tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90571512024-03-13T14:36:23.109-07:00Art at RMSA place to see what is happening in Fine Arts at
Rocky Mountain School for the Gifted and Creative
Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-88851689904715538992009-04-25T12:21:00.000-07:002009-04-25T12:24:06.898-07:0021st CENTURY REFERENCE for futuristic design<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNDpqEpEklmw2gOc2QXzfqv71lgmBxaH1tYgRgtlu-eO5RuelFUXs5Uq0qiC6GxSIM3DzV0phYuyBrsMjpIfoK_2V-CiAEJ8n_0KptHY1NhI6bv-UagwEy-fFUbfhqxN5ttCEkQ/s1600-h/21st+century+reference+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328711795167456482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNDpqEpEklmw2gOc2QXzfqv71lgmBxaH1tYgRgtlu-eO5RuelFUXs5Uq0qiC6GxSIM3DzV0phYuyBrsMjpIfoK_2V-CiAEJ8n_0KptHY1NhI6bv-UagwEy-fFUbfhqxN5ttCEkQ/s400/21st+century+reference+001.JPG" border="0" /></a> Star Wars is still a popular theme for middle school artists at RMS. Here, two learners have appropriated the class laptops, setting them up in the sculpture center for easy visual reference, as they design their light saber handles.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328711593848866034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqgSPvnWVQmTeFIoKVb3TkhJ-zC_6X0kMXyo_00oPS98WvFnIT350tPk3d0C-IV-fu7LYa_e-NrwagyuDnFn4yJKZLGTcOtUsY83HV8GSMVs3GA30DOhhVRO3bRk4guvEXnIy7Q/s400/21st+century+reference+002.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-6983278252989455032009-04-10T15:01:00.000-07:002009-04-10T15:05:44.240-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAeWO2hpL73x3j3XS7UBu6P4dn7YdxnXd75HCY7Hj77_OJw2C3NL635oG8HcM-HGIuQo0287HpJ_1NyiseJMa8tKdpGP2UJmyra_eswEVrpibPR2v_JONPvuPidrBlrj86ijYuw/s1600-h/puff+city+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323186508900366738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAeWO2hpL73x3j3XS7UBu6P4dn7YdxnXd75HCY7Hj77_OJw2C3NL635oG8HcM-HGIuQo0287HpJ_1NyiseJMa8tKdpGP2UJmyra_eswEVrpibPR2v_JONPvuPidrBlrj86ijYuw/s400/puff+city+1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Avid (rabid?) Puff City master-mind and collaborator, describing his work to his parents:<br /><em>“Here is Puff city, and this is the Puff jet and this is the Puff armored chamber, and this is the Puff escape hatch, and this is the Puff pilot, and …”</em><br /><br />Parent: <em>“So, it sounds like everything has to start with ‘Puff…?’”</em><br /><br /><em>“And this is the Puff- lookout tower, and here is the Puff-gondola, this is President Barak O’Puffa, and here is Vice President Joe Puffin, and these are the Puff …”</em><br /><br />When I bought the GIANT bag of pom-poms, I envisioned them decorating sculptures and collages and works in fabric. But I should have known better, ever since the first pom-pom entered our studio, they have had, well, personalities. They are not decorations they are beings. Two years ago it was “puff-pets.” Last year, I hid them. This year, they were requested, begged for and finally released from their plastic bin hiding place. And “Puff City” was born.<br />What started as a two-kid collaboration has become a long-term project which now involves “almost every boy in the class.”<br />The girls, meanwhile, have been making “babies” out of aluminum foil, or creating fashions in the Fabrics & Fibers center. They glance over now and then to survey the project.<br />The newest response from the girls has been puff-torture. It was'nt long after the encaustic (painting with melted, pigmented wax) mini-center appeared that puffs started showing up encased in wax. This hostile discourse was unexpected, and the boys are not sure how to respond. Is it a coincidence that Puff-City has been temporarily laid aside?Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-79202215216596497972009-02-28T19:02:00.000-08:002009-02-28T19:10:40.156-08:00Artistic Spaces Support Artistic Behaviors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBZzfvW0f6uvUA4FtZi6CAV_dYHoLx3k_lxzb1YfundjtGTQ5zuH4kAQxjnDcz4_77y86njqn-V6XCE3wmFiJNHpkZGWiysA0oRQxMOOZxzdSDQUmPptOIsO_PYAzEcfm_OeCFw/s1600-h/studio.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308050520373788482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBZzfvW0f6uvUA4FtZi6CAV_dYHoLx3k_lxzb1YfundjtGTQ5zuH4kAQxjnDcz4_77y86njqn-V6XCE3wmFiJNHpkZGWiysA0oRQxMOOZxzdSDQUmPptOIsO_PYAzEcfm_OeCFw/s400/studio.