Arts & Activities Magazine December 2017 by Arts & Activities

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CONTENTS VOLUME 162, N o. 4

DECEMBER 2017

MAKING ART WITH UNEXPECTED MEDIA 14 ABSTRACT FELT DESIGNS INSPIRED BY WASSILY KANDINSKY

Heidi O’Hanley

Keith Mason

ARTFUL WALL HANGINGS Paula Guhin

16 INTEGRATING THE CURRICULUM: MUSICALS INSPIRE FABRIC ART 23 DEDICATED TO DENIM: COMPOSING WITH FABRIC Tracy VanBuskirk 26 CREATIVE COLLABORATION: DECONSTRUCT, RECONSTRUCT ... 27 THESE PUPPETS ARE WIRED! Karen Skophammer 28 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: FACE2FACE IN OTTAWA Irv Osterer

YEARLONG SECONDARY ADVANCED ART SERIES 12 AN AMPED UP CURRICULUM, ARTICLE 4 OF 10: GAME ON! Debi West

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS 8 STEPPING STONES: MIXED MEDIA MANIA Heidi O’Hanley 10 ART IS AT THE CORE: HOKUSAI’S THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI

Amanda Koonlaba

38 TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: WINTER IS COMING Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES 19 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: IAN BERRY, THE BROOKLYN DINER

Tara Cady Sartorius 37 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: INUME PASS, KOSHU Katsushika Hokosai

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 33 CLAY CORNER 34 MARKETPLACE 36 ADVERTISER INDEX

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITOR’S NOTE 30 MEDIA REVIEWS 31 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

KATHI WILCOX Denim on cardboard, 23" x 18". By Danielle Ashakih, grade 11. Norwalk High School, Norwalk, Ohio See “Dedicated to Denim: Composing with Fabric,” page 23.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (800) 651-7567; amy.tanguay@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: www.artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. 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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editor’s note

“Making art with unexpected media” is our focus this month. For starters, the artwork on our cover is made up of carefully selected, cut, placed and glued pieces of denim. Say what? You heard correctly: 11th-grader Danielle (and her classmates) pored over piles of old, donated blue jeans until she found just the right tones to represent those present in her reference photo of feminist rocker, Kathi Wilcox. “Each semester, I search for engaging ideas for the fiber portion of my Fibers and Glass course,” writes art teacher/author Tracy VanBuskirk. “I was on the search for something new. I wanted to expose them to a new material or approach.” Read more in “Dedicated to Denim: Composing with Fabric,” found on page 23.

Where did this idea and technique come from? For that, turn to page 19, where British artist Ian Berry’s amazing “Brooklyn Diner” is our featured Art Print. Writes Ian, “I make all my work out of only denim jeans, nothing else. No paint, no bleach. Only using the washes with the varying tones of indigo within each cut piece, layering up the denim to make a three-dimensional piece that when you stand back, create an almost photorealistic piece.”

Old badminton and tennis racquets, perforated or woven kitchen tools with handles (think strainers, fryer baskets and fishgrilling tools) and plastic-coated wire are the materials used in Karen Skophammer’s love note to thrift stores, “These Puppets are Wired!” (page 27). Speaking of thrift stores (and attics too!) … that’s where one can usually find the old knit and crocheted items, such as pot holders and afghans, that comprise the collaborative work created by Paula Guhin’s students in “Deconstruct, Reconstruct … Artful Wall Hangings” (page 26).

Who would have thought that Kandisnky’s 1923 painting, “Composition VIII,” could be reinterpreted in felt and yarn? Heidi O’Hanley, that’s who! An unrepentant aficionado of the fiber arts, Heidi introduces her elementary-level students to the art of abstraction and a master thereof on pages 14-15 in “Abstract Felt Designs Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky.” Writes Heidi, “Felt and yarn were new materials to them, so when students learned they were to create an abstract collage out of them, their eyes opened wide.”

Open your own students’ eyes with some unexpected media. Their creativity will be challenged and their art will delight!

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 Art Teacher, Art Education Consultant, Suwanee, Georgia

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

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

amy.tanguay @ artsandactivities.com 800.826.2216 or 888.651.7567 p r o d u c t i o n 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,

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

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

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

MIXED MEDIA MANIA

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

reating artworks with multiple materials are some of the most memorable projects a student can treasure. There’s so much experimentation in the process, and opportunities to integrate other ideas within the project creation. Mixed media is defined as an artwork created with more than one medium. Common mixed-media projects are altered books, artist trading cards, collage (assemblage), quilt art, and inter-media. Many mixed-media techniques are experimented with in the upper grade levels, but can also be used as early as pre-kindergarten. When I think of mixed media, I think of STEAM because there is a great opportunity to tie in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the finished artworks. When coming up with a mixed-media project, there are a few things to keep in mind when designing and executing the lesson. I must confess that some of the tips to be shared were learned by experimentation.

BROWSE YOUR MATERIALS. Some of the most com-

EXPERIMENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. If you have

mon mixed-media projects require the simplest of materials, such as crayons to watercolor, or Mod Podge® for assemblage. Take the time to go through your collected materials and research what art medium can work with others. I recommend browsing art education blogs with lesson ideas or visiting websites of art supply companies that list multiple mixed-media lesson plans.

a wonderful idea using multiple materials for your students’ finished products, know what works together and what doesn’t. This is where it is always best to create your finished example before executing the lesson. It’s good to learn first hand what materials can be water resistant or bleed colors when wet. Document what steps are involved in the process. Are you incorporating technology? Do you plan on having students create beginning designs of their products before executing the final piece? Are there precise measurements involved? Practicing these steps and performing your experimentation will help you execute the lesson with better ease.

EXPLORE MULTIPLE TECHNIQUES. Assemblage and resist are two of my go-to techniques with younger grade levels. My younger students are always interested in the magic of crayons or oil pastels resisting watercolors or tempera paint. It is also fun to assemble multiple images or drawings and add more elements, such as paint, gel markers or even air-dry clay for 3-D pieces. My older students 8

enjoy altering materials, like playing with torn paper, adding images in collage, or painting over found objects.

KNOW THERE WILL BE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. In my 11 years in education, I have had a few lessons that have been tossed out or heavily modified. One of my most memorable examples was when I started my “stained glass” tissue paper project with sixth grade. I wanted to create a glass effect using tissue paper on clear vellum, and applied black glue to trace the images, which made the glass designs stand out. When I first started the project, I learned that regular glue was not the glue to use to apply the tissue paper. After many projects dried, the vellum and the tissue paper peeled apart. I also learned that with using the black glue, projects needed to be dried flat and not on the drying racks, or else they would leak. I learned that Mod Podge did the trick and created a shiny effect with the tissue paper. If you start a project off from scratch, you will find out what works after playing with new materials with your students.

ORGANIZE THE CHAOS. Working with multiple mate-

ENJOY

rials can be fun and exciting, but when you work with different media (especially when you’re on a cart), you need to keep a stricter eye on the creativity in the room, especially if you have limited amounts of items to use. I always need to keep this in mind when using feathers, beads, pipe cleaners or other embellishment materials. Students want to cake their projects with every bead available, but when the last class is ready to start their project, you end up running out. Make sure to divide the materials available with all your classes. There are some projects where I encourage students to pick up their own embellishments, which makes the product more exciting and personal for the maker. Also, when working with an abundance of materials, allow for additional cleanup time with younger grade levels. YOUR

STUDENTS’

AMAZING

PRODUCTS!

When the artworks are completed, have the students reflect on their process. You can achieve this through artist statements or critiques. You can also have the students talk about the steps used in creating their artworks. In an open critique, ask them how they felt about the process and finished product. Enjoy your mixed-media projects with your students. They are some of the best artworks to make with your students. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Heidi O’Hanley (NBCT), teaches art at Brodnicki Elementary School in Justice, Illinois. Visit her blog at www.talesfromthetravelling artteacher.blogspot.com. d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 • 85 Y E A R S

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AA1712

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

HOKUSAI’S THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI

BY AMANDA KOONLABA Katsushika Hokusai was born in 1760 to an artisan family in Edo, Japan. He became an apprentice to a woodcarver at the age of 14. At 18, he was accepted into the school of Katsukawa Shunsho-, where he began his mastery of ukiyo-e, a style of woodblock printing and painting. Below are several ideas for integrating Hokusai’s “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji” with other subjects.

LOOKING AT THE WORKS. Students will enjoy view-

ing all of the works before focusing in on specific ones. There are some slideshows available online. Below, you will find specific works for specific content integration. Before beginning any of the lessons, however, have the students use view finders to look slowly at the works. A view finder can be cut from a thick piece of paper. Just cut a square out as if making a frame. Small precut mats work as well. The students can place the viewfinder over different parts of the work and focus their attention there. These can be moved around the printed works easily. This will help them notice details. Have them record what they see on a sheet of paper using vivid language.

