Arts & Activities Magazine November 2016 by Arts & Activities

PASSION

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CONTENTS NO VE M B E R 2 0 1 6

VOLUME 160, N o. 3

THE ROAD TO PRINTING SUCCESS 16 PAST/PRESENT PRINTMAKING MASHUP Don Masse 24 INTEGRATING THE CURRICULUM: LINKING ART AND GEOGRAPHY

Gale Goldman

Suzanne Dionne

YEARLONG ART II CURRICULUM SERIES

CHARCOAL Debi West

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS

26 TR MACK AND LOTS OF DOTS Cheryl Crumpecker 28 MASKED MONOPRINTS AND WAXY TRANSFERS Paula Guhin 30 ART FOR PRESCHOOLERS: FRUIT AND VEGGIE PRINTMAKING FUN

12 WHERE THE TECHNICAL MEETS THE CREATIVE: CREATING WITH

8 10 14 38

STEPPING STONES ... ADVENTURES IN PRINTMAKING Heidi O’Hanley CHOICE-BASED ART: ART FOR ALL MK Monley COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: THE VALUES OF OUR FLAG Debbi Bovio TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: PRINTMAKING AND IMAGE TRANSFER Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES 19 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: TOM THOMSON, AUTUMN FOLIAGE Tara Cady Sartorius 37 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT, WINTER: CAT ON A CUSHION Thèophile-Alexandre Steinlen

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 34 WEB CONNECT 36 AD INDEX

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITOR’S NOTE 32 MEDIA REVIEWS 33 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

LOS ANGELES Mixed media. By Emily Wexler, The Wardlaw-Hartridge School, Edison, N.J. See “Integrating the Curriculum: Linking Art and Geography,” page 24. SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (800) 826-2216; ads@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. Arts & Activities® (ISSN 0004-3931) is published monthly, except July and August, by Publishers’ Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. Subscriptions: one year, $24.95; two years, $39.95; three years, $49.95. Foreign subscriptions, add $35 per year for postage. Single copy, $4. Title to this magazine passes to subscriber only on delivery to his or her address. Change of address requires at least four weeks’ notice. Send old address and new address. Periodical postage paid at San Diego, Calif., and at additional mailing offices. Printing by Democrat Printing, Little Rock, Ark. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Arts & Activities®, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128.

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16 3

e d i t o r ’s n o t e

Our mission this month is to help you navigate

the “road to printing success.” And, we have plenty of talented teachers to help.

In “Stepping Stones: Adventures in Printmaking” columnist Heidi O’Hanley confesses that during her first few years of teaching art, she was afraid of printmaking. She boldly faced those fears, however, and is now sharing her advice with us on page 8. From planning and materials, setting up and cleaning up, she’s got you covered.

Glenda Lubiner and friends Bizzy Jenkins, from Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla., and Nancy Williams from Saint Louis Catholic School in Waco, Texas, share some great ideas and unique ways to get students involved in printmaking. Check out Glenda’s column, “Tried & True Tips For Art Teachers: Printmaking & Image Transfer,” on page 38.

In “Past/Present Printmaking Mashup” Don Masse developed a lesson that engaged his students by responding to their “needs, experiences and backgrounds” (see page 16). Zamorano Academy, where Don teaches, has a large Filipino population, “...so it’s important to use work from there as inspirations for a project,” he writes. Don connected his printmaking lesson to the Philippines, but you can connect your own version of this lesson to whatever region of the world would most engage your students.

“When I discovered the ... artwork of TR Mack, I knew this was one ... artistic style I’d like students to explore,” writes Cheryl Crumpecker in “TR Mack and Lots of Dots” (page 26). “His paintings of trees, created in vibrant colors, utilized the dot as a major element.” In the project she developed, students turn their contour line drawings of trees into silhouettes, paint a sky and ground with watercolors, then use a “rudimentary printmaking technique” (as Cheryl calls it), by thoughtfully stamping dots of various colors to simulate their trees’ leaves. The resulting artworks are decidedly delightful!

Paula Guhin is a veritable wizard when it comes

president

Thomas von Rosen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

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

to art techniques. In “Masked Monoprints & Waxy Transfers” (page 28), she shares some tips for using paper cut-outs, then dry media, to create marvelous monoprints. Waxed paper and a copier come into play for the image-transfer technique explained in her story. Says Paula, “These two techniques are bright ideas that leave room for your students’ imagination.”

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

We hope you enjoy navigating the “road to printing success” with us this month!

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.

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POSITIVE / NEGATIVE

AMACOÂ® Lesson Plan

Level: Grades K-12

(800) 374-1600

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PRINTING with underglazes

Materials Two pieces of 3"x3" 3mm craft foam sheet One 3"x3" 2mm sticky back craft foam sheet One 6"x6" Bisque Tile Velvet Underglazes Velvet Underglaze â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inkâ&#x20AC;? LG-10 Clear Glaze

Scissors or Exacto Knife Pencil, Pen, or Permanent Marker Brayer Masking Tape

Steps 1. Draw Your Design on the sticky craft foam sheet.

2. Peel and Stick the sticky craft foam sheet to the non-sticky craft foam sheet. 3. Cut Out your design. 4. Peel and Stick the cutout areas onto the second piece of non-sticky foam sheet to create your positive and negative "plates". 5. Brush Velvet Wash onto the bisque tile. 6. Ink the positive and negative foam plates with thickened underglaze or thickened underglaze printing ink using a brayer. 7. Print your tile by pressing the inked plate to the surface of the tile. 8. Glaze tile with LG-10 Clear and Fire.

for more detailed instructions and a video demonstration

AMACOLessonPlans.com

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.

ADVENTURES IN PRINTMAKING

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

few months ago, I was interviewed by Deep Space Sparkle’s Patty Palmer on ways to manage teaching art from a cart. I was asked what the most challenging projects were when teaching in a mobile situation, and I admitted it was printmaking. Depending on my classes, I had some amazing projects printed, as well as classes I wished I could have started over again. As much as I struggled remembering all the brayers, cutters, inks, and paper, I felt it was an important concept that students needed to learn within my classes. Printmaking is an important part of our culture and we use objects created from the process every day. After all, if it weren't for Johannes Gutenberg, we would not have newspapers, books, magazines, and art prints without the invention of his printing press in 1440! If you are star ting to take on printmaking in your classroom, I have a few tips that may help you out. I admit I was afraid to work with printmaking materials my first few years of teaching! I finally jumped in and learned many ways to plan ahead for printmaking in any teaching situation you’re working in. My first bit of advice is to have a feel for your students.

KNOW YOUR STUDENTS BEFORE PLANNING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON. If you have a high-

energy batch of students, get a feel for what you think they can handle. For example, if you plan on doing a simple ink-print lesson with an upper elementar y class, decide if they can handle easy-cut rubber blocks or polystyrene foam sheets. I have learned the hard way that if you give them an objective that is too advanced, most likely your students will miss the concept. I’ve had a few classes totally rock a two-color print, and quite a few that struggled. Knowing what your students can handle will help them make the connections and grow into their work.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR MATERIALS! I rec-

ommend doing a checklist of all the materials you need and plan for extra. With the block print projects, I always check to make sure I have the brayers, plates, ink, cutters, blocks, paper, and all the extra materials needed for my entire grade level. Gelli® prints also need a number of materials to set up! Are you working with gyotaku fish prints? Make sure you have enough fish molds to print with your students! 8

MAKE SURE YOU’RE PREPARED FOR THE SET UP AND CLEAN UP. No matter what printmaking project you

create, be prepared for the beginning and the end. When I did printmaking on the cart, I had materials set up in baskets that were dispersed through the students. For clean up, I allotted a few extra minutes to get the classroom spotless before I pushed the cart out of the room.

KNOW YOUR WATER SOURCE. When there’s print-

PLAN FOR LOTS AND LOTS OF PAPER TO BE USED.

CREATE YOUR CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN.

making, you will need your water source no matter what your teaching situation is. If you’re on the cart, locate the closest sinks to the classrooms you’re working in. When I was teaching from a cart, I would have students collect the materials in buckets and wash them off in the bathroom, while the remainder of the students took care of placing artworks on the drying racks and cleaning their desks. When I was in a room without the sinks, I used buckets filled halfway with water. When clean up was announced, the blocks, brayers, and pads were placed in the bucket to make the transition as smooth and tidy as possible.

Depending on the size of your block, plate, stamp or fish, your students will become addicted to printing as many copies as they can. Even if you limit the amount of prints, students will still manage to sneak another one in.

Even with having a plan in place throughout the year, you will have a separate set of rules when it comes to printing procedures. You may have a table arranged as a “printing station,” but you still need to remind students not to use one brayer color with another color. One tip you can use would be to create a separate chart with the rules to help remind students throughout the project. You can also start off each class by “quizzing” the students on the printing process to see if they remember the steps needed! The art of printmaking comes in many forms and depending on your teaching situation, you can adapt any printing style into your classes. As messy as printmaking sounds you can also work with stamps, rubber plates, vegetables, and toys in creating many types of prints in your classroom! You may have some trial and error moments, but you will eventually find what works best for you. 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. n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 • 84 Y E A R S

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Something to Say SucceSS PrinciPleS for AfterSchool ArtS ProgrAmS From urbAn Youth and other exPertS

Teens and tweens can be very demanding. Including when it comes to their arts programs. A national research report can help you succeed in attracting and retaining them.

