the section of the octahedron. A warm color is added to the negative space. The difference between warm and cool colors is reviewed with visuals and a color wheel. MOVEMENT is the arrangement of parts in a work of art to

REPETITION or RHYTHM is using an element again and again.

The students will select two geometric shapes and establish a pattern with them in which the shapes keep repeating in a specific order. They choose one color for the shapes and another color for the background. Markers or colored pencils are used to apply the color. The difference between geometric and organic shapes is explained. The concept of pattern is demonstrated and samples shown. UNITY is oneness or whole-

ness. Students select one Students carefully planned their designs, featuring each principle of design on one of the eight triangles/sides. 14

create a slow or fast pass of your eye. The students select one direction of line from vertical, horizontal or diagonal. They use a black extra-fine-tip permanent marker to create a design in a similar manner: Start with three lines close to each other without having them touch. Then, add four lines almost touching each other. Then have a little more space between the lines and continue the pattern from the beginning until the triangle section is filled. Use a light-colored marker or colored pencil to color the negative space. BALANCE is the equalization of elements in a work of art.

There are three types of balance: Symmetrical is a design in which both sides are identical, asymmetrical is a design in which one side of the composition appears different from the other side, and radial is a design based on a circle with features radiating from the central point. Each student selects one of the above balances. and creates a balanced design in the correct section of the octahedron. They then use complementary colors to color the design. We review complementary colors with the use of a color wheel. m a y 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • become familiar with the Principles of Design. • take a shape and turn it into a three-dimensional form.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

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

MATERIALS

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Pencils, black extra-fine-point permanent markers, colored pencils, colored markers

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Erasers, rulers White glue, rubber bands Masking or duct tape

Once all the sections are complete, students cut out the octahedron shape, fold on the lines, then glue all of the sides together.

EMPHASIS is giving greater attention to one area in a com-

position. The student selects an organic shape. He or she designs this shape with lines and other shapes inside it. Students color this shape with warm colors, and use cool colors to color the negative space. This provides an opportunity to review the concept of organic versus geometric shapes. VARIETY is using an assortment of elements of design. The students are to select one shape and repeat it. They design the interior of each of the shapes differently. Think of a box of donuts, each with a different topping to create variety, or different-colored T-shirts with unique visuals on each one. The students use colored pencils or markers to fill this entire section of the octahedron.

one complement and the negative space is the other complement. Markers or colored pencils are used to add color to the triangle of the octahedron. After all eight sections are complete, the student will cut out the octahedron shape, pre-fold on the lines, and tape a rubber band in one corner for hanging. Then the students will glue all of the sides together. When the form is dry, the octahedron could be displayed. I stapled the rubber band to a bulletin board and let the octahedrons hang freely. Be careful about fire codes and do not suspend these from the ceiling. The students were able to have a reference they created themselves to refer to the Principles of Design, which ensured their success! n

PROPORTION is size relationship. The students draw one

shape—organic or geometric—in at least three different sizes. They use complementary colors. The positive space is www.ar tsandactivities.com

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Sandi Pippin taught art for 38 years. This project was done with her students at Langham Creek High School in Houston. 15

COMMUNITY

connections

isiting schools as a guest artist has led me to consider students as apprentices on group projects. We work as a team through a problem toward an unknown. During the course of the project, opportunities for guidance and the use of our “visual language” are constant. This process is terrifically enjoyable for all.

CYLINDERS ARE AN UNDER-APPRECIATED FORMAT for any concept. In this project, students will be gluing material directly onto pillars, and fabricating elements to be attached. After each class, all effort is passed on to the next group. Everyone is “owning it” and eagerly anticipates resolution.

Schedule this project for a time when you want to have fun with your students. These pillars could be made to depict artist’s styles, eras, or theories. During your introduction, it would be helpful to share photos of ancient and more recent pillars, as well as mosaics. The work of current mosaic artists Giulio Menossi and Dino Maccini are especially inspiring examples of dimension and flow. I have worked with varied group configurations: K–12th grade, all-school, select grades, or one grade level. (It is important that at least half of the students are old enough to use hot glue guns). My approach depends on the timeframe,

Brodie and Christian work together toward resolution on a mosaic-inspired pillar (above), while Mackenzie and friend (left) apply embellished thermoplastic “worbla” shapes. They are all students at Sacred Heart School, in Yankton, S.D.

Paper and other materials were combined by students at Garfield Elementary in Sioux Falls, S.D., under the supervision of art teachers Tessa VanRavenswaau and Julia Kabes. 16

It’s impossible to know what kind of interesting materials one might acquire through donations. These alone may be inspirational.

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by Cheryl Halsey

and collected/donated materials. Accomplishments vary— we’ve made three pillars in three days, six in five days, and four in one month! Available time and student age determine the amount of complexity. Your schedule will inform your vision and approach. (Average contact periods for me are 20 per week with different lengths.) Inexpensive cardboard concrete-forming tubes provide lightweight formats. At least three will keep a class of 24 productive. They can be purchased at most large hardware/ lumber suppliers for around $6. They’re usually 8 to 12 inches wide and 48 inches long. Spray or brush on primer on them. PREPARE SIMPLE DIAGRAMS

Detail

depicting your concepts for reference. Keep them simple to allow for experimentation. Draw basic layouts onto cylinders with colored pencil. Set trays of site-specific ready-to-glue embellishments at each pillar station along with two to three hot glue guns. Dual temp is best, using low temp settings. Long glue sticks are the most efficient. Pieces that students have fabricated will be added to each station. Paper beads and various Huge plastic Christmas craft sticks with “whateverornaments are a fun addicomes-to-mind” helped art tion, yet not necessary. teacher Ruth Moore and her K–5 kids depict the “Carnival” Using low-tack tape, mask that accompanies their annual off a percentage of the ornaCzech Days celebration. Tabor ment before priming. We’ve Elementary in Tabor, S.D. also included rope lights, LCD tape lights and rice lights. Thick wooden circles can be found at large hardware/lumber suppliers to make finished platforms for the sake of framing. Recently I’ve added “Worbla,” a thermoplastic material which is moldable after submerging in hot water. Collect flat and dimensional structures for students to embellish. These become components to be applied to pillars. This is for students too young to use hot glue and

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older students who are awaiting a turn to use it. These can be as simple as craft sticks, skewers, plastic bottle lids, handmade paper beads; or anything to compose upon. Embellishments could include glitter, sand, beads, yarn, fabric, “Bling Salad”; whatever comes your way. Use good white glue (“Tacky” and “Weldbond” are good choices). Some porous structures can be adhered to pillars with white glue. A “quality control manager” at each station keeps craftsmanship in check. DONATED MATERIALS PRODUCE UNEXPECTED RESULTS. It’s surprising what you

may find yourself using. A favorite of mine are wiggle eyes—thousands if I could get them! One challenging yet productive donation was a large box of foam stickers, which we sorted by color intending to forget what shapes they were! The most productive request for donations was by seventh-grade art teacher Ginny Freitag providing chocolate rewards! This is an opportunity to clean out your closets. If you’ve been hoarding neat things, it is a good time to let go. Inevitably, I am thinking about the next project. Mortar and/or a sealed see

PILLARS

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Art teacher Ginny Moore and her seventh-graders at Madison Middle School in Madison, S.D., produced six themes based on the materials acquired. Before and after school, excited students brought friends to see their progress.

Worbla shapes with embellishments.

Composition on half of a foam circle. 18

Young Cohen having a terrific time adding to “Mardi Gras Man,” at Bison Elementary School in Bison, S.D.

Use your imagination to find things students can embellish: foam shapes, worbla (seen above) craft sticks, cut Styrofoam® balls, skewers, and so on.

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A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect William Michael Harnett, The Old Violin, 1886.

“My first picture was not painted, neither was it drawn with crayon, nor sketched with India ink, and what is more, there is no copy of it in existence. I was about 13 years old at that time, and my first picture was drawn on my slate in school.” William Michael Harnett

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Trompe l’Oeil • Realism • Still Life • Symbolism

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Harnett was born in Ireland in 1848. His family fled the Irish Potato Famine in 1849 and settled in Philadelphia. As a teen, Harnett worked as an errand boy and then as a silver engraver. He began art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at age 18, then continued studying in New York City. He traveled, studied and lived in Europe for six years: London, Munich and Paris.

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ART MAKING: Trompe L’oeil (pronounced “TROMP loy”) is a French art term meaning to fool, deceive or trick the eye. The common characteristics of Trompe L’oeil painting are: 1. The subjects are almost always inanimate; 2. Represented objects are (or appear to be) life-size on the canvas; 3. Painted brushstrokes are eliminated; and 4. Depicted space is shallow. That said, artists often bend the “rules” and still get amazing results. In magnification, Harnett’s fingerprint can still be seen on the stamp where he smudged the paint to make the cancellation mark seem more authentic. In 1969 the U.S. Postal Service issued a 6¢ stamp in Harnett’s honor.

ART HISTORY: In the early 1870s, when Harnett worked as a silver engraver in the shop of Wood and Hughes, he shared a workbench with William Ignatius Blemly. They became lifelong friends, and Blemly kept a scrapbook of images, articles and other writings pertaining to Harnett. LEGAL TENDER: In 1886 Harnett was arrested for “counterfeiting” money. One of his paintings of a $5 bill was temporarily confiscated from a saloon because it looked too real.

MUSIC: The sheet music depicts two songs: Part of the score from Bellini’s La Sonnambula, and another popular song, Helas, Quelle Douleur. This violin was made in 1724 in Cremona, Italy. Harnett bought it while he was in Paris, and painted The Old Violin after returning to New York. His friend, John F. Peto (1854–1907), painted The Old Cremona after Harnett’s The Old Violin, even signing Harnett’s name to the canvas! It is possible Peto’s painting was intended as an artistic joke between them.

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PAST TO PRESENT: The address on the envelope is 28 East 14th St., New York, where Harnett had a studio. Currently, it is the site of a five-story apartment building in Greenwich Village that was built in 1930. In 2014 the building was listed for sale for $30,000,000! Yes, that’s 30 million dollars!

WORLD HISTORY: During the Great Potato Famine (1845–52) more than one million Irish people immigrated to other countries, often settling in the cities where their ships landed. By 1852, due to death and departure, Ireland’s population decreased by 20–25 percent.

SYMBOLISM: Harnett often rearranged the same props to create different stilllife compositions. For example, the blue letter in the left hand corner (which is also a clever way to sign his work) seems to also appear (with a different stamp) in his painting, The Banker’s Table, 1877. Harnett customized the content of his work to fit his clients so that the objects would represent their interests or professions.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Language in journalism has changed considerably since 1887. Here are two quotes from newspapers in Cincinnati when The Old Violin was first exhibited there: “A policeman stands by it constantly, lest people reach over and attempt to see if the newspaper clipping is genuine by tearing it off. They want to pull at the envelope as well. Why, a wooden man would enthuse over such a painting.” “While the iron hinges, and the ring and staple are marvelous, the newspaper clipping is a miracle. The writer being one of those doubting Thomases, who are by no means disposed to believe their own eyes, was permitted to allay his conscientious scruples by feeling of it and is prepared to kiss the book and s’help me it is painted.”

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Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mellon Scaife in honor of Paul Mellon. Public domain.

William Michael Harnett (American; 1848â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1892). The Old Violin, 1886. Oil on canvas; overall: 38" x 23.625"; framed: 47.125" x 33.125" x 2".

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

EXPRESSIVE SUBJECTS: NEW VIOLINS. These violins and

THE VALUE OF DRAWING. Chains and clothespins make great subjects for trompe l’oeil renderings because they have shallow depth. These drawings pop because of their sensitive and delicate shading. The shadows add dimensionality to the illusions with convincing results. Each drawing covers the full range of the value scale, from the lightest light to darkest dark. Students had their choice of media: pencil, charcoal pencils or watercolor pencil.

music-inspired compositions are a lovely twist on the concept of positive and negative space. Teacher Katy Gray says, “After listening to musical selections provided by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, each class created artwork inspired by what they heard.”

Artworks by first-grade students at Metro North Elementary School in Wabash, Indiana.

Using watercolors and oil pastels, ever y student created a colorful and expressive piece of paper. Above, the colorful paper became the background to dark violins and bows. Students added details with metallic markers. The movement of the colorful background suggests lyrical sounds.

Artwork by grade 11 students at Jackson Liberty High School in Jackson, New Jersey. Artworks by first-grade students at Metro North Elementary School in Wabash, Indiana.

In the above approach, students cut a violin-shaped hole in black paper, and attached it to their paintings so the black paper ser ves as the background for colorful, dancing violins. Details, such as the strings, were added with black paper, and the surrounding musical notes and symbols were added with metallic markers. Which figure-ground relationship do you believe works best? Why? NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades K–6 CREATE: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and artmaking approaches. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do artists and designers determine whether a particular direction in their work is effective?

