Arts & Activities Magazine December 2018 by Arts & Activities

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CONTENTS V O L U ME 1 6 4 , No . 4

14 16 18 23 26 28

DECEMBER 2018

DIVE INTO FIBERS, TEXTURES AND MIXED MEDIA MATISSE FISHBOWLS Chrissy Leishear WELCOME WINTER WITH SNOW PEOPLE AT NIGHT Cynthia McGovern WEAVING ABSTRACT ART INTO YOUR CURRICULUM Rebecca Tarman ALIVE AND KICKING: OUR BLOCK PARTY Don Masse COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: TEXTURAL PORTRAITS Tony Woodman RESIST FABRIC DYEING INSPIRED BY ‘BLACK PANTHER’ Pannay Guigley

YEARLONG SECONDARY CURRICULUM SERIES 12 3D INTRO ART, ARTICLE 4 OF 10: WONDERFUL WEAVINGS Debi West

SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS 8 STEPPING STONES: INTRODUCING NEW FIBER-ARTS PROJECTS

Heidi O’Hanley 11 ART IS AT THE CORE: EILEEN AGAR, ‘LEWIS CARROLL WITH ALICE’ Amanda Koonlaba 38 TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: HAPPY, HEALTHY AND CREATIVE Glenda Lubiner

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES

19 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT: UNKNOWN ARTIST, QUILT TOP, CRAZY PATTERN

Tara Cady Sartorius 37 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: WOMAN’S RIGHTS QUILT Emma Civey Stahl

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 31 CLAY CORNER 34 MARKETPLACE 36 ADVERTISER INDEX

DEPARTMENTS 6 EDITOR’S NOTE 33 MEDIA REVIEWS 35 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

MY FISHBOWL Mixed media, 18" x 12". By Quinn, grade 2, St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Silver Spring, Maryland. See “Matisse Fish Bowls” page 14. SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (800) 651-7567; amy.tanguay@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: www.artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128.

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e d i t o r ’s n o t e

Come along with us as we dive into a colorful

assortment of fibers, textures and mixed media! The lesson plans that are shared in this issue will have you and your students smiling—just like the paper goldfish on this month’s cover.

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

The smiling goldfish are part of a mixed-media

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

masterpiece by Quinn, one of Chrissy Leishear’s second-graders who

experienced her “Matisse Fishbowls” lesson (page 14). “I love teaching a lesson with parameters that give every child the opportunity to be successful,” writes Chrissy, “ ... but also calls for individual creative freedom.” The

Jerome J. Hausman Lecturer, Consultant and Visiting Professor, at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Barbara Herberholz Art Education Consultant, Sacramento, California George Székely Senior Professor of Art Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington

young artists in her class learn to use a variety of art tools and techniques, as their creative self-expression is nurtured —something “Matisse valued most of all.”

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Geri Greenman Art Department Head (Retired), Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, Illinois Paula Guhin Art Teacher (Retired), Central HighSchool, Aberdeen, South Dakota

“Here is a lesson that combines reading, learning about authors/illustrators, value painting and clay sculpture. My firstgraders totally love this lesson,” is how Cynthia McGovern introduces “Welcome Winter with Snow People at Night” (page 16). “How do pictures help make a story more interesting and engaging? How do artists tell a story with pictures? How do artists paint nighttime pictures using light and dark mixed paints?” These are some of the questions her students answer in this whimsical wintertime media mix inspired by the children’s picture book, “Snowmen at Night.”

In “Weaving Abstract Art Into Your Curriculum,” Rebecca Tarman shares that “… discussing abstract art and hearing [my students’] interpretations of various works is as educational for me as it is for them.” When exposing her middle school students to abstract art, the work of Frank Stella is at the top of her list. Here, his “Indian Bird Series”

Nan E. Hathaway Art Teacher, Crossett Brook Middle School, Duxbury, Vermont Amanda Koonlaba Curriculum Specialist, Teaching Artist, Saltillo, 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 Education Consultant, former Art Teacher, Hilton Head, South Carolina

A D V E R T I S I N G D E PA R T M E N T

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

amy.tanguay @ artsandactivities.com 800.826.2216 or 888.651.7567 p r o d u c t i o n d i r e c t o r Kevin Lewis p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r Tong Ros production @ artsandactivities.com

is the catalyst for colorful sculptures woven out of shrink film. Curious? You HOW TO REACH ARTS & ACTIVITIES

can read all about it on page 18.

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Heidi O’Hanley shares a bevy of fiber-arts ideas in her “Stepping Stones” column this month (see page 8), while the indefatigable Debi West presents helpful tips for introducing 3D Intro Art students to “Wonderful Weavings” (page 12). So, come on ... it’s time for us to dive in and get started. The only question that remains is, which idea will you try first?

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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.

INTRODUCING NEW FIBER-ARTS PROJECTS

BY HEIDI O'HANLEY

iber arts are some of my favorite projects to teach at the elementary level. Depending on how you implement the steps, students soak in your excitement and create some memorable pieces to share with their families. “Fiber Arts” is a style of art that uses textiles, such as fabric, yarn and natural/synthetic fibers. Materials and manual labor are part of the importance of this art media. Fiber art includes multiple techniques, such as quilting, collage, embroidery, weaving, spinning, knitting, felting, crocheting, knotting, recycling fabrics, and paper.

FELT COLLAGE. One of the most common fiber projects I currently work with in my curriculum is felt based. Last year, I shared an article about creating an abstract felt collage that my fourth grade students enjoy creating. We revisit the idea of abstract art, then apply our designs using flat felt shapes and yarn. Students learn to work with felt (opposed to cutting paper), which can be a trick to cut.

WET FELTING. Another popular felt technique is wet

felting, which can be done at any age level. To create a wet-felted piece, hot water is applied to layers of felt, while repeated agitation and compression causes the fibers to hook together or weave together into a single piece of fabric. If you’re brave and don’t mind water and towels, students can learn how to compress felt to create multiple artworks, such as felt bowls, flat landscape backgrounds, and wall hangings!

NEEDLE-FELTING. This school year, I’m braving needle felting with my fifth-graders. I purchased enough foam blocks for an entire class, as well as multiple felt needles and home-spun wool. If you plan to do this with your classes, do not forget the Band-aids! As much as you explain not to poke your finger, you may have one or two students accidentally poke theirs during the needle felting! Depending on the age level, you can have them create flat pins, or simple small sculptures. Are you big into STEAM in your projects? Felting is a great tie-in with science! If your school has a set of microscopes, have a day where your students can observe the fibers under a microscope! This would be a great way to see how hooks in the fibers connect together through the process of felting! SEWING AND QUILTING. Do you talk about quilting with your students? Better yet, do you show your stu-

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dents how to make those cute plush monster dolls that have become quite popular with all ages? Sewing with fabrics of all types has been an American tradition since colonization. From Victorian Crazy Quilts (see this month’s Art Print on page 20) to patterns of the Underground Railroad, quilting has been a huge part of our history. Depending on the grade levels you work with, you can begin with simple whip stitches, or using yarn to sew a simple line into burlap. Sewing machines have also started becoming popular within education maker spaces, which is a great tool to use to learn multiple ways to create fabric-based projects, clothing/fashion design, or other product. BATIK is a method of creating colorful designs on textiles by dyeing them after applying a resistant onto the fabric. Wax is the most common item to use to create an un-dyed section of fabric, but toothpaste has also been used to teach the technique at the elementary level. You can have your students create their own pattern, then apply toothpaste (or wax) to the areas they wish to keep undyed. After applying the resist material to the fabric, students can apply dyes to different parts of the fabric to create colorful patterns.

YARN PAINTING was a technique I learned more about while attending a recent art education conference. Yarn paintings are made by the Huichol people and created by applying tree resin or beeswax to a board, and pressing yarn on top. When teaching yarn painting to your students, you can create them just by using glue, or if you find a sheet of paper with a sticky surface. This technique is a good one to introduce history and traditional methods from different cultures. This process can be taught at the elementary level, but can be advanced throughout higher grade levels.

WEAVING, a form of interlacing threads together, is a popular fiber arts technique seen in multiple articles and blogs. There are multiple ways of creating weaving projects with paper strips, recycled plastic bags, and other materials. When I introduce weaving to my students, they learn the vocabulary of the threads (warp and weft), prior to creating their pieces. The students are always excited when they figure out how to weave in and out of the warp thread to create their pieces!

When planning a fiber arts–based lesson, be sure to create your example first. This will help in finding the little challenges you may come across when introducing your projects! 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 8 • 86 Y E A R S

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Sharing Successful Creative Ideas ...

Art teachers from all over the country have assembled on the pages of Arts & Activities with a single purpose: To share with you their best classroom-tested, art-teaching experiences and creative ideas. Add Arts & Activities magazine to your classroom, library or media center today.

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

EILEEN AGAR ‘LEWIS CARROLL WITH ALICE’

BY AMANDA KOONLABA

ileen Agar (1899–1991) was a British artist associated with the Surrealist movement. Below are some ideas for integrating her painting, Lewis Carroll with Alice (1961) with other subjects.

SURPRISE LOOKING. Give groups of students a printed version of the artwork with post-it notes covering the entire image. Have then take turns removing one note at a time. After they remove the note, have them describe what has been revealed to the rest of the group. Students will likely use adjectives heavily during this process. After they have removed several notes, they will likely begin to talk about what they think the entire work will be. Once each group has completed the process, facilitate a whole group discussion around what was surprising about the artwork once it was revealed entirely. This will help them look at the elements that make up the artwork before noticing there are two human figures represented. It leads well as the preparation for the following artmaking activity.

ANALYZING. Once students have completed the above activity, tell them the name of the ar twork. Some might have background knowledge on Lewis Carroll and Alice, but others may not. Find a clip of an Alice in Wonderland video (any one will do as long as it is child-appropriate). Share it with them and provide an over view of the stor y. Tell them that Eileen Agar may not have seen a video clip of this stor y since the ar twork was created in 1961. It is likely, however, that she read the book. Have the students discuss why this work could possibly have been named Lewis Carroll and Alice. They will puzzle on this topic, and there are no right or wrong answers. You should look for justifications for the assumptions they make. Have them cite evidence in the artwork and based on what they know about the story and artist.

ART-MAKING. This is a really inexpensive art proj-

ect. Have the students draw the head and neck of two figures on cheap construction paper and cut them out. Next, have them cut up the scraps of construction paper and additional sheets in different colors into different shapes. They can use crayons to add patterns to the shapes. Have them look through old magazines for patGo to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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terns and cut those out. For instance, a student might find the torso of a woman wearing a shirt with rose prints on it. They can cut that into a square. Additionally, they can cut shapes out of old newspapers and use crayons to draw patterns on them. Finally, have them use the shapes to piece together a collage on their two figures and a sheet of construction paper for the background. This is ver y open-ended. Encourage creativity and risk-taking.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. The ar t project is great by itself, but if you want to incorporate some language-ar ts skills, focus on character traits and narrative writing. Before the students create the ar twork, have them flesh out two characters. They can use a graphic organizer to write character traits for each. Give them time to solicit feedback from their peers. Then, have them write a couple of paragraphs about each of their characters. Once this has been accomplished, have them think about these two characters as they create their artwork. Ask them to think carefully about what they are choosing to include in their work and how that might represent the characters they developed. Extend this by having them write a narrative using the two characters as main characters. Their narratives should be developed around a clear problem and solution.

PRESENTING. Involve the students in creating a hall-

way display with the works. Have them determine how their artwork should be displayed with their writing. As simple as it sounds, the decision to put the writing above the artwork or below it can be a big one for students. They may feel their artwork is the most important aspect of the entire project and want it displayed above their writing, or vice versa. Give them a stake in the display. Use the display like a gallery and have them walk a peer through the gallery to talk about their art. If you have a parent involvement night coming up, have the students prepare to present their display to their parents. What a great way to hit those speaking and listening standards! n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Amanda Koonlaba (NBCT), is a Curriculum Specialist, Teaching Artist, from Saltillo, Mississippi. 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. 11

Yearlong Secondary Curriculum Series | 3D INTRO ART

ARTICLE 4 OF 10

Wonderful Weavings by Debi West

ho doesn’t love bringing fiber art into the art room? I have a feeling there are a lot of art teachers who probably don’t agree, and I have to say, until I took a few workshops at state art education conferences, I was intimidated by the thought of weaving and fibers in my art room, too. But, I now love it—and so do my students! There are so many cool things that weaving teaches our kids, so let’s dive in and discuss a few of the fun and educational projects that we can do with weaving techniques. WEAVING IS A PROCESS of taking warp

• Beating-up, or battening is where the weft is pushed up again the top layer to keep the threads close together. TYPICALLY, I BEGIN the weaving proce-

dures with paper weaving. This teaches students the basic concepts and the tools needed, such as the loom, the warp and the weft without the stress of using yarn, which can be a bit daunting. I first have my students watercolor a large piece of paper and then cut these when they dry into long strips of various widths. Then I have them cut into a piece of 9" x 12" folded paper to about a half-inch from the edge to create their paper loom. Once this is done, they begin to pick—or weave—their paper by going over and under the warp, or going “weft to wight.”

Kids love this! They get a quick feel for how weaving works and see the importance of beating up and being aware of their picking. When these paper weavings are completed, we begin with our yarn and create cardboard looms by cutting about half an inch on each side and then hooking string into these cuts, creating their warp threads. They then select their yarn colors and textures and begin the weaving process all over again. It’s really that simple! Once students get the hang of the routine, you can begin to introduce various weaving textures such as: • Tabby is a plain basic weave with which students often start out. • Soumak, which is a weave that resembles a braid and creates a raised, slanted, look.

(threads that are longitudinal/vertical on the loom) and weft (threads that are latitudinal/horizontal that go over and under the warp threads) and interlacing these two yarns perpendicular to each other to form a unified weaving, or piece of cloth. Weaving is generally done on a loom and consists of three motions: shedding, picking and beating up—which, naturally, the kids think is hilarious! Here are some quick definitions of these weaving terms: • Shedding is where the ends are separated by raising or lowering the warp, or in simple terms, the area that the “overunder, over under” technique takes place. • Picking is where the weft actually goes on a journey; I tell my students, it goes from “weft to wight” (or left to right), which is the repetitive Weaving will truly engage your students. You will find that once students learn how to weave, they won’t action that is weaving. want to stop. If you have doubts, just look at that smile! 12

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ARTICLE 4 OF 10

3D INTRO ART CURRICULUM SERIES

Wonderful Weavings LEARNING OBJECTIVES

MATERIALS

High school students will … • learn to make weavings using various techniques on handmade looms. • understand the importance of fiber arts. • make woven artworks or functional pieces such as bags or belts.

• • • • • •

9" x 12" construction paper, scissors Watercolors, paintbrushes, paper Cardboard, pencils, rulers, masking tape Yarn, needles Beads, assorted mixed media Weaving techniques handout

PROCEDURES 1. Students will learn about different weaving techniques. (Weaving types/ Techniques: Tabby/Plain, Basket, Twining, Soumak, Rya, Dovetailing, Interlocking.) 2. Students will make a cardboard loom by measuring and cutting their marks on the top and the bottom of their square or rectangular (or circular for advanced students) to attach their warp threads. 3. Students will select multicolored yarns (recalling their color theory lesson)

and begin to practice different weaving techniques. I require at least three techniques on their final pieces. 4. Students will weave for several class periods and decide if they want to create a piece of artwork to be matted (using traditional or contemporary recycled materials) or a piece that serves a function, such as a bag, scarf or belt. 5. Finished pieces will be exhibited in a student hall display.

ASSESSMENT I use a project evaluation form for each lesson I teach. This allows my students to appropriately reflect on the learning at hand and leaves room for them to comment on the process and how they feel the final piece turned out. It also allows me to comment and give them a grade based on their learning and their final work. We also do in-process critiques using my “2 Glows and a Grow” model.

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Starting them with simple paper weaving teaches students basic weaving concepts.

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• Pile, which is a way to add a bubbling effect. • Fringe, which is a creative way to add vertical hanging textures from the final weaving. Grouping strands or combining all of these textural techniques creates a truly beautiful final weaving You’re going to find that once your students begin to learn how to weave, they won’t want to stop! So I have brought in the history of weaving and tapestry art for them, and have researched a plethora of ideas of where they can go with these fiber works.

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A few ideas are belts, scarves, bags, weavings from recycled materials and textural mixed-media works. I can’t wait to see what your students create when you offer them this wonderful 3D opportunity. I think you’ll be thrilled with what they will come up with and, better yet, you’ll be thrilled that they are all engaged and excited to be in your art class! Next up … Pop-Up Art History. n Owner of WESTpectations Educational Consulting and retired art educator, A&A Contributing Editor Debi West now resides in Hilton Head, S.C., where she is writing, teaching art camps and creating her own art. 13

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • explore the work of Henri Matisse. • recreate a painting of a fishbowl in a patterned room. • understand and apply elements and principles of design effectively in their work, especially pattern, texture and space. • reflect on, revise and refine work using problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. • develop and apply skills using a variety of media, tools, and processes to create work.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

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

MATERIALS

•

Visual reference of Henri Matisse’s painting, Goldfish (1911) • 12" x 18" white sulphite paper • Oil pastels, markers • Liquid watercolors, paintbrushes • Template for table and fishbowl • Plastic wrap • Orange construction paper • Scissors, glue sticks

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MATISSE I

love teaching a lesson with parameters that give every child the opportunity to be successful, but also calls for individual creative freedom. This lesson exposes the artists to a variety of tools and techniques while nurturing creative self-expression, which Matisse valued most of all. SESSION 1. The lesson began with my asking the students if they have ever had fish as a pet at home. This of course led to hearing several interest14

Sabrina, grade 2. Darya, grade 2.

by Chrissy Leishear

ing stories about the demise of their short-lived friends. On a brighter note, this got them excited to roll up their sleeves and get to work! We started the lesson with a PowerPoint of French artist Henri Matisse's life and work, paying close attention to the bright colors, bold patterns, and outlines in his paintings. He was one of the founders of Fauvism, the first new artistic style of the 20th century. Matisse used simplified forms and bright, intense color as a way of expressd e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 • 86 Y E A R S

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ing his feelings. In 1912, Matisse created one of his most famous paintings, The Goldfish, and this would serve as the inspiration for our lesson. First, we used a ruler to draw three lines to create a 3D room for our fish bowl. We drew one horizontal line for the floor, one vertical line on the right side of our paper to separate the back wall from the side wall, and then one short, diagonal line on the bottom right, separating the side wall from the floor. Voila! Now we have a room and the creative freedom to design it! The students used a pencil to fill the walls and floor with patterns. From hearts and swirls to diamonds, these artists were full of ideas and no two rooms looked alike. There was a variety of stencils available which they could use for simple, geometric shapes.

Quinn, grade 2.

over our patterns, pushing hard so we would be certain to see our designs once they were painted over. I poured liquid watercolors into cups and the students chose two wall colors and a floor color. They painted over their designs until their rooms were complete. I gave them a template of a fish bowl and a table. They used blue and turquoise to paint their fishbowl, then laid a piece of plastic wrap on top of their fishbowl while it was still wet. They gently squished the plastic wrap to bunch it up and make wrinkles in the surface. This would give their fishbowl a neat texture to make it look realistic.

fishbowl and table were cut out, they carefully considered where they placed these items before gluing them down. Now it was time for the stars of our show, the fish! Using various shades of orange construction paper, they cut out at least three fish and glued them in their bowl. Apparently no fishbowl is complete without rainbow colored aquarium gravel, plants, and a castle! This is when the artists had the most fun, imagining up a little dream world in their glass bowl. I am so proud of my students. With creative freedom, they successfully used a variety of tools and techniques to create unique artworks Matisse would have surely enjoyed. n

SESSION 3. The students pulled off the plastic wrap and oohed and aahed over the cool texture it produced. Once their

Chrissy Leishear teaches Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;8 art at St. John the Baptist School in Silver Spring, Maryland.

To make the water in the fishbowl look more realistic, Noah gently applies plastic wrap to his artwork.

SESSION 2. We used oil pastels to trace

Gus proudly shows his work.

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Welcome Winter with Snow Peop by Cynthia McGovern

ere is a lesson that combines reading, learning about authors/illustrators, value painting and clay sculpture. My first-graders totally love this lesson. Say “Hello” to winter with the help of these charming snow people!

FIRST, GET THE BOOK Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn and Mark Buehner, and read this beautiful story to your students.

Show them the book, page by page, using a document camera or similar device. Ask them to think about how the pictures help make the story more interesting and engaging. Ask: How do artists tell a story with pictures? How do artists paint nighttime pictures using light and dark mixed paints? Your students will love the nighttime snow people activities that take place all over the town while everyone else is sleeping. Two of my stu> Scarlett dents’ favorites are the snowmen making snow Dina angels and drinking cocoa without melting! Point out the variety of hats and mittens the snowmen are wearing. Then, tell students they will be painting their own nighttime pictures of one or two snow people (boys or girls) having fun. PREPPING FOR SNOW PEOPLE PAINTINGS. Put

white tempera paint into five sections of the students’ 12-count egg-carton “palettes.” Then, put each primary color into three, black in one, and then brown in another. First, students will mix secondary colors and then create tints. Explain to the children that tints are achieved by adding small amounts of white to the secondary colors until they achieve the tint they want. Be sure one or two of the whites are kept pure for the snow-people bodies. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn and Mark Buehner (Dial Books; 2005).

• Book: Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn and Mike Buehner (Dial Books; 2005) • 12" x 18" black/dark blue tagboard or heavy black construction paper • Pencils • Tempera paint (primary colors, white, black and brown), large and small paintbrushes, water containers • Cardboard 12-count egg cartons • White earthenware clay, slip, clear and color glazes • Chopsticks, white glue, twigs

LEARNING OBJECTIVES First-grade students will ... • identify primary and secondary colors. • create secondary colors and tints. • recognize light and dark values in artwork. • build a form out of clay. • share and describe their personal artwork.

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. d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 • 86 Y E A R S

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Night

On dark paper, students draw a hill and a “three-ball” snow person in pencil. Next, they paint the hill with “snow,” and the snow people themselves. Next, the children add interesting hats and scarves to their snow people. Next comes the sky and the decision of whether to paint it or leave it dark. The tints are lovely in the sky, and once the sky dries, some students choose to add snowflakes. For the finishing touch, small paintbrushes are used to paint brown and black details such as eyes, stick arms, and buttons. When all of the children have finished with their paintings, discuss with your young artists the ideas or stories their paintings depict. Compare student paintings to the book illustrations.

Cameron

> > >

YOU MIGHT ALSO HAVE YOUR STUDENTS CREATE small clay snow-people sculptures. To begin, students form large (baseball size), medium (cue ball size) and small (large marshmallow size) pieces of clay into three balls. Demonstrate the use of scoring and slip to connect them. Be sure to tell students that these don’t need to be perfect. After all, when we make a snowman outside, it is never perfectly round, right? Telling them this helps them feel successful no matter the shape! Next, students add hats, caps or earmuffs and press in facial features, buttons and so on with improvised tools. Then, using chopsticks, either you or the students push deep holes on two sides of the mid-section, twirl the stick a bit to make them a bit wider, since clay shrinks when it dries. (After the final firing, twigs will be placed in these holes for arms.) I have my students choose from three glaze colors for the head coverings, which are applied with very small brushes. Following the first firing, students brush on clear glaze for the second and final firing. The next day, the ends of twigs are dipped into white glue and inserted into the arm holes. Narrow ribbon remnants are just the thing for colorful scarves, adding a bit of flair. n

Kaija Simone

Cynthia McGovern teaches art at Kenny Community School in Minneapolis. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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Weaving Abstract Art

into Your Curriculum

Miranda

by Rebecca Tarman

Julia

enjoy studying abstract artwork with my students. Discussing abstract art and hearing their interpretations of various works is as educational for me as it is for them. One of my favorite artists to use in exposing my students to abstract art is Frank Stella. The students especially enjoy his “Indian Bird Series.” We look at a number of these pieces as an introduction into our own work. WORK BEGINS AS STUDENTS LEARN

Michael

Jane

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

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle-school students will ... • become familiar with the work of artist Frank Stella. • learn about abstract art. • create a three-dimensional abstract artwork.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. • Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods and approaches in creating works of art or design.

MATERIALS

•

8" x 10" sheets of shrink film • 8" x 10" white paper • 8" x 10" cardboard • Sandpaper

•

Rulers, graphite pencils, black permanent markers, colored pencils • Scissors, masking tape • Toaster oven

they will be creating their art with 8" x 10" sheets of shrink film (8.5" x 11" can also be used). First, they prepare the shrink-film surface according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Depending on the brand and what you are planning to use to color the film, this step will vary. For example, some shrink film comes pre-sanded, which makes it more accepting of colored pencil. After prepping the surface, students measure and mark half-inch increments along each of the 8-inch sides of the film, using a ruler and a graphite (No. 2) pencil. Once all the edges have been marked, students connect the marks, creating half-inch-wide columns on their sheet. It is time to begin to design. Students decorate each column with its own unique pattern—they are not to use recognizable symbols, letters or numbers. If a student has a design they are especially proud of, I have them share it by drawing it on the board. We keep these on the board as an idea bank for the rest of the class to use. I have the students draw their patterns directly on the film with their permanent markers. Having them draw first with pencil and then trace will work, but I have found that it draws out the process for too long and students tend to spend too much time perfecting and erasing. After the designs are completed with the marker, color is added with colored pencil. Students need to color with short strokes filling in the areas completely. Color might also be added with permanent marker or metallic colored pencil. see d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 • 86 Y E A R S

ABSTRACT

on page 32

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A&A Art Print: Respond and Connect Unknown artist. Quilt Top, Crazy Pattern (60.75" x 52"), c. 1885

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris on “The Beauty of Life,” 1880

MAIN VISUAL ART CONCEPTS: Shape • Color • Variety • Unity • Texture • Balance • Harmony HISTORY, The Victorian Era: During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), there was a Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. Part of the exhibition contained Japanese ceramics with crackled (or “crazed”) glazes. Some historians believe those surface patterns influenced upper-class women to begin making similarlooking quilts.

•

CONTROLLED CHAOS: Fortytwo squares (six across and seven down) comprise this quilt. While each square has a different overall design, they tend to repeat fan shapes and single colors in the triangular corner pieces throughout the design. Indeed it’s hardly “crazy” at all!

•

HOW “CRAZY” IS “CRAZY”?: Not all “crazy” quilts are of the same craziness. Because quilts were so popular in the late 1800s, some companies produced “patterns” that others could follow to make their own less-crazy versions. This one, with its irregular parts and pieces, is the real deal!

•

MAROON: The careful placement and juxtaposition of reds and browns gives this quilt a rich, warm feeling. While the designs are seemingly random, a deliberate eye selected the variety of colors that makes it work.

•

ECOLOGY: Crazy quilts are the recycler’s dream project. Old clothing might be cut up and saved in pieces to be re-purposed into these quilts. This quiltmaker was especially talented in embroidery. Some stitches hold the pieces together, while others pieces are embellished with delightful natural imagery.

NOT A QUILT: The unfinished edges indicate that this sewn design was never made into an actual quilt as a bedcover. It may have been used as a lap throw or simply for decoration to be closely admired in a Victorian parlor.

•

OBSERVATION: This unknown artist seems to have cut out some pieces from other printed fabrics containing cats, butterflies and horseshoes. How many of each can you find appliquéd on this quilt? While you are at it, find the embroidered horse, the bird, the teepee, the umbrella, several types of leaves and plants, and more.

CONSERVATION: The care of fabrics over time is a big issue for museums interested in preserving this form of cultural history. Crazy quilts were made of silk, brocade, velvet, beads, taffeta, ribbons and embroidery thread. Each of those materials requires a different type of treatment, and some last longer than others.

This symbol 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

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DECEMBER 2018

Unknown American artist. Quilt Top, Crazy Pattern, ca. 1885. Made in New York. Satin, velvet and cotton; 60.75" x 52". / Public domain. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Tracey Blumenreich Zabar, 1989. Â©

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

GRADES K–6

GRADES 7–12

GOING “CRAY-CRAY.” Every art room has a “scrap box” of pieces

COLORED HARMONY SQUARED. This lesson, presented to eighth-graders by Maria Naumik at Monroe Township Middle School, has elements of seemingly random imagery, but each piece overall is united in color harmony. Students cut and arranged squares of printed images, sometimes blending two or more separate but related images, and other times rearranging parts of the same original. > Naumik encourages students to write reflections on their work. This student settled on “creating a pattern from recurring squares of lights in N.Y. I did this because I went there before and like it. I chose New York streets and lights with its many great looks.”

that have been discarded, but saved, for one reason or another. Teacher Heather Roddy relates saving unclaimed artwork to quilters saving reusable pieces of fabric. Her lesson is a great way to recycle parts of art while increasing observational skills.

Art by second-grade students of Heather Roddy from Jacobsville Elementary School in Pasadena, Maryland.

Roddy says, “Sewing has always been a personal passion of mine and crazy quilts are fabulous examples for teaching pattern, variety and composition. Students selected a variety of pieces of patterned papers and arranged them in a way that created negative shapes on the background paper.” Students then filled the empty spaces with their own invented patterns by drawing with markers and colored pencils. The charm is in the contrast between pre-made and hand-made patterns. Roddy suggests taking it a step further: “If desired, the media could easily be adapted to include paint, crayons, oil pastels or even real fabric. This lesson yields beautiful results across varying skill levels. Student-generated patterns can be complicated or simplified to ensure success for all student artists.”

Maria also comments on the pieces in a virtual dialogue with the students. Here she says, “The neutral tones of this pattern are muted with spots of past lives that invite my lids to fall shut and cozy up beneath the quilt.”

> This student said, “I created space between each map by putting a street map every other space. The yellow part of the city map really brings color to the whole project. The difficult part of putting this piece together was the spacing of each square. If the square was of f by just a centimeter the whole project could be ruined.” Naumik replied, “This pattern gives the appearance of control—nice job! Did you realize map-making itself is a pattern that organizes a series of observations?”

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grade 2 CREATE: Organize and develop artistic ideas andwork. • Repurpose

objects to make something new.

How to use the A&A Monthly Art Print: Carefully unbend the staples at the center of the magazine, pull the print up and out of the magazine. Rebend staples to keep magazine intact. Laminate the pulled-out section

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS: Grade 8 CREATE: Demonstrate willingness to experiment, innovate, and

take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings that emerge in the process of art-making or designing. RESPOND: Create a convincing and logical argument to support an evaluation of art. CONNECT: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

and use it as a resource in your art room. — Editor 22

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ALIVE

and kicking

Our

Block Party

by Don Masse

THE

INSPIRATION

THIS

YEAR’S

“almost all school” (almost because I can only fit in all the second- through fifth-grade classes for 30-minute minilessons the first week) collaborative experiment was a quilt called “Block Party” by Austin-based designer and quilter, Corinne Sovey. What really caught my eye with this quilt was the combination of bold color contrast, simple geometric shapes, and a sense of www.ar tsandactivities.com

Once installed, we have a huge, vibrant artwork installed on campus that creates a big impact through the work of many small hands. When enough progress has been made, I place the working collaborative on my floor, so students can get an idea of the overall effect and color transition.

very school year, the students and I get back into the creative groove with a large-scale collaborative piece that can have quite a positive impact on our school campus in a short amount of time. This first week creative activity gives me a chance to meet many of our students right away and it gives us time to review the art-room rules and expectations. These projects also emphasize aspects of unity/community and variety/diversity in art and within our school family. Plus, they boost self esteem- everyone that participates has artwork on display for all to see!

openness or space created by the white negative shapes throughout the design. Corinne, herself, thinks of her style as “Graphic Quilting” because of this play between shape and color. One of the other things that struck me about her work and philosophy is how her graphic design work informs her quilt design aesthetic. I love the balance and dichotomy of the traditional/hands-on and contemporary/digital in design ideation and execution. While our paper quilt is inspired by Corinne’s “Block Party,” I did make one alteration to the pattern—the addition of a quarter circle. In years past, our collabs have been primarily circles or triangles, but never really a combination of both, so I thought it would be interesting to add a curved ele-

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ment into the overall pattern. This way, students are reintroduced to squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles right off the bat. TO PREP FOR THIS ACTIVITY, I cut many, many 3" x 3" squares of colored paper and 2" x 3" black and gray rectangles, so that there would be enough for 800 students to play with over the 23

For this activity, I cut enough squares of colored paper so that there would be enough for 800 students to play with over the course of the week.

Our paper quilt was inspired by Corinne Sovey’s quilt, “Block Party.”

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • experiment with geometric shapes in order to create a satisfying visual composition. • collaborate with each other to create a large-scale work of art.

Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. 24

When students have the composition they want, they glue the pieces down, then flip the paper and put glue on the back and head to our assembly table, to add their piece to the larger unit.

Each student starts with a 6" x 6" white square, three analogous color 3" x 3" squares, and a black or dark gray 2" x 3" rectangle.

This experience allows you to assess skill capabilities, such as paper folding, cutting straight, scissor technique, and using stencils correctly.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Brainstorm multiple approaches to a creative art or design problem. • Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.

MATERIALS

• • • •

Lots of colored paper squares Card stock stencils for quarter circle Pencils, scissors, glue sticks Large paper to mount quilt squares d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 • 86 Y E A R S

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As students place and press their quilt squares on a 24" x 36" sheet of paper, they look at the placement of the other pieces and respond. Perhaps the bottom of their design looks better at the top, or by rotating it a quarter turn it will join in a more interesting way with another square.

course of the week. I also cut 6" x 6" white squares to serve as the bases for each student’s quilt square. When classes come in, the colored papers are already laid out for them. This saves time, since I only meet with them for 30 minutes for this activity and it creates the overall color gradient of the final install. The actual design activity is pretty straightforward. Each student starts with a 6" x 6" white square, three analogous color 3" x 3" squares, and a black or dark gray 2" x 3" rectangle. First, we fold the white square into quarters and I inform the students that they can place only one color in each of the quarters. Next, students select one colored square to leave as is and place it in one of the white quarters. Then, students select one color to turn into a triangle shape. They hold it like a diamond and cut from the bottom corner to the top. They get rid of one piece and place the triangle in one of the white quarters. I model rotating the triangle in different directions in different square quarters. With the remaining colored square, students have a choice: they may use a cardboard stencil to turn it into a quarter circle or they may cut it into rectangles. They take the shape or shapes and place in another white quarter. Again, experimenting with rotation and, if using rectangles, they should www.ar tsandactivities.com

only use them vertically or horizontally. The final black rectangle is cut into a minimum of two rectangles and placed in the last white quarter. Again, attempting to limit themselves to vertical and horizontal positioning. ONCE THEY HAVE ALL THEIR PARTS,

I encourage them to look at their arrangement and decide whether it is satisfying. If they need to move pieces, they may. When they feel like they have the composition they want, they then glue the pieces down. After that’s done, they flip the paper and put glue on the back and head on back to our assembly table, so they can add their piece to the larger unit. Here, students place and press their quilt squares on a large 24" x 36" white sheet of paper. I encourage them to look at the placement of the other student pieces and respond to it. They may decide the bottom of their design looks better at the top, or they might want to rotate it a quarter turn to join in a more interesting way with another quilt square. EVEN THOUGH THE DESIGN CREATION

is on the simpler side, this experience does allow you to assess skill capabilities, such as paper folding, cutting straight, scissor technique, using stencils correctly, etc. The activity also provides students opportunities for

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creative decision making while working within a few design constraints. Personally, I find this balance between choices and constraints to be an important aspect of the design process. As classes roll through, I place the working collaborative on my floor, so students can start to get an idea of the overall effect and color transition. When all classes are done, I install it in the auditorium. The use of 24" x 36" pieces makes these things much more easy to transport. (I used to assemble these pieces on large sheets of butcher paper, but getting them down the outdoor corridor—especially when it was breezy—was always a pain!) And, boom! We have a huge, vibrant artwork installed on campus that creates a big impact through the work of many small hands. Beginning-of-the-year experiences like this are a great way to get your students excited for the art making they’ll take part in throughout the year. They also provide a boost to each of your students because they all play an important role in the success of the artwork. It also serves as a great PR opportunity for your school art program, so celebrate the install not only with your school community, but share it with your school district and other arts and education decision makers in your area. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Don Masse, is a K–5 visual arts teacher at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, California. At the recent NAEA national convention, Don was named the 2018 Pacific Region Elementary Art Educator of the Year. 25

COMMUNITY

connections

Rice is carefully adhered and refined with the use of a pencil.

A darker value was used for the neck to keep it from blending into the chin. High contrast keeps the hair from blending into the background.

TEXTURAL PORTRAITS by Tony Woodman

reativity is the fuel that powers our futures; we imagine new worlds and unearth ourselves. Results from my survey of more than 100 art teachers at the NAEA 2018 Convention, reveal that teachers feel the most important thing to teach in art class is creativity. As art educators, we should reevaluate what we think is important and what 26

we want to gain perspective as to where we are in art education. In response to relatively recent cuts to the visual arts in my district, I’ve become more reflective. This curiosity drove me to create the survey. Some of my findings can be found in the sidebar, “Survey Results” (top of opposite page). Considering that many educators

have limited power to grow programs from within, perhaps we could promote art education by running art clubs and prompting partnerships with the community? That being said, I reached out to investigate what it is that teachers are doing to partner with the community. Most stated that they are exhibiting

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES SURVEY RESULTS 1. Two thirds of those surveyed witnessed their art programs remain the same or grow over the past 10 years, while 22.3 percent saw their art programs diminish. Although this number may sound encouraging, consider that it also means that one out of every four to five art programs is suffering cuts and more than 60 percent of art programs are staying the same or diminishing. 2. The survey also asked respondents about the support they have within their school administration. More than one third of those surveyed ranked principal support of their programs as less than 8 out of 10. One measure of support may be the physical space dedicated to the visual arts. On this matter, 6.4 percent stated that they do not have their own classrooms. None of these respondents teach in a growing district. 3. More than 40 percent of those for whom the arts in their districts have diminished state that more funding is the element that would most augment the art program, followed by more time with students, at 22.7 percent. Interestingly, of those who state their art programs have grown, only 29 percent state that money would most improve their art programs, followed by smaller class sizes at 19.5 percent. 4. Taking a peek at programs that have grown, produces different results: Only 29 percent state that money is most important to improving their art programs, followed by 19.5 percent who hold smaller class sizes as the most essential element for enhancement. —Tony Woodman

student work in libraries, galleries, city hall or at school. Others are sharing work on Artsonia, Instagram, publications such as Arts & Activities, Seesaw or communicating with others through Twitter, YouTube, blogs, Skype, Facebook and newsletters. Some of the more original ideas include: a community sewing circle, sidewalk chalk festival, student art on transit buses, parent art lessons, and lobbying legislators.

Middle school students will … • accurately record proportions. • collaboratively produce for an exhibition.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CONNECTING: Making art collaboratively to reflect on and reinforce positive aspects of group identity. • PRESENTING: Analyzing why and how an exhibition or collection may influence ideas, beliefs, and experiences.

MATERIALS

• Cardboard and mirrors • Rice • Acrylic paint • Ziploc bags • White glue

Students prepare colors and focus on maintaining the image drawn beneath the rice.

IS TEACHING CREATIVITY more impor-

tant than advocacy? In our town, the Waukegan Arts Council is a group dedicated to the enrichment of the city through unrelenting advocacy for the arts. When faced with about 32 empty storefronts in the heart of the city, they saw an opportunity to reach out to the community to revitalize a downtrodden city that had once thrived. Their project asked the people to create portraits to fill the storefronts and draw attention to the beauty and diversity of Waukegan’s residents. I encouraged my eighth-grade students to participate in this endeavor. Unfortunately, the building with the majority of those storefront windows was sold, and the new owner was unwilling to participate. The project was sidelined. Undeterred, I continued to pursue this project with relative success. The project didn’t happen as we had envisioned but I was able to team up with a gallerist eager to exhibit the student work. www.ar tsandactivities.com

THE LESSON BEGAN with a discussion

of our role in the community and how our portraits could help celebrate those diverse experiences, as well as the societal impact of the exhibition. Using a basic formula, I demonstrated how to draw both a female and male face. Students practiced formula drawing small faces for the remainder of the first day. On day two, we propped up mirrors and enjoyed a day of timed sketches. We began by sketching our faces in one-minute, then two- and five-minute intervals, slowly adding time to our sketches. Our focus was on memorizing the formula for accurate proportions so we could see it when we look at a face. On the third day, we continued with timed sketches. I encouraged students

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Here, the chin and nose were outlined to keep them from disappearing.

to use a resource packet I provided that contained a step-by-step drawing of a face, a nose, an eye, and selfassessment questions to check work and spark constructive discussion. Day four was a full period of drawing a selfportrait as a final assessment. The daily sketches allowed for easy checks for understanding and quick interventions. I was looking for students to lay out the formula in one minute, and to spend the remainder of their time measuring and adjusting proportions. On day five, the final drawings were charcoal-transferred to cardboard and we began to add color. I demonstrated how to color rice and adhere it to a portrait while maintaining the image beneath. To color the rice, students poured a small amount of acrylic paint into a zip-lock bag, added dry white see

TEXTURE

on page 30 27

Resist Fabric Dyeing T

his lesson began in Wakanda. Yes, the fictional Wakanda science-fiction themes that incorporate elements of black from the block-buster film, Black Panther. My students histor y and culture. We also listened to music and viewed were fascinated with the movie, some even seeing it several the work by Afrofuturist artists such as Aaron Douglas, times in the theater. It was the perfect prompt for us to view sculptor Cyrus Kabiru, jazz composer Sun Ra, and singer/ songwriter Janelle Monáe. and discuss African art. by Pannay Guigley After dividing into small groups, the This lesson was part of a larger unit students created new tribes for Wakanda. on African art and culture, and the costumes and set design of Black Panther—especially the work They fused their knowledge of African art with what they of costume designer Ruth E. Carter. We also discussed learned about Afrofuturism to create new ideas and visuals. “Afrofuturism,” described as a movement in the arts (film, In the unit, they chose their tribe’s color scheme, created a music, literature, visual art, etc.), that features futuristic or papier-mâché mask for a ceremony, wrote an origin stor y, LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle school students will … • identify patterns in African fabrics and art. • understand the process of resist. • understand geometric and organic shapes.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

CREATING: Using new materials, tools and processes to create. • PRESENTING: Interpreting and discussing artistic work. • RESPONDING: Understanding and evaluating how art fits into a larger cultural context. • CONNECTING: Relating art ideas and work with popular culture.

MATERIALS

• • • •

White or off-white cotton fabric Washable glue (we used Elmer’s) Fabric paint, shaving cream, brushes Access to washing machine and iron Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 • 86 Y E A R S

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This student used a variety of symbols and patterns.

Some chose to use a repeating pattern.

The more fabric paint you add to the shaving cream, the deeper the color.

Allow paint to set for at least 48 hours.

Applying designs with Washable Elmers Glue.

Glue design on fabric. Glue needs to dry completely before painting.

Next, they used washable glue to free-hand the pattern onto their fabric. Warning: Do not place newspaper under the fabric, as it will stick as the glue seeps into and through the fabric. If you have plastic table covers, use them to lay them to dry. It took the glue about 24 hours to dry completely. After the glue dried, they added a good bit of fabric paint into a cup of shaving cream and mixed well. Then they painted the colors onto their cloth. The paint dried over the weekend, and I washed the projects that Monday (some had to be washed twice to get all the glue of f). I also ironed them to smooth out the wrinkles. This project came out so well, several pieces were chosen to be on display at our superintendent’s of fice. designed regalia for ceremonies, and resist-dyed cloth as their tribe’s flag. I had been wanting to do a resist project with my students, and this unit was the perfect fit. I needed it to be very inexpensive, so I had to find items on hand that would work. I was pleased to find a few yards of cotton muslin (donated to my classroom) as well as an adequate amount of Elmer’s washable glue in the art room closet. There was also a basket of partially used fabric paints, as well as shaving cream from a paper marbling project the semester before. The shaving cream would help with this project because it would extend the use of the fabric paint, and make the final fabric softer. THE FIRST STEP for students was to draw plans in their sketchbooks. This was a group project, so they needed to compromise with each other. Allowing them to pick their own groups helped foster that. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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THE STUDENTS LOVED THIS PROJECT. It is easy enough for

younger students, but interesting enough for older students, too. My favorite part of this lesson was not just the projects, but the art talk that took place in the classroom. Using Black Panther as a springboard really worked well, and made all of our art concepts come to life. Students enjoyed looking at African art, noticing the differences and similarities between different regions and tribes, and seeing how that influenced the artists we were studying. The youngsters were very thoughtful about their color choices and patterns chosen for use in their flag. The whole unit was a raging success, and I owe a lot of gratitude to the film, Black Panther, for bringing the visual world of Africa to the screen and inviting my students to explore more of the continent. n Pannay Guigley teaches art at Horn Lake Middle School in Horn Lake, Mississippi. 29

rice, and shook it vigorously. Once continued from page 27 coated, the rice was carefully spread onto wax paper and allowed to dry. Colors and values were then selected and glued over the portrait, as we did our best to both preserve the image and to place light and dark values appropriately.

TEXTURE

The community flyer announcing the exhibit. Student work on view at the Faces of Waukegan show at The Parlor gallery.

WHEN FINISHED, THE WORK WAS TAKEN downtown to the Parlor Gal-

lery to be exhibited during “ArtWauk,” a monthly arts experience that draws thousands of visitors. Our goal was to revitalize our town and celebrate its diversity. The Parlor gallerist, Nicole Romany, was generous enough to revive the Faces of Waukegan Project by offering gallery space to us. She truly played a vital role in not only saving the city, but also advocating for public school arts. We filled the gallery with plaster relief, fiber, crayon and rice portraits. More than 40 artist portraits were exhibited during the month of March, giving my students a real opportunity to publicly represent themselves in

their community. These types of partnerships are vital to building an alliance with the community. Undeniably, with the sentiments of teachers finding it most important to teach creativity, and the great demand for creativity, it is truly ver y important to learn to be creative. But with the lack of growth in art programs, it may be time for some to consider advocacy

as their top priority. If your art program is not growing to your satisfaction, advocate for the arts within your community. Build partnerships. Don’t wait for things to change: bring the arts to the people. n Tony Woodman is an art educator at Daniel Webster Middle School in Waukegan, Illinois.

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Introducing a heavily insulated Paragon glaze test kiln The Max-119 is heavily insulated so you can fire to 2300°F (1259°C) on 120 volts. The kiln is 11” wide x 9” deep. The walls are 4 ½” thick! The 2 ½” thick firebricks are backed with an extra 2” of block insulation. Optional colors at no charge If you don’t like the black shown here, order your kiln in turquoise, hot pink, purple, berry, navy, jade, or blue. Ideal for classes Buy a Max-119 for your classroom. Students can make gifts for special occasions without waiting until the school’s large kiln is fired.

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New teachers inherit bags of unlabeled clay. Many ceramic firings have been ruined because the clay was fired to the wrong temperature. With a small kiln, you can test unlabeled clay. Test glazes while you feel the momentum instead of waiting to fire them in your large kiln. A test kiln creates enthusiasm for a clay program. A glaze test kiln vastly increases students’ knowledge of glazes. 18” tall deluxe rolling stand The rolling stand raises the kiln to a convenient height. Should you need a vent, merely slide the Orton collection cup into a mounting bracket on the top of the stand. Join the Clayart pottery forum here: lists.clayartworld.com

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ABSTRACT continued from page 18

The completed columns are then cut apart.

TO BEGIN WEAVING, students place seven plastic strips on a piece of paper and secure the ends with masking tape. At this point, I have them write their names of the bottom of the far righthand strip in permanent marker. These projects can get hard to tell apart, so having them do this before putting them in the toaster oven is the best way I’ve found to keep them identifiable. Students then weave the remaining strips onto the seven secured pieces. After weaving, they carefully remove the tape, leaving the weaving on the piece of paper, ready to bake. I have found it is best to slide the paper onto a piece of cardboard before

Discussing abstract art and hearing the students’ interpretations of various works is as educational for me as it is for them.

Share your Lesson Plans with other

Teachers! To learn how, visit artsandactivities.com/submit and select “Writer’s Guidelines”

baking to make it easier to maneuver in and out of the toaster oven. Have the students watch their woven pieces through the window and decide when it looks as curly as they want it. Warning: If they are left in the oven until completely shrunk, they will lay back down flat. When the weavings come out of the oven, I try to secure any loose pieces by curling and twisting pieces together. There is about a 10- to 15-second window during which the material is pliable enough to do this. Because the pieces are very hot, I do this myself for safety reasons. When cool, I mount them on scrap tagboard using hot glue. This project is a good introduction to creating abstract art. It can be adapted for most age and ability levels. It is also one of those projects where all students feel successful. n Rebecca Tarman teaches fine arts at Millersburg Elementary–Middle School in Millersburg, Indiana.