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>"I love how I can see and reach everything I need"</div><br /><div>I overheard a child say this when she was visiting our art classroom. My students are used to the studio set-up, but for visitors, it may be the first time that have had access to tools and materials (instead of having the teacher pass things out!) I think the studio-set up is an essential component of the program; it lets learners behave like artists.</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-28247872805876471532009-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:002009-02-22T12:07:35.421-08:00Tape Artists<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqq08ZnuLWK-o-Nd7xoKVYvwfuXuG1T_u8rrpe5Nsns071StQG3ME4-kZlpfj3wjwwmUhSXHhqpJcUjoRhMiFwxpgJ21JyFSugt0zq4amJKOYPeLwg0AEjQCTRKEkSftlY8up_lA/s1600-h/1-22-09+050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305714228306251074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 332px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqq08ZnuLWK-o-Nd7xoKVYvwfuXuG1T_u8rrpe5Nsns071StQG3ME4-kZlpfj3wjwwmUhSXHhqpJcUjoRhMiFwxpgJ21JyFSugt0zq4amJKOYPeLwg0AEjQCTRKEkSftlY8up_lA/s400/1-22-09+050.JPG" border="0" /></a> It started with a balloon and a roll of duct tape. The first balloon popped. One boy spent days working on his tape-ball, until it became heavy and very un-balloon like. Of course more followed. Watching the tape supply flag, I issued a challenge: “I see that is a lot of fun, but is it art?”<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1wPEeD5oo7n4v0HnLydCtZtRoL3lUICNvvpEVPEGi3QYJXLh74wlS1GRaghDd4dOklDmhimlp66Grj54DWrkQ6ePtEqAnUj-8M1HIVoTqen6ZG6sWDrdAnRPU5QQdTZu_5QWlg/s1600-h/1-22-09+052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305714228427463922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1wPEeD5oo7n4v0HnLydCtZtRoL3lUICNvvpEVPEGi3QYJXLh74wlS1GRaghDd4dOklDmhimlp66Grj54DWrkQ6ePtEqAnUj-8M1HIVoTqen6ZG6sWDrdAnRPU5QQdTZu_5QWlg/s400/1-22-09+052.JPG" border="0" /></a> We have had many discussions around this topic, and we are fairly comfortable with the unknown (this is a good time to start humming the Clem Snide song ; <em>I love the unknown</em>), but my students got the point. If this is simply tape-wasting, it’s all over.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIy9sAsv4_dtd5RKtRwP8WkUOPChVPArP58xwXmSQDxuQGW-9kypK6YlELbIruxSq8PqixAPqOv11auK1-G6o67S9k6iBOmTYz2GsuvlsaNK_iI-np8HXBgf0VfIDyPfqXbXpZvQ/s1600-h/1-22-09+048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305714223084448482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIy9sAsv4_dtd5RKtRwP8WkUOPChVPArP58xwXmSQDxuQGW-9kypK6YlELbIruxSq8PqixAPqOv11auK1-G6o67S9k6iBOmTYz2GsuvlsaNK_iI-np8HXBgf0VfIDyPfqXbXpZvQ/s400/1-22-09+048.JPG" border="0" /></a> The multi-layered form which once covered a small balloon was opened to create a zig-zag jaw line. Another had several long, dangly legs attached, becoming a “brain-slug” or spider alien.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLs0EmXVd8vf0iSQ5Lhrs6rmbliU9VsX7Qj_3UCE-7_kyfayca9WYfxRwjJ3pISnfb68CggNz4aZG7ZPA5fNBVpGNAr3zg_m40QoU7Dd2909Wltw4ssYqEZexb2wRHFxOuxHz1MA/s1600-h/2-7-09+015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305714213466300898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLs0EmXVd8vf0iSQ5Lhrs6rmbliU9VsX7Qj_3UCE-7_kyfayca9WYfxRwjJ3pISnfb68CggNz4aZG7ZPA5fNBVpGNAr3zg_m40QoU7Dd2909Wltw4ssYqEZexb2wRHFxOuxHz1MA/s400/2-7-09+015.JPG" border="0" /></a> And one, which by now was the size and heft of a coconut, became a coconut. A tree was added to hold up the coconut (and also to finish convincing me that it was, indeed, art - it is hard to argue with a palm tree).</div><div><br />There is a popular art trick involving clear packing tape and human volunteers: you simply wrap the volunteer in tape, (first layer is either saran wrap or the tape reversed so it won’t stick to the model), then after many layers, the form is cut away and reassembled. This is a very popular project in high schools and art camps. <a href="http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/Kris-TapeFigures.htm">http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/Kris-TapeFigures.htm</a> But it takes about three roles of tape per sculpture (ca-ching)…<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-55775849040109288312009-02-15T11:22:00.000-08:002009-02-15T11:26:55.508-08:00Quotes for thought<div align="center"><em><strong>"Children and their art develop from the inside out, rather than from the outside in."