Denise Montgomery • Peter Rogovin Neromanie Persaud

Something to Say: Success Principles for Afterschool Arts Programs From Urban Youth and Other Experts i

Something to Say: Success Principles for Afterschool Arts Programs From Urban Youth and Other Experts

Download this report and other resources on afterschool, summer, and arts learning, free of charge at www.wallacefoundation.org.

Photo: A young artist and an instructor at SAY Sí, a multidisciplinary arts program located in San Antonio, Texas, with a history of long-term participation by middle school and high school students. Photo courtesy of SAY Sí.

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.

ART FOR ALL BY MK MONLEY

s a former special educator and current ar t teacher, I have come to view choice-based art as an equalizing force in the artistic development of all students. Choice-based art levels the playing field because it allows everyone to explore media, tools, skills and to practice at their own pace, in their own way, giving a unique voice to each child’s art.

mented that he was most proud of his team because of “the work we put into it. It’s perfect, just the way we wanted.” This team was inclusive of students with and without special needs. Students collaborate, problem-solve, use their imagination, and come to art eager to implement their own ideas. They aren’t afraid to experiment and learn from each other in the process.

THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST AT SCHOOL MARVELS at the gains students make in fine motor skills because they have the opportunity to work with a variety of materials that help to build on these skills. It doesn’t matter what your abilities FOR YEARS, BEFORE CHANGING TO CHOICE-BASED ART, I are if you are given the opportunity and materials necessary taught a lesson about still life and art histor y. During the to take risks and try new things. Recently, I received this email from a paraprofessional: time of year that sunflowers are in bloom, students learned about Vincent van Gogh. I brought bouquets of sunflowers “I just wanted to send you a note thanking you for creating a into class and showed students images of van Gogh’s work. space where all kids can harness their creativity and thrive. I look forward to art every week because I I did a demonstration of drawing from life know it's a time that [my student] while looking at one of the boube focused and happy and quets and asked students to “I’m a firm believer that students willengaged. It's one of the only obser ve, draw, outline, and who are interested in what they are times in the week when I paint as I did. get to sit back, give him his For some students, this creating will be students who are space, and let him be a kinwas an enjoyable task, but invested in their own learning.” for others it was onerous. The dergartner interacting with students with fine motor difficulhis friends. I'm grateful for this time, and I know he is too. ties, visual perceptual problems or “I was telling his teacher this morning that I other disabilities did their best to take on the task, but their chances of making their art look like their remember art in elementary school as very directed and formupeers’ work were poor. For these students, the effort it laic—everyone doing the same project and doing it the same took to make their art look somewhat like the example was way. The art classes you have set up are such a breath of fresh enormous. air. So thank you so much for all that you do. Compared to their peers who don’t struggle with the “What is important about choice-based art for students of motor and visual perceptual skills, these students were left any ability level is that it allows for student-directed artistic with the feeling of “I’m not good at art.” The truth is, they expression. I’m a firm believer that students who are interested may not have been good at making art that looked like some- in what they are creating will be students who are invested in one else’s, but they were most likely very good at making art their own learning. “A student of mine with Down syndrome did a series of that was their own if given the chance. drawings with many colorful, cartoon-like people. When I asked her to tell me about her drawing she said: “What I like CHOICE-BASED ART ALLOWS STUDENTS TO FOLLOW THEIR INTERESTS and experiment with the media along with every- about them is the bodies. They have belly buttons, hats, and one else. It allows for a wide range of artistic approaches and clothes with shirts, arms and earrings. They are happy because outcomes. The student who before was a behavior problem they are beautiful, shiny, amazing, and brilliant.” By allowing students the opportunity to express their when following along with my van Gogh lesson now flourown ideas, we see what they are capable of doing. n ishes because he can choose to use his hands to build three dimensionally, instead of to cause trouble. He is a 3-D thinker and is able to construct elaborate MK Monley is an elementary art teacher in Vermont. She sculptures. He is looked to by peers as an expert in the is a proponent of TAB and choice-based art. She and is field and is someone to turn to when they tr y to construct the co-coordinator of A River of Light Lantern Parade and their own sculptures. Now students choose who they work believes in the power of connecting the community to the with based upon their mutual interests. One student com- school through the arts. 10

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AA1611

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

LESSON 3 OF 10

Creating with Charcoal by Debi West

hhhh, charcoal! I have found over the past 24 years that we either love it, or hate it! Regardless, it’s an essential medium to teach our students and one that teaches technical, patience, and really reiterates the art of “seeing” that, in my opinion, is one of the most important components in teaching the visual arts. MY ART II STUDENTS get two back-toback charcoal lessons, starting with the ever-popular charcoal sheet study. I believe that most secondar y visual art teachers incorporate this into their curriculum and so I would be remiss to not mention it. I hang a white sheet on the wall and spend about 30 minutes having my students look at the sheet and discuss what they see. We talk about the simple lines and shapes that we see in the folds of the cloth and discuss how easy it actually is to draw the lines and shapes. It’s when we begin to discuss the values of lights, darks and shadows that students often get a bit intimidated. When we continue to teach using the building blocks of art—a.k.a. the elements—I believe that it helps students to better see and work towards achieving a final piece of art that they are excited about. I remind students to use the Internet to find videos and handouts that may help them. Most want to start drawing their sheet studies using graphite, but then I remind them that this lesson is about using a new medium that differs from graphite. Graphite is pretty reliable and precise, while charcoal can be more dramatic and messy. It’s a very different experience. I introduce different types of charcoal—vine, compressed and pencils— which basically change the degrees of darkness and lightness. I also explain and model how using a gray-toned charcoal paper can often change the

In Part I of this project, students used charcoal to render the subtle values observed in hanging cloth. One young artist took the assignment a step further by drawing cloth hanging on a human form.

appearance of their final piece and therefore they need to be concentrating more on their darks and whites. CHARCOAL IS A WONDERFUL TOOL for

going big and bold in an artwork, so we also discuss the freedom of not worrying about the fine details in the beginning, these will come in later with the use of gummy erasers, eraser pencils, white charcoal and blending stumps. And then we discuss the importance of workable fixative and when it’s best to apply this to their work. We spend a class period experimenting with charcoal and mark making in our sketchbooks and on large newsprint, and by day three, they are ready to begin their final sheet studies. I give them about a week to complete these and they have the option of working on easels, drawing boards or their tables.

Again, this is something they are free to experiment with and I have to say, this lesson truly keeps my students engaged, disciplined and serious about drawing what they see, using a new medium. Once these sheets are complete,

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LESSON 3 OF 10

ART II CURRICULUM SERIES

Creating with Charcoal PART I: CLOTH DRAWING

PART II: PORTRAIT STUDIES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

High-school Art II students will ... • learn the importance of seeing, looking and observing from life. • draw hanging cloth, learning to see subtle value and utilizing charcoal correctly.

High-school Art II students will ... • learn the importance of drawing in charcoal, and utilizing black and white photography for inspiration. • learn to draw what they see. • incorporate line, shape and value into artworks to represent images, in this case, portraits.

MATERIALS

In Part II, students incorporated line, shape and value into an artwork to represent black-and-white photographic portraits.

• • • •

12" x 18" newsprint, 12" x 18" white drawing paper, Charcoal (vine, pencils, stumps, black and white), Kneaded erasers, eraser pencils, blending stumps, spray fixative, Cloth or sheet hanging on the wall, visual references as examples.

PROCEDURES 1. Introduce the students to charcoal as they experiment on newsprint or in their visual journals, playing with darks, lights, and erasers pencils. 2. Students will then draw the contour of a hanging cloth, paying attention to the outer and inner lines that create the folded areas. 3. Students will then lay in their values using charcoal techniques and media. 4. Students will consider their negative space, again, seeing how darks and lights can emphasize subject matter. 5. Final artworks will be hung in a class display and if possible, the sheet or cloth can be displayed as well.

MATERIALS • • • •

12" x 18" white drawing paper, Portrait copies found on the Internet or from the photography department (preferably their own photos), Charcoal (vine, stump, pencils, etc.), white charcoal pencils, Eraser pencils, blending stumps, brushes, kneaded erasers, spray fixative.

PROCEDURES 1. Students will select a portrait that showcases high contrast in darks and lights. 2. Students will draw what they see, considering line and shape. 3. Students will begin to lay in their dark and light values with charcoal tools. 4. Students will erase out the light areas they see, understanding the importance of high contrast to create the illusion of realism and implied textures. 5. Final artworks will be hung in a class display.