NATURAL PHENOMENA. These works have a pleth-

ora of natural phenomena incorporated beyond just the volcano that is Mt. Fuji. Have students sort images by constructive and destructive forces and explain their reasoning. Tama River in the Musashi Province depicts the force of a river, which carries sediment and causes erosion. Inume Pass in the Kai Province depicts a valley that could have been formed by movement of the earth’s surface or by erosion (see page 37). Tsukada Island in the Musashi depicts an island that could have been formed from the volcano erupting. Red Fuji depicts mostly just the volcano. The students can discuss whether a volcano is mostly destructive or mostly constructive. These images provide almost endless possibilities for discussing natural phenomena. Incorporate other images besides the ones mentioned here as needed to meet the needs of your students. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources and links related to this article.

WRITING. Many of them images depict people. For instance, Sunset Across the Ryoguko Bridge from the Bank of the Sumida River at Onmagayashi shows people in a small boat. These images are great for narrative writing. Have the students write a narrative in first person and third person from the same image. This forces them to think critically as they use different voices but the same prompt.

CREATING ART. Students can create their own images to accompany this unit. First, have them scratch a design into a piece of polystyrene. Then, have them print onto a piece of white paper using either warm or cool colors. Any type of paint will work for this, even tempera cakes. The most important aspect of this printing is to get a texture, not an image. The children can choose warm or cool, based on what message they want to convey. For instance, in the image seen to the right, the student wanted to convey that a volcanic eruption would be dangerous and frightening. The student felt that warm colors best showed this idea and used warm colors to print the texture onto the white paper. Once the print dried, the student cut out the volcano shape. The background was created with oil pastels and watercolor. The student Student work. used plain white paper to create the illusion of a cloud of smoke. Instruct students to use these types of materials to create other images of natural phenomena. One way to incorporate math into this art making is to give specific measurements and dimensions for students to use as they create their image. For instance, you could tell them to create the most important object to be 9" x 5". This would require the use of problem-solving skills, make it even more challenging, and increase engagement. n

Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Amanda Koonlaba, NBCT, teaches at Lawhon Elementary in Tupelo, Miss. Before teaching art, she was a classroom teacher, and used arts integration as the cornerstone for instruction.

The activities described in “Art is at the Core” may encompass Common Core State Standards for Math, the English Language Arts Anchor Standards of Writing, Speaking and Listening, and the Next Generation Science Standards Performance Based Expectations of Science and Engineering Practices for Analyzing and Interpreting Data. They also encompass the National Arts Standards processes of Creating and Responding. Please refer to particular grade-level standards for specifics.—A.K. 10

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Yearlong Secondary Advanced Art Series | AN AMPed UP CURRICULUM

Game On! by Debi West

laying games is fun! It’s really that simple. Today, our games look much different than the games we played in the 1970s and ’80s. Now, most games are digital and on our student’s smart phones. So this is another advanced lesson that not only has our students creating beautiful art, it also forces them to think divergently and incorporate research. WHEN I FIRST LEARNED about a similar lesson at a past National Art Education Association convention, I remember thinking about the many ways in which my kids could interpret the meaning of “games.”

I returned from the convention and, like always, was excited to share my newly formed ideas with my students so they would have some voice in each lesson. They were particularly excited about this one and we immediately began discussing the many definitions of “GAME,” deciding on this one as a focus: “A form of play or sport, especially a competitive one, played according to rules and decided by skill, strength or luck.” We also created a collaborative list of some of their favorite games, which included: Monopoly, Risk, Life, Solitaire, Mario, Peek-A-Boo, Spin the Bottle, Uno, Chess, Football, Wii, and more. The list was long and the kids had so much fun reminiscing about their childhood memories, as well as naming some of their favorite games today. ONCE WE COMPLETED OUR CLASS LIST OF GAMES, students were then encouraged to make their own personal list of games, and begin to envision and sketch out ways they could turn these ideas into creative solutions. With creative solutions, come great pieces of art! Many considered ways to turn these works into a concentration piece, while several

Allison, “Peek-a-Boo.”

Tewdros, “Hungry Hungry Hippos.”

Eddya, “Fishbowl.”

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ARTICLE 4 OF 10

Stephanie, “Chess.”

deliberated how they could use the word “game” itself as their concentration focus. As students began to research their top five games they were then quickly narrowed down to the top three, in terms of visual imagery and the overall story the art could tell. They considered the objective of the game, the rules, the playing pieces, the strategies, the energy surrounding the game, and more. This is where our job as “visual art guide” really comes into action.

Ryan, “Risk.”

AS I WALKED AROUND THE ROOM and saw my students’

sketches, I was thrilled with their thinking processes and encouraged them to continue to push their work ideas. They considered size, media, color theory, and took into account art-historical references and the final results were truly inspiring! Once again, I didn’t narrow down the lesson in terms of specifics. I basically gave them the prompt of “Game On!” By giving them this freedom of choice, their final works went to places they couldn’t have imagined! This is a “game” I’m positive your students will enjoy, and ultimately win! Next Up: “Transportation.” n A&A Contributing Editor Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, was an art educator and department chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. She is now involved with her two businesses, WESTpectations Educational Consulting and Crystal Collage Children’s Art Studio in Suwanee. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

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Cori, “Rock’em Sock’em Robots.”

december 2017

Abstract Felt Designs Inspired A

s the author for the “Stepping Stones” column, I recently shared that some of my favorite lessons to teach were fiber-arts based, but with the time crunches and challenges with storage, I was not always able to work with the materials in a traveling setting. I did manage to work with yarn, fabric, and other natural/synthetic materials here and there in the past, but like any enthusiastic art teacher, I wanted to incorporate more within my classes. There are plenty of projects on blogs and social-media sites that have caught students’ interests with weaving, sewing and other craft traditions, and it makes my heart melt to see all the exciting projects shared! While pondering the concepts of abstract art, I developed an idea to introduce a felt project to my fourthgrade students. When they were in second grade, they had learned about abstract art and design, but now a few years older, I wanted to revisit the concept by viewing the painting creations of painter, Wassily Kandinsky. He was inspired by jazz music, which is evident in the shapes, lines, and colors applied in his abstract paintings.

ON THE FIRST DAY, we began by look-

ing at paintings created by Kandinsky and discussing how we were able to see the movement within his shapes and lines in his paintings. In YouTube, there is an animated video called “The Kandinsky Effect” by ManuMeyre (youtu.be/aMiiKLyIR88) that demonstrated how jazz music could influence the way a painting can be created. The animation was based off of Kandinsky’s painting Composition VIII. Afterwards, we viewed slides of Kandinsky’s artworks. The students had a blast pointing out paintings that appeared to have

been made during a slow or fast-paced moving song. After talking about how Kandinsky’s paintings were created with the influence of music, we moved on to discuss how the same idea could be used by creating an abstract collage out of felt and yarn. This was when the students’ eyes opened up and the questions were flying. Since it was a new material for the students to work with. Their curiosity was piqued. ONE OF THE THINGS I like about work-

ing with felt is that it’s very forgiving.

NATIONAL ART STANDARD

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • identify how movement is shown in abstract art created by Wassily Kandinsky. • demonstrate how to create an abstract artwork with the use of felt.

MATH INTEGRATION Students enjoyed working with the felt and creating their own Kandinsky-inspired abstract designs. 14

Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in twodimensional figures.

•

CREATING: Exploring and inventing art-making techniques and approaches.

MATERIALS

• 9" x 12" polystyrene foam sheets • Different colored 9" x 12" felt sheets • Scraps of colored felt, felt glue • Stencils of different sized circles • Markers

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by Wassily Kandinsky

by Heidi O’Hanley

Wassily Kandinsky (Russian-born French; 1866–1944). Composition VIII, 1923. Oil on canvas; 55.125" x 79.125". Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

on the drying rack. Here’s a tip: when using markers to draw their shapes, remind your students not to press hard with the markers when drawing, or the ink could bleed through the felt and show up in the finished product. ON THE SECOND DAY OF CLASS, we

It is easy to cut, plus you can arrange your pieces before gluing anything down. Students were asked to create their own abstract collage using the felt and yarn provided. With this being a new material, students were to explore how to design their pieces before gluing pieces down. As an added bonus, we listened to music in the background to help inspire their designs! In demonstration, I reminded students about foreground/middle ground/ background of layers. Students were shown how even in Kandinsky’s paintings, shapes and lines were painted

down in layers. Shapes can overlap or converge to make different shapes! For the remainder of class, students began drawing and cutting out the shapes for their abstract designs. They were given a full sheet of felt to glue down on a piece of polystyrene for stability, which also made it easier to store

revisited Kandinsky’s work and focused on the lines used within his paintings. In Composition VIII, he used multiple bumpy and wavy lines to help unify the space. To create the lines in the students’ artworks, we used yarn to bring out some of the shapes and lines see

ABSTRACT

on page 32

Felt and yarn were new materials to them, so when students learned they were to create an abstract collage out of them, their eyes opened wide and the questions started to fly. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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INTEGRATING

the curriculum

The quilt for “The Boy Friend” features the French Riviera, the Roaring ’20s, and Nice, France.