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media reviews

THE ART OF LEATHER BRAIDING: Beginner’s Guide to Making Jewelry, Pendants, and Bracelets, Belts, Straps, and Key Fobs, by Roy Luo and Kelly Tong. B. E. S. Publishing Company, $19.99. Title notwithstanding, coiling and braiding leather cord is a craft. Not only an amusement for children, it’s a hobby that can pay for itself and more. Again, although the diagrams in this thorough and educative book are terrific, most of them are not for the young. This resource might be most useful for high school students and beyond. Written by Chinese-Americans who own a braiding company and are now highly qualified, that wasn’t always the case. Interestingly, Roy learned braiding when he moved to the United States. He first followed the pictured directions from right to left, an understandable error. But frustrating, we’re sure! Simple designs can be found in the book, embellished with knots, beads, and decorative hardware. There’s a wrapping technique with a single strand, but even that would challenge some kids. Many designs involve anywhere from three to eight strands. Those who master the methods might create leather tassels, lanyards, earrings, rings, chokers, even shoelaces and braid-covered buckles. The three chapters are beautifully illustrated and fully informative. The second section, twenty creations, begins with a convenient pictorial “project finder.” Before that, you’ll find particulars on flat laces, round cords, and tips for their care. Then learn how few tools are required, and the basic methods to start and finish. The third, final portion is filled with excellent photographs and drawings. No need to refer to tutorials or videos if you have this helpful paperback.–P.G. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME ART: GOUACHE, An Artist’s Guide to Painting with Gouache on the Go!, by Agathe Singer. Walter Foster Publishing, $16.95. Gouache is having a renaissance of sorts. Also known as opaque watercolor, the water-based paint dries quickly and sometimes contains chalk to increase opacity even further. Try it if you’re among the uninitiated! The author is a French artist whose style is graceful, flat, and decorative. It’s so attractive that adults will want to emulate Ms. Singer. Most of all the art is inventive and colorful, just the way

86 Y E A R S •

december 2018

kids like it. Coincidentally, Ms. Singer is an illustrator, a profession that often relies on the properties of gouache. With progressive steps, this book is a typical Walter Foster how-to, but for kids and without the realism. At 6.5" x 9.5" the softcover is not quite pocket-sized. (A Kindle version is available, too.) Perhaps intended for middle school artists and older, the book covers the bare essentials. See a video short at one of the online bookstore sites. To inject some individuality into the activities, try your own subject matter. For example, rather than painting a facsimile of the oranges project, readers are advised to try a composition of their own with cut fruit. Or the artist can change the color schemes. Freedom of choice can also be used in the hidden animals design.–P.G.

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shop talk

DHARMA TRADING CO. Available from Dharma Trading Co. is what the company refers to as its “better Tjantings.” Hailing from a small village in Indonesia—the home of batik— these tools are handmade out of copper and teak wood. According to the company, what makes these tjantings “better” is the fact that copper heats more easily than brass, and their tips produce finer lines. Dharma Trading Co. has been selling fiber-arts supplies for more than 40 years.

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Do you have art-teaching tips to share with other teachers? Send them to Glenda at:

tipsforartteachers@yahoo.com

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STUDY PRINT

is the season for holiday parties, lots of celebrations, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. It is also a great time for talking about texture, fiber art and planning for Youth Art Month.

tip #1

DARN YARN! Keeli Singer from John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, keeps her skeins of yarn in a small laundry basket, with the end of each skein sticking out of the holes. This keeps students from unwinding the wrong “outer” end of the yarn and it keeps it from becoming a tangled mess. If you don't have a laundry basket handy, just do the same with a cardboard box and poke holes in the side. Art teacher Andrea Schneider from Alma Schrader Elementary School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, also has yarn problems. Her yarn station was always one big giant knot during fiber projects. She tried the big box that

can also be accomplished by using a mixture of flour and water. Mix the flour and water together until it is a somewhat thick paste— but you should still be able to paint with it. Use the paste as if it were the wax. When the mixture is dry, you can scrunch up the fabric to cause the paste to crack a bit. Then, place it into the dye bath (cold-water dyes work best with this technique). Remove the fabric from the bath and, when the fabric is dry, remove the flour paste by peeling or scraping it off. Here is another “faux” batik technique. My students drew designs of Australian animals and traced them with a black permanent marker. They then taped the paper to the table and placed a piece of white cotton fabric over it. They melted white candle wax in crayon melters and then, following their designs which were visible underneath, applied the wax to the cotton using wooden skewers. It took a few

Glenda L

ubiner

love dressing up as famous artists and greeting our guests! We are a K–8 school (Franklin Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida) and one of our elementary teachers, Emily Deacon, creates installations for the families to visit. Last year she had a tearoom, where she served tea to the guests and showed off the Japanese teacups her students made. The next

Happy, Healthy and Creative comes with the holes in the top, but every time the yarn slipped down through the hole, she had to lift the lid up and re-thread ALL the yarn. She came up with the idea of individual containers for each yarn ball. No tangling, no wrangling—and no gigantic, snarly mess! Andrea used large cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt containers and cut holes in the lids for feeding the yarn through. Whether you use Keeli’s method or Andrea’s, your art teacher life is bound to be a little bit better using these solutions!

tip #2

BATIK FOR ALL. The technique of batik dates to the ancient times of Egypt, China, Japan and Indonesia. Wax is an important part of the process, but it

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

minutes to get the hang of applying the wax, but they did a pretty good job. When all the wax was applied, they painted the cotton with watered- down fluorescent tempera paint. When it was dry, I ironed off the wax and the students’ “batiks” looked great!

tip #3

YOUTH ART MONTH. I know it’s only

December, but it is time to start thinking about Youth Art Month (YAM), which will be here in March. Here are some ideas you can start planning so they will be ready in time. How about having your annual art show during March? At my school, we combine our art show with our multicultural event. It is a fundraiser for our school, and we presell tickets, which become raffle tickets, for this huge annual event. Throughout the year my NJAHS students carry around donation letters and collect many gift cards from restaurants, cafes, and local small businesses. The kids are a big part of the art event. They especially

room over was her Pop art clay doughnut exhibit and yes, you guessed it, there were mini doughnuts to taste! We have also had posters around the school featuring different artists, artists’ quotes and blurbs about careers in art. Each year, the art room is converted into our ever-popular “Black Light Room.” We pick a theme for it and the fifth- through eighthgraders create the art to fill the space. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Otto Dix (Dec.

2, 1891), Stuart Davis (Dec. 7, 1892), Camille Claudel (Dec. 8, 1864), Frederick Hundertwasser (Dec. 15, 1928), Masaccio (Dec. 21, 1401), and David Alfaro Siqueiros (Dec. 29, 1986). Thank you Keeli, Andrea, and Emily for these great tips. May you all have a very happy, healthy and creative holiday season. See you next year! 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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