ASSESSMENT

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

I then have them take high-contrast portrait photograph (or find them on the Internet with the understanding that they can’t be used in competitions or scholarships if they are not their own images) and they draw

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Since this is a two-day project, oftentimes I allow students to take these home and complete them as homework. 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.

those using charcoal and grid art techniques that they learned in their intro art course. I give them about a week to complete these and after the two and a half weeks of working in charcoal, they are pretty excited with

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their results and all that they learned! Up next …“Anatomy”! n A&A Contributing Editor Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, is Art Dept. Chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga. 13

COMMUNITY

connections

by Debbi Bovio

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • develop their ability to draw lines and shapes accurately using a grid. • compare/contrast colors to recognize value. • learn to layer colors to develop specific hues and values. • learn some history of the American flag. • discuss and apply the elements and principles of design. • evaluate and modify their composition to seek balance and unity.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• • • •

CREATE: Refine and complete artistic work. PRESENT: Develop and refine artistic work for presentation. RESPOND: Perceive and analyze artistic work. CONNECT: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding

MATERIALS

• • •

• U.S. flags (fabric) • Viewfinders • Pencils, erasers

ach year, my school hosts a veteran’s appreciation day. Local veterans are invited to attend a luncheon in our media center, where they are entertained by our school band and honored by staff, students and administrators. I provide the decorations, which most recently included my students’ drawings of our nation’s flag. The introductory-level drawings were done in oil pastels and provided a rich opportunity for students to not only learn about the history of our flag, but to strengthen their understanding of value, line and shape. I’ve created a foolproof method for helping my students create drawings that are worthy additions to this honorable event. I believe you will enjoy implementing this lesson in your class, whatever the age or skill level of your students. The steps are concise and easy to follow, and will surely result in artwork you and your students will be proud to display. THE GOAL IS SIMPLE: Draw a portion of the flag that con-

tains all three colors. For each color, select a tint, shade and mid-range hue. Elementar y teachers may wish to provide students with contour drawings of flags that they can fill in with color using the method described below. 14

Oil pastels, tortillons (optional) Pastel paper Camera, access to copier machine

Alex

Or, they may consider having students draw the flag directly from obser vation or their imagination, without using the grid method. Secondary teachers may prefer to use the method of observation described below to achieve successful results when drawing the contour outlines of the flag. To begin, display flags by draping them over objects, such as gallon paint containers or orange traffic cones. Have students look through viewfinders to select an interesting section of the flag that contains red, white and blue, then take a photo Jacob n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 • 84 Y E A R S

> x

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Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button to access and download a fullsize “Value Guesstimator.”

Name ___________________________________________ Hour_______________ Date____________________

Value ‘Guesstimator’ Estimate the value (dark/light) of colors you may be using for your flag drawing by filling in the rectangles with colors ranging from light to dark.

RED

1 2 3 4 5 6 Light Medium Dark

WHITE

1 2 3 4 5 6 Light Medium Dark

BLUE

1 2 3 4 5 6 Light Medium Dark

The “Value Guesstimator” is available for download on A&A Online.

Closeup of Maggie’s flag. Maggie

Parker

Closeup of Parker’s flag.

of the section through the viewfinder. Include a small portion of all four edges of the viewfinder in the photo so you can reference size and proportion. Students can take photos individually or in a small group. Print the image on plain copier paper in black and white. Draw crosshatch lines directly through the vertical and horizontal center of the printed image. Next, draw crosshatch lines lightly through the center of the pastel paper. Draw the outer border, making sure it is proportional to the border of the interior viewfinder edge. For example, if the opening of the viewfinder is 2" x 3", you can make the border of the drawing 4" x 6" or 8" x 12", and so on. Just as you would draw using the grid method, draw the flowing lines and distorted star shapes just as you see them, one quadrant at a time. Use the “Value Guesstimator” worksheet (available on A&A Online), or create your own (see diagram, above). On plain copier paper, write the words RED, WHITE and BLUE about 3 inches apart vertically. Below each word, students should make a series of six color swatches, ranging from light to dark. Encourage them to think about exploring values using a variety of colors, not just red, white and blue. They should select two light, two medium and two dark values for each color. For example, a student may choose pale gray and lavender as their light blue values—primary blue and cerulean blue as medium values and indigo blue and dark purple as dark values. They should write the name of the color below the swatch. Make sure they write their name and hour on the Value Guesstimator worksheet. Print the students’ colored Guesstimator worksheets using a black-and-white copier and return to them. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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Students will be amazed to see the range of values when they are converted into grayscale using this simple method. They will be able to ascertain if their perception of light to dark was accurate. While it is not completely fail proof, this is an excellent method for helping students see value more accurately. Equally as important, this method frees the teacher from the time-consuming task of individual assessments and allows students to take control of their own learning through personal observation. After comparing values, students will easily select the best three color choices for light, medium and dark values for each of the three colors of the flag. COLORING THE FLAG All ages can effectively use this method. Because oil pastels are fairly opaque, they are an excellent medium to use on colored drawing paper. The colored paper will lend a warm, cool or neutral undertone to the drawing, thus providing a richness that white paper lacks. I prefer to use a textured paper specifically for pastels, but we have used construction paper as well. I also prefer to use see

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by Don Masse “

o. I don’t think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie.” — Han Solo, responding to Chewbacca’s frustration with their stolen Imperial Shuttle in Return of the Jedi. I’m a Star Wars geek, what can I say? That said, in terms of engaging students in our classrooms, we need to respond to the needs, experiences, and backgrounds of our students within in our classroom curriculum and culture. Otherwise, they can develop a similar frustration to that of Chewie, which can lead to roadblocks to success. With that in mind, this project is

Printed colors are most vibrant when students limit the amount they touch the printing foam as they color it. Multicolor marker prints are most successful when transferred onto a smooth, student-grade watercolor paper. Students could choose to place the traditional patterns either above or below their seascapes.

Holding markers on an angle keeps students from adding more carved lines, which would affect their images when printed.

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Students were inspired by this poster as well as traditional textile patterns (below). Photo courtesy of Team Manila Graphic Design Studio Inc.

inspired by the work of a Filipino design company (Team Manila) and traditional Filipino textiles. Zamorano Academy has a large Filipino population, so it’s important to use work from there as inspirations for projects. This project also provides a glimpse at both new and old art forms. TO START, I INTRODUCE a series of tour-

ism posters that Team Manila (www. teammanila.com) has done that celebrate different locales in the Philippines. As we look, we notice an economy of shape and a relative flatness of color. We also notice, in our focus image and a few others of these travel posters, a sense of movement created simply through wavy lines and curved shapes. The focus image for this project is a poster design for the Philippine coral reefs. These corals are huge and contain a great deal of biodiversity but, sadly, 98 percent of the reefs are considered threatened. (What you are going to notice is that this lesson is chocka-block full of content on multiple levels.) In the image we discussed, the sense of movement and depth were achieved through overlapping and size change. AT THIS POINT, WE GET ROLLING with

the hands-on portion of the lesson, but I also tell the class that we would be adding another part to our artwork www.ar tsandactivities.com

before we were done. This project is done as a multicolor relief print with polystyrene foam printing plates, water-soluble markers, pencils, and watercolor paper. I can also see it being done as a collage or a crayon-resist painting. Since we did it as a relief print, I addressed texture in art with students, as well. “You are altering the surface of the plate to make an image on something else,” I say. Then—and this always gets them—I inform the kids, “You can make another copy, and another, and another if you want.” I ask students to create a drawing on their 4" x 8" foam plate that has at least five pieces of coral, that includes overlapping, and that shows implied motion in the water. I model how to draw into the printing foam with light to medium pressure. I also inform the kids that, while foam prints are cool, the one thing you can’t do is erase. “So, if you mess up, be loose and roll with it, or flip it over and try again on the back.” AFTER MOST OF THE STUDENTS are done

drawing their coral, I share a few examples of traditional Filipino textiles, from the Yakan people within the Sulu Archipelago. We look at how these patterns are different than the work of Team Manila in terms of materials, purpose, and style, yet they both have a sense of movement

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MASH

Traditional Yakan textile designs. Photo courtesy of hauteculturefashion.com.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • create an artwork by altering the texture of one surface and transferring it to another. • use contemporary and traditional artworks as inspiration by combining them to make an original artwork.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS CREATING: Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.

MATERIALS

• • • • •

Foam printing plates Student-grade watercolor paper Water-soluble markers, pencils Spray bottles of water, sponges Visual examples of coral, posters by Team Manila and Filipino textiles

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on page 23 17

MAKE TRIMMING FUN! We believe that when students are having fun, they stay engaged. For years, ceramic educators have relied on the Giffin Grip to reduce frustration encountered in trimming. Giffin Grip keeps the creative fun flowing from clay to kiln! GiffinGrip.com

oil pastels that are available as open stock so I can load up on popular colors, such as white, dark red and dark blue. Instruct students to refer to the copier image of their flag and select one specific stripe that has a wide range of value. Using light pressure, they should color that stripe completely with the medium range color. Apply less pressure in areas that have a light value. Looking back at the printed image, discern which area of that stripe is the darkest and add the dark value on top of the medium base color. Do the same with the light value. They will need to go back and forth between the three values until that one stripe looks just right. Finish the rest of the drawing one stripe, star or segment at a time.