Musicals Inspire Fabric Art by Keith Mason

usicals can inspire activities in the arts. Many 21stcentury standards encourage students to create; the visual arts are ideal for their creativity. As a foreign-language instructor, I integrated musicals for eight years at my high school by using them to inspire projects. Various subject area teachers can tie a musical into their curriculum by focusing on themes, characters, plots, song lyrics, historical events, and especially artistic components. Musicals form part of the social makeup of a school, inviting them as ideal pathways for interdisciplinary learning. This promotes the musical as an effective educational tool not only for students in the production, but also for students in their regular classes, especially when using a project approach. Throughout the integrations at our school, eight projects were created using fabric and fabric markers. Six quilts, a scarf, and a Little Red Riding Hood cloak were created in my Italian and Spanish classes, all inspired by our school musicals. StuLEARNING OBJECTIVES Secondary students will ... • learn about the school musical through class lessons and research. • use fabric and fabric markers to create a panel on a quilt, scarf, or cloak tied to the school musical. • combine both text and artwork to tell their part of the story related to a musical’s themes • utilize a musical to inspire the creation of art and build writing skills. 16

dents often use paint and canvas or pencils and paper to create art, but fabric and fabric markers are not as common. For this reason, I devised fabric projects to promote interdisciplinary learning via language, research, art, math, design thinking, music, performing arts, history, and culture. The interdisciplinary aspect of this project is beautifully represented by Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. All students demonstrated in varying degrees verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences. A select number of them utilized naturalist intelligence when they explored flora or fauna tied to a specific NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Conceiving and deploying new artistic ideas and work. Developing criteria to guide making a work of art or design to meet an identified goal. • CONNECTING: Relaying artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context. • PRESENTING: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. • RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning.

MATERIALS

•

Quilting fabric for border, panel borders, and reverse side • Cotton fill

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White rectangles of cotton muslin Fabric markers in multiple colors Thread, needles

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The “Bye Bye Birdie” quilt features Elvis Presley, classic cars, and rock and roll.

The “Into the Woods” quilt brings together fairy tales, folktales, and composer Stephen Sondheim.

musical. By listening to the musical’s score or completing a text panel tied to the music, students fostered musical-rhythmic intelligence. The project accommodated all three learning styles and those who combine two or all three. The creation of art panels (visual), discussion of text and art and listening to the musical score (auditory), and creating the art and text with fabric and fabric markers (kinesthetic). MY LANGUAGE STUDENTS completed the musical fabric projects

and met all five national foreign language standards known as the five Cs: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. They wrote text in the target language, thus communicating in writing. They understood their own culture as well as the target culture by learning how natives of Italian and Spanish express certain phrases based on cultural influences and the impact that musicals have had globally. They connected musicals, history, and foreign language through interdisciplinary learning. Students compared Engwww.ar tsandactivities.com

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lish with the target languages in their written expression. Finally, they completed their part of the project with their classmates and shared the finished product with the musical-attending community. History and culture were explored through each musical as part of Broadway theatre, the arts, and U.S. popular culture. Some topics that students worked on were more historical than others, although background information that I as instructor provided did go into the history of each musical in an introductory lesson before projects were assigned. continued on next page 17

CREATING THE PRELIMINARY AND FINAL fabric panels required some logical-mathematic abilities. Students had to write their text using a logical progression of ideas in the target language. They had to produce a fabric panel that would fit in with the rest of their classmates’ contributions. The variety of themes in musicals and the multitude of colorful fabrics and fabric pens available guarantee a unique project every time, making this a project that can be easily explored in many classes. BEFORE STARTING WORK, we viewed film clips and listened to

The “Into the Woods” cloak for Little Red Riding Hood features fairy tales and folktales.

the soundtrack to familiarize ourselves with the score and instill interest in our upcoming school musical. Our school musicals are in March, so each fabric project began a few months prior so the finished projects could be displayed to coincide with performances for audience members and the school community. The following procedures were used to create the projects: 1. Students chose or were assigned a topic from a list 2. Students conducted research on the topic 3. Students drafted text in Spanish or Italian and created a mockup on paper with art elements 4. Instructor made corrections to text and suggestions for improvement 5. Students created final panels on fabric 6. Panels were sewn into the final quilt, cloak, or scarf 7. Final project was unveiled to class to much enthusiasm and displayed for audience members for school musical performances Fabric-panel topics came from themes and the creative team of each musical. Students mostly worked on their own, but consulted their instructor or classmates to brainstorm or get feedback before creating their final fabric panels. The biggest problem area was students’ concern that they would make a mistake when creating the final text and art on

fabric. Only in few instances did students make a large enough mistake that they would have to do the panel over again. Overall, students were enthusiastic about the projects and truly engaged when completing their part of each fabric project. SUMMARY. The curriculum stands to benefit students greatly

by using musicals as powerful sources for enrichment projects and interdisciplinary art integration. This activity can work at the elementary level as well tied to a musical selected by the instructor. I encourage readers to try using musicals to inspire arts and activities. I started small and then gradually built up momentum to all my classes and those of several colleagues. You can too. n Keith Mason, Ph.D., is an instructor of Italian at New Providence High School in New Providence, N.J. He thanks Nancy Burtnett, Kevin L. Mason, Jr., Alex Tuttle, and all of his students who made these art projects come to life.

Share how you have used A&A in your classroom

CELEBRATE We are celebrating our 85th publication year. Be a part of the fun by sharing how

HOW Send us high-res digital images of student work, the title and issue of the article that inspired you, and a 50- to 150-word statement of how you used the idea.

JUNE 07 pp2-35

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background and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. techniques in communicating their ideas.

Picasso

origversion of their into a fragmented one of the Cubist-style paintings inal drawing, resembling that the stuMusicubism titled The Three characteristics of to To prepare for the cians as a means dents had observed. artists x 24" piece of drawexamine where final copy, an 18" fragWe also placed over the get their ideas. ing paper was as the Next the students used this painting mented drawing. design, the fragmentbasis for the project. traced the whole the were as the outline of To start, they ed objects as well choose newsprint paper. instructed to cut edges of the comwere dynamic that a objects three Aside from creating stuto each Cubist style, the somehow related position in the using work their paintings other and title their dents enhanced previon acquired from a “The Three ...” (based knowledge they of chose). the properties the subject they ous lesson about and gave examples of their objects were color. I explained Simple line drawings outforward in then come and Included colors newsprint their lives. of how warm done on 18" x 24" the critical events in recede. This informamarker, including of Picasso were perwhile cool colors lined with black this short biography with much enthusiitself. facts about the artist tion was received edge of the paper view my sonal, down-to-earth draw picto class the students the asm when I had Students were encouraged and his life. I showed 3-D glasses. and to arrange them discussed his works examples through their objects large tures of his studio, negaempowered them about his pet goat! balance between Now that I had so there was a I develand even told them were in they create, to Next effective space. proved with some inspiration tive and positive This introduction that allowed each drawing from one attention and their oped an easy system to be successful asked to cut the drawing the students’ to the other, turning lesson. student the opportunity edge of the paper or participation in the of three composition, of a puzzle development in creating a Cubist-style abilities. their drawings into In discussing the then drawing we focused our The students regardless of their four sections. his artistic career, puzzle-like drawing and its characterities.com rearranged their sandactiv attention on cubism his ❘ www.art them to one of march 2008 istics. I introduced

of Liberty.

• become more aware of the many

different cultures that make up the United States of America.

• make a connection between visual arts and other subject areas.