Teacher, Megan Bender, says, “We focused on showing texture and believable cast shadows. This was the first drawing students did in their junior-year class.” Good drawing is the underpinning of strong painting. Ask your students to begin with a gray scale painting and then add layers of transparent color on top to complete their paintings.

NATIONAL ART STANDARD: Grades 7–12 CREATE: Apply relevant criteria from traditional and contemporary cultural contexts to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for works of art and design in progress.

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

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by Kristine Winters Hamidou

Students walking down to Lake Ray Hubbard.

ach school year, it seems like our students are testing more and more and creative problem-solving less and less. In an effort to stimulate my students to think on a much deeper level, I embarked on a conceptual sculpture/earthwork assignment with my Sculpture II and III students. For some of them, this lesson was a struggle; while for others, it turned out to be their best sculpture to date. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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AS AN INTRODUCTION TO CONCEPTUAL ART, the class and

I had an interactive discussion about conceptual sculpture. I showed students the artwork of Christo, Janine Antoni, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Patrick Caire. We talked about the meaning and how traditional aesthetics don’t play as big of a role in conceptual art. We read artist’s statements for students to better understand the role of the idea. We also discussed earthworks. We looked at the artwork of Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Smithson and Andy Goldsworthy. In addition, there is a wonderful YouTube video that combines both conceptual art and earthwork created by Paul “Moose” Curtis, called “The Reverse Graffiti Project.” Students really identified with this idea and the fact that it is street art. I then presented to students their new sculpture assignment: to assemble a sculpture with significant meaning using found materials from nearby Lake Ray Hubbard, thus making it an earthwork as well. In order to take the next step in our artistic process, I had to reach out to the Parks and Recreation Department of Rowlett, Texas, the city where I teach. We have the benefit

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • develop an understanding of conceptual art and earthworks. • identify issues that are personally meaningful. • create symbols that represent ideas. • plan and assemble a sculpture whose meaning is more important than traditional aesthetics. • gather and organize found objects to create an interesting composition.

Jackie’s sculpture is all about perspective. What one viewer deems trash, another sees as beauty. In this case, an assembled forest made of garbage. Jehoaida’s sculpture explores the increasing problem of obesity in the U.S. He found the bottle on our field trip down to the lake. He then chewed up and spit junk food to fill the bottle, symbolizing how many young people fill their bodies up with unhealthy food.

of having Lake Ray Hubbard 15 minutes walking distance away from our school. The Parks Division Manager gave me permission to take my students out to the lake to collect the materials that they would use for their own conceptual sculpture/earthwork. If you have a park or other natural area, be sure to take a pilot run prior to bringing students to make sure you know where you’re going, as well as what needs to be worn. I took photographs prior to our field trip to the lake so students could see ahead of time what possible materials they could find to give them a better idea of what to look for. I was able get permission to take my advanced sculpture students out for about 3 hours to collect materials from the lake. Students wore long pants and sunscreen, and brought water, gloves and cloth bags to store materials. Cloth bags are preferable to plastic, which tear easily. As a precaution, remember to ask students if any of them have any allergies that may require an Epi-Pen® or inhaler. WITH ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, we escorted about 40 stu-

dents down to the lake. Be sure to advise students not to bring back anything still living or recently dead, as these would be a health hazard in the classroom and to work with. On the walk, the students were drawn to different things: some gathered fish bones; others gathered driftwood; some wanted to use trash for their sculpture. Back in the classroom, they spent time cleaning the found objects. For some, keeping the dirt on the trash was essential for the idea to come across; those students didn’t

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.

MATERIALS

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Natural and manmade found objects Adhesives, scissors, craft knives

LEFT: Students Hannah and Kangwa searching for found objects for their sculpture assignment. RIGHT: Students Hannah, Kangwa, Brooke and Ben looking for found objects for their sculpture assignment. m a y 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

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Emily’s sculpture is based on the pollution that we as humans create in the natural world.

Michelle uncovered an old record player at the lake. She decided to turn the object into a piece about Pearl Harbor Day, which happens to be her birthday. She visited an army and navy store where she found an artillery box and empty sandbags, and screen printed newspaper headlines from Dec. 7, 1941 on the sandbags. She researched what music was on the top 40 list that day and chose the album, “Green Eyes.” She took a photo of her own green eye and made it the album label. In essence, she personalized a historical day because the anniversary of it falls on her birthday.

clean anything. Be cautious and inspect materials for health hazards. For example: one of my students collected a bottle that still had wine in it! Others found old, rusty lures with hooks still attached. After cleanup, I asked students to generate a list in their sketchbooks of issues that they feel passionate about. Some of them were stumped, so I put it another way: What would they argue about if they were given the chance; what would they stand up for? After writing their lists, students began to draw symbols that could convey each message. Students then chose to create a sculpture using the best message with the strongest symbols. Some wanted to collaborate with another student in class, which turned out to be helpful for those students that seemed to struggle with the idea of a conceptual sculpture. Plus, those who found a limited amount of materials had more to choose from when paired with another student. At the end of the project, if students worked with a partner, I had them peer-grade each other to ensure one partner didn’t work more than another. Next, students began construction of their conceptual sculptures, which were completed in about eight studio hours. Some students chose to add classroom materials to their found objects, such as wire, fishing line, cardboard, paint, etc. FINALLY, I ASKED STUDENTS TO EACH WRITE a formal artist’s

statement explaining his or her piece. I stressed how important it is to write and clearly communicate about their art so www.ar tsandactivities.com

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its value is understood. I put the sculptures and the statements on display in a case at the front of the school. I have also entered them in competitions. The students who created the conceptual sculptures are so proud of their work! Schoolmates who viewed them have a lot of questions, but once they read the statement or talk to the student artist, they are very impressed. All around, it turned out to be a productive and educational assignment for all. Some students really identified with conceptual sculpture and have continued assembling found objects to convey a deeper meaning. I definitely achieved my goal: To inspire my students to think critically! n Kristine Winters Hamidou teaches art at John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas. This lesson took place while she was teaching at Rowlett High School. 25

Saints Peter and Paul Spring Gala, as well as a huge sculpture for the school’s foyer. This six-month project involved measuring, cutting, melting, bending, painting, and lighting 2,800 pieces of plastic. The flowers were wired onto forty 3-foot tomato cages for the centerpieces and the 8-foot sculpture was wired onto a 6-foot tomato cage. Two LED lights were placed inside each centerpiece and 100 feet of lights was placed inside the 8-foot sculpture. As you might guess, the students were thrilled to see their centerpieces lit on the gala tables, and even more surprised and awed in seeing an 8-foot sculpture they created in the foyer of the school. HOW WE DID IT To introduce the con-

cepts of transparency and refracted light, I began the lesson by showing them images of Dale Chihuly’s sculptures (there are many images and YouTube videos available online). We discussed how a flat piece of glass can transform into three dimensions by melting it, much like how we will transform plastic into three dimensions for our project. The glass will create transparency using refracted light and the plastic Students held their flowers vertically to allow the diluted paint to drip down the acetate. This dripping created the veining of the flowers.

Demonstrating Innovation through

LIGHTED SCULPTURE by Rebecca Wheatley

culpture is an art form that can produce figurative or abstract works in three dimensions, such as relief, intaglio, or in the round. The media can be car ved, modeled, or welded and the methods can be subtractive or additive. With the support of Mrs. Peggy Wil26

son, preK-8 students from Saints Peter and Paul School students modeled a form of plastic and created glass-like flowers, similar to the glass artworks of Dale Chihuly. The goal was to create an additive sculpture demonstrating innovation by creating 40 lit centerpieces for the m a y 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

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MATERIALS

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Images anad videos of Dale Chihuly’s glass art • Tagboard, scissors, permanent black markers • Grafix Dura-Lar Acetate Alternative Sheets (0.15), crock pot • Mini 4LED push-touch lights, white LED string lights

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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Tomato cages (3- and 6-foot), wire, wire cutters, paper clips. base for sculpture, • Pebeo Porcelaine 150 paints in China Anthracite Black, China Ivory and Olivine Green, water, plastic dropcloths, watercolor paintbrushes in various sizes

Middle-school students will ... • create a glass-like flower to demonstrate three dimensions and transparent qualities while refracting light.

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.

BIG IDEAS How do we create innovation? Innovation is not only getting ideas from many different sources, but it is putting into action our creativity and doing it! Here is what some students had to say, and other observations:

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“What is hard is that great artwork takes a long time. We only had art once a week and our sculpture took six months to complete!” —Matthew, grade 6. • “When the whole school contributes to a sculpture, the result is phenomenal teamwork.” — Karley, grade 8. • The lights inside the sculpture gave the sculpture energy and added to our sensory perception. • Refracted light formed on the ceiling from the lights inside the flowers. • Three-dimensional transparent plastic appears to be glass-like with the glossy veined paint on the back of hibiscus.

To create our school’s Spring Gala centerpieces, the students’ flowers were wired onto armatures and mini 4LED push touch lights were placed within each sculpture, illuminating them.

will demonstrate similar qualities. To achieve these attributes, I prepared sheets of plastic for the students would be measuring and cutting. The prep work involved me drawing squares of various sizes—ranging from 2" x 2" to 11" x 11"—onto Grafix Dura-Lar Acetate Alternative Sheets (0.15), which I then cut apart and organized them in groups according to size. I also created tag-board templates of hibiscus flowers to correlate with the plastic squares. Students began the next stage of the project by creating three-dimensional, hibiscus flowers. First, they traced various sizes of the flowers onto the various squares of plastic. Then they cut out the hibiscus-shaped flowers and folded them into quarters. Once completed, I paperclipped each folded flower together and dipped it into a crock pot of 140-degree water for three seconds. Once it was out of the water and cool enough to handle, I removed the paperclip, and opened the plastic flower. The hibiscus flowers were then three dimensional, and www.ar tsandactivities.com

the students were eagerly awaited the next step. PAINTING: PHASE ONE The paint was

prepared by adding approximately one teaspoon of water to one tablespoon of Pebeo Porcelaine 150 China Anthracite Black paint. This process was repeated many times as students painted their flowers over plastic sheeting that was placed on a 4' x 8' table. Depending on the size of the flowers, students used various sizes of watercolor brushes to paint the back side of each flower. When painting the backside of the flower, students held their flowers vertically to allow the diluted paint to drip down the acetate. This dripping created the veining of the flowers. The painted flowers were then placed on another 4' x 8' table, covered with drop cloths, and allowed to dry. PAINTING: PHASE TWO This time, the paint was prepared by adding one teaspoon of water to the

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LIGHT

The remaining centerpieces from the gala auction were later wired onto a 6-foot triangular tomato cage with 100 feet of white lights repetitively looped from the top of the cage down. The structure was then attached to a black 2-foot-high triangular wooden base.

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INTEGRATING

the curriculum

ike many teachers, I use the summer to refresh and stimulate myself so that I come back to a new school year energized with renewed commitment. One summer, I was fortunate to attend a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar at the University of Virginia. In my course work, I was the sole visual arts teacher amongst the most impressive group of English teachers I’ve been fortunate to work with. They taught all levels and represented a wide geography. And, luckily for me, they embraced the visual arts and its importance in the curriculum. We were to study Dante’s Inferno— its influences, adaptations and appropriations. For three weeks, we were exposed to the classical through to the contemporary in visual arts and literary works. At the end of our session, we developed lessons to complete with our classes in the upcoming academic year. IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL, seniors do a cursory reading of Dante’s Inferno midyear for the college preparatory classes. The majority of my Advanced Ceramics

III students are in these classes, so they were best suited to design a project exploring Dante’s imagery. I wanted their project to coincide with the reading, so I planned it for our second marking period, a 10-week period from November to January. The students were made aware of the project in September so we could move into it having been prepped in advance. The lesson I worked on in the seminar was to create a dimensional map of Dante’s Inferno, with each student selecting a group of the epic poem’s Cantos. Amongst the notes in one of our references (the Mandelbaum translation) is a sketch for a map of hell that correlates to the text. We divided our canto sections so that each student was responsible for a level that was similarly demanding. STUDENTS WERE GIVEN a rectangular box, this decision derived by the map and the idea that this work would be “read.” Each box became a diorama using pieces sculpted in class, found objects, collaged objects, and pieces brought specifically for use in the

Dante’s Inferno ~

Keiana, grade 12. Detail of Cantos XXIVXXX. “I loved the concept behind Dante’s

version of Hell. It was interesting to actually create the different levels individually and see them come together.”

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • work on a project with a cross-curricular focus, integrating English course work directly into the interdisciplinary objective of translating Dante’s Inferno into a dimensional map. • collaborate as they have to plan and strategize for the levels above and below theirs for story consistency. • research, sketch, organize and deliberate over the making of elements and the incorporation of found objects. • work in a narrative, illustrative form of sculpture.