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While it is not completely fail proof, this is an excellent method for helping students see value more accurately.

our back issues provide more ideas and lesson plans to choose from. Visit our website and order online today! www.artsandactivities.com each

(includes postage)

A THANK YOU Last year at our annual veteran’s event, I was momentarily caught off guard when one of our elderly honorable vets picked up a student’s flag drawing from the centerpiece. He looked at me and cheerfully said, “This is such a beautiful flag drawing … my wife is going to love it and it will look beautiful in our living room. Thank you!” Stumbling for the words to tell him this was just for decoration and not for him to take home, I caught myself in time and emphatically replied, “You’re welcome, Sir! It’s the very least we could do to thank you for everything you have done for us.” When I told the student what happened to his drawing, that student artist couldn’t have been more pleased. n

Debbi Bovio teaches art at Adams High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Visit her blog at theskillfulbee.blogspot.com 18

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A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect Tom Thomson. Autumn Foliage, 1915.

“ … the maples are about all stripped of leaves now, but the birches are very rich in colour. We are all working away but the best I can do does not do the place much justice in the way of beauty.” Tom Thomson

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Color

• Shape • Scale • Proportion • Contrast • Perspective

•

ART TECHNIQUE: Thomson uses shapes of leaves to form the rough shapes of entire trees. What is usually small, appears large. His design is helped by the placement of pines among the deciduous trees. Many pines appear to be capped in warm colors.

•

• •

LANGUAGE ARTS: A memorial plaque created by Thomson’s friends is truly eloquent. Excerpts include, “To the memory of Tom Thomson, artist, woodsman and guide ... He lived humbly but passionately with the wild. ... brother to all untamed things of nature ... It sent him out from the woods only to show these revelations through his art and it took him to itself at last.” Tributes can be made to the living, as well. Ask students to write a five-sentence poetic tribute about someone they admire.

•

GEOLOGY: The Friends of Algonquin Provincial Park have identified the following geologic characteristics: Eskers, kettles, kame moraines, terraces, drumlins, deltas, outwash plains, sand dunes, beach ridges, meltwater channels, boulder deposits, a kame-moraine complex, a fault canyon, a meteorite crater, striations, and crescentic scars. Look ‘em up! What’s not to love?

ART HISTORY: At the turn of the century, various artistic movements were in transition: Impressionism, post-Impressionism, Modernism and Expressionism. In this piece, Thomson seems to have “borrowed” some of the vocabulary from each style.

MUSIC: There are many classical compositions devoted to Autumn. The most well-known is Vivaldi’s “L'autunno” violin concerto from The Four Seasons. There are many others to consider, however. Have students see how many they can find online.

SCIENCE: Why do some leaves turn red? Why do some trees stay green? The United States National Arboretum can help answer these questions. They can also help you discover all the state trees and flowers, including one state that has chosen a “flower” that is not a flower at all.

•

DESIGN THINKING: Analogous colors are those close to one another on the color wheel. In Autumn Foliage, Thomson uses yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange and red. He contrasts those warm colors with the blue water and green pines. Imagine the piece with a different set of analogous colors, as seen in the image here.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Thomson’s favorite spot was Canoe Lake in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. In 1912, he first visited the park, where he camped and canoed, finding painting inspirations from the nature all around him. In that same lake he met his untimely (and some say mysterious) death in 1917, less than a month before his 40th birthday.

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NOVEMBER 2016

Tom Thomson (Canadian; 18771917). Autumn Foliage, 1915. Oil on wood; 8.5" x 10.5". Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. Public domain.

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

GRADES K–6

GRADES 7–12

THE CHILDREN’S ARTWORKS seen below are remarkable for a

GEORGE WALKER, the artist who created the engravings below,

number of reasons. First and foremost, they evoke a sense of solitude and isolation. Tom Thomson spent days alone in the Ontario backcountry, often in his canoe, looking for good subjects to paint. It is possible that Autumn Foliage was painted while he was in his canoe looking at a hillside of trees with changing leaves. While the children’s canoes were not generated in response to the story of Tom Thomson, each student created an image of a lone canoe loose in the water with no visible human in control. When his lone canoe was found, people knew Thomson must have been in trouble. While these students may have been studying Northwest Coast Native American culture (hence canoes), they also became engaged in interpreting the feeling of being out on the open ocean. Notice the variety of expressive watercolor interpretations of the ocean. The deckled (rough or torn paper) edges are especially effective in depicting frothy waves. The canoes seem to have been drawn on a separate piece of paper, carefully colored, cut out, and then glued between the horizontally torn pieces of their watercolors.

Artworks by third-graders at Lakeridge Elementary School, Mercer Island, Washington.

Thomson’s was a different type of canoe than those portrayed above, and he spent his time on lakes and rivers, not the ocean. Interestingly, the two different environments are only separated by about 2º in latitude. Which place is farther north? 1. Mercer Island Coordinates: 47°34'39"N, 122°12'43.2"W 2. Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario, coordinates: 45°32'06.1"N, 78°42'23.6"W

Take a look at the National Art Standards, and see how beautifully this lesson integrates with this level’s Enduring Understanding and Essential Question. If you were to design a lesson with a boat on water, what culture or period in histor y would you choose for your students to elaborate upon? NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades K–6 CREATE: Elaborate on an imaginative idea. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Enduring Understanding: Artists and designers shape artistic investigations, following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative art-making goals. Essential Question: How does knowing the contexts, histories and traditions of art forms help us create works of art and design?

was fascinated with the life and death of Tom Thomson. He made a series of 109 pieces to tell his impression of Thomson’s biography in the form of a wordless graphic novel. Walker, a master book artist from Ontario, Canada, says, “Presented thoughtfully, pictures can still convey information, evoke pleasure or warning, influence behavior and, most importantly, tell a story.”

These wood engravings are from George A. Walker’s book, The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson, and appear courtesy of his publisher, The Porcupine’s Quill (porcupinesquill.ca).

• Your students have stories to tell, and can do so easily in pen and ink. While Walker’s work is hand engraved and printed on an antique letterpress, students can create “editions” with copy machines. Ask your students to draw their own graphic biographical narrative about someone they love or admire, and then produce an edition of five “books” or “zines.” • Thomson sketched and painted outdoors. His habit of “Plein Air” (outdoor) painting necessitated capturing his landscapes quickly as the light changed. He often worked small (8" x 10"), carr ying his canvases or boards with him as he hiked or canoed throughout Ontario’s Algonquin Park. • The tree image (above, right) is Walker’s engraved response to Tom Thomson’s painting, The Jack Pine, 1916–17 (left). Ask your students to interpret a colorful famous work of art in any black-and-white medium. It’s a good exercise to find the focus of a painting, decide what is important, and Tom Thomson. The Jack Pine, 1916–17. Oil leave out extraneous items in on canvas; 50.3" x 55". National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. an interpretation.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades 7–12 CREATE: Apply visual organizational strategies to design

and produce a work of art, design, or media that clearly communicates information or ideas. CREATE: Experiment, plan, and make multiple works of art and design that explore a personally meaningful theme, idea or concept.

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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and rhythm. In the Yakan patterns, this is created with a repetition of triangles to create zigzags. Students are then given a second, smaller piece (1.5" x 8") of printing foam and design a repeated pattern that conveys movement. This added element may be similar to the Yakan examples, or it may be something way different. It’s the student’s choice. We then color both plates. When doing these marker prints, it’s important to handle the plates’ surface as little as possible once they are colored. The marker color doesn’t dry on the plate— which allows the color to transfer so nicely—so students should hold their plates by the edges and should only have the tip of the marker touch the plate. If they don’t do this effectively, they will end up printing the image more on their hands and less on the paper. To transfer the image onto smooth watercolor paper, we place both plates, marker side up, within a taped-off section on a table, that is the size of the paper. We spray the paper with water and sponge it so the moisture is even, and lay it down on top of the plates. We use the side or the palm of our hands to press firmly around the paper, making sure the entire plate has made contact.

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zentangle

continued from page 17

TIME FOR THE REVEAL! We pick a cor-

ner of the paper and pull it from the plate to see the print. Students love this part (and so do I). Most of the time, they have a look of surprise and joy. If images don’t transfer as well as they could, we discuss what led to that and students can color the plates again and try it a second time. So, you can see that there is a whole lot going on in this lesson. I did it in one hour, and we used every last minute. You could easily stretch it out over multiple classes, allowing time to investigate various elements—coral types, the cultural significance of patterns and places, and/or a more open lesson on endangered species. While I connected this lesson to the Philippines, you could connect it with a study of any region to celebrate a variety of student backgrounds. n

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A&A Contributing Editor, Don Masse, is a K–5 visual arts teacher at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, Calif. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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INTEGRATING

the curriculum

New York City with subway, by Max.

Seattle, by Lorianna.

Sydney, by Ayan.

by Gale Goldman

s studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worlds become more and more global, the need for connections to be made on many levels seems natural. My Upper School art students come from over 45 different cultural backgrounds, with many English language learners. Through the creation of city skylines, this project allowed them to learn new skills while expressing pride in their cultural heritage, and enabled them to share ideas. Our adventure began with a discussion about cities and skylines, prompted by a series of questions: 1. What makes the skyline of the city distinctive? 2. If you were an architect, what might you add or eliminate from the skyline? 24

3. If you close your eyes, what family of colors do you see when you think of your city? 4. Does the city life have a texture? 5. Has anything of historical importance occurred in the city? 6. Is there a product associated with the city? 7. Are the colors you will use against your backgrounds be high or low contrast? Why? Does the word contrast say anything about your city? Everyone contributed answers and ideas, which a student volunteer quickly jotted down on a large pad of white paper for reference later. When it came time to make art, the seeds of creative ideas were sprout-

ing and the excitement was palpable. Printed, stippled, woven and collaged layers could be added to the skylines, and there was a wide range of color choices available for backgrounds. After students made their media selections, research began. In books and online, students found silhouettes and photographs of skylines around the world from which to work. The skylines were then drawn on tagboard and carefully cut out with scissors or craft knives on a cutting mat. Students had created their own customized stencils. The young artists then placed their stencils where they wished on their paper. (Some students began at a bot-

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • familiarize themselves with the architecture of various cities and countries. • learn to cut and use a tagboard stencil. • select color families and learn to effectively manipulate soft pastels. • research and develop ideas to further express the essence of their chosen cities (cultural, political or physical).

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

• • • • • •

Tagboard, white, black and colored construction paper Scissors, craft knives, cutting mats Soft pastels/colored pencils, tissues Collaging materials, Carving tools, soft carving blocks (we used Soft-Kut®) or erasers to carve stamps Acrylic paints (when stamping over pastels, acrylics adhere best) Los Angeles, by Emily.

Cairo, by Catherine.

tom edge, some a third of the way up, and others from the top and bottom, meeting in the middle.) Students applied a heavy line of pastel color at the edge of their cutout stencils, spreading the pastel upward using a tissue. They then moved the stencils up a bit and repeated the process using another color in their chosen palettes. This was done four or five times. Then the truly creative part began! Some students chose to print low/ high contrast patterns on their pastelwww.ar tsandactivities.com

covered papers, while others embellished their creations with elegantlooking non-Western alphabets. This really added to the atmosphere of their cityscapes. Lorianna’s skyline features coffeebean linoleum prints, symbolizing “Seattle’s Best” coffee, and she printed slender, delicate lines with the edge of thin cardboard. For his NYC skyline, Max concentrated on the “happenings” of the subway system below the city. If you are working with a limited

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budget, this is an inexpensive lesson. I was able to use my linoleum and soft printing block scraps from previous years, as well as bits and pieces of leftover pastels and scraps of construction paper. This lesson could easily be adapted for middle-schoolers as well, but I don’t recommend offering that age group the craft-knife option. n Gale Goldman is an Upper School art instructor at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison, New Jersey. 25

by Cheryl Crumpecker

Edgar, grade 3.

he past few years, I have made an effort to introduce more contemporar y artists to my students: The color and shape patterns of Romero Britto, William Wegman’s whimsical photography, Andy Warhol’s Pop art, Laurel Burch’s artwork, which emphasized her joy of living, rather than her physical pain. When I discovered the decorative artwork of TR Mack (Thomas Robert McCracken), I knew this was one more artistic style I’d like the students to explore. His paintings of trees, created in vibrant colors, utilized the dot as a major element of his designs. I began this lesson by first sharing Lots of Dots, by Craig Frazier (Chroni26

cle Books; 2010). This book illustrates the appearance of dots as seen in the environments such as a circular button, the shape of an orange, or the spots on a lady bug. Looking around the art room, students quickly discovered the dot (circle) shape on many objects from Teddy bear eyes to the ends of marker caps. At this point, I introduced the tree art of TR Mack. Most of his trees are leafless silhouettes with colored dots scattered throughout the sky and ground as a decorative element. Some of his pictures show dots clumped together forming the basic shapes of the tree’s foliage. Although I was unable to find much information about this artist,

Jackson, grade 3.

who died an early death March 2010, an online visit to www.artistrising. com provided an interesting artist’s statement. Mack stated that he needed to paint ever y day and that he became inspired while working and not beforehand. I thought that was an interesting approach since, as ar t educators, we spend a par t of each lesson advising the student to visualize their compositions and plan before putting a pen to paper. Our art production began after a brief tree-drawing review. We then employed the TR Mack method and dove right in. Drawing with pencil, students drew large contour line winter trees centered on a sheet of watercolor paper and then colored them black with sharpies to create silhouettes.

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Elie, grade 3.

Fisher, grade 3.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … identify works of contemporary American art. create a contour line drawing of a tree from observation or memory. • fill tree shape with solid color/value and establish it as the center of interest. • use the circle as an element of art. • use wet-on-wet watercolor technique. • identify and use varieties of shape (color and size). • demonstrate a rudimentary printmaking technique. • recognize that there are various opportunities in art related to careers.

• •

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

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

MATERIALS Using wet-on-wet liquid watercolors, the sky and ground were painted right over the top of their trees— how easy! After letting the sky and ground dr y for about a minute, students used Do-A-Dot markers (small and large) to print McCracken’s trademark dots on the background, and clumped them together to create larger shapes of foliage. (I have also www.ar tsandactivities.com

cut of f the points from my regular markers to provide a third size of dot.) Students chose a dotted color scheme (monochromatic, cool or warm, analogous, or mixed) and star ted stamping away, creating beautiful tributes to the ar tist. n Cheryl Crumpecker teaches K–3 art at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Day School in Kansas City, Missouri.

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• • • •

12" x 14" watercolor paper Pencils, black permanent markers Do-A-Dot paint markers, watered-down tempera or liquid watercolors Miscellaneous watercolor painting supplies

RESOURCES

• •

Images of trees and TR Mack’s artwork Lots of Dots, by Craig Frazier (Chronicle Books; 2010) • www.artistrising.com/shop/search/N/0/ Ntk/all/Ntt/TR+Mack/Num/1/ 27

by Paula Guhin

asking with flat paper cut-outs enhances this monoprinting method. Tip: Students should sign their papers beforehand! Roll water-based printing ink onto a sheet of Plexiglas and draw or scrape designs directly on that surface. Create lines, shapes, and patterns, but letters and numbers will be mirrored, so don’t use them. (Small squares of matboard make good scraping tools.) Then add the paper masking shapes on top of the ink, wherever more white is to be preserved. Place the sheet of printing paper onto the inked, designed surface. Press all over the back with the flat of your hand. Peel the print off, let dr y. While the black-and-white prints have graphic appeal, they’re even more delightful when partly colored. Use dry media (again, when the print is dry) such as colored pencils or pastels (oil or chalk), even crayons. It’s a good idea to leave some white paper in places. IMAGE TRANSFER with waxed paper is exciting for kids.

Computer images that are graphic and black and white work best. Students can even use their own art, whether a digitized drawing or photograph. Again, the print will be reversed. First, the computer image must be no larger than 8.5" x 11". Cut both smooth watercolor paper and waxed paper to that size, too. Then dampen the watercolor paper with water and wipe it off, because too much water will make the print blur terribly. Set that aside.

Inked plate with scraped designs.

To prevent wrinkles or jamming the printer, tape the waxed paper smoothly to a sheet of printer paper at the top. Or use repositional adhesive spray at the top end. Either side of the waxed paper works. Feed the sandwich into the printer and print. Tip: Definitely use an inkjet printer. Don’t be alarmed by the faint print you get: it’s supposed to look like that! Gently lay it ink-side down onto the pre-dampened watercolor paper. Holding the wax paper firmly down so it doesn’t move, press all over with your hand. Then carefully lift the waxed paper. It will still have ink, so be careful not to drag it. Those students who smear a portion or allowed the ink or paper to dry too much might rescue that print later (see the Native American example). They’re water soluble, so colorize with dry media. Or spray the print with clear acrylic when dry, let that dry too, then add watercolors. These two techniques are bright ideas that leave room for your students’ imagination. n A&A Contributing Editor Paula Guhin taught high-school art in Aberdeen, S.D. She is now busy with her art, photography and writing. Visit her blog: mixedmediamanic.blogspot.com.

Monoprint design with paper masks in place.

The pulled (black-and-white) Plexi print before color is added.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle-school students will … • understand and apply media, techniques, and processes. • reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.

MATERIALS

• • •

• • • •

Waxed paper Inkjet printer, computer Color media of choice Clear acrylic spray (optional)

Another wax paper print, finished with colored pencils.

Water-based block printing ink, brayers White (or light-colored) paper, smooth watercolor paper Plexiglas, scraping tools

The dry Plexi print with oil pastel enhancements.

Waxed paper with an inkjet print on it (the ink will appear light).

The transferred wax paper print on smooth watercolor paper.

The same wax paper print sealed, then painted with watercolors.

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art for PRESCHOOLERS

Fruit and Veggie Printmaking Fun! by Suzanne Dionne

ruit and vegetable printing is a fun and easy way to introduce printmaking to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. The children are often surprised by the image left behind from the object. If you are looking for an integrated art lesson for literature or science, these simple printmaking lessons are very good. Younger students with fine motor skills still developing can create excellent prints. This helps to boost self-

esteem. Parents will not have to ask, “What did you make?” Instead, they’ll ask, “How did you make that? n Suzanne Dionne teaches primary-level art at Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School in Waterbury, Connecticut. She is a past president of the Connecticut Art Education Association, and was recently named Teacher of the Year (Region I) by the Magnet Schools of America.

Celery Roses Celery can be used in vegetable printmaking with younger children. It makes a beautiful print. When buying, look for celery with large bases. Use a sharp knife and cut straight across the stalks, down to approximately 4 inches. The top of the base resembles a rose. Any color of tempera paint can be used. Two colors that are gently swirled with a paintbrush on a paper plate can create very pretty effects. It is always a good idea to practice printing first to make sure the paint isn’t too thick or too watery, and that the celery is cut evenly. I keep a few Elijah. Who would have thought that celery made this pretty rose print?

brushes on hand to apply paint to the celery before the students print with it. If necessary, assist the students in the printing process. The print(s) are to be made at the top of the paper. At times, the celery may need to be gently rocked side-to-side and front to back. It can also be moved slightly to the left or right. Caution students not to create a swirl of paint, because the look of rose petals will be lost. Students can print one or more roses using any size of white paper. Next, they paint green stems and leaves for their roses. Students, teachers and parents all like this project. The prints can be done any time of year, but are especially nice as Mother’s Day gifts.

Onion Fun I love onion printmaking—it’s always comical. You can count on a few students making faces and asking, “Eeww, What smells?” So the odor isn’t too strong, I cut, rinse and dr y them a couple of hours before class. Onions make fantastic prints. I like to use metallic paint and dark blue or black paper. Intrigued, students fill entire sheets of paper with these interesting concentric prints. The printed paper can be left as is, or become background for other prints. 30

Nazir’s onion print can serve as the printmaking project alone (above) or, as seen in Blerin’s work, celery-print roses can be glued onto the prints.

n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 • 84 Y E A R S

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Apple Printing

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84 Y E A R S •

november 2016

Krishanna. These single apple prints have a painted blue background created with a textured paint roller.

I usually teach printmaking with apples in the fall, but this can be done at any time of the year. Sometimes, our students will take autumn field trips to farms or orchards, which provide a wonderful opportunity for art integration. I begin the lesson by reading one of my two favorite books for this activity. One is titled The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree, by Gail Gibbons (HMH Books for Young Readers). I particularly like this story because it is about the changing of the seasons. Topics include making apple pie and cider in autumn. (There is even a recipe for apple pie!) Students are excited about sharing their knowledge and experiences with helping bake pies a home. The other, How Do Apples Grow?, by Betsy Maestro, is part of HarperCollins’ series, “Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science.” In it, children learn about how apples grow from a flower buds into full-size fruit. As I read both of these picture books to the class, I usually project each page on a smartboard for the children to follow along. Some preparation is needed prior to the actual printmaking. While you can use as many apples as you want, I cut two large apples in half with a sharp knife, so that the apples will lie flat on the paper. I strongly recommend doing some test prints before class. Set up a printmaking station on a newspaper-covered table or two, with various colors of paint on paper plates. I use red and green tempera, but there are other colors of apples, so yellow, orange and yellow-orange work as well. If you choose yellow, be sure to experiment with the paint first. I have found that yellow doesn’t come out as nicely as the darker colors. Whatever you choose, a small amount of water can be added to the tempera if it is too thick. Paintbrushes can be used to apply the paint on the apples, or RELATED BOOKS students can rub the flat of the apples into the paint on the paper plates. To help keep hands Betsy Maestro’s clean, a fork can How Do Apples Grow? is part of HarperCollins’ “Let’sbe stuck into Read-and-Find-Out Science” series, the apple. Shirts great for integrating your curriculum. I or smocks, particularly like The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree, by Gail Gibbons, because it paper towels is about the changing of the seasons. and a nearby

Ryan’s pair of red- and green-apple prints were mounted on black construction paper, which served as a dramatic frame.

sink, if available, are also helpful for messy hands or spills. I recommend having the students practice printing on newspaper, newsprint or less-expensive paper first. Sometimes, I have the children print a number of apples on white 12" x 18" paper. Other times, smaller pieces of paper are used, and students make a single apple print on each piece. After the paint dries, we discuss what can be added to make our apple prints look more realistic. For student reference, it is helpful to display a photo or actual apple sliced in half. They then draw the seeds, stems and leaves in pencil. (Students often need to be reminded where the seeds are.) Paint, crayon or markers are then used to color these parts. When using paint, applicator sticks or small brushes can be used for creating the seeds and stems. Once completed, two or three of each student’s best prints are set aside to be placed on a colored-paper background, which serves as a frame. Once all the paint is dry, the children carefully turn their prints over and brush glue onto the backs with paintbrushes. Some of them will need assistance when placing the prints back down. Another variation of the lesson is to add a background. Textured paint rollers are exciting for younger students to use, but be sure they practice with the rollers on newsprint before rolling the paint on the final print paper. 31

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101 TECHNIQUES: Drawing, by the Parramón Editorial Team. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.; $21.99. Written and illustrated by an exceptional group of professionals, this instructional guidebook on drawing may be best for beginners and near-beginners. Even artists in middle school could learn much from the lessons. Level of difficulty for each exercise is indicated with one or two stars. While each exemplar consists of just one or two pages rather than an in-depth version, sequences are shown every step of the way. Eye-catching art engages the reader, and it includes nearly every subject one can imagine. Animal lovers and visual art educators in particular will appreciate the book. The authors employ an extensive range of drawing materials: graphite, pastels, markers, even ballpoint pens (and more). Teachers in need of project ideas should try the “Loose Wash” done with ink, both embossed paper methods, and the “Ink and Charcoal” combo, amongst others.–P.G.

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

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

MEASURING METHODS FOR ARTISTS, hosted by Larry Withers. On Air Dynamic Video, Inc., $16.95. From the moment this 50-minute widescreen video begins, the viewer can sense professionalism and experience. Mr. Withers’ energetic, confident delivery is reassuring. As the writer and director of the DVD, he’s an authority extremely practiced with his subject matter. But consider your audience well: This material is not for everyone. The company’s own press release states that the methods in the video “are rarely taught in the classroom.” If accuracy is important to you, read on. We suggest that Measuring Methods for Artists is best for advanced, mature high school students and adults. Its subtitle supplies a hint: “the path to greater realism.” How does one make a methodical, exacting approach interesting to learners? The answer, perhaps, is that they must want to gain that knowledge. The three mechanical systems (comparative measuring, the sight-size method and triangulation) are presented definitively, with stepped-out demonstrations. The painstaking processes take time and patience, as the host himself states. The good news is that the video includes a segment selection feature so its users can break up their viewing time. Withers speaks clearly and inserts reminders at times. He covers such concepts as the dominant eye and the “datum line.” Many terms appear onscreen, as do helpful graphics and animation. Three drawings are shown in numerous stages from start to finish and two are completed with details and tones. If you’ve never used the plumb-bob procedure, with points or dots along all the contours, this DVD explains it meticulously.–P.G.

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AMERICAN EDUC. PRODUCTS Easy-to-use touch screen The special 10-piece ABIG ComEasy-to-follow screen descriptions simplete Lino Cutting Set offers what’s plify programming. Give a title to each cusneeded for making a lino cut and print. tom program. Use up to 32 segments per Included in the set are: a lino cutting program. Activa_8-3-16b_4c.indd 1 The novice mode is handle, V-shaped blade, small-shaped ingeniously simple, with blade, 3mm U-shaped blade, 4.5mm questions that help you proU-shaped blade, cutting tool, blade gram each step. remover stick, 1.2-inch diameter ink WiFi updates roller with 3.5-inch handle, 5.9" x 8.3" As long as you have WiFi access, you can update the linoleum plate, and a bottle of ink. controller when new features

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november 2016

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RECYCLING

by Irv Osterer

MATERIAL

World,” the ceramic universe he created. His work

joie de vivre, so when I was asked to teach a ceramics course at our school, I knew I had to do a frog project in homage to David Gilhooly. Aside from the Gilhooly connection, frogs are meaningful subjects for a number of other reasons, not the