</strong> ~John Dewey</em></div><br /><div align="center"><br />"There are many benefits to child centered arts learning experiences, among them,that intellectual growth and increased cognitive function is a direct result of children continuing to become expert in the areas they do well in and building upon these areas of expertise..."</div><div align="center">– Clyde Gaw (TAB Practitioner/Art Educator)</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-42845223730145776902009-02-07T15:21:00.000-08:002009-02-07T15:29:31.803-08:00Save the Trees!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6Y2zBVKua0c4hB98NfjGnoK-rUZtXY6ddAFdpcWs2KlnJ1KeNoOr4A5HKD0RlPuSlcVOcEhrRI0L-dnFavoLZunwaiQsyKViy7ZddzAsIJUz919oa8Nz3u5GjLDCCN-N0KtvUw/s1600-h/2-7-09+017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300200801453249634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6Y2zBVKua0c4hB98NfjGnoK-rUZtXY6ddAFdpcWs2KlnJ1KeNoOr4A5HKD0RlPuSlcVOcEhrRI0L-dnFavoLZunwaiQsyKViy7ZddzAsIJUz919oa8Nz3u5GjLDCCN-N0KtvUw/s400/2-7-09+017.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMeh2CT9HLtD6VVqkK-Dj0oUiNd1L4ZyTF6EYw2rHQbZhMvxMDttK-L2RO1kUsU_ExLvWxXr7jjn_j23ekxv_YKokHRnF8QCVfawKNNnavJ1VQZRiOszOxXZWNLJu_5vNmxHYig/s1600-h/2-7-09+017.JPG"></a><strong>From Paper Maker to Paper Artist</strong></div><br /><div>“J” is a middle school student who‘s preferred working style is to work in series. Last year he produced an impressive collection of clay bird sculptures. Recently, it’s all about paper.<br />“J” specializes in designing stencils (early attempts were made of paper and tag board, but he now prefers “scratch foam,” sold for printmaking). “J” prepares paper pulp of needed colors, and proceeds to craft his design into the paper prior to “couching” (blotting).<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL2EILcYtspWlXr81ap6Fugi_jrAXIYZPwrGiUzSMteyxqfB59QX3SqDYsXubCXRjZ0xJR1U5HgCaYcChtOeY1VaONLMi76COy3cvJ8JxgdTla-Be22pP0P5b9InvRBwWqIsy8w/s1600-h/2-7-09+020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300200331715045746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL2EILcYtspWlXr81ap6Fugi_jrAXIYZPwrGiUzSMteyxqfB59QX3SqDYsXubCXRjZ0xJR1U5HgCaYcChtOeY1VaONLMi76COy3cvJ8JxgdTla-Be22pP0P5b9InvRBwWqIsy8w/s400/2-7-09+020.JPG" border="0" /></a> "J" especially likes the way the trees escapes beyond the natural border of his paper sheet<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOjVO4s3Z1ihKVA5CkbatmESs1wylbMdre5zYBGEnaua7PkpeGWqN_dUApIISxj01vB0gW79iplRLyT40zsd33v915ucnI054jm5pyXY7p-GNgmBoJLPuyk5oGDyd-EJcYvyMQA/s1600-h/2-7-09+034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300200324736091250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOjVO4s3Z1ihKVA5CkbatmESs1wylbMdre5zYBGEnaua7PkpeGWqN_dUApIISxj01vB0gW79iplRLyT40zsd33v915ucnI054jm5pyXY7p-GNgmBoJLPuyk5oGDyd-EJcYvyMQA/s400/2-7-09+034.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sign over Papermaking Center<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3KQ_r8ejM1XXA0AwN6C5iDENrGZhW1fp-Er8dtdDjjlk01v8fG-cZnhVhTRrdZBHm9agL4gIiE6EQVOaXm6xt1fS3dEZXCwVKE7BM6iN0umjt_Eefl-XrofZg0KJxaPJlJw4HA/s1600-h/2-7-09+036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300200323186665186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3KQ_r8ejM1XXA0AwN6C5iDENrGZhW1fp-Er8dtdDjjlk01v8fG-cZnhVhTRrdZBHm9agL4gIiE6EQVOaXm6xt1fS3dEZXCwVKE7BM6iN0umjt_Eefl-XrofZg0KJxaPJlJw4HA/s400/2-7-09+036.JPG" border="0" /></a> Papermaking Center<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-87519281420416740292009-02-07T14:16:00.001-08:002009-02-07T14:19:07.479-08:00If I Had a Hammer<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZMiWvuTVENUtYIJkUNDL8Orc_DXwVFbKzbqXX0QxlM_LXgQrCVzEzAJmF8t0CCqLuUj9W97lZrt2MIvB161qsgFTRbZUFsngJKNzToKOz4_25bZC8TaBrEzPDQ1svASbraSgBw/s1600-h/printmaking+experiment.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300182991664841874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZMiWvuTVENUtYIJkUNDL8Orc_DXwVFbKzbqXX0QxlM_LXgQrCVzEzAJmF8t0CCqLuUj9W97lZrt2MIvB161qsgFTