ISSUE 6
ACTIVITIES COMPETITIONS ARTICLES TUTORIALS
THE MAGAZINE THAT IS FUN FOR
EVERYONE
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vw
Life from a teacher’s perspective Welcome to High school
Tutorial
Unique pendant tutorial with Fimo
Creativity and Children by Judy Nemeth
Tutorial
Welcome to our annual special issue of MarsMag. This publication is available every four months and is jampacked with great articles on art, craft and design. We also love featuring you, our valued artists, as well as other initiatives that we are continually involved with. We are also exceptionally active on both Facebook and Instagram and invite you to follow us and engage with us by showing us your incredible arts and crafts. We will also be running a new chapter in our ambassadors’ program as well as running exciting competitions.
Watercolour landscape by Riaan Marais
This year has flown by, and as we step into 2020, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal customers and wish you all the very best in the year to come. Enjoy your holidays and keep safe. XXX The STAEDTLER team.
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SELFIE
The Benefits of Karate Training by Wendy Wannenburg
Tutorial
REAL HERO
CHANCES TO WIN WITH STAEDTLER
Christmas tree decoration by Riaan Marais
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SCHOOL OOL OO L ROCKS
BACK 2 SCHOOL
Timbuktu Creates Back to school stationery list What is ďŹ ne art?
The importance of a child’s lunch box Why study art at school?
A brief history of Surrealism
Ndebele house painting Story time
STAEDTLER® Multi-use Scissors
THE WRITE STUFF STAEDTLER® tradition Pvc free eraser
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STAEDTLER® tradition pencils
STAEDTLER® Shatterproof Ruler 30cm
STAEDTLER® Coloured pencils
STAEDTLER® Triplus® fineliner
ACTIVITY
Build a 3D house
COLOUR CUT GLUE
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Life from a teacher’s perspective. As parent’s our first worry is always our children. It is natural that we only want the best for them, and we always assume that they are as important to everybody else as to us. As a parent, we don’t like hearing that our child did something wrong and it is easier sometimes to blame the teacher in these circumstances. I recently came across an article called, “This is what teachers wish parents knew”. It made me sit back and think about the teacher’s position. Let’s say the teacher has 40 children in her class – it means that 40 sets of parents are having the same anxiety and expectations that their child should be the most important to that teacher. Okay, maybe that is stretching the truth a bit. Not all parents are the same, right? Or are we? Here are some thoughts from the above-mentioned article that was written by Caroline Picard. 1. Forgive us if we don’t respond to emails right away ‘I wish parents would allow teachers two or three days to respond to their emails and phone calls. Teachers are ‘on’ from the time they reach the school to the moment they drive home. Between morning staff meetings, requests from administrators in the middle of a lesson, confrontations in the hallways, and surprise drills, there is little time to sit down and provide long, detailed responses to a parent’s specific request about their child. The delayed response is not because we don’t care — it’s because we have so much on our plates with little time to slow down.” — Danielle, high school English teacher. ‘We are also wives, moms, daughters, and caregivers. I often have parents who are angry that I don’t respond to an email within four hours or they try to communicate with me at 11 p.m.’ — Ashley, grade 4 teacher.
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2. Kids really do need to read, read, read ‘I wish parents knew just how important it is for their child to read 30 minutes every single day and for struggling readers to read 60 minutes. — Stacey, grade 2 teacher. ‘Reading is not ‘homework.’ It needs to be part of life … If you can’t read, you will struggle in all subjects.’ — Diana, primary school math/science teacher. ‘I wish parents knew that the single best thing they could do to prepare their child for school is, from the day they are born, to read out loud to them every single day. Every. Single. Day.’ — Kim, grade three teacher. 3. You need to become much stricter about their phones ‘Children in primary school need to have their use of electronic devices and social media monitored and limited. A good practice would be to lock the devices up at bedtime, so they won’t be tempted by them, and preventing them from getting much needed rest. Some of my students come to class exhausted from texting and engaging in social media for hours after their parents think they’ve gone to sleep.’ — Ginny, grade seven arts teacher. 4. And you should put yours down too ‘I wish parents knew how to talk to their children. Have conversations at every chance they get — in the car, after school, during meals, etc. Put down devices and talk to one another!’ — Patti, grade three teacher.
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5. Energy drinks? Never a good idea ‘Energy drinks are my personal least favourite. High School students will drink Monster and lose their minds by the fourth period.’ — Georgie, high school math teacher. 6. Your child could be living a double life ‘I wish parents realized that their child’s behaviour at home is not the same as their behaviour at school. Teachers have the best interest of students at heart and, if they report on a behaviour, it really happened. Trust us.’ — Lauren, grade four teacher. ‘When we need to address a problem, it is real!’ — Tracey, grade three teacher. 7. It’s okay if they make mistakes on their homework ‘I wish parents would not fix homework. A lot of times I have explained how I want it done, which may not be the way YOU would do it! Mistakes also tell me how I need to work with your child. If their work is always 100% correct, I won’t know they need more of my help to understand. It also emphasizes to them that you think they are not capable of doing it — not a good message to build confident students.’ — Mindi, grade one teacher.
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8. Yep, we’re not perfect ‘We aren’t superheroes. We are just doing a job we love. Sometimes we knock it out of the park. Sometimes we fall on our faces. Most days we are somewhere between the two. We can’t do it all (remind us of that sometimes). We need your help and words of encouragement, too.’ — Jenn, grade two teacher. 9. But we genuinely care about your children ‘I refer to my students as ‘my kids.’ I worry when they are off sick, am excited when they finally understand a difficult concept, and am proud when they graduate from high school and continue their education or enter the workforce.’— Lauren, digital media arts instructor. ‘I wish parents knew that we love their children and only want to help them become the very best that they can be! Sometimes that will involve making them unhappy for a bit when they are disciplined for misbehaving, but trust us! We know what we are doing!’ — Jackie, grade one teacher. (https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.za/teachers-wish-parents-knew/) We want to say thank you to every teacher out there who goes to school on a daily basis, not because they have to, but because they want to. Thank you for not only taking care of our children, but also dealing with us as parents. We salute you for all your hard work and dedication.
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WELCOME TO
“Dear Mom, 2019 was a tough year. So many things changed, even me. I suddenly had mood changes without knowing why. The one moment I would be on top of the world, and the next I would feel like the whole world was hating me. School was really tough this year, every teacher said that they have to be tougher on us to prepare us for high school. Mom, I don’t understand why they have to wait until my last year in Primary School to do it. Do they not know that I am already dealing with all these other changes too? Mom, I am scared. They say that high school is hard. They talk about older kids bullying the younger kids. I heard kids talk and say that if you are not cool and go to a lot of parties that you will become a target for the bullies. Mom, what is date rape and drugs? What is a fake ID? Mom, I know that things are not always great between you and me. I know that I am making you angry and that I am pushing you away because of my “teenage” moods. I know that I am not easy to live with right now, but Mom I am scared, and I need you.”
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These are the words from a 13 year old child. We sometimes forget that children also get tired, confused and scared by the world out there. Adults forget that for the general 13 year old, moving to high school is daunting and scary. It is a new experience. A new school, new friends and new teachers. They do not know how to always handle the pressure the correct way and get caught up in the wrong circle of friends. How do we as parents assist our children with the move up from Primary School to High School? Understand Potential Stressors According to well-known paediatrician Dr. Paul, there are many factors that can cause stress at this time of life, including: • Changes to school structure, including more teachers, larger school building and faster pace • Changes to body image, as students begin attending school with others who are basically young adults • Changes in friends, as students head to different schools and different classes than those they grew up with. With these changes come fear – fear of not fitting in, not keeping up and not measuring up to parental expectations. While many students may not voice these fears to their parents, that doesn’t mean the anxiety doesn’t exist. Parents need to tune into potential stressors in their child’s life during this time, so they can proactively help the child work through those anxieties and concerns. These are the words from a 13 year old child. We sometimes forget that children also get tired, confused and scared by the world out there. Adults forget that for the general 13 year old, moving to high school is daunting and scary. It is a new experience. A new school, new friends and new teachers. They do not know how to always handle the pressure the correct way and get caught up in the wrong circle of friends. How do we as parents assist our children with the move up from Primary School to High School?
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Provide Reassurance Once parents understand the factors that contribute to the stress of the high school transition, they can provide reassurances to their child that will help him make it through the stressful changes. Fox News suggests that parents avoid brushing off a child’s concerns by simply telling them “it will be all right.� Instead, talk to your child to understand the specific anxiety he is dealing with, so you can provide appropriate reassurance for that particular situation. For example, if your child is concerned about making new friends in high school, remind him of all the times he has successfully made friends in the past. Talk to him about activities he could get involved in to meet other students who share his interests. Bring his strengths to the forefront to help him understand why his current friends chose to spend time with him in the first place. If academics are the primary worry for your child, help her create a schedule that includes ample time for homework, as well as time for activities and friends. Set up a homework station that includes all the supplies she will need to complete assignments. Purchase a planner (many high schools now provide these to students) and show her how to write down assignments to make it easier to keep track of due dates for tests and projects. Encourage Activities When students get involved in extracurricular activities in high school, they cultivate a sense of belonging and meet new friends with similar interests to their own. While activities are an important part of the high school experience, too many activities at one time can create undue stress on a student trying to adjust to the academic rigors of high school. Parents need to ensure their students are discerning about their choices in extracurricular activities so that the students enjoy their additional clubs and competitions without wondering how they will find the time to complete homework assignments.
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WELCOME TO
Cultivate Time Management Skills High school is the time when time itself is at a premium. As students learn to juggle a larger homework load, afterschool activities and a part-time job in some cases, the strain of managing those precious hours can become very stressful. Meet the problem head-on by instilling time management skills into your child prior to the start of high school. Some kids have not yet developed good study habits by the time they hit high school, so teaching your child how to study may be a part of the time management lesson. While some students work best in a quiet space alone, others may focus better at the kitchen table with Mom or Dad close by. If your child seems to be having difficulty with a particular class, talk to the teacher about the best way to study for that subject. Teachers usually have a wealth of constructive recommendations to help students succeed.
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WELCOME TO
Build a Support Network  Even students who are sufficiently prepared for high school may find themselves sinking instead of swimming from time to time. When the water starts rising, your child needs to know who she can turn to for help. Create a support network for your child during the early days of high school, so they have plenty of options when the load gets too heavy to shoulder alone.  This network will certainly include you as the parent, especially if you are open and accepting of your child and her decisions. Students are more likely to turn to parents for help if they know their parents are more interested in providing assistance than in judging their behaviour or offering unwanted advice. Other individuals to include in the support network might be an older sibling, an extended family member, a member of the clergy, school counsellor, teacher or doctor. Make sure your child is comfortable talking to at least some of these individuals when the pressure begins to mount. Assure your child everyone needs extra assistance from time to time, and there is no shame in asking for help when it is needed.
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Stay Involved While many parents believe high school is the time to step back and let the child take the reins, that does not mean parents should take themselves out of the picture completely. In fact, high school students may need the presence of their parents more than ever during these years, even if it is only to offer a steadfast presence in the midst of a constantly changing life phase. Parents can be involved without becoming a constant fixture in the child’s activities – by keeping up on developments within the school, knowing the child’s friends and keeping track of the child’s activities. Make your home a comfortable place for your high schooler to hang out with his friends, so the gang will choose your house most often. Become a welcoming host to the high school crowd, keeping snacks in the pantry and movies near the television. Keep an eye on what kids are doing without hovering over them during their social time. Remain available to offer a hand if they need it, or volunteer to be the chauffer for activities so you know where your child is going, with whom and when. The high school transition will be one of the biggest for your child up to this point in his life. For some students, the move to high school is an exciting one filled with possibilities, while other students see the change as scary and overwhelming. No matter how your child approaches high school, you - as the parent - play a key role in the success of this transition. By keeping these tips in mind, you can help your child move into his high school years and beyond, smoothly and successfully. Credit:https://www.publicschoolreview. com/blog/10-ways-parents-can-helpchildren-adjust-to-high-school
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TUTORIAL - Unique pendant tutorial FIMO In this tutorial we will be creating a unique, and one of a kind pendant jewellery. First of all, we need to create a concept drawing. Here you can let your imagination run wild. I usually end up drawing between three and five concepts before I make my choice. I finalise my drawing in a vector program and print it to see if I am happy with it. Let us start creating the pendant. You can tweak and change your design to make it yours.
What you need.
R
STEP 1
Step 1 Once you are happy with your design, print a few copies of the page with the design on it. We will cut stencils from the various copies. I make more copies than I might need just in case I make mistakes cutting my stencils.
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STEP 2
Step 2 Now we cut just one section from each copy to transfer onto our clay.
STEP 3
Step 3 Pick your colours. Make it harmonious or live on the wild side and make your colour choice bright and colourful. Let the pendant reflect your personality.
STEP 4
Step 4 Using my fingers I flatten a ball of black clay by pressing it. I measure it several times over my stencil to see if it covers the whole.
STEP 5
Step 5 Once it covers the whole, very lightly roll the small slab of clay with your roller to smooth out the bumps. Then place your stencil on top of the clay and roll over it to transfer the shape into the clay. The paper’s thickness will have created a slight bevel in the clay. (see step 8)
STEP 6
Step 6 Carefully cut around the bevel-line and remove the extra clay.
STEP 8
STEP 7 Step 7 Do the same with the gold and brown by flattening a ball of clay with your fingers, then roll out the bumps. Place the paper stencil on top of the clay and roll over the stencil and clay.
Step 8 Here you can clearly see how the paper created a slight bevel in the clay. Carefully cut the shapes from your clay by using a sharp knife.
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STEP 9
Step 9 Here you can see all of my shapes which I cut for the pendant.
STEP 11
Step 11 Here you can see what it looks like before I start to sculpt the shapes. Now using sculpting tools move each section into place and smooth out the areas where you made over cuts.
Step 10 I place the black on the paper, but you can continue working on your working area. Then I carefully lay each of my other shapes on my backing and press them lightly into the black.
STEP 12
STEP 13
Step 12 I create a spiral coil by first rolling two separate coils, one black, and one gold. Then I twist them together while trying to make the twists evenly spaced. Once this is done I lightly roll the rope into a smooth coil. I then turn the spirals tighter by twisting the ends in different directions.
STEP 14
Step 13 I drape the spiral along the gold’s edge and cut off the pieces that stick out on either side.
STEP 15 Step 14 Using a ball sculpting tool I press a lot of dents into the black to create some texture.
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STEP 10
Step 15 I add two more spiral coils on the outside of the pendant.