Hats,” by Anthony. “The Three Top by Lacey. “The Three Cupcakes,”

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Give Me Liberty

will ... Middle-school students artist 20th-century from Family 1905. famous photograph • learn about the Pablo Picasso. development of Cubism. • learn about thedevelopment of art • learn how the the world in which movements shape we live. and cool colors. • learn about warmand experience about gain knowledge

•

Johnathan T.

using a new material.

by Debra B. Sweeney

MATERIALS

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the curriculum

• create a unique rendition of the Statue

Playing with

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JUNE 07 pp36-cover

• experiment and use different media and

by Debra Tampone

4/26/07

See how these articles inspired other teachers

Page 21

to office and was able ing in the dentist about the work and successful works. recount certain facts means to the most as display of knowledge was contagious the magic to begin! the artist. This The excitement room It was time for completion and in the waiting had to decide impressed those each student neared First each student warm MATERIALS their project through the 3-D of pride for the parent. the background and was a source viewed whether to paint of completed vice versa. recounted a similar cool,•or The Pictures, books andglasses. Web sites on the display Another parent and the foreground each the attenat her son’s college. lightly marked Statue of Liberty works was dazzling and drew story while on tour to With pencil they Those viewing background her child’s ability or other light source “B” for• Windows She described tion of each passerby. provided with enclosed shape Using their guide the characteriswere section of newspaper • Classified explain to the tour were the students’ work and “F” for foreground. Spray bottle with green food coloring could experience why certain colors • a previous from glasses so they tics of color and and 3-D of knowledge of value to rooms water (the more food coloring, the pull characteristics students for certain theand specifically chosen on the push and project, I instructed gradarker withthea color) campus, depending shape locations on the warm and cool colors. paint each enclosed •colors 9" x 12" manila cor- paper that purpose of the area. creating a spectacular warm the function and white paper Aside from dation of cool or • 12" x 18" took pride of backthis lesson proved markings art that each student Without a doubt, ofmarkers has assorted • Pencils, crayons and work responded to their histomany levels and learned a little art itself a success on markers in, the students ground or foreground. • Black permanent of the by students in gradation of cool and an appreciation been requested skills even new ■ ry, I demonstrated the • Scissors the of I received one medium green and other grades. value of art. Later two colors by using blue, • Glue Likewise, as a teacher when oil pastels. • Watercolor sets and paintbrushes greatest rewards their then light green creatdeveloped this lesson proof to me that warm colors was Debra Tampone Midparents described the gradation of at Rondout Valley and applying their and then yellow. when she taught child was learning that ed using red, orange New York. leaving no parent reported blended,LEARNING dle School in Accord, OBJECTIVES knowledge. One The colors were paintpaper exposed. Effort recognized a Picasso child their white areas of the a as will ... Elementary students stressed were and craftsmanship • better understand the historical

I rarely get s a substitute teacher, own lesson plans to implement my details with all the little and experiment a success. Recentthat make the lesson as a enough to serve ly, I was fortunate the an entire year at long-term sub for The teacher for middle-school level. asked me to cover whom I was subbing stuher eighth-grade Pablo Picasso with to pack this lesson dents. I was eager with materin with facts, experimentatio way to importantly, a als and, most them to learn. inspire and motivate facts on historical My lesson included he time period in which Picasso and the that students underlived. I have found of art works to more stand and can relate what the world was when they are taught time period and how like during a certain or environment to their artists responded by Colleen. “The Three Guitars,” by Karl. “The Three Fish,”

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INTEGRATING

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MA GAZINE

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Three Musicians

The years ago, I made my first trip to New York City. • Print of Picasso’s fewabout I was so inspired that, three years later, I am still • Biographical resources Pablo Picassothinking about the magnificence of this historical, multipaper

cultural, urban city. • 18" x 24" newsprint paper One of my all-time • 18" x 24" drawing blue, favorite tours was of Ellis Island. My orange, yellow, • Oil pastels (red, friend and I walked through the same buildings thousands green, yellow-green) of poor immigrants had walked through in search of a betonline)

(available • 3-D glasses ter life. I was able to look up some of my own ancestors who markers • Black permanent • Scissors 24 by Amanda. “The Three Fruits,”

ies.com ndactivit www.artsa

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arrived like so many other immigrants in the 1890s. Since then, I have incorporated my experience into several meaningful cross-curricular art activities. One of the most enjoyable and successful was a collage project of “Lady Liberty.” This lesson can be used and adapted for any grade level, but in this instance I chose to introduce this lesson to my fourth-grade class. I started the lesson with some old photographs of my j u n e •s u m m e r 2007

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great-grandparents and their children, telling students the story of how my ancestors had come from Sicily to New York in search of a new life. The photos show a young family at the turn of the century. I pointed out that my grandmother was only 5 years old in the photo. The children were fascinated that she had been born in 1900. Then I asked the students, “What did these immigrants see when they landed in New Students drew portraits of York?” Of course they all Lady Liberty on 12" x 9" knew and shouted out, “The manila paper. Statue of Liberty!” That’s how I introduced my PowerPoint presentation on the facts and history of Lady Liberty. We learned that she had been a gift from France. We talked about the sculptor, Frederic Bartholdi, the statue’s enormous size and its journey to the United States. I read the poem by Emma Lazarus and we shared how this poem made us feel. I had several books, pictures and Web sites to share with the students. After we discussed many interesting facts about the famous Lady Liberty, I introduced the collage project. Students were instructed to create their own portrait rendering of the Statue of Liberty on a 9" x 12" piece of manila paper. After they were satisfied with their sketches, they were then told to put their drawings aside and find a sheet from the classified section of newspaper. By this point, they were wondering what was next. To their surprise, I asked the students to lightly spray their sheet of newspaper with a spray bottle containing water and green food coloring. While we let the green newspaper dry, I showed them how to trace their original drawing onto the green newspaper. Finally, I demonstrated cutting the green portrait out and placed it on 12" x 18" white paper. My art room has lots of windows, so several students could hold their drawings to the glass to trace, while a few of the students used a light box. After brainstorming ideas, students created backgrounds on the white paper. Some of them chose fireworks, others created urban skylines or sunsets, while a few students decided on a simple watercolor wash. The results were fabulous! Each child’s project had a unique and Tanya X. different look. www.artsandactivities.com

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Inside-Out Seascapes

by Judy Kalil, June 2007

may 2 013 • 80

sanda

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• 15" x 22" watercolor paper • Watercolors and paintbrushes • Ultra-fine-point permanent

Elementary students will

... such as Claude Monet and Winslow Homer.

• study the works of great artists

black markers

• paint with watercolors and understand

• Pencils and sketch paper • Photos and other visuals of fish

and underwater/ocean scenes of art by masters that exhibit seascapes and water (i.e. Homer, Monet and many others)

the properties of water and the medium of watercolor.

• learn about color: analogous complementary.

RELATED RESOURCES

WEB SITES

• www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm • www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/9907/ • www.statueoflibertyclub.com/links.html Our school has children from many different cultures. During this entire process, we discussed many present-day issues, such as immigration, democracy and the symbolism of liberty. We even learned a few new words in different languages. In the end, the students had created a unique project that conveyed their feelings and emotions about our great country. ■ Debra B. Sweeney teaches pre-K through fifth-grade art at Nottingham Country Elementary School in Katy, Texas. 25

ecause we live in northern Florida, “where Florida begins,” people often perceive us as a colder climate. But, the truth is, fish are jumping here all year long. Fish, therefore, are always wonderful subjects to choose for art. They represent the image of Florida we try to present. For the primary grades, it’s fun to display some of the many fabrics that have lots of lovely, colorful fish swimming in aquamarine water. After much demonstration and discussion on the varieties of ovals that create the different fish shapes, paper is handed and we begin to practice-sketch. out Students are encouraged to practice drawing ovals and adding different geometric shapes to create the eyes,

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and

• see how easy it is to create fish geometric shapes.

• learn about seascapes.

Alison T.

Inside-Out Seascapes

BOOKS • Gutman, Anne and Hallensleben, Georg, Lisa in New York. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002. • Penner, Lucille Recht, The Statue of Liberty. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2003. • Lewison, Wendy Cheyette, L is for Liberty. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003. • Curlee, Lynn, Liberty. Aladdin, 2003. • Nason, Thelma Campbell, Our Statue of Liberty. Follett by Judy Publishing Co., 1969.Kalil • Drummond, Allan, Liberty! Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002. • Roitman, Tanya, I’m Going to New York to Visit the Lions. Sterling, 2005.

ctivit

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MATERIALS

• Photos and/or reproductions

j u n e •s u m m e r 2007

knew immed grade studeniately that my fifthts would concept find the of this project I adapte intriguing. d the lesson advanced for my classes. more Students ocean animal chose board. They and drew it on white an tag painted a inside the animal using beach scene of temper a combin a cakes and acrylic ation used scrapb s. They ook and paper to constr uction create the adding details ocean floor, with constr crayons. No two project uction paper s were alike! Submitted by Amand a Koonla Lawhon Elemen ba, tary, Tupelo, Miss. years x www.ar t

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Students joined the likes of Monet and Homer in painting seascapes—but with a twist: their seascapes are inside the fish!

from

thing else they might see in a seascape. We do have another lesson on how to draw different types of boats. Once everything is drawn, the students go over their pencil lines with black, ultrafine-point permanent marker. The more detail, the better. Clouds, birds, fish, treasure chests, pirates, sharks, sunsets, pirate ships, cannons, palm trees, flowers, crabs, coconuts, fishing poles and many other items that challenge the imagination can appear in these wonderful creations. The fun really begins when we add watercolor. Students work on the inside seascape first, then they start drawing again, adding sea grass, small fish, seaweed and maybe even a mermaid side the fish, in the background. outOnce again, this is done in pencil and then drawn over with permanent black marker. Watercolor is added to the detail. But, the inside-out seascapes really look great when the backgrounds are filled in with complementary colors. If the fish are done in blues, for example, then the background would be in oranges. Our seascapes really make the students jump with excitement—just like our Florida fish do! ■ Judy Kalil teaches art at St. Johns Country Day School in Orange Park, Florida.

fins, tails and other details of their fish. Having many visuals available helps students decide which fish will be the one that will be the center of their masterpiece. (It might even be a turtle!) After the children feel comfortable and happy with their sketches, they each transfer their drawings onto a large piece of watercolor paper. They should draw the fish very large. Once on the page, only fins, an eye and tail are added. All sketching is done first in pencil. The next step is to design a seascape to go inside the fish. Slides, books and visuals about the art of such famous artists as Winslow Homer and Claude Monet can be introduced to demonstrate the properties of water, and things that can appear on the water. Simple watercolor techniques should also be discussed. Lessons about the properties of water, direction of water and light in the water are valuable. We then add our water/horizon line the inside of our fish—about across midway. On that line, students are encouraged to draw a boat, an island with trees or anywww.artsand activities.co m

www.artsandactivities.com

June 2007

Picasso

To learn more, visit www.artsandactivities.com and click on the 85th-Anniversary “IT WORKS!” icon. L EB RAT I NG

Playing with

Submitted Holden (Massa by Pam Mikola chusetts) jczyk, Christian Academy

special 85th-Anniversary “IT WORKS!” issue.

by Debra B. sweene y,

by Debra ince I have Tampon e, March a large print 2008 my room, of The suit my likes I thought this projectThree Musicians by Picasso in would be long as they I gave the studen the hall outside a blast. To ts freedo change up m to into anothe had a lot of contras the lesson t and every choose any colors r to possibilities color. Encouraging they color was them to use applied with wanted, as and learnin results in g momen any colors a graduation mud in the ts. Some the middle middle. Red learned that they wanted opened , etc. The gradua up ting to white red graduating kids were said that to green very pleased it was creates a beautiful project often the best art they with their pink in drawings ever did. ask how and many People who on earth of them did you get don’t know the kids to how we did draw like the that?

PRIDE If published, you will receive a FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION and multiple copies of our

23 MAR pp 2 to

Give Me Libe rty

uring my early lifeline. Determyears of teaching, Arts & Activiti ining both fun to es was teach as well what types of art was a challen projects would my as visually ge. When stimulating be of media in I discovered for one art Debra Sweene my students I appreciated project, the inspira y’s clever use tional the way took a relative Debra explain floodgates opened ly non-ar . ed her proces turned it into an expres t subject like the s and with my sive art lesson. Statue of Liberty fifth-gr and I have done have experim ade students many different this lesson media and times and ented with even tried over the I love the various a years full version collage techniq offers. The balance of direct-l Lady Liberty ues, used ine instruc class all starts ! tion and and then together, self-expression the creativ drawin ity begins g painted paper that this ... liquid watercLady Liberty with scraps, oil a waterproof lesson the unique olor paint, marker ness of each pastels and splashe markers, stickers, sequin s of metalli piece. Lady c tempera Liberty never s, paint fails to be a hit in my all add to art room. Submitted by Patty Palmer Brandon , School, Goleta, Calif.

you’ve used Arts & Activities projects in your art room.

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DEADLINE IS JANUARY 10, 2018 d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 • 85 Y E A R S

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A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect Ian Berry (English; b. 1984). The Brooklyn Diner, 2013.

“I make all my work out of only denim jeans, nothing else. No paint, no bleach. Only using the washes with the varying tones of indigo within each cut piece, layering up the denim to make a three-dimensional piece that when you stand back, create an almost photorealistic piece.” Ian Berry

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Value • Color • Line • Pattern • Texture • Collage

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Text in Art: Berry’s piece is a contemporary “Hopper-esque” slice-of-life image that references various eras of American history. The script “Brooklyn” and “DINER” evoke Art Deco of the 1920s and ’30s. On the taxi in the foreground, however, the marquee on the roof says, Rent, a musical from the 1990s.

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FINER DINER: This diner, The Brooklyn Diner, really exists. It is located at 212 W. 57th Street in New York City. While in Ian Berry’s composition, it looks like the checkerboard design in the windows (bringing to mind, the Checker Cab Company) really belongs to the Taxi, and might have been added by the artist for visual effect, in fact that is truly what the diner looks like.

MUSIC: The musical Rent (1996), composed by Jonathan Larson is based on the Opera, La Boheme (which premiered in 1896) by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924). Rent ran on Broadway for 12 years, ending in 2008. One wonders: Why is the taxi in Berry’s 2013 piece advertising Rent, five years after the show ended?

FASHION HISTORY: The first denim pants were patented in 1873 by Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss & Company. The design specifically focused on the copper rivet fasteners. Since the patent number was 139,121, jeans with rivets are still termed “121s” and are still being made today.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Ian Berry grew up in Huddersfield, a town in West Yorkshire, England. One day when his family was cleaning out their home, he was confronted with a huge pile of used denim jeans. He began to use them in his art, and the rest is history!

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ARTS: Dawn or dusk—what time is it? It is hard to tell, and it could be either time in “the city that never sleeps.” In the German language, the word, “Dämmerung” means both “dawn” and “dusk.” Dämmerung (for which there is no equivalent word in English) refers to the transition period in the day between darkness and light.

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CHEMISTRY: Neon lights are made of glass tubes with electrodes sealed into and through both ends. The tubes have specific gases trapped inside that emit different colored light when an electrical current is passed through the electrodes. Some of those gases are referred to as “noble” gases: neon, argon, helium, xenon and krypton. Helium creates yellow light. Other gases turn different colors: hydrogen turns red, carbon dioxide turns white, and mercury goes blue.

COMMERCE AND FASHION: Indigo is a genus of plants, “indigofera” (of which there are more than 750 varieties), that can be used to create blue dye. The process of extracting the color from the leaves of the plants involves a somewhat complicated system of fermentation, adding alkaline chemicals, aeration and concentration. The blue in the original American flag was made of indigo-dyed fabric.

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

85 Y E A R S •

december 2017

DECEMBER 2017

Ian Berry (English; b. 1984). The Brooklyn Diner, 2013. Denim on denim; 23.6" x 48" (60 x 122 cm). Photograph courtesy of the artist, reproduced with his permission. ianberry.org

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

GRADES K–6

GRADES 7–12

BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS. These images are student works from

WE DONE ‘EM IN DENIM! Using a similar collage approach

lessons by two different teachers. The concentric value scales are similar. The points of view, however, as instructed by the teachers, are quite different.

to composition, and paying attention to the range of values in worn denim, students of Tracy VanBuskirk created the amazing compositions below. It is, in fact, a result of Tracy’s posting these images on the closed “Art Teachers” group on Facebook and crediting Ian Berry, that Arts & Activities was able to identify our featured artist for December! It goes to show that speaking up about the wonderful things you are doing only adds to the pleasure of teaching and learning together. VanBuskirk says, “The original intent of this project was to expose my students to current artists. We often focus on works of the Masters, but by studying those who are living and working in this day and age gives the students something to relate to. They are able to visit his website and social media pages and given the opportunity to talk with him.”

Art by first-grade students of art teacher, Debra Solecki, at Drake Elementary School in Strongsville, Ohio (now closed).

These owls are seen almost from “across the branch” as though from the point of view of another owl perched on a branch nearby. The owls are cut-outs, glued on top of the painted blue tints and shades. According to teacher Debra Solecki, “I always use black paper cutouts. Using cut paper gives students a chance to mess up and try again until they are happy with their silhouette, then they glue them down. Reflection and correction …

Art by second-grade students of art teacher, Natalie Zoufal, at John Monteith Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.

teaches them self-evaluation.” The sea life presents a totally different environment. We can’t help but imagine ourselves in scuba gear about 5 yards down in the ocean on a clear day. Looking up to the surface, the form of an ocean-going creature swims by. The sea life is painted. Teacher Natalie Zoufal says, “we mixed small amounts of blue paint into a big pile of white, creating a tint blue. We repeated adding small amounts of blue, creating different values of blue, to paint each circle a little darker than the last. Mixing blue with black paint created a shade, which we used to paint our sea life with, creating positive and negative space.” What other colors might you use in a similar lesson about color mixing and value, and what scene would be seen in the foreground of the shifting light?

Art by grade 11–12 students of art teacher, Tracy VanBuskirk, at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Ohio.

She has established a website for her students’ work: http:// sites.google.com/norwalklearns.org/nhsartdepartment/home Definitely check it out—it has some great syllabi! “From collecting the old worn denim, to sorting the colors and textures, choosing the right composition and brainstorming their technical approaches, the students worked together to help each other succeed. The final results far exceeded my expectations. The motivation, work ethic and hours put in were like nothing I have seen before.” (Her full lesson plan is shared on the following pages. – Editor)

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grades K–6 CREATE: Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design. RESPOND: Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments.

How to use the monthly A&A 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

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 • 85 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

Dedicated to Denim

Composing with Fabric C

reating art work takes a lot of dedication. Finding inspirations and ideas to encourage a high level of dedication among my students can be challenging. Each semester, I search for engaging ideas for the fiber portion of my Fibers and Glass course. High school students in this course have completed a basic drawing and design class as a prerequisite, so their knowledge base is well set up.

by Tracy VanBuskirk

I was on the search for something new. I wanted to expose them to a new material or approach. My research led me to discover British artist Ian Berry, who creates intricate collage style images out of denim. At first glance, his work looks like intricate paintings done with a wide range of blues. Upon reading about his process and seeing the details of his work, I knew that this was an inspiration that would bring out a level of dedication I was searching for. RESEARCH AND IMAGE DEVELOPMENT. I began the lesson by introducing students to the art of Ian Berry. We studied his website (www.ianberry.org), we watched promotional videos on YouTube that showed him in his studio and talking through his process. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t often study artists who are still creating art, so to see a current, young and successful artist was a great motivator for my students. Many students con-

Kelsey, grade 12.

Luke, grade 12.

nected with him on social media to see his latest work and were able to send messages directly to the artist. We had a discussion about his work, his process and his use of an unusual material such as denim in art. Students then searched for an image they could use. Many chose images that they took themselves and some went out and took pictures to find the perfect composition. Reference images ranged from vacation pictures to pictures taken at a concert of their favorite band. Once images were submitted, we began to simplify the details in Adobe Photoshop. If you do not have this program, similar effects can be achieved through other photo editing programs or can also be done by hand by tracing the different value levels. continued on next page www.ar tsandactivities.com

85 Y E A R S â&#x20AC;˘

december 2017

In Photoshop, open the image and resize to fit the largest size you can print. For me, it’s 13" x 19". To conver t the photo to a blue monochromatic image, choose Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, then choose Cyanotype from the Preset dropdown menu. Next, you will want to intensify the blue, so choose Image > Adjustments > Color Balance and drag the Yellow/Blue slider all the way to the Blue side. Then, you need to simplify the image, so you are going to apply a filter. Choose Filter > Artistic > Cutout. Once you are in the filter gallery, you can adjust the number of levels and the amount of details in each level. Edited images were then printed on a cardstock paper. PLANNING THE APPROACH. At this

Alexis, grade 11.

Raeanna, grade 12.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will ... • research and learn about the artwork of artist, Ian Berry. • convert a photo into a monochromatic image by hand or using editing software. • select a range of denim washes to coordinate with the levels in the monochromatic scale of their image. • accurately cut and glue pieces to a backing. • prepare the work for presentation (matting, framing, etc.). 24

point, I let the students determine how they would approach the project. This is where I began to see each one develop that dedication I was aiming for. They were stressed, worried and confused about how they would complete it, but not one student complained or acted like they wanted to give up. The struggles were their motivators and they figured out what would work best for them. Most students took the altered monochromatic image and cut it up like a puzzle, pinning it all down to a piece of cardboard so they could keep it organized. Once they determined how many different levels of blue they would need, they began to sort through the piles and piles of old, donated blue jeans. One simple email to all the staff in my district brought in about 200 pairs of jeans. Medium tones were easy to find. We struggled to find very dark washes and very light washes. Some jeans are darker on the inside so we

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

• Digital image, editing software, printer • Cardboard • Old blue jeans • Fabric glue, scissors

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 • 85 Y E A R S

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Kayla, grade 12. Clockwise from bottom left: reference photo, work in progress, final denim artwork.

Danielle, grade 11.

had to flip a few pairs to get the right value. When it came to areas where they needed very white washes, we took the lightest pairs we could find and soaked them in bleach. PIECING IT ALL TOGETHER. As pieces

were cut, some students saved them to glue down at the end and others glued as they cut. To glue down pieces, use fabric glue, as it is thicker and will not soak through the layers of denim. Each student was given a piece of cardboard as a sturdy base to glue www.ar tsandactivities.com

the pieces on. If they noticed they might have gaps, they covered the cardboard with large areas of denim and built upon that, or they painted it a blue to match that area. This helped camouflage any imperfections they had when cutting their pieces. The concentration and motivation that evolved during this portion of the project was ver y rewarding for me as a teacher. Students poured themselves into their work and were dedicated to getting it right. Most projects took approximately three to

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december 2017

Alexandria, grade 11.

four weeks in class, on top of most students taking them home to put in many additional hours. FINAL PRESENTATION. Once the col-

lages were complete, students were required to finish off the work to be ready for display. They could frame or mat it so that it was prepared for hanging at the art show or ready for competitions we enter each year. n Tracy VanBuskirk teaches art at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Ohio. 25

creative COLLABORATION

Deconstruct,

Reconstruct ... Artful Wall Hangings

by Paula Guhin

BEGINNING. You can ask the whole class to work together to

build a very large, multi-colored assignment, or create smallgroup artworks, each made by two or three collaborators. Kids love taking things apart, and they’ll enjoy disasMaterials needed are knitted or crocheted items such as pot holders, afghans and coverlets— either donated or from a thrift store. Look for those made with granny squares, hexagons, or circles if possible.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary school students will … • understand and apply media, techniques, and processes to collaborate on a fiber art project. • use their knowledge of structures and functions. • reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others. • make connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

A finished piece in red, white and blue.

ant to get young students interested in stitching and the fiber arts? Those kids who sew, knit, or crochet are rarely seen as the coolest bunch, so it’s a challenge at times. Introduce this project by showing images of colorful wall hangings made with found textiles and scrap fibers. And display an example you’ve made, following the directions below. Ask class members to bring old knitted baby blankets and throws from home, with parental permission and the understanding that they will be dismantled. Often such handmade yarn items become pilled, stained, frayed, and holey over time, so Mom is usually happy to donate them. Another source for knitted or crocheted items is a thrift store, where you can find extremely low-cost pot holders and afghans. Look for those made with granny squares, hexagons, or circles if possible. A few large knitted bedspreads might do for an entire class!

Here, effort was put into finding just the right colors.

sembling larger knit items into smaller pieces. As much fun as it is to unravel yarn, remind the students that they shouldn’t deconstruct the entire coverlet! Demonstrate how and where to snip the yarn to work sections loose. Explain that the young artists will be piecing together some of the parts (doilies, pot holders, granny squares, and more) to assemble a wall hanging. COMPOSING THE ARTWORK. Before the class members gather the pieces they wish to join together, they must know how to thread a needle, make simple stitches, and tie knots. There are many YouTube videos that you can show them. A simple overhand stitch is easy to master, but even a basic running stitch (like a basting stitch) will do. As the kids choose the pieces they wish to combine, discuss their options with colors, sizes, and shapes. Lay out the parts on the floor, a large table, or several pushed-together desks. Assure the students that gaps are allowed and overlapping is acceptable, too. Also, the outer edge of the assemblage may or may not be even. In other words, the finished piece can be roughly geometric in shape (like a rectangle) or it can be free-form. Most of the class likely will be content to create a nonobjective design, but some students will want to assemble fiber flowers, houses, or the like, and that’s OK too. FINISHING THE PIECE. Tassels or fringe here and there are

enhancements that kids enjoy, and they’ll be excited to learn how to make and attach them. Demonstrate in small groups or show another how-to video! Hang the finished wall pieces on dowel rods or old curtain rods if you don’t have a large wall on which you can tack or nail them for display. n

MATERIALS

• Assorted yarn, colored string, raffia • Large, blunt-tipped yarn needles, scissors • Unwanted knit or crocheted coverlets, afghans, doilies, pot holders, etc. 26

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. d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 • 85 Y E A R S

www.ar tsandactivities.com

by Karen Skophammer

hile scrounging around at a second-hand store one day, an idea hit me. Why not combine some of the items on sale with my wire scraps at school to create puppets? And, off I went! For ver y little cost I created a puppet unit of study that delighted my fourththrough sixth-graders and really stretched their imaginations. I’ve been interested in puppets since the 1960s, when I watched a TV show that featured Jim Henson explaining puppetr y as an ar t form—from building them to per forming with them. This was way before I knew I was going into the ar t field. In fact, I was in grade school at the time. I remember him showing how human hands could be used as puppets so, naturally, I started drawing on my

“Judy” proves that perforations will work for wire-weaving, too!