A Mixed-Media Dimensional Map by Kelly Clark

Jessi, grade 12. Detail of Cantos IV-VIII.

“The Cantos of the Inferno that deal with Limbo and the Lustful through to Cerebus and the Wrathful. The early parts of the book that deal with Dante’s introduction to Hell and his emotional reaction to what is before him.”

Christine, grade 12. Detail of Cantos XXXI-XXXIII. “Although coming up with the

ideas was separate and totally dif ferent from person to person, in the end everything came together perfectly.” 28

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Marissa, grade 12. Detail of Cantos XVIII-XXIII. “The eighth circle of Hell. Fraud, including Diviners that have their heads on backwards through to Barrators that are pursued by demons. The level ends with Hypocrites who are clothed in lead.”

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

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

Devin, grade 12. Details of Cantos I-III (left) and Cantos XII-XVII. “I enjoyed the process

• Narrow boxes • Clay, tools, glaze • Paint • Found objects, collage materials • Scissors, craft knives • Access to computers • Copies of Dante’s Inferno with classic and contemporary translations.

of this project. I loved thinking of different ideas to make it as intricate as possible.”

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

translation of text to images. Students researched, sketched and discussed with each other, brainstorming how to create their levels. This natural cooperation contributed to the success of the lesson, since the work was composed of separate areas, but needed to exist cohesively as a whole. In their research, students used the Mandelbaum translation, as well as Martinez and the contemporary version by Birk and Sanders. They worked in the library with the website, www. worldofdante.org, which was developed by Prof. Deborah Parker, who led the summer seminar. For visuals, they looked at prints by Gustave Doré, Auguste Rodin’s Gates of Hell, and animated works found on YouTube.

On display: The whole mixed-media map of Dante’s Inferno, comprising the levels of hell made by individual students. www.ar tsandactivities.com

THE LESSON CONCLUDED with us stack-

approach only creates greater depth. The work is on display in the front atrium of our school, where it can be shared by the seniors for whom this text can come alive and be enjoyed by others who may not yet be familiar with Dante. Since each student was not interested in keeping their level (it really works better as a whole), they donated the work to our school. I, in turn, made a photo book for each of the students so they would have a new adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. As stated in my application to the National Endowment for Humanities, too often students discussed Dante as if it was a chore. With all the imagery, I thought that I could make it more relevant and enjoyable for them if they were also invested in the reading in a creative approach. n

ing the levels into one large map of the Inferno. The fact that many different voices are apparent in the styles and

Kelly Clark teaches visual arts at Middlesex High School in Middlesex, N.J.

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may 2017

media reviews

THE MERMAID AND THE PARAKEET: A Children’s Book Inspired by Henri Matisse, by Véronique Massenot, illustrated by Vanessa Hié. Prestel, $14.95. Mademoiselle Massenot has written a brand-new fair y tale that would be particularly useful in the fight against bias and bigotr y. Inspired by a similarly titled collage by Matisse (who used the term “decoupage” instead), and assisted by a French kindergar ten class, she wrote a fable about a bird-prince and a fish-woman. The oversized storybook is graced by the work of an illustrator who stays true to Matisse’s style in the most sumptuous manner. Ms. Hié uses his “economy of means,” yet adds detail and volume to the art. She began with acrylic-painted papers, created cut-outs

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

from them, and reworked the shapes with pencil and paint. Not only does the writing convey a tender message of love, but it also chronicles Matisse’s life, his style, and the art media he used. Children as young as four will be well ser ved by the hardback, as will those in middle school. Two of the final pages of the book are given to a large reproduction of The Parakeet and the Mermaid, one of the largest cut-outs Matisse ever made. Concerning the white background, it’s said that Matisse felt the contrast with colored shapes gave it an exceptional, ethereal quality. Qualities shared with this book.–P.G. THE ART OF 3D DRAWING: An Illustrated and Photographic Guide to Creating Art with Three-Dimensional Realism, by Stefan Pabst. Walter Foster Publishing, $21.95. Painting is a beautiful part of this book, so don’t get the wrong impression by the title. Much of the basic

material on color is suitable for middle- school students and older. Yet author Pabst creates photorealism with washes, blending, and dr ybrushing, all techniques that could be tricky for youngsters. Even some of the perspective lessons would test many high-school artists (e.g. the Mayan temple, the Leaning Tower of Pisa). Many of the 15 projects struck this former educator as terrific and appealing: the half-filled water glass, the vintage car, the airplane, and more. The oil-painted LEGO® blocks will blow your mind. Novices usually associate “3-D” with an image that seems to protrude outward, so a pat on the back to Pabst for adding a “hole” assignment. One of the author’s methods—the anamorphosis technique—requires

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the viewer to use a specific vantage point. With another, keyhole sketching, the ar tist must suppor t his chin on a sur face. Pabst also impar ts a trick of cutting away par t of the background paper to deceive the viewer’s eye still fur ther. Bonus: See his time-lapse videos on YouTube at Por traitPainter Pabst. From the prolific shaded drawings to the Inspiration Galler y, there is much to enjoy in this oversized trade paperback.–P. G. ADVENTURES IN ASIAN ART: An Afternoon at the Museum, written and illustrated by Sue DiCicco, with Deborah Clearwaters and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Tuttle Publishing, $15.95. Rhymes, endearing characters (comic-book style), and photographs of more than 50 Asian artifacts make this appealing book one we can heartily recommend. And that’s not even counting the stimulating questions on ever y other page, the prompts that encourage interaction, nor the pullout map. Objets d’art in a number of disciplines run the gamut from ceramics, works using fibers, metals, wood and more. Enterprising caregivers can tie many of the pieces to art projects in their classrooms or homes—puppetmaking, pottery or printing “patchwork” designs, for example. Youngsters aged 5 through 9—and adults, too—will be smitten with the theatrical headdresses from Thailand and the mixed-media Indonesian puppets. Other likely favorites: the suits of armor and the magnificent Chinese ceramic camel. See onlinecollection. asianart.org for more about each featured artwork. In addition to the second edition hardcover, Adventures in Asian Art is also available in Kindle format.–P.G. n www.ar tsandactivities.com

84 Y E A R S •

Visit the Arts & Activities website to access our Writer’s Guidelines and Young Artist nomination information: artsandactivities.com/submit may 2017

finish is what I consider, and perhaps some day, traditional tiles. However, I’m interested in keeping the cost low. I like using material that students can access on their own. Ultimately it would be great if some students are inspired to create their own interpretation at home.

PILLARS continued from page 18

INITIALLY, WE USED SIMPLE paper-fold-

ing techniques and bright copy paper. Alas, I was spending hours gluing these myself and limiting the project to one 12" x 48" group pillar. The beautiful results appear to be cultural without a specific culture represented. These were made as a paper folding reference inspiring young students to fold paper on their own. Later, to my amusement, a middle-school art teacher started stamping glue and glitter circles and adding plastic gems. After some hesitation, I embraced her idea. Life hasn’t been the same since. Using cylinders began with wanting to maximize group energy. Mostly it just sounded fun! Column, pillar, whatever you call it, it’s simply a format. Being 3-D qualifies it as sculptural so consider every viewpoint as you work. Enthusiasm heightens as we see progress. As far as resolve goes: “If you wonder whether

it’s finished … then it’s not.” If your time frame becomes too short, consider using idle time or after-school activity to accomplish final tweaks. Along with teamwork, the use of interpretation, composition, repetition, and texture create the atmosphere we enjoy when making art. Remind students to consider solving problems rather than starting new ones. Unless you’re adding 70 pounds of cannibalized tech equipment, these are lightweight and mobile. As students help gather material they become invested in the project. Using cast-offs, repurposed and recycled material adds to the satisfaction of seeing what appears. Collected pieces naturally reflect our culture. Art teachers are my heroes. Especially Joan Rudholm for an essential junior-high art experience; Lloyd Menard for my understanding of resolve; and Chip Simone for an excellent intro to design through which I understand the all-encompassing creative process. n Cheryl Halsey has held art residencies for city and rural South Dakota students since 1988. Residencies vary from one week to one month, K-12, often working with art teachers. Experimentation and adaptability led her to this unique and enjoyable project.

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Pebeo Porcelaine 150 China Ivory paint. This process was repeated many times as students painted their plastic flowers. Students painted the backside of the flower, repeating the same process of using various watercolors brushes according to the size of the flowers. They held the flowers vertically over the plastic drop cloth on the table, like before, so that the veining would occur.

LIGHT

continued from page 27

PAINTING: PHASE THREE While the

flowers dried, students cut simple transparent leaves of different sizes from the plastic scraps. As before, I dropped the leaves into a crockpot of 140-degree water, where the leaves curled into three dimensions. They were then removed from the water and the students dried them. For the leaves, one teaspoon of water was added to one tablespoon of Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Olivine Green paint. Students again painted the backside of the leaves and placed them onto designated plastic drop cloths for dr ying. WIRING FLOWERS TO TOMATO CAGES

As teacher, I completed the next step, which involved making armatures from 3-foot tomato cages. The largest section was cut to reduce the size of the armatures to 2 feet. The flowers were then wired onto the armatures and two mini 4LED push touch lights were placed within each sculpture, illuminating the centerpieces. Students created 40 centerpieces for the gala. The centerpieces that remained from the gala auction were later wired onto a 6-foot triangular tomato cage with 100 feet of white LED string lights repetitively looped from the top of the cage down. The str ucture was then attached to a black 2-foot-high triangular wooden base. The sculpture was exhibited in our middle school hallway and was also featured at the Academy of the Arts student show in spring 2017. n Rebecca Wheatley teaches preK–8 art at Saints Peter and Paul School in Easton, Maryland.

m a y 2 0 1 7 • 84 Y E A R S

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shop talk

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species are a that many ly 200 on their frogs, is the fact approximate a matt finish least of which to experts, those wishing since 1980. was also available. acrylic . According applied. For disappeared RECYCLING renaissance endangered underglazes aware of completely and/or diluted selection of were well frogs have species of my students using watercolor as the paint remained could similar populations science studies, A third option, d. As long texture From their in amphibian ecosystems also demonstrate layers, the wonderful LEARNING OBJECTIVES this decline paint, was s to the planet’s many the fact that ised. applied in consequence Lower-elementary students uncomprom thin and was will… of their frog lead to irreversible surface remained • learn to see the art-making possibilities in everyday only the eyes an of the clay produced and to humans. chose to glaze • be able to repurpose objects into finished pieces objects viewed a Powercolor, which Some students class first of rest with matt • learn and participate in the papermaking process.of artwork. WOrK, the different kinds finished the • create a sculpture. and and BeFOre sTarTING that profiled many fusion of ideas visual effect. shapes, colors a spectacular frog interesting Point presentation time examining the frogs were whimsical large bullspent The resulting tree frogs to am a collector thenitems by David Gilhooly’s special place— , of odd smallest frogs, (hoarder, own nature and say); Iinsee with thesome sketchbooks NATIONAL ART STANDARDS by THE their their BIRD-HOUSE ■ had POST associated potential art projects inspiredwas made from frogs drawings one folded sheet texturesin the most mundane (trash, of newspaper, which The students’ yet another problematic area of made several objects • CREATING: Conceiving and developing new artistic some say). So, when was scrunched show. the process. intoart a tube-like ideas and work. friend told mehands from universe. frogs.aStudents on the clay. shape for our • PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic frog created andforms their about some birdhouse folded in half. at I then attached the posts to the cartons with hot glue. ideas she saw inbefore This a pond, work. double thickness helped add a craftgetting to create the magazine, I knew StuI could develop a strengthbefore Arts and Technology, dent volunteers helped by holding the a pinch technique birdhouse project for used Head–Fine and an posts in the glue until out their sculptures to the posts. Wemy students. Canada, hollowing is Department it set. Each student was then given clay, Beginning at the Ontario, Osterer fold, To kick thingswhite students tightlyin his or her milk carton, Ottawa,masking off, I stoneware wrapped asked students in kiln. a vari- Irv MATERIALS to the rinse LEARNING OBJECTIVES out and saveweretape shown which they held upside down—to High School around their posts, be placed their milk cartonsthey Editor. pulling prevent any glue dripping and Contributing could scrunching in students from lunch the news(I also collected shiny Merivale elementary students firing, • Milk cartons some extras paper on them—until it dried completely wantedfora additional • Newspapers, foam first bisque & Activities for the “unexpected”). strength. board will ... Arts They wrapped the tape about those who After For the • learn For materials, my second• White drawing paper and thirdor cardboardabout Impressionism, Claude and carefully Students techniques. then used half acrylic way chosen graders would use Monet and Vincent down paint so it resembled a crude feather to cover the posts, being • learn to see the simple • Double-stick, masking and of finishing half-pint milk glazes etythese van Gogh. cartons,were • Hot-glue gun and glue shapes in the objects sure to paint a bit of the fanned-out duster when finished. The biggest duct tape appropriate • understand newspaper, maskingnish, being drawn. the foam portion at the base as good composition. • Acrylic challenge fi tape and paint, watercolors, board to create brushes well. Watercolor was used to paint • be • Wool felts, towels, sponges introduced to pointillism/stippling students had with post-making decorative birdhouses. the paper-wrapped car• Deckles/molds, was wrapping drying screens and how to shade this method. • Green paper scraps tons. Short pieces of drinking straws the masking tape tight enough. using • Blender, Instead of using papier-mâché dish tubs were hot-glued to the to cover the • learn • Clothespins about watercolor S cartons, birdhouses to serve as perches, • Straws, black techniques and color circles Students then pulled and fanned and black paper-punched I precut 10" x 4.75" white drawing OBJECTIVE themes. out the LEARNING circles glued above became the loose newspaper so the bottoms paper, which we would wrap around entry “holes.” ... of their the carstudents will posts would lay as closely as possible Birdhouses prior High school of endangered tons, creating smooth, blank canvases. to the NATIONAL ART more aware to painting. base. TO • become focusing on frogs. I STANDARDS MAKE To told do them this, THE if it wiggled like a joystick, each student completely opened “GRASS” to cover apply color • CreatInG: Conceiving species, clay frogs, it wouldn’t hold the milk carton the bases, we cleaned out my scraphis or her carton’s top, then placed and developing new and create up correctly. • PresentInG: Interpreting a length of The pulp was artistic ideas and • Design glaze or paint. work. and sharing artistic They placed the fanned-out newspaper paper box of all the green, and made double-sided tape vertically along work. with underglaze, the center poured into a tub on their foam board, securing their of Sone of the sides. One edge paper. My students were amazed of the white of water and a post to the base with paper was then laid on the tape, at the process. The green paper ART STANDARD deckle and mold NATIONAL four strips of maskthen wrapped around the was torn into small bits, soaked and developing Conceiving were both dipped MATERIAL ing tape. • CREATING: ideas and work. milk carton (be sure they in water and made into a pulp in underneath the new artistic and sharing • 9" x 12" drawing paper It worked best crease the paper at the Interpreting a blender (about two thirds water water’s • Heavy 9.5" x 12.5" watercolor • Black, fine-tip surface • PRESENTING: for the masking corners). to one-third paper bits).What a Another and permanent markers paper artistic work. and then pulled : Understanding meaning. tape to be placed fun (and wet) way to recycle! • 16-color watercolor sets of doubleconvey piece • RESPONDING straight up, letting the pulp settle • Jumbo pencils, tape how the arts ideas right next to the base of on the deckle/mold as the • Paint trays, paintbrushes evaluating stick : Relating artistic and tape is used water drained. the post, pulling the mask• CONNECTING personal meaningto secure the loose The deckle and mold were flipped and work with ing tape tightly across the upside down onto a piece edge of the paper to of wool felt (I found an old army blanket external context. fanned-out newspaper and and cut it up). A sponge the milk carton. was used to remove more water and around to the bottom of the S compress the fibers. After students MATERIAL The deckle was removed and base. It should look like a then the mold. The felts oil pastels carefully refolded were then stacked on top of one colored pencils, tic-tac-toe board when finanother, wrapped in a towel • Sketchbooks, clay, kiln the tops of their work. and compressed even further to toolsmilk ished. If the masking tape is remove more water (I stand David Gilhooly’s • White stoneware cartons, I glaze, clay and by artist on the towel). The paper was in by nature • Underglazes,and acrylic paintsecured them at 13 not right next to the base of then removed from the felts drawings ideas inspired their the did several and placed on screens to dry a fusion of students • Watercolor before getting the post, flat. (I acquired old window it willwere act like a joystick, top edge with hot Our frogs their sketchbooks • Brushes screens from a thrift store for this the clay. purpose.) glue, click on clothespins hands on com and using y 2015 I hung the felts from a clothes-drying Miranda februar links related ears • andhold rack and reused Go to artsandactivities. to them closed while ❘ 82 y abbey > Nathan for resources them when es.com dry. I made my own deckles and this button ctiviti Mckenzie the glue hardened. molds from Kirsten tsanda to this article. www.ar foam meat trays by simply cutting a rectangle from the cencom vities. ter of two trays and duct-taping ndacti plastic screening to the bot.artsa the importance ❘ www Each student ears of tom of one tray for the deckle (also • 82 y acquired from the thrift filling the paper. created a unique If store screens). The mold dictates and personal the shape of the paper, in their drawings are this case, a rectangle. Both trays sculpture. are upside down, with the too small, it would mold being placed on top of the deckle. be more difficult to In by Holly Stanek my test-run, I tried white glue and craft glue but, in the watercolor and stipthink a challenge end, hot glue worked best to adhere for teachers is to the “grass” to the bases. ple later on. We develop or find lessons that are successful also The end products were whimsical, neers who started for discuss enlarging fun, and the gives room to challenge all of our students. A lesson that students were so proud of their a movement that your most gifted birdhouses. a single flower From the as create an opportunity students as well or other students in the school, we showcased their for all ability levels heard, “How come we having several in to have success. This project has a didn’t get to make those?” I think been a staple in unique styles and this recycling effort composition. These my third-grade lum, and I have curricu- ways is worth a repeat! always felt satisfied of painting. I could be the same with the results. past, I approached ■ In the the project thinking realized that all type or a group of my students would be more successful of Tammie Clark (NBCT) is an art teacher 24 if I kept it simple, my simplification at Somerville Road different flowers. with fewer options. I figured, this gave and Decatur Elementary Schools in may 2015 • 82 YEARS them less was actually creatww.ar tsandactiviti Decatur, Alabama. ❘ wlead I suggest changto better results. e s . c o m to think about, w wwhich w . a r t swould a n d a c t iing v i t an i e satmosphere .com 82 YEARS • may 2 ❘ ing 0 the 1 5 angle of a Sunflowers were that was hindering always the subject 25 flower or to show simple shapes, because of their and students find my students’ abilities them easy to draw. different stages— color scheme was to explore their The unique with warm colors in ideas and to be their style and approach. the background from buds to fully opened—to create colors in the foreground, and cool more interest. the freedom they or vice versa. Less We discuss making now have to express flowers different easier, and more to think about, the their individuality. heights and sizes. successful, right? At the start of the WHILe I sTILL The stems could straight, bent over Use MONeT aND project students Then I started be examine a variety VaN GOGH in silk flowers, noting or wavy. Students to think about now emphasize the intro, I of flowers to the shapes of their the Impressionist might overlap the two artists’ ers such as Vincent create more depth, the petals, their centers, paint- approaches unique styles and the stems and leaves. van Gogh and Claude or have their flowers fearless to their work. I the paper, letting We then practice featured in the Monet, who are go off make sure students a viewer’s drawing the flowers. introduction to is no doubt in know there this project. They They consider whether imagination finish the rest. were pio- to challenge my mind that they can handle what IN THe NeXT their compositions 34 CLass, I DIsPLay I am about them with. They of flowers will a variety of well-composed be in an outdoor setting, in are always quite flower pictures, a vase inside, a excited about and we talk about tern, or windblown collage, a patcomposition. Because april 2015 in a specific direction, dents sometimes • 82 y e a r stu- lot to think have a tendency s and so on. With x www.ar tsandact about, they start to draw small, I a ivities.co emphasize their final drawings. m (This was www.ar tsa ndactiviti es.com see IMPRESS on x 82 y e a r s • a p r i l page 42