STEP 16
Step 16 Most of the large work is now done. From here on we will decorate our pendant. Keep a close eye on your original design, but do not let it dictate your creativity. Sometimes it needs just that little extra to make a complete design.
STEP 17 Step 17 Now for the unplanned extra bit. I roll the bits from the unused gold and brown spiral coils into a ball and mix the two colours until it is an even colour. I roll this ball into another coil with a slight taper so that I can cut different sized slices from it.
STEP 19
Step 19 I repeat step 17 with gold, but much smaller pieces now. Then I start pressing these small balls in the center of the bigger dots using a ball-shaped tool. A big round-ended hairpin works well for this if you don’t have sculpting tools.
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STEP 18
Step 18 I pick a few slices in varying sizes and roll small balls which I then press into the gold. I follow the curve on the inside.
STEP 20
Step 20 We are now nearly done. We just need to finish off the hook part.
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STEP 21
Step 21 Roll one more coil and add a loop around the hook. Roll the remaining coil thinner and add the last loop around the hook. To remove finger and tool marks, I brush a little bit of baby oil on the pendant and kept brushing till all the marks are removed. Don’t use too much baby oil, but rather repeatedly brush over the clay to remove marks.
STEP 22
Step 22 Bake your pendant according to the instructions on the FIMO packet. Note that if your oven is too hot it will burn or brown your art. My tip is to bake your art at around 80oC for 40 minutes. Then switch off the oven and let the pendant cool down inside. Once cooled down completely, remove from the oven and varnish areas of the pendant with FIMO Gloss Varnish. I choose the brown area to varnish. I paint thin layers of varnish and let it dry for 20 minutes between layers. Four layers does the trick for this pendant. Wear your pendant proudly.
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Creativity and Children by Judy Nemeth
From the time children are born it is critical to stimulate them in order to enhance their developmental processes. In years gone by babies were left in their prams or cribs and more or less ignored until they reached an interesting stage, as far as their parents were concerned. Things have changed radically over the years and it is an accepted fact that the first two years of a child’s life is the time in which they learn more than they will ever learn again. Depending on the kind of interaction that one has with a baby, much can be done to promote creative thinking in later years. Colour and texture are known to stimulate the senses, and brightly coloured toys and mobiles attached to cots and prams are a very easy and practical way to gain a baby’s focus from early days. Soft toys and fabric books are perfect for helping to develop hand/eye co-ordination as well as teaching the child to identify simple objects. As the child learns to how to grasp, large Lego or wooden blocks are ideal to introduce the concept of putting things together and making towers. Reading to a child on a regular basis should be seen as an absolute necessity, not only from the point of view of instilling a love of books, but also to develop the child’s ability to use their imagination. Parents as well as their children benefit immensely from the time spent in reading bedtime stories together on a regular basis. This is where children learn to love story time and nothing in this world can be more rewarding than having a child who is passionate about books and who strives to become a competent reader. Readers often become writers, and when parents introduce them to the world of imagination it opens up their minds and creative potential.
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Whether or not the classroom environment focuses on a child being able to develop creativity, this can be encouraged in the home. By having conversations with your child from their very first days, it is possible to instil in them a quest for knowledge, and therefore the importance of being able to read well becomes a critical factor. Stories conjure up pictures in a child’s mind which in turn allows them to begin to make up stories of their own. Even before they are able to express themselves with the written word, by supplying them with crayons and drawing books, even very small children are often able to express their feelings. Psychologists will often be able to identify troubling issues in a child’s life from the pictures they draw.
Encouraging children to write about the things they experienced during a holiday, or a visit to the zoo, or to a theatre, are perfect avenues to develop the skill of writing with expression and descriptiveness. Regardless of how well the child is able to spell, the message which they are wanting to get across is the important factor. The child who is denied the opportunity to develop a love of books and for reading from a very early age, is a deprived child in so many ways. Nothing can compare to the excitement of being able to enter the world of imagination through the pages of a book. In good times or bad, reading and subsequently being able to write their own short stories can often be an escape route for a child. Childhood should be a time for having fun and playing games and, by offering children the chance to pretend and play act, a parent is pointing them in the direction of being able to think creatively. Not all home situations are ideal and some children have a much harder time growing up than others. However, this is often where the classroom environment and a caring teacher can make a huge difference to a child who has emotional problems. By encouraging the children to show their feelings through writing or drawing, could be of benefit in a situation where teachers or counsellors are assisting such children to cope with their challenges outside the schoolroom. Even an unhappy home life could become more bearable when a child has the tools they need to express themselves and perhaps learn coping skills through being creative. Making models, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing with modelling clay, cutting and gluing, painting and colouring in – are all avenues where creativity is the key. If these are available to children, then childhood may just be less challenging than if they were absent. Unfortunately, there are many instances where situations are not ideal, but children often prove to be quite resilient regardless of their circumstances. Many works of art and top selling books were created by people who overcame unbelievable life challenges.
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We are living in a world which is fast moving where technology is concerned, and it is important that children experience the many avenues which, as long as controlled, can enhance their creativity. There are, for example, children’s television programmes which are geared to showing them how to do all kinds of projects at home. Then there are apps which can be downloaded onto, for example, a child’s tablet whereby they can play games, or even do puzzles without having to have any equipment at hand, other than the tablet. Obviously, balance is the keyword with anything which could ultimately become a fixation as opposed to a valuable learning aid. That is where parents or caregivers need to monitor the amount of time and the quality of the content to which the child is being exposed. The bottom line is that there has to be an ability to be creative, and this is why fostering creative thinking as early in life as possible may lay the foundation for a creative adulthood. To conclude, there are many ways in which a child’s innate creativity can flourish with the correct guidance.
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TUTORIAL - Watercolour landscape by Riaan Marais In this tutorial, we will be painting a late afternoon scene with the sun’s rays poking through the branches of a tree. Watercolour is all about building up thin layers, one after the other. It is very important not to go dark too quickly, but rather to add slightly darker tones one at a time. I will show you my approach. I am not going to name each colour I use, but let that creative decision be in your hands. Watercolour paintings might seem daunting because people believe that once you have made a mistake you cannot repair it. But I’ve found that it is possible to “lift” a mistake by carefully wetting the area of the error and immediately drying it. However, this is dependent on the kind of paper and the staining quality of your pigment. Test this beforehand to see how far you can take this with your watercolour. I find STAEDTLER’s watercolours are easy to work with and would be a fantastic addition to your studio.
What you need.
OR
STEP 1
Once you have found an inspiring picture, draw your landscape very lightly on the paper. Remember to use the usual composition guidelines, but do not let this dictate your creativity.
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STEP 2
Using a big brush which is loaded with water and a little bit of pigment, start laying in big washes. Because this is a late afternoon scene, the colours will be warmer and more homogeneous. The sky here is made up of yellow because it is near the sun. Further from the sun, I added little bits of red to the wash and to the far right I lightly washed in blue.
STEP 3
I used a hair-drier to speed up the drying process between layers. Be careful not to blow the pigments to the outer edges when you use a hair-drier. In this step, I used brown to layer in the trees. The shrubs were done using yellow for the tops and green for the shaded areas.
STEP 4
Keep adding light layers of paint. Don’t rush to the darks yet. Paint the fringes of the trees’ leaves a yellow colour to show how the sun illuminates them. Also, work in the shadows of the trees over the grass area. Look carefully at how the sun dictates where each tree’s shadow falls.
STEP 5
In this step, I went a bit bolder and started to paint rather dark green in the treetops. Using my brush like a stamp, I dotted in the leaves and was careful to leave open spaces within the treetops and not lose my yellow leaves on the outsides.
STEP 6
I kept adding darker greens to the treetops and tried not to make patterns. Nature is quite random and, although there are lots of patterns in nature, it has a lot of randomness built into the patterns. I added darker bits within the dark areas.
STEP 7 Here I added darker tones to the grass and shrubs. Try to work on the whole painting and avoid finishing one area first before tackling the next bit. I find that if you work on the whole painting it will be more cohesive than finishing one area at a time.
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STEP 8 In this step, I went in with a smaller brush to build up the detail. Up to this point, I used a fairly big brush, but now we need that fine-tipped brush. I kept on using green to darken the green areas and dark browns to illustrate the bark. Remember to create lots of varying darks. Don’t make all of it the same intensity.
STEP 9 & 10
Step 9 I kept adding darker paint with my fine brush to build in more detail. Keep working on the whole painting and try not to focus on one area alone. Don’t rush this process. I enjoy this part of painting the most.
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Step 10 I have mostly used greens and yellows in this painting, but we need to balance things a bit. I added red flowers to the scene by painting orange dots first and when this was dry, I painted my red flowers on top of that, but not covering all of it. The orange will give the red flowers the glow they need.
FINAL STEPS 11 & 12
Step 11 Initially, I did not plan to have the sun rays poking through the treetops, but I realised that this greatly enhanced the overall look of the painting. It is better to plan ahead for something like this, by either leaving open spaces for the rays or using masking fluid. I painted with only water where I wanted a ray of light and then immediately dabbed that area with tissue paper. This lifts the pigment off the paper. Keep doing this until it is as light as you want it to be. Step 12 In Step 11 we did a lot of heavy lifting. It is wise to practice lifting colours on scrap paper so that you can do it with confidence in your painting. Because I could not lift the pigments right back to the white paper, I introduced white where I wanted the sun to shine through. In most watercolour societies you are not allowed to use white. But, I say, if white paint can save the day, who cares what the rules are. Remember to sign your painting.
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The Benefits of Karate Training – Wendy Wannenburg (6th Dan JKA Karate)
Allow me to begin with a brief introduction to contextualise my writing. I am a full-time karate instructor with 35 years of experience, and the General Manager of the SA JKA Karate Association. I am privileged and blessed to make a living out of my passion. I studied a B. Comm (Sports Management) degree and have a Post Graduate Higher Education diploma. For nine years I worked as a high school teacher, and I have been running my own karate school (dojo) for almost twenty years.
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Like anything in life, one must do one’s homework when choosing a karate dojo. Make sure that the dojo is affiliated to a reputable National and International Association and make time to watch the instructor teach before signing up. Not everyone can teach and not everyone lives up to the title of “Sensei” (instructor / master). A Sensei should be more than just a karate instructor; they should be a mentor and responsibly promote good behavior without prejudice. Traditional karate goes beyond sport. It literally is a way of life, and all the lessons from the dojo should be carried into everyday living. In my opinion, the most important fundamental of karate training is discipline. If one is disciplined, then one can be “moulded” into a stronger (not just physically), better citizen, who is less likely to become a victim. Gichin Funakoshi (1867 – 1957) is world renowned as the “Father of Modern Karate-do” and he stated, “The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of character of its participants.” While I accept that perfection may not be attainable, one should strive for it. Only disciplined individuals will go above and beyond, not settling for mediocrity. Let one consider an average child with all the modern-day complexities. Karate makes them active (less screen time) and as they progress, they will become more confident and selfdisciplined. I have seen this on numerous occasions, and I can say with certainty that karate training is the foundation of so many success stories – academic achievement, excellence in other sports and positive progression in special needs students. Improved concentration, coordination and focus are a natural spin-off of karate. Not everyone can be a super star, however karate will benefit everyone. Karate training can, and should be, a life-long journey, and everyone’s journey is different.
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Do not be mistaken and think that karate is only for children. Many of my students started after the age of thirty. In the stressful world of work and “adulting”, one needs exercise and what I like to refer to as “therapy”. There’s no better stress reliever than pounding a punch bag and pushing yourself beyond what you thought was possible. The hardest part is the first step into a dojo and onto the floor to train. For young and old, good karate training teaches respect and etiquette and, in our current world, this can only be a massive positive. Of course, fitter, healthier and respectful individuals make for a better South Africa and world. Finally, and I have purposefully left this significant benefit for last, karate teaches self-defence. In the light of the world in which we live, both males and females alike need to be equipped for unpleasant situations in which they may find themselves. Consistent karate training under a good Sensei could save your life.
www.horizonkaratecentre.co.za | 082 679 3637 | 213 Ontdekkers Rd, Horizon, Johannesburg, 1724
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TUTORIAL - Christmas tree decoration by Riaan Marais This FIMO tutorial is especially for the children and of course, Mom and Dad are also allowed to play along. It is an easy little project, but Mom and Dad might need to help a bit here. We are making a tree today using green, yellow and red. However, feel free to modify the tree and make it your own by changing the colours and the shape of the tree.
What you need.
STEP 1
Step 1 & 2 Get your goodies ready! You will need about a half-block of green, one-eighth of red and yellow.
STEP 2
STEP 3
R
Step 3 Flatten the green with your hands first until it is about 5mm thick. Using a roller, or the STAEDTLER roller, roll the clay until it is even. Take care not to make it too thin. Roll the red and yellow into thin coils (thin long worms). Cut the red coil into short little bits. These will become the ball decorations. 33
STEP 4
Step 4 With a very light touch, draw a triangle on the flat piece of green clay before cutting. Divide the triangle into a few horizontal sections and then draw diagonally from one of the horizontal lines down to the next horizontal line for the branches of the tree. Now cut the tree from the clay.
STEP 5
Step5 Drape the yellow coil in wavy lines over the tree and cut off the bits that hang over the edges. Keep doing this until your tree is nicely decorated.
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STEP 6
Step 6 Roll the red pieces of clay into little balls and add that to the tree. Once you have finished decorating your tree remember to make a small hole in the top of it for the string. Now you need to bake it in the oven, as instructed on the packaging. (I bake mine at 800C for 40 minutes and leave it in the oven until it had cooled down completely).
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RIAAN SAYS......... I had the privilege to be part of a training session at Timbuktu at the Victoria Yards in Johannesburg. The Timbuktu venue is where a bunch of children find refuge from the hardships of life and where they have the freedom to learn and play in a safe zone. My part on the 3rd of October was to demonstrate to them how to use STAEDTLER FIMO clay. Teaching can be a very rewarding activity. The children were very eager to get started and getting them to cooperate was easy. As soon as we asked them to gather around and pay attention they got into their seats and were all eyes and ears. I explained each step to them. After the demonstration, they asked rather clever questions about how to approach the task and even what is FIMO made of. Once all their curiosities were satisfied, they jumped into the task at hand and started sculpting their artworks. It took a few tries for some of the children, but once they got to grips with the FIMO clay they quickly made their sculptures. With some of the little ones we had to help a bit, but the easy parts of the sculpting they did themselves. Once they had finished their sculptures they would rush to an adult and proudly show them what they had created. You could see their sense of accomplishment and pride at getting to grips with a new skill.
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I had the privilege to be part of a training session at Timbuktu at the Victoria Yards in Johannesburg. - Riaan Marais
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RIAAN SAYS......... Benefits of art The benefits of art, in general, are numerous, but for children, it is even more so. It boosts their creativity and lets them express who they are through art. It is vital to encourage children during this process and never to criticize their work. Creativity can get stifled when undue criticism is expressed by others and this will make people fearful to try again. One of the other benefits of participating in arts is the building of confidence. To master a challenge sets you on a path of success. Learning a new skill teaches you that you are a capable human being and, that taking the necessary steps, will result in a positive outcome. The accomplishment of a successful task boosts the child’s confidence so much that they would want to take up even more challenges. Building confidence will have such a positive outcome in a child’s life. Art also helps children make decisions. When doing art, you have to follow certain rules or methods, but sometimes deciding to change these rules and using your own ideas is vital. Children understand that the guides are there to help them, but they often see a better solution to a problem. Thus, they make up their own mind about how to approach it. Art is a safe place to let children learn decision-making. One other skill children learn through art is to focus. You really have to switch off your brain from all other thoughts and life pressing issues when doing something creative. Art takes you away from reality and plunges you into a fantasy world where anything is possible. This process narrows your attention to what is in front of you and lets you hone your attention into this task alone. The result is absolute focus.
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Taking classes There are a few things that are important when taking art lessons. Listen carefully to the art instructor. Although it seems logical, sometimes there are steps which you might miss during the lesson. Asking questions is vital when you struggle to accomplish a difficult task. Most tutors understand and will graciously explain it again till you understand what to do. Always try to do the processes yourself, even it if seems to fail. If you do not do it yourself, you will never learn the skill. I’ve seen this in many of my classes where students are scared of tackling a certain part of a task and never master it until they attempt to do it themselves. Taking classes is all about learning and it comes with making mistakes. Never fear mistakes. They are the steppingstones to higher understanding and mastery of a new skill. When you teach When giving classes it is important to be as clear and simple as possible about how to approach a task. I tend to over explain and, sometimes when I do it, I need to remind myself to simplify the process. Most of us need to learn skills by observing the step-by-step process. Keeping these steps short, simple and clear will help the student grasp the solutions more easily. My experience at Timbuktu was unforgettable. The children were so friendly, given their circumstances, and their enthusiasm to learn was astounding. They are very capable young artists in my opinion. 39
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ACTIVITY - COLOUR BY NUMBERS
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Timbuktu Creates There was pride in the children’s faces when they saw the response to their art works: People were coming to look at the crafts, ask questions and even buy the colourful items they had put on the Ndebele blanket in front of their learning space. The first Sunday of the month is market day at Victoria Yards, - the new urban development east of Johannesburg’s inner city. It is the one day in the month when people from the north come to that side of town to enjoy a day of arts and crafts, organic food and entertainment. For the children of the learning space, Timbuktu in the Valley, it was the first time for them to fundraise for their school with products they had crafted with their own hands. A few days earlier, the organisation’s stationery partner, STAEDTLER, had brought FIMO artist Riaan Marais to the learning space which works with children from the neighbourhood surrounding Victoria Yards. Founded earlier this year, in order to respond to the deep socio-economic challenges in the area, Timbuktu in the Valley provides workshops in subjects ranging from gardening to arts, up-cycling, bicycle fixing, drama and performance, cooking and pottery, with the aim of exposing the young people to options for possible career paths. The focus is to enable underprivileged youngsters by equipping them with the necessary skills to lead an independent and self-determined life. STAEDTLER was one of the first partners last year to support the project with stationery. The products have allowed the children to express themselves and to develop their skills every day for the past months. The idea started to form to connect arts and entrepreneurship, two useful skills for the children’s development, and to collect funds for the NPO at the same time,.
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When the boxes of FIMO arrived in the space, and modelling clay became the latest addition to Timbuktu in the Valley’s diverse curriculum, it was the perfect opportunity to test drive the plan. However, it was initially necessary to introduce the 20 children to the magic of the colourful modelling clay through a workshop.
THE MAKING The introduction to FIMO wasn’t hard. 20 little artists curiously assembled around the long wooden table in the middle of Timbuktu in the Valley’s no-shoe-zone, and listened to the clay artist, Riaan Marais, showing the possibilities which lay within the colourful soft clay cubes piled up in front of them. He had brought examples of what one can make with FIMO, such as Christmas ornaments and some funky fruit and veggie friends. The latter was a request by Timbuktu in the Valley, whose underlying mission is to promote healthy lifestyles and to educate the youth about the importance of looking after the planet. Immediately afterwards, the children were able to actually get their hands on the colourful clay. They used acrylic rollers to roll out the green clay, the modelling tools to sketch a Christmas tree and cut out its shape and then their hands to decorate the trees with red clay dots serving as ornaments. Within minutes, everyone in the space was excited. FIMO was doing magic: Some children who got to grips with it quickly, started experimenting with the clay and making other items. Suddenly, there was a sheep, peas in a pod and a snowman. As Riaan explained the ins and outs of modelling clay, and assisted the new clay artists where necessary, the courage to be creative kept spreading. While some were excited to use the moulds to make different shapes and top them with a pinch of baby powder to imitate snow, others went into full-on freestyle mode. They started making heads with different hairstyles, a bicycle, carrots, a banana and a little corn on the cob. They had got the idea: They could do anything with the clay. By the end of the afternoon there were three trays of items that only needed to be baked. THE BAKING Thanks to a helpful community in Victoria Yards, the artisan bakery and coffeeshop, Foakes, allowed the Timbuktu in the Valley children to bake their first FIMO artworks. Before the trays went into the oven, the products needed to have holes made for a piece of string, or wire to make a hook, to hang it up or put on a key ring. Finally, when the last load of bread came out of the oven at Foakes, the trays of FIMO went in. The temperature was set at 80°C and the timer to 40 minutes. And there they were! The first FIMO creations made by Timbuktu in the Valley children, which were going to be sold at the market the next day. Now they just had to wait to see how well they would sell!
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Basic back to school stationery list 12 x Staedtler Tradition 110 pencil HB 4 x STAEDTLER glue stick large 2 x STAEDTLER retractable wax crayons set of 12 4 x STAEDTLER eraser 3 x STAEDTLER coloured pencil crayons set of 12 1 x STAEDTLER Oil pastels set of 16 1 x STAEDTLER Pencil sharpeners metal single hole 1 x STAEDTLER 30cm shatterproof ruler 1 x STAEDTLER Watercolour Paint Palette – 12 Colours 1 x STAEDTLER whiteboard marker-thick, black * 1 x Pair STAEDTLER scissors 1 x STAEDTLER Fibre-tip pens – 12 colours * 1 x STAEDTLER Ballpoint pen – assorted colours 12 x STAEDTLER Ballpoint pen – blue 1 x STAEDTLER Compass set
Remember to always mark all the stationery with your child’s name. 44
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WHAT IS FINE ART?
Have you ever wondered what the term “Fine Art” really means? The notion “art for art’s sake” arose at the turn of the 19th century, when artists grew increasingly more inclined to use art as a freedom of expression, rather than to document and represent historical and cultural events. Complementing this notion, the term “fine art” was used to differentiate works by artists who were the sole agent of creative expression from works which were created by commission, or objects with utilitarian functions which fall into the category of craft or decorative art. Historically, fine art encompassed painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry. Where painting and sculpture are concerned, works considered to be fine art are created primarily for their aesthetic value and from the innate desire for artistic expression. Some of the most famous and prominent works of art – “The Statue of David” by Michelangelo, “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci, “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” by Gustav Klimt – are technically not considered to be fine art, as they are all commissioned works by patrons.
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Stemming from the rise of Romanticism, a 19th century art movement focusing on beauty and the sublime rather than classical structures of the past, artists and artworks sought to detach themselves from creating utilitarian works. One of the first artworks considered to be fine art is “Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket” by American artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler, who used colour and mood to convey abstraction of the scene, - a practice not widely accepted in art circles at the time. With the advent of modernism, fine art became less about aesthetics and a marker for refined taste and shifted focus to challenging broader notions of art. Amidst this shift, the avant-garde movement also emerged, which prioritized concept and intellectual purpose over aesthetics. Modern works such as “The Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp and “Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh are in accordance with the definition of fine art, as they express the true intentions of the artists without restriction placed by a patron. Today, the definition of fine art has expanded to include several more categories such as film, photography, conceptual art, and printmaking. https://canvas.saatchiart.com/art/art-history-101/what-is-fine-art
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THE IMPORTANCE OF A CHILD’S LUNCH BOX
It is becoming more and more difficult to ensure that children have the right nutrition to enable them to optimise their learning abilities. Much of the conflict comes from the kind of foods which appeal to children as well as the time factor which is prevalent in families due to the busy schedules of today’s parents. It is relatively easy for teachers to identify the children who are going to be challenging, and experts now realize that their behaviour is often linked to the food which they are eating. The media are constantly making us aware of the negative effects of overuse of sugar, salt and preservatives in the food we purchase and we are encouraged to read labels on pre-packaged goods before buying them. The advice is good but not necessarily practical. Healthy food options tend to be expensive and, for many parents, it is becoming more and more difficult to cope with ever increasing food prices. Some schools insist that children’s lunch boxes are both sugar as well as nut free. Now the question arises - just what do you put into your child’s lunch box that is going to be pleasant to eat as well as give him the energy to cope with an often hectic school day? Many children do tend to be faddy eaters which makes the job of packing that lunch box even more difficult for busy parents. An idea is to try to plan ahead and possibly freeze items such as sandwiches in suitable containers in daily amounts for the entire week. Investing in Tupperware sandwich boxes eliminates the need for using copious amounts of plastic wrap and saves money in the long run. Bread freezes and defrosts well, but your fillings need to be freezer friendly too.
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Some possible healthy sandwich filling for freezing: • Cheese, either sliced or grated • Cheese and marmite • Any leftover cooked meat, but chopped into small pieces • Cheese spread or cream cheese • Grated biltong • Mashed hard-boiled egg, salt and pepper added and maybe some mayonnaise • Scrambled egg – no milk added. Allow to cool completely before use. Salt and pepper and maybe mayonnaise • chopped or minced, leftover chicken with or without mayonnaise • Meat or fish paste (bought in jars at supermarkets) 49
Other items which freeze well and are ideal for school lunch boxes are healthy muffins – not the sugar loaded ones, and cheese or other savoury scones. Slice and spread with butter before freezing them either individually or in a flat, rectangular container. They will defrost by the time lunch break comes. Children have a great habit of only eating the food in their lunchbox which appeals to them. The rest will go back home or get thrown in the dustbin. So, a small packet of raisins, some dried fruit, dried meat sticks or biltong, cheese portions, homemade popcorn, small savoury rice cakes as well as a portion of fruit should prevent boredom. There are many options, but it does take some planning. A small sealed bowl of salad such as green, fruit, rice or potato makes a nice addition to a lunch box. Don’t forget to pop in a spoon! Always remember to include either some bottled water or a small healthy fruit juice. The most important thing as far as the teacher is concerned is that children do not arrive at school without having had breakfast. I know that some schools which cater for disadvantaged children do have some sort of feeding plan to help these youngsters. A bowl of porridge in the morning can make all the difference to classroom behaviour. Tired and hungry children become irritable and are unable to concentrate and without children having good nutrition, trying to teach can become a nightmare for the teacher. After all, “we are what we eat!”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - JUDY NEMETH
I would just like to introduce myself by giving you a brief synopsis of my background. Although born in England, I completed my education in South Africa. Whilst raising a family I studied through Unisa and obtained an Honours B.A. in Clinical Psychology and was a Lifeline counsellor for several years. Having a degree in Northern Sotho I taught this subject to primary and high school pupils. I have lectured Psychology to students of alternative treatments after having personally qualified in aromatherapy and reflexology. I have for many years been involved in various forms of direct selling as well as having been a coowner running an Irish theme pub/restaurant. I have a blog called The Magic Roundabout in which I am able to draw on my varied life experiences and my love of writing and this blog can be found at: www.heyjudetheblog.com Please take a look at the variety of articles which I have posted on the blog, and if you click on “follow� you will receive an e-mail informing you each time I post something new.
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WHY STUDY ART AT SCHOOL?
Teachers are often asked why students should study Art in high school. The common responses relate to creative thinking, broadening the mind and feeding the soul: all of which do little to address fears about ‘soft’ subjects, university entrance, careers and long-term financial well-being. Employment and salary statistics for graduates of Art and Design degrees are typically dismal: the worst of all degrees. Contrary to popular belief, however, creative subjects are no longer a well-trodden route to poverty; they are an excellent choice for a growing number of students.
Here are nine reasons why:
The internet has created an explosion of opportunity for digital designers and multimedia artists. The world is filled with computers, smartphones, tablets and other portable electronic devices. Almost all businesses have an online presence, with online advertising increasing by the day. We are connected to the internet for long periods, seeking information, socialising, playing, shopping, watching videos and engaging in other forms of online entertainment. The demand for web designers, app designers, software designers, graphic designers, digital illustrators, multimedia artists, video producers, online publishers, animation artists, game designers and many other digital careers is undergoing unprecedented growth. The National Endowment for the Arts notes that: A surge in demand for multimedia artists, animators, and illustrators - especially those who are computer and technology-savvy - is projected for the future, due to companies’ demand for advertising in online and digital formats. An Australian study analysing national census data, found that the number of people working in art-related roles that are embedded within other professions (i.e. visual designers working in other industries) has almost doubled in size between 1996 and 2006.
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The Entertainment Software Association notes that between 2005 and 2009: The entertainment software industry’s annual growth rate exceeded 10 percent. Over the same period, the entire U.S. economy grew at a rate of less than two percent. While Art continues to be a desirable option for students wishing to pursue ‘traditional’ creative careers, such as Architecture, Interior Design or Painting / Fine Art related professions, the internet has seen an explosion of exciting, new roles emerge.
Fine Art artist can reach a worldwide market at the click of a button. For the first time ever, those who make fine art, sculptures, photographs, fashion garments and other hand-crafted products are able to market and sell these directly to the public – on a large scale – without going through a thirdparty, such as a gallery. Marketing and selling products via an artist website or print-on-demand facility enables artists to ship printed images and products to an audience which would previously never have known they existed. Instead of institutions or established galleries deciding which artworks ‘make it’, the public votes work into the spotlight through viral sharing on social media. This doesn’t mean that making a living in these fields is easy. Competition remains tough, with an oversupply of those wishing to work in a creative field. Success will always require skill, commitment, dedication and good business sense. Nonetheless, the playing field has been levelled. A multitude of individuals are able to make their living in creative ways which previously was rarely possible. Creators of original content often have the upper hand.
High school students can achieve recognition while studying. Part of the joy of a high school Art course is that you don’t just study Art: you make it. Those who are skillful, driven and passionate – and produce high quality, gut-wrenching work – are in a position to achieve recognition even while studying. With broadband streaming into your living room, youth is no longer a barrier to success. For example, Alex Stoddard became an internet sensation at age 18, when his photographs on Flickr gained over five million page views. Fourteen year old Zev (using the name Fiddleoak) achieved similar attention for his superb digitally manipulated photographs. (Note: if you are contemplating a creative career, having your own website is essential) 53
Those with a wide skill set have an advantage, in any career. Some people excel at mathematics. Others have strengths in written language. Others excel in creative areas such as Art and Design. If you are lucky enough to excel in two or three of these areas, you are part of a much smaller subset of the population. Those who are multi-skilled are astronomically more useful, wellrounded, hireable and capable of excelling in a much wider range of professions. Unless you are aiming for a degree that requires particular specialisation (university websites clearly outline recommended and required subjects), it can be beneficial to select a wide range of subjects.
Studying Art improves performance in other subjects James Catterall, leading professor and Chair of the Faculty at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies has studied 12,000 students over twelve years. His research demonstrates that involvement in the arts (both Visual Art and Performing Art) – especially for students from a lowincome background – is associated with higher levels of attainment in both high school and university. Catterall also notes that studying the arts can have other positive benefits such as greater involvement in community service. Art enhances fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, lateral thinking, complex analysis and critical thinking skills. No matter what career you choose, those who can arrange, present and display material in a way that is aesthetically pleasing have an advantage.
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Good marks impress, no matter what. Outstanding marks, in any subject, indicate skill; intellectual rigor; strong work ethic and a commitment to fulfilling one’s potential. All of these things are desirable traits in an employee or university applicant. Most medical schools prefer that you study Chemistry and Biology over Art – but this does not mean that Art is any less valuable: it means that it is less valuable for medical students. For the vast majority of university degrees, taking an art-related subject alongside other subjects will not disadvantage you (this is a popular topic of debate in the UK’s Student Room. However, the official representatives from twenty-six UK universities who spoke to The Guardian confirm that, aside from the stated required or recommended subjects for each degree, no particular subjects are looked upon more favourably than others when considering an applicant for UK universities). If you excel in Art, don’t be convinced to take a more ‘useful’ subject – unless you personally want to or are good at it. If you have ability in a creative area: grasp it. Let it shine.
Art marks are not solely dependent on an exam. Some students panic in exams. Some are sick on exam day or suffer tragedies in the weeks leading up to assessment. There are any number of reasons why examination performance - achievement in a two or three-hour block, might not reflect the true ability of a candidate. Most Art and Design subjects are not assessed in this way. While some have an examination component, a large quantity of the work that is assessed is completed during class or homework time over the duration of the year. Art students often arrive at exam season with a significant portion (if not all) of their Art marks accumulated and already accounted for. For many students – especially those with a heavy exam load in other subjects or those who struggle with exam anxiety – this advantage is significant.
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Coursework teaches you self-discipline Art and Design qualifications have a large workload. Students who take the subject must adapt as a matter of survival. While the heavy workload can be an initial shock; those who survive emerge with focus, organisational and time management skills that many other students dream of.
Art makes you happy High school Art programmes begin with observation of the real world: recording, analysis and creation of a visual response to the surroundings. Art makes students look at things anew – even mundane ordinary aspects of the world. The fluffy, ‘feel good’ reasons that are usually given for selecting Art as a subject are given because they are correct. Art does fill the soul. There is something magical about smearing pencil and paint across a piece of paper and sculpting form with your hands. Communicating with colour and shape and form awakens the imagination; it opens a door to ‘now’. If you love making art, you’ll miss it when it’s gone. And, if you do choose to study Art, chances are, it will be your favourite class of the day. https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/reasons-to-study-art
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Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad. Salvador Dali
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURREALISM Surrealism originated in the late 1910s and early ’20s as a literary movement that experimented with a new mode of expression called automatic writing, or automatism, which sought to release the unbridled imagination of the subconscious. Officially consecrated in Paris in 1924 with the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism by the poet and critic André Breton (1896–1966), Surrealism became an international intellectual and political movement. Breton, a trained psychiatrist, along with French poets Louis Aragon (1897–1982), Paul Éluard (1895–1952), and Philippe Soupault (1897–1990), were influenced by the psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) and the political ideas of Karl Marx (1818–1883). Using Freudian methods of free association, their poetry and prose drew upon the private world of the mind, traditionally restricted by reason and societal limitations, to produce surprising, unexpected imagery. The cerebral and irrational tenets of Surrealism find their ancestry in the clever and whimsical disregard for tradition fostered by Dadaism a decade earlier.
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Surrealist poets were at first reluctant to align themselves with visual artists because they believed that the laborious processes of painting, drawing, and sculpting were at odds with the spontaneity of uninhibited expression. However, Breton and his followers did not altogether ignore visual art. They held high regard for artists such as Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978), Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Francis Picabia (1879–1953), and Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) because of the analytic, provocative, and erotic qualities of their work. For example, Duchamp’s conceptually complex Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) (1915–23; Philadelphia Museum of Art) was admired by Surrealists and is considered a precursor to the movement because of its bizarrely juxtaposed and erotically charged objects. In 1925, Breton substantiated his support for visual expression by reproducing the works of artists such as Picasso in the journal La Révolution Surréaliste and organizing exhibitions that prominently featured painting and drawing. The visual artists who first worked with Surrealist techniques and imagery were the German Max Ernst (1891– 1976), the Frenchman André Masson (1896–1987), the Spaniard Joan Miró (1893–1983), and the American Man Ray (1890–1976). Masson’s free-association drawings of 1924 are curving, continuous lines out of which emerge strange and symbolic figures that are products of an uninhibited mind. Breton considered Masson’s drawings akin to his automatism in poetry. Miró’s Potato (1999.363.50) of 1928 uses comparable organic forms and twisted lines to create an imaginative world of fantastic figures. About 1937, Ernst, a former Dadaist, began to experiment with two unpredictable processes called decalcomania and grattage. Decalcomania is the technique of pressing a sheet of paper onto a painted surface and peeling it off again, while grattage is the process of scraping pigment across a canvas that is laid on top of a textured surface. Ernst used a combination of these techniques in The Barbarians (1999.363.21) of 1937, a composition of sparring anthropomorphic figures in a deserted postapocalyptic landscape that exemplifies the recurrent themes of violence and annihilation found in Surrealist art.
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In 1927, the Belgian artist René Magritte (1898–1967) moved from Brussels to Paris and became a leading figure in the visual Surrealist movement. Influenced by de Chirico’s paintings between 1910 and 1920, Magritte painted erotically explicit objects juxtaposed in dreamlike surroundings. His work defined a split between the visual automatism fostered by Masson and Miró (and originally with words by Breton) and a new form of illusionistic Surrealism practiced by the Spaniard Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), the Belgian Paul Delvaux (1897–1994), and the French-American Yves Tanguy (1900–1955). In The Eternally Obvious (2002.456.12a–e), Magritte’s artistic display of a dismembered female nude is emotionally shocking. In The Satin Tuning Fork (1999.363.80), Tanguy filled an illusionistic space with unidentifiable, yet sexually suggestive, objects rendered with great precision. The painting’s mysterious lighting, long shadows, deep receding space, and sense of loneliness also recall the ominous settings of de Chirico.