> >

“Charlie” is a tennis pro and likes to give lessons.

“Clara” never goes out without her earrings.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upper-elementary students will … • know that puppetry has a history and relationship to various cultures. • name some puppet artists from the past. • understand there are various purposes for creating puppets. • show satisfaction in the creation of their puppets and puppet performance. • be able to manipulate wire to create a puppet with 3-D features.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• • •

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

MATERIALS

•

Woven and/or perforated kitchen tools • Cloth, yarn

•

Old badminton and tennis racquets • Plastic-coated wire

hands and experimenting with facial expressions while using my hands as puppets. My parents thought I was a bit “out there,” but I kept at it for weeks, until I graduated to making puppets out of socks and foam, in the same manner Henson had shown on the television. As they say, the rest is histor y! TO ME, PUPPETRY IS AN EXTENSION

of one’s self. Think about it: puppets can comment on things we humans cannot—without getting in trouble. I used to torture my sister with ridiculous jokes I wouldn’t have gotten away with, if I hadn’t had a puppet doing the “telling” for me. Humans have used puppets for thousands of years. It is said that stick puppets were used in Ancient India to act out epic stories and sacred texts. Tribal masks with hinged jaws led to puppets with moving limbs, and the topic of puppet theater appear in the writings of Aristotle and Plato. In medieval Europe, puppets were used by the Church to act out impor tant biblical scenes. see

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WIRED

on page 32 27

COMMUNITY

connections

FACE2FACE IN OTTAWA by Irv Osterer

ne of the most important mandates that secondary schools in Canada have is to ensure that young adults understand their role in the community. When Ottawa Education Programs Officer, Olga Zeale, contacted our art department about a special project to highlight Canadian Archives Awareness Week, I knew our students would enthusiastically embrace the task, which they did. To meet the criteria required for this exhibit, the 11thgrade graphic-design class, with students in the Communication & Design FOCUS group, worked on a series of 50 portraits that presented a panorama of personalities that spent a significant part of their lives in our nation’s capital, Ottawa. In some cases the subjects were assigned, while other students asked if they could work on portraits that had personal or Jenny, acrylic. Dan Aykroyd.

Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter and singer Dan Aykroyd, was born in Ottawa in 1952 and attended St. Pius X and St. Patrick’s High School. He was an original cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” an originator of “The Blues Brothers” and “Ghostbusters,” and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter. He is a member of the Order of Canada.

cultural significance to them. The students were asked to integrate some of the elements attributed to their subject. THE FINISHED WORK shows a wide variety of techniques and styles. Merivale’s art department has embraced an approach to information graphics that brings some of the “craft” back to the art world. Students were encouraged to experiment with watercolor, pastels, pencil crayons, acrylics, collage, ink, and even oil bars, on these terrific pieces. We do this without turning our back on the latest computer software and image-enhancing technologies, which were also used when necessary. The portraits include prominent athletes, actors, writers, artists, musicians, politicians, clergy, scientists, philanthropists, astronauts and social activists that had a connection to the city. Among the most popular artworks was the very impressive watercolor study of Olympic figure-skating champion Barbara Ann Scott, created by Nadia. Amar’s wonderful portrait of photographer Yousuf Karsh featured a three-dimensional element to give the illusion of a camera with an inverted, backwards image of the artist mounted in the faux lens.

Nadia, watercolor. Barbara Ann Scott King. “Canada’s

Sweetheart,” figure skater Barbara Ann Scott King, was born in Ottawa May 9, 1928. She won the 1948 Olympic gold medal, and was a two-time world champion, and a four-time Canadian national champion in ladies' singles. She was an officer of the Order of Canada. The hockey arena in Ottawa’s Pinecrest Recreation centre is named in her honor.

Kim, collage. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. The Netherlands were occupied by German forces in WW II and the Dutch royal family was forced to leave Holland in 1940. Crown Princess Juliana gave birth to Princess Margriet in Ottawa in 1943. A special arrangement facilitated by the Canadian government allowed the newborn princess to be born on Dutch soil. Ottawa’s annual tulip festival is a reminder of Canada’s important historic ties with the Netherlands.

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Amar, acrylic. Yousef Karsh. The Canadian portrait photographer,

Teagan, acrylic. Margaret Atwood. Renowned author Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa in 1939. She is the recipient numerous literary citations including the Arthur C. Clarke Award and Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, the Booker Prize and the Governor General's Award.

Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002) captured images of hundreds of the 20th century’s most memorable leaders and celebrities, as well as the faces of thousands of ordinary men and women whose lives formed the backbone of Canadian society. Prior to his death, Karsh donated or sold all 355,000 of his negatives to Canada’s National Archives in Ottawa. He received the Order of Canada Lifetime Achievement award twice in his life. His works can be found in various collections around the world.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will … • create a thematic piece for a community/city sponsored event. • choose an appropriate subject to respond to client demands. • experiment with a variety of media when planning their portrait. • research their subject to find support material to give some context to the portrait. • participate in a “vernissage” and discuss their work with the public.

MATERIALS

•

Canvas paper works best for the portrait, as it does not buckle with the wet media. • A wide variety of traditional media—brushes, crayons, pastels, acrylic paint, pencil crayons, pastels and inks • Internet access for source material

WELL OVER 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED the impressive “vernis-

City of Ottawa Archives • James Bartleman Gallery • April 4–17 Face2Face poster, which includes every portrait in the show. Printed with the help of Kerry Thompson at the IDP Group’s Renfrew, Ontario plant.

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85 Y E A R S •

december 2017

sage” (private viewing), organized for the students and their parents at the Canadian Archives’ galler y. The city of Ottawa also helped promote the event with invitations, posters and a Facebook page. A special Face2Face poster that included ever y portrait in the show was printed with the help of Kerr y Thompson at the IDP Group’s Renfrew, Ontario plant. For most of the students, this represented their first opportunity to show their work in a gallery and interact with the public. It was a terrific experience. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Irv Osterer is Department Head – Fine Arts and Technology at Merivale High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 29

media reviews

MODELING CLAY WITH 3 BASIC SHAPES: Model More than 40 Animals with Teardrops, Balls, and Worms, by Bernadette Cuxart. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., $11.99. Primar y and pre-school kids can copy simple instructions or they might branch off from the “basic shapes” of this book’s title. After all, a robot could require cubes and pyramids. Ms. Cuxart has thoughtfully added a butterfly, a ladybug, and a dinosaur to her animal collection. She begins with four pages on mate-

Save Money Save Time Save your Brushes!

AUDIOVISUAL BOOK/PRINT Jerome J. Hausman • Paula Guhin

rials and rudimentary techniques. Except for a rolling pin, no special tools are required. Toothpicks, marbles, markers, and maybe a paintbrush handle (for poking holes) make up the list. Even a drinking straw or a small square of poster board can serve for mark making. The steps are plainly shown in illustrated artwork and each finished critter is revealed in a photograph. Rather than beginning with the simplest projects, the author has intermixed them with the slightly more complex. Adults in rehab could even use some of the more challenging projects, if they like sweet, endearing animals. The pony, monkey, or raccoon are sure to bring a smile, even to the most frustrated or anxious child. Many families would benefit from this paperback book. So would caregivers of those with learning deficits, ADHD, physical incapacities or other special needs.–P.G.

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GeneralPencil.com 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.

DRAW LIKE THE MASTERS: An Excellent Way to Learn from Those Who Have Much to Teach, by the Parramón Editorial Team. Barron's Educational Series, Inc., $24.99. Originality seems to be nearly sacred to many visual art educators. Of

course we wish to encourage creativity, and it’s obvious that an art program focusing largely on copying the examples of others isn’t promoting inventiveness or imagination. Someone once said that bad ar tists copy, great ar tists steal. Surely appropriation and the use of imager y from pop culture are acceptable at times, as is reliance on technology. Perhaps those ar t school instructors through the ages have been right to compel their students to copy the great ar tists. The authors of Draw Like The Masters are confident that their numerous exercises and suggestions aren’t meant to simply duplicate, but to teach techniques. Rather than labeling it an outdated practice, they feel it’s very useful, and their intro page is quite convincing. The first section lays out a good deal of material on choosing and toning paper, blocking in, and hatching. Although Caspar Friedrich’s special technique with sepia washes and graphite is one of our faves, most of the projects deal with dry media. Prints of the works—with Da Vinci’s, Raphael’s, and Courbet’s among them— can be reproduced. Copious historical information enriches each lesson. The second half of the book concentrates on a subject dear to any art teacher’s heart: working light to dark. The large paperback is packed with pointers for the copyist. “Enhanced interactive content” requires an Internet connection, allowing owners of the book to gain access to nearly 30 training videos. Some would say that alone is worth the purchase price.–P.G.