by Irv Osterer

ago, any years while a student Colat the Ontario in Toronto, lege of Art by a lecture I attended David Gilhooly ceramicist of , a product (1943–2013) funk ceramics the California student work. of the 1960s. talk movement a spirited Gilhooly gave “Frog was and his His work he created. about ceramics Queen ceramic universe in her 100th Year as / World,” the —with FrogVictoria (www.sites.onlinemac.com outstanding my favorites . (1976), among joie de Victoria.jpg) spirit and hhisjpg/Frog Gilhooly’s at cchang/fmyt remembered ceramics course to always I have to teach a homage I was asked project in vivre, so when to do a frog I knew I had our school, meanfrogs are connection, David Gilhooly. not the the Gilhooly of other reasons, Aside from for a number ingful subjects

by Tammie Clark

1, 2015. ED BY MarCH

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WITH ART ED SPECIES to participate ENDANGER are invited SAVING their students 10th annual part of the teachers and an integral high school middle- and Art Contest, May 15, 2015. of the Elementary, Species Youth celebrated is a celebration Endangered to which will be Species Day in the Saving Species Day, Endangered with an opportunity national Endangeredby the U.S. Congress, provides K–12 students through artwork. and support Started in 2006 wild places. The contest knowledge schooled and and are home express their are also nation’s wildlife species and Children who in youth groups endangered All rights reserved. learn about who participate their art. Species Coalition. the Endangered courtesy of eligible to submit Photographs at Learn more y.org

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STUDY PRINT

“I think you have to control the materials to an extent, but it's important to let the materials have a kind of power for themselves; like the natural power of gravity, if you are painting on a wall, it makes the paint trickle and it drips; there is no reason to fight that.”—Keith Haring

t is May and we are starting to wind down for the year. Every year at this time I start to reflect on what projects were great, which didn’t work so well, and how I did, teaching my students what they should know. Well, so far this year all has gone well from painting and drawing to printmaking and ceramics. Our last project will be a 3-D recycling project to use up all the scraps hanging around the room … a good way to get the room clean! In this month’s column, we have some great 3-D projects, mural ideas and collaborative project tips to share with you.

tip #1

MURAL, MURAL ON THE WALL Cynthia

Gaub from North Middle School in Everett, Washington, created a locker

only problem she encountered was not being able to finish the mural during the school year. Every dark cloud has a silver lining, though. Many of the teachers came in over the summer to paint more and complete the project -- talk about collaboration! One last tip Cynthia has is to plan accordingly -- expect your mural projects to take WAY more “man hours” to get done than expected. This incredible project took over 200 hours!

Glenda L

tip 2

ubiner

THE SENATOR PROJECT MaryJane Long from Hartly (Delaware) Elementary and Fairview Elementary in Dover, Delaware, was asked to create a district-wide art display at their first annual school district community event. This themed display was named after their district mascot, the “Senator.” The wall display was to be in the main hallway of her high school. The space to be decorated was about 15 feet high of floor to ceiling glass. MaryJane did not want to create a bulletin-board display about the district mascot, because art teachers DO NOT create bulletin board displays. THEY

speechless when she saw the hanging display for the first time.

tip #3

3-D ART HISTORY Teaching art history might excite us, but sometimes the students are not as enthusiastic as we are. Here is a cool way to get them just a little more passionate about learning the masters: Have them choose their favorite painting and do some research on the artist and the painting. Next, have them recreate the painting,

3-D Art and Collaboration mural with her middle-school students. Her best tip yet: ask your staff for all their home paint samples! Cynthia was able to get great paint for free! Some they even mixed together to get better colors. They accomplished a great mural on the bank of lockers for less than $40. All they had to do was buy the primer paint layer and some brushes. Her art club made the design and did the base coat, then drew the outline designs with Sharpie markers. During field day, Cynthia had students come in and paint in blocks of color. The

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

CREATE ART. Glass windows, a lot of light, a chandelier maybe, how about Dale Chihuly? After pitching the idea at the district meeting, all 10 art teachers were on board; the district approved it and provided money for the installation. They collected plastic water bottles, colored them with Sharpie markers, and met the night before the event to install the hanging chandeliers. She even created a SMART Notebook file with supporting resources for teachers to use and shared it through Google Docs. They communicated and shared with each other through email and completed this project from idea to installation is just over a month. MaryJane’s goal was to create unity and camaraderie among the art teachers in the district and have fun in the process. When all was said and done, the assistant superintendent was

or their version of the painting using corrugated cardboard in layers. The background should be the surface of their painting and then have them use pieces of cardboard to build it up to three or four layers. They can choose to leave it unpainted, paint it in the original color scheme, or change the colors completely. Thank you to Cynthia and MaryJane for your great tips. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Keith Haring (May 4, 1958), Salvador Dali (May 11, 1904), Frank Stella (May 12, 1936), Jean Tinguely (May 22, 1925), and Dorothea Lange (May 26, 1895).

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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AA1705

Join the Flock! Lesson Plan for Grades 2–8

Fashion a head and beak from paper maché. Poke a hole through the end opposite the beak.

Make legs out of sculpture wire or doubled up chenille stems.

Create the body using scrunched up paper and stretch bands.

Create wings from paper or fabric scraps and assemble the parts using wrapping and glue.

Use remnants from your classroom “nest” to build whimsical mixed media bird sculptures! There are 100–400 billion species of birds in the world, each unique in its own way. Much like a bird building a nest might do, this project invites students to use bits of paper, fabric, string, and feathers to create their own flock!

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