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In 1929, Dalí moved from Spain to Paris and made his first Surrealist paintings. He expanded on Magritte’s dream imagery with his own erotically charged, hallucinatory visions. In The Accommodations of Desire (1999.363.16) of 1929, Dalí employed Freudian symbols, such as ants, to symbolize his overwhelming sexual desire. In 1930, Breton praised Dalí’s representations of the unconscious in the Second Manifesto of Surrealism. They became the main collaborators on the review Minotaure (1933–39), a primarily Surrealist-oriented publication founded in Paris. The organized Surrealist movement in Europe dissolved with the onset of World War II. Breton, Dalí, Ernst, Masson, and others, including the Chilean artist Matta (1911–2002), who first joined the Surrealists in 1937, left Europe for New York. The movement found renewal in the United States at Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery, Art of This Century, and the Julien Levy Gallery. In 1940, Breton organized the fourth International Surrealist Exhibition in Mexico City, which included the Mexicans Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) and Diego Rivera (1886–1957) (although neither artist officially joined the movement). Surrealism’s surprising imagery, deep symbolism, refined painting techniques, and disdain for convention influenced later generations of artists, including Joseph Cornell (1903–1972) and Arshile Gorky (1904–1948), the latter whose work formed a continuum between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. By James Voorhies Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ surr/hd_surr.htm
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NDEBELE HOUSE PAINTING History The Ndebele tribe originally in the early 18th century lived in grass huts. They began using mud-walled houses in the mid-18th century when these symbols begin to be created on their houses and walls. These expressive symbols were used for communication between sub-groups of the Ndebele people. They stood for their continuity and cultural resistance to their circumstances. The Boer farmers did not understand the meaning and viewed it as cultural art that was not harmful, so it was allowed to continue. These wall paintings done by the women was their secret code to their people, disguised to anyone but the Ndebele.
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The vibrant symbols and expressions portray communications of personal prayers, self-identification, values, emotions, and marriage. Sometimes the male initiation, known as the wela, was a reason for repainting, but the ritual was not expressed. One quality of life that has never been expressed or directed through their walls is sacred expression. The rituals and religions have never been a part of the Ndebele’s house paintings. The women of the Ndebele are often the tradition carriers and the main developer of the wall art of their home. The tradition and style of house painting is passed down in the families from generation to generation by the mothers. A well-painted home shows the female of the household is a good wife and mother. She is responsible for the painting of the outside gates, front walls, side walls, and usually the interior of her home. One thing that has changed since the beginning of the house painting and the present-day wall art is their styles. In the beginning of house painting their symbols and patterns were often based from Ndebele’s beadwork. The patterns were tonal and painted with the women’s fingers. The original paint on the house was a limestone whitewash. The colors added to make the paintings were mostly natural pigments consisting of browns, blacks, and ochers. Most of the patterns were of a V shape and a very simple triangle on a large shape of color. The patterns, earth tones, directions, and sizes were more important than the present-day vivid and bright colours.
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“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.� 64
Colours
Over time, the colours and shape became a key aspect in the overall design. In the late 1960s, the new style was evident. What was once a finger-painted creation was now created using bundled twigs with feathers as brushes. The walls are still originally whitewashed, but the outlines and colours have significantly changed. The patterns and symbols can be seen today with a rich black outline and a vivid colour inside. There are five main colours represented: red and dark red, yellow to gold, a sky blue, green, and sometimes pink. The colours give an intensified symbolic meaning to the Ndebele. They can mean status or power of the home’s owners, offer prayer, announce a marriage in the home, or can represent a current protest. The paintings express an abstract meaning with no real reference to any specific characteristic of their homes. This is the most direct way to show their individual expression to the people outside their far distinct family, showing of the talent and the taste of the mother. The colour white is always used as the background because it makes the bright patterns stand out more.
Patterns
The pink patterns are one of the most important aspects in their communication through painting. They are usually repeated throughout their design with only a very slight variation and different colour choice. The geometric patterns and shape are first drawn with the black outline and later filled in with colour. The patterns are grouped together throughout the walls in terms of their basic design structure. Creating the right tools to allow accuracy and freedom becomes a difficult task. The tools can’t restrict the painter from creating her art. They have to have tools for the large geometric shapes of flat colour and small brushes for the very small areas, outlines, and sacks. The advancement of tools has allowed faster and more complex designs throughout the Ndebele’s homes. These very simple-looking painted houses are really a complex system of tradition and creation. This painted tradition is still alive. As every generation passes it down little changes begin to exist. This is their way of communication and expression through their home. The women work long and hard to finish these walls and are noticed by the outside community because of their talent and expression. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndebele_house_painting
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ACTIVITY
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CAN YOU SPOT 14 DIFFERENCES?
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THE LITTLE PENCIL
Once upon a time there was a very lonely little pencil. Nobody wanted to be friends with him because he was always making mistakes and his point was very blunt from trying so hard to correct every mistake.
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As he sat all alone in a dark corner of the classroom, a little man suddenly appeared. “Hello little pencil” said the weird little man. “H-h-h-hello. Who are you?” stuttered the little pencil, very afraid.
“I am Mars.” Said the little man. “Please don’t be afraid. Why are you so sad?” “Nobody wants to be my friend.” Cried the little pencil. “I sometimes struggle to write the correct answers down. My point is blunt from trying so hard. Now I cannot even write any more. Why can’t I be as smart and sharp as all the other pencils?” 69
Mars thought about this long and hard and suddenly, he clicked his fingers! You could see that Mars was very excited. “I have just the right friends for you!” he said.” Just wait here while I go and fetch them.” Mars started running away. Little pencil stared after Mars and watched him disappear into the distance. “Nobody wants to be friends with me.” He thought. He was completely convinced that Mars ran away because he thought the little pencil was ugly and dumb. An hour later Mars re-appeared next to the little pencil with a big shiny sharpener and a friendly looking eraser. “Hello little pencil. I am back and I have brought two friends with me to meet you.” he said.
“Hello little pencil. My name is M-Sharp. I love little pencils and I really want to be your friend.” said the shiny sharpener. “My name is Tradition and little pencils are my favourite type of friend.” Said the friendly eraser. “I love helping little pencils when they make mistakes.” Suddenly they heard a noise. “Hello everyone” said a loud voice. Little pencil looked around in confusion. Where did the voice come from? He turned round and round trying to find the voice. “Stop trying to scare the little pencil!” said Mars. “Come out and meet him, Pen” Pen peeped out behind the tree he was hiding. 70
“Hello, little pencil. My name is Pen. I am here to help you learn.”
“Hello, Pen. Thank you for offering to help me, but I don’t know if that is possible. The letters are so difficult to write, and numbers just confuse me!” “Don’t worry little pencil. Everybody makes mistakes in the beginning when they just start learning. With the right help and lots of practice, you will soon know all your letters and numbers!”
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M-Sharp quickly sharpened the little pencil, while Tradition erased all the mistakes that the little pencil made. Pen helped the little pencil practice his letters and numbers every day. Soon the day came when the little pencil made no mistakes with his numbers and letters
“I did it! I did it!” he cried out. “Thank you so much to everybody who helped me!” The little pencil was so proud of himself and he soon made a lot of new friends, but Pen, M-Sharp and Tradition would always be his best friends.
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SELFIE
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