SAVING ENDANGERED SPECIES WITH ART

Elementary, middle- and high school teachers and their are invited to participate in the Saving Endangered >> NathanSpecies Youth Art Contest, an students integral part of the 10th annual national EndangeredKirsten Species Day, which will be celebrated importance of May the 15, 2015. Started in 2006 by the U.S. Congress, paper. If Endangered Species Day filling is a the celebration of the nation’s wildlife and wild places. The contest provides K–12 students are their withdrawings an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and it would support through small, artwork. too Photographs courtesy of the Endangered Species Coalition. All rights reserved. Children who are home difficult and be more schooled to who participate in youth groups are also and stipwatercolor eligible to submit their art. also Miranda

abbey Mckenzie

Bryanna

mix, and truly don’t fasOil and water in action technique are a versaOil pastels seeing this They enjoyed students! for children cinated the bead up on tile material watercolors offer brilliant watching the to use. They easily, and chameleons. enjoyed color, blend value- their thoroughly The children and proud allow for beautiful overand were pleased students this project shading as were impressed Stanek They by Holly their results. lap the colors. projects turned chame- of colorful the each Once their with how compliment colored, started whoto neersquick were out and were or find leons or lessons teachers is to develop that finished pieces. movement think a challenge for primarily with warm that onatheir A lessonother of warm and all of our students. students their the world showcased that are successful for cool pastels, Exploring students as well way to experigreat and your most gifted paint their is astyles unique gives room to challenge prepared tolevels families, success. cool colors have to color the ability all for with contrasting of painting. I ways as create an opportunity backgrounds ment with third-grade and watercolors theircurricua staple in my that all of oil pastels They wetresults. Inand realized This project has been of contheusing the color group. withsponges in design principle opposite always felt satisfied simplification n my the S and I have lum, water and my students reinforces with with would OBJECTIVE project thinking materials. creatpapersthe was actually LEARNING their projects past, I approached trast, through with fewer will… tech-options. I kept it simple, order toif complete watercolor which would ing an atmosphere ntary students cool more successful art at on wet” think about,on the and be colors Upper-eleme r teaches “wet them less to gave was hindering School in be thisthe the use of warm Hemendinge and I figured, the wet paint Sarah that their ideas and to • explore artwork to create contrast Elementary abilities to explore results.Applying students’ myHill them to exploreof their in their lead to betternique. Hopkins allowed approach. subject because and of paints paper the Island. style always their wet with were balance. Rhode properties Sunflowers The unique the watercolor with the resist them easy to draw. Coventry, and students findway. • experiment and oil pastels. simple shapes,blending in the intro, I and cool a new aND VaN GOGH watercolors dark values together incolors in the background I sTILL Use MONeT medium, and and fearless color scheme was warm think about, WHILe • create light, two artists’ unique styles or vice versa. Less to now emphasize the artworkinofthe foreground, using oil pastels. students know there with thecolors right? themselves their work. I make sure easier, and more successful, paint- approaches to what I am about • familiarize that they can handle about the Impressionist Franz Marc. no doubt in my mind about Then I started to think Monet, who are is always quite excited van Gogh and Claude them with. They are ers suchS as Vincent They were pio- to challenge ART STANDARD in the introduction to this project. com ndactivities. featured NATIONAL rs x www.ar tsa media, 0 1 5 • 82 y e a

these Watercolors make Quite an ImpressIon

Mackenzie

Taylor Macie

ple later on. We

Learn more atenlarging

discuss www.endangeredspeciesday.org

a single flower or having several in a composition. These could be the same type or a group of

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High school students will ... • become more aware of endangered species, focusing on frogs.

• Design and create clay frogs, apply color with underglaze, glaze or paint.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• CREATING: Conceiving and developing

renaissance

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

by Tammie Clark

Lower-elementary students will… learn to see the art-making possibilities in everyday be able to repurpose objects objects into finished learn and participate pieces of artwork. in the papermaking create a sculpture. process.

• • • •

am a collector of odd items (hoarder, some say); I see potential art projects THe BIrD-HOUse in the most mundane POsT was made some say). So, when objects (trash, from one folded a friend told me of newspaper, which sheet about some birdhouse ideas she saw in was scrunched a craft magazine, into a tube-like and folded in shape I knew I could develop half. This double birdhouse project thickness helped a strength to for my students. the posts. add To kick things off, I asked students Beginning at the to rinse out and their milk cartons fold, students tightly save tape around from lunch (I also wrapped masking their posts, pulling collected some for the “unexpected”). and scrunching extras paper for For materials, my in the newsadditional strength. second- and thirdgraders would least of which is the fact that They wrapped the use these half-pint many species are tape about half way down milkwork. student newspaper, masking cartons, endangered. According to experts, so it resembled tape and foam board approximately 200 a crude feather duster when finished. decorative birdhouses. to create species of frogs have completely The biggest challenge disappeared since 1980. students had with Instead of using From their science studies, my students post-making was papier-mâché to were well aware of applied. wrapping the masking tape cover For cartons, those wishing the fact that this decline in amphibian a matt I precut tight enough. their frogs,the 10" fi x nish populations could similar selection 4.75"onwhite drawinga Students then pulled paper, of underglazes lead to irreversible consequences which we would was also and fanned out to the planet’s ecosystems wrapavailable. around the carthe A third option, loose newspaper tons, creating using watercolor and to humans. and/or diluted acrylic smooth, blank so the bottoms canvases. of their paint, was also demonstrated. posts would lay To do this, each Asstudent long as the paint remained as closely as possible to the completely opened thin and washis base. I told them applied or herincarton’s BeFOre sTarTING WOrK, many layers, theplaced if it wiggled like wonderful texture the class first viewed a Powertop, then a joystick, a length of of the clay surface it wouldn’t hold double-sided remained Point presentation that profiled uncompromised. the milk carton up tape vertically along many different kinds of correctly. the center Some students They placed the of onechose frogs, then spent time examining to sides. of the glaze only fanned-out newspaper eyes of their frog One the the shapes, colors and and edge of the their on fi nished white paper the rest foam board, securing textures associated with the smallest was with then matt color, laid on tree frogs to large bull- interesting the which their tape, produced an post to the base then wrapped visual effect. around frogs. Students made several drawings with the in their sketchbooks, four strips of maskThe resulting milk carton frogs (be before getting their hands on the were a spectacular sure fusion of ideas they clay. inspired by crease ing tape. nature the andpaper We used a pinch technique to create by David at theGilhooly’s whimsical frog the frog forms from universe. It worked best The corners). students’ frogs white stoneware clay, hollowing had their own special place— Another out their sculptures before a for the masking pond, created piecefor our they could be placed in the kiln. of art show. double■ tape to be placed stick tape is After the first bisque firing, students used were shown a vari- Irv Osterer right next to the istoDepartment secure theHead–Fine base of ety of finishing techniques. For Arts and Technology, at loose those who wanted a shiny Merivale the post, pulling High edge the maskSchool finish, the appropriate glazes of theinpaper Ottawa, to Ontario, Canada, and an were chosen and carefully Arts ing tape tightly & Activities the milk across the Contributing carton. Editor. fanned-out newspaper After and students around to the bottom carefully refolded of the base. It should the tops of their look like a tic-tac-toe board milk cartons, when finI ished. If the masking secured them at tape is the not right next top edge with to the base of hot the post, it will act glue, using clothespins like a joystick,

NATIONAL ART yet another problematic STANDARDS area of the process. • CreatInG: Conceiving I then attached the and developing posts to the cartons dent volunteers with hot glue. Stu- • PresentInG: Interpreting and sharing new artistic ideas and work. helped by holding artistic work. the posts in the it set. Each student glue until was then given his or her milk which they held carton, upside down—to MATERIALS prevent any glue on them—until dripping it dried completely • Milk cartons Students then used • newspapers, foam board • White drawing paper acrylic paint to cover sure to paint a the posts, being or cardboard • Double-stick, masking bit of the fanned-out and portion at the base • Hot-glue gun and glue well. Watercolor duct tape as was used to paint • acrylic paint, watercolors, the paper-wrapped • Wool felts, towels, sponges tons. Short pieces carof drinking straws • Deckles/molds, drying brushes • Green paper scraps were hot-glued birdhouses to serve screens to the • Blender, dish tubs as perches, and • Clothespins black paper-punched circles glued above • straws, black circles became the entry “holes.” TO MaKe THe “Grass” to cover the

to hold them closed while the glue hardened.

new artistic ideas and work.

• PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.

• RESPONDING: Understanding and

each student created a unique and personal sculpture.

evaluating how the arts convey meaning.

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

different flowers. I suggest changMATERIALS ing the angle of a Kemp’s ridley sea Turtle. Hailey Boiarsky, grade 4, Zaharis • Sketchbooks, colored pencils, oil pastels flower or to show elementary school, Mesa, ariz. • White stoneware clay, kiln different stages— • Underglazes, glaze, clay tools > from buds to fully • Watercolor Ocelot. Brenna Litynski, grade 7, and acrylic paint making the • Brushes home-schooled, Maryland. interest. We discuss opened—to create more could be and sizes. The stems the flowers different heights ENTRIES MUST Go to artsandactivities.com and Students might overlap BE POSTMARKED click on or wavy. BY MarCH 1, 2015. this button for resources and links straight, bent over flowers go off their related individuality. to this article. more depth, or have have to express their of flowers to create the freedom they now 12 finish the rest. students examine a variety letting a viewer’s imagination februa At the start of the project flowers will their centers, the paper, their compositions rofy 2 0 1 5 • 8 2 y e a r s ❘ w w w . a r t s a n d a c t i v i t i e s . c o m shapes of their petals, They consider whether silk flowers, noting the flowers. a collage, a patthe inside, in a vase We then practice drawing be in an outdoor setting, With a the stems and leaves. direction, and so on. or windblown in a specific (This was of well-composed tern, their final drawings. I DIsPLay a variety think about, they start 42 IN THe NeXT CLass, Because stu- lot to see IMPRESS on page talk about composition. we and pictures, flower I emphasize 35 a tendency to draw small, dents sometimes have

by Sarah Hemendinge

student work.