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shop talk

PACON/TRAIT-TEX Trait-tex® 2-Ply Standard Weight Yarn Dispensers are designed for large group instruction in stitchery, appliqué and weaving projects. The 100-percent acrylic yarn within is non-allergenic and mildew resistant, ensuring safe use by children. A variety of weights, textures and colors of yarn accommodate most educational and craft needs.

SMART-FAB Rolls of Smart-Fab Disposable Art & Decoration Fabric offer a new creative medium for teachers to use in a variety of applications—art projects, classroom displays, costumes. stage scenery and more. It is a great alternative to rolled construction paper and cloth. SmartFab is a fadeless, colorful, durable and flexible non-woven fabric.

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WIRED

Here in the United States, we’ve had “Kukla, Fran and Ollie,” “Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop,” and ventriloquist dummies Howdy Doody, Charlie McCarthy and Jerr y Mahoney. America’s Got Talent’s 2007 winner, Terr y Fator, continues to entertain with his cast of dummies, Paul Zerdin won the 2015 prize with his puppets and, just a few months ago, young Darci L ynne Farmer won the 2017 contest with hers. No matter the type of puppet, though, it is the person handling it who brings the puppet to life. continued from page 27

SO I HAULED MY PUPPET-PART PURCHASES to school: kitchen strainers,

fish-grilling baskets, badminton racquets ... basically, anything that had a woven or perforated pattern and a handle attached. These would serve as the base for our puppet faces. The students would use leftover colored plastic-coated wire to create the facial features, hair and accessories. I demonstrated some basic loops and twists, and from there, the students took over and invented their

own styles and combinations of wire. Weaving and twisting, the budding puppeteers built the wire up and out from the bases to create 3-D faces. The wire was easily secured to the woven/perforated areas by simply twisting and tucking it. The handles on the items served as the extensions puppeteers hold onto during puppet shows, but some creative kids attached wire to them to create the illusion of clothing. A few went a step further and used cloth or yarn to make clothing. The students had a great time making and playing with their puppets, which took a minimal amount of supplies and money. The learning experiences they offered carried over into other areas of study, such as writing plays and songs for their puppets to perform, or making puppets to fit specific areas of study, such as a socialstudies unit. Our wire-woven puppets were truly a hit. n Retired after 31 years of teaching, Karen Skophammer was an art instructor for the Manson Northwest Webster Schools in Barnum and Manson, Iowa.

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

AVAILABLE AT:

artsandactivities.com 32

within their artworks. If you’re interested in integration with math, you can identify line segments, rays, angles, perpendicular, and parallel line used within the artworks. One of the things I noticed with the students was that they love using symbols and shapes they are familiar with. Here and there, emojis were popping up, flag designs from their heritage, a Poké Ball, and all while having fun creating their own designs. These little pop-up designs did not go against any object and I like seeing how the students enjoyed adding their own little elements to their artworks.

ABSTRACT continued from page 15

If you’re interested in integration with math, you can identify line segments, rays, angles, perpendicular, and parallel line used within the artworks ON THE THIRD AND FINAL DAY, stu-

dents added their finishing touches. It was their choice whether or not to add a felt frame or additional shapes/ lines. To wrap up the lesson, students described what influenced the creation of their pieces. Was it the music they listened to in class? Did they share their interests in their abstract designs? Writing about their artworks is a good way to have them reflect on their development of their creations. Overall, the students had fun. They talked about how much they enjoyed working with the felt material and creating their own designs. Students would comment in the hallway how much they couldn’t wait to get back to art to continue their pieces. If you have a pile of scrap pieces of felt that need to be used, this is a great project to use all your recycled pieces! n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Heidi O’Hanley (NBCT), teaches art at Brodnicki Elementary School in Justice, Illinois. Visit her blog at www.talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com.

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Paragon introduces a new touch screen controller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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CD I AV LE RATDI S V IENR G T I SSI ENCGT I SOENC T I O N S P E C I SA PL E A

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STUDY PRINT

From the series, Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. Woodblock color print; approximately 10.125" x 15".

Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese; 1760–1849). Inume Pass, Koshu, First publication, c. 1830. This edition, c. 1930.

“I think that one’s art is a growth inside one. I do not think one can explain growth. It is silent and subtle. One does not keep digging up a plant to see how it grows.” — Emily Carr

s we get ready for the holidays ahead, winter break—and 2018— here are some great tips to help you through the month of December. This month our focus will be on texture, mixed media, fiber and fabric and, of course, planning for Youth Art Month.

tip #1

KNITTING IS NOT JUST FOR GRANDMA ANYMORE. More and more people are

taking up knitting as a hobby to make wearables or just for stress relief. Finger knitting is a great way to introduce this classic craft to students young and old; and it is pretty easy! Here is a tuto-

back to class with a plethora of information. They used this knowledge to make sketches and eventually turned each sketch into a quilt square. They used fabric, paint and even bits of the photographs and some quotes. My students were young and could not sew, but a parent volunteered to sew the quilt squares together. I then wrote a letter to city hall and explained the project. They responded with an invitation to hang the quilt in their lobby for a month! Needless to say, the kids in this inner-city school felt like a million dollars!

tip 4

tip #2

THEMED SCULPTURES. Most grade lev-

els have different themes they work on throughout the year. Try collaborating with classroom teachers and make themed soft sculptures. Some ideas could be flowers, butterflies, fish, art materials, historical monuments, and of course there is always food. Introduce Claes Oldenburg to your students and when they see his outstanding, oversized sculptures they too will be on a roll!

tip #3

QUOTATION QUILTS. Several years ago,

my students interviewed and photographed the people in the neighborhood and local businesses, and came ATTENTION READERS If you would like to share some of your teaching tips, email them to: tipsforartteachers@yahoo.com

ubiner

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

ALTERED PHOTOS. This project is one that even students as young as first grade can do. My first- through eighthgrades students have had great success with it. I have the students bring

Winter is Coming rial on finger knitting that even your kindergartners can do: www.fiberfluxblog.com/2014/04/how-to-finger-knitphoto-video-tutorial.html

Glenda L

two identical black-and-white photos that were printed at a photo lab. I give them the option of using one or two photos—some like to make them 3-D by building up part of the photo with the second one. I introduce the lesson by telling them that they must change the photo to create a new piece of art. I offer options like cutting, weaving, scratching, sanding, folding, bending and crumpling up. I also tell them that they can paint, use markers or paint pens on them. They can add anything to the photo including things like raffia, soda caps, any kind of fiber, wax (for the older kids) and, they can sew or glue things onto it. The only thing they are restricted from doing is having the mat board that the photo is mounted on look like a frame; it must become part of the project.

tip #5

GOT TEXTURE? Learning about texture in a fun way can be done by making collagraphs. Textured objects should be glued (waterproof or hot glue) to a mat board backing in an interesting design. Leaves, flowers, yarn, ribbon, screen, gauze, fabric are great choices.

You can also use thin metal objects such as keys and coins, but nothing too thick (under 1/8 inch). The plate is then coated with gloss medium and allowed to dry completely before printing. It can also be sprayed with a shellac/varnish spray to ensure it will be waterproof.

tip #6

PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUTH ART MONTH.

March is Youth Art Month and many school choose to have their art shows at this time. Please make sure to advocate for the arts during the whole month - not just at your show. Here are some great ideas to do during YAM: • Hang portraits of artists around your school. • Plaster the walls with quotes about art. (We know how important the arts art, but not everyone does.) • Hang signs about careers in art. • Make a list of famous people who went to art school and have art degrees. • If possible, have a guest artist at your art show. • And, of course, hang lots and lots of art around your school. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Otto Dix (Dec. 2, 1891); Camille Claudel (Dec. 8, 1864); Emily Carr (Dec. 13, 1871); Joseph Cornell (Dec. 24, 1903); and Max Pechstein (Dec. 31, 1881). 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.

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I, Robot

Lesson Plan for Grades 3–12

Step 1: Glue a photocopied portrait onto a rigid surface. Trace the features with glue lines.

Step 2: Cover with aluminum foil and press around glue lines so features are easily visible.

Step 3: Use a variety of materials as “robot parts.” Glue materials to aluminum foil surface.

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Got Robots? Turn your portrait into a sci-fi selfie! With the art of imagination, Brazilian artist Henrique Alvim Correa’s illustrations for H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” introduced the idea of alien robots. This project invites students to make their portraits into a robotic being.

DickBlick.com/lessonplans/i-robot NEW lesson plans and video workshops at DickBlick.com/lessonplans. For students of all ages!

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