was outstanding—with FrogVictoria • Black, fine-tip paper in her 100th Year as Queen • 9" x 12" drawing watercolor permanent markers (1976), among my favorites (www.sites.onlinemac.com/ sets • Heavy 9.5" x 12.5" • 16-color watercolorcchang/fmythhisjpg/FrogVictoria.jpg). paper • Paint trays, paintbrushes I have always remembered Gilhooly’s • Jumbo pencils, tape spirit and

contrast the natural Employing colors, stuand cool between warm family to use which color to use dents chose and which for their chameleons,. from for the backgrounds source coming With the light their pastels children sorted above, the began coloring to dark and from light top of their value at the the lightest darker values their way reptiles. Progressively as they worked from the were added pastels bodies. Oil be used for down the family could opposite color on the bodies small details emphasis of wished. if the students >

Imagihis horses. done with on Marc had also be drawn by Sue Shields native patterns could unique illustrated to add creative, Jenkins and the chameleons then outlined students explored (Candlewick, 2001). The children began sketching y fifth-grade cool colblack, permanent Next, students white paper, as details. of warm and ” sketches with the world on about what create their “Colorful Chameleons.at their chameleons began to think how they could markers and ors by creating by looking explore. we talked about wanted to their pictures the activity impact in colors they We began Blue Horses The Large emphasis and large, as Franz Franz Marc’s used cool colors by drawing the reptiles see how he (1911), to for the backand warm how artists for his horses then discussed ground. We balance, drama, to create work. use color beauty in their the book, contrast and to the class read I then by Martin are Cool, written Chameleons >

College of Art in Toronto, I attended a lecture by ceramicist David Gilhooly NATIONAL ART STANDARDS work. ideas and (1943–2013), a product of and developing new artistic • CreatInG: Conceiving and sharing artistic work. the California funk ceramics • PresentInG: Interpreting movement of the 1960s. Gilhooly gave a spirited talk about ceramics and his “Frog

•

Sharing successful creative ideas ...

unk y Frog World

LEARNING OBJECTIVES will ... van Gogh. elementary students Claude Monet and Vincent drawn. • learn about Impressionism, shapes in the objects being • learn to see the simple • understand good composition. any years ago, and how to shade using • be introduced to pointillism/stippling while a student this method. at the Ontario techniques and color themes. learn about watercolor

activit www.ar tsand

ies.com

pril 82 y e a r s • a

students did several drawings in their sketchbooks before getting their hands on the clay. www.ar tsandactivi ties.com

❘

Our frogs were a fusion of ideas inspired by nature and by artist David Gilhooly’s work.

82 y e a r s •

februar y 2015

may 2015 • 82 years

❘

www.ar tsa ndacti

vities.com

www.ar tsa ndacti

vities.com

Birdhouses prior to painting.

bases, we cleaned out my scrapThe pulp was paper box of all the green, and made poured into a tub paper. My students were amazed of water and at the process. The a green paper deckle was torn into small and mold bits, soaked were both dipped in water and made into a pulp in underneath the a blender (about two thirds water water’s to one-third paper surface bits).What a and then pulled fun (and wet) way to recycle! straight up, letting the pulp settle on the deckle/mold water drained. as the The deckle and mold were flipped upside of wool felt (I found down onto a piece an old army blanket and cut was used to remove more water and compress it up). A sponge The deckle was the fibers. removed and then the mold. The were then stacked felts on top of one another, wrapped in a towel and compressed even further to remove more water (I stand on the towel). The paper was then removed from the and placed on screens felts to dry flat. (I acquired screens from a thrift old window store for this purpose.) I hung the felts from a clothes-drying them when dry. rack and reused I made my own deckles and molds foam meat trays from by simply cutting a rectangle ter of two trays from the cenand duct-taping plastic screening tom of one tray to the botfor the deckle (also acquired from the store screens). thrift The mold dictates the shape of the this case, a rectangle. paper, in Both trays are upside mold being placed down, with the on top of the deckle. In my test-run, I tried white glue and craft glue but, end, hot glue worked in the best to adhere the “grass” to the bases. The end products were whimsical, students were so fun, proud of their birdhouses. and the other students in From the the school, we heard, “How come we didn’t get to make those?” I think this recycling effort is worth a repeat! ■ Tammie Clark (NBCT) is an art teacher at Somerville Road and Decatur Elementary Schools in Decatur, Alabama. ❘ 82 years • may 2 015

2015

april 2

and applying Understanding and processes. 34the techniques and assessing Reflecting upon of their work and merits characteristics others. of arts and the work between visual connections • Making disciplines. and other

•

MATERIALS

• • •

The Large of Franz Marc’s, Reproduction (1911) Blue Horses x 18" paper pastels, White 12" markers, oil Pencils, permanent

• •

Makayla

s 1 year 14 • 8 june 20

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tsanda

ctiviti

es.com

watercolors water Sponges, brushes, Visuals of chameleons

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tsanda

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Morgan

rs 81 y e a

• june

2014

www.artsandactivities.com n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 • 84 Y E A R S

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Fund, 1950. Public domain.

Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey

N.Y. The Elisha Whittelsey

Metropolitan Museum of Art,

lithograph; 20" x 24".

on a Cushion, 1909. Color

1859–1923). Winter: Cat

Steinlen (Swiss-born French;

Théophile-Alexandre

STUDY PRINT

“Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.” — William Blake

tip #3 ENGRAVING—EVEN FOR ELEMENTARY One of the best printmaking

ow is a great time to take a few minutes and breathe, relax and reflect back on what you have done so far this year. November brings to us Thanksgiving, Native American Heritage Month, and a few days to rest and rejuvenate. This month, we will focus on printmaking, photography and image transfers.

tip #1

BRIDGING ART AND LITERACY Have

your class agree on a book and find a used copy (you can usually get one online). Have each student create a print using the theme of the book (could be a linoleum print, polystyrene foam, silk screen). Make the print the same size as the area of print—the border on the page will be the border of the print.

tip #2

NO NEED TO TOSS OLD PAPERS Tr y printing on maps, book pages, newspaper, telephone books (if you can find

projects I’ve done with my students (elementar y and middle school) was an engraving project. I used engraving tools, old CDs, etching ink, and a small printing press. The students traced the CD several times in their sketchbook so that their sketches would be the correct size. Once they had their perfect sketch (usually a themed project) they traced it on to their CD with either oil pastels or just copied with a Sharpie marker. They then engraved it with the tools, inked it and ran it through the press. Some students hand colored with watercolors.

tip #4

SEE IT, MOVE IT, ZOOM IT! Bizzy Jen-

kins, from Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla., says that when shooting a photo, remember to compose the image: look at everything in the viewfinder, not just the subject. A small step to the right or left or kneeling down can often dramatically improve

Glenda L

ubiner

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

then dipped them in liquid tempera paint and printed on the woven paper.

tip #6

IT’S A WRAP Nancy J. Williams from Saint Louis Catholic School in Waco, Texas, saves tissue rolls and towel rolls as she is sure most of you do. She uses them for many different things, but one of the best is rolling student work and inserting them in a tube, allowing students to take their work home with

Printmaking & Image Transfer any), old wallpaper samples, wrapping paper, or comic strips. The more untraditional paper you use, the more interesting your print will be. I have also had my students make marbleized paper by using bright colored chalk dust sprinkled into large water vats. Place the paper on the top of the water and the chalk design will transfer to the paper. I’ve done it on all different colors of paper. My most successful prints on marbleized paper have been Gyotaku prints done with black ink or paint.

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

the image. Remember to also use the human zoom—getting closer to your subject by moving you instead of just the lens.

tip #5

no messy folds etc. Parents can also store the work in the rolls if they like! All involved seem to love this idea. It also lends a sense of importance to the students’ work! Thank you Bizzy and Nancy for your great tips.

ADINKRA PRINT MAKING The Ashanti

people of Ghana make Adinkra cloth by stamping patterns of symbols on cloth. Four symbols with special meaning are love (the heart), strength (the paddle), rhythm (the drum), and patience (the moon). My students painted two sheets of paper; one with the cool colors, and one with the warm. Once these papers were dr y they cut them and wove them together. Students cut out the symbols from sponges and attached them to clothespins. They

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Walker Evans (Nov. 3, 1903), Claude Monet (Nov. 14, 1840), Sonia Delaunay (Nov. 14, 1885); René Magritte (Nov. 21, 1898), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Nov. 24, 1864), George Segal (Nov. 26, 1924) and William Blake (Nov. 28, 1757). n

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.

n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 • 84 Y E A R S

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Inkless Tessellation Prints

Lesson Plan for Grades 5-12

Step 1: Create a tile for tessellation using the process described at DickBlick.com/lesson-plans. Using a metal scratch-art tool, add details to the tile.

Step 2: Add light colors to the tile plate with watersoluble pastels. On damp paper, make a print using a baren to apply pressure.

Step 3: Fill the paper with tessellating prints using the transparency of the plate to create proper placement with no gaps or overlaps.

Step 4: Clean the tile plate and repeat with more color. Brush water lightly over the first print before applying, and register the second print using the transparency of the plate.

Think printmaking requires ink? Think again! A tessellation is a geometric that repeats without overlapping or leaving negative space between repetitions — think of the prints created by M.C. Escher. This transparent plate can be cut with scissors and scratched with a design before “inking” with watersoluble crayons to make tessellating, multi-colored images! DickBlick.com/lesson-plans/inkless-tessellation-prints fall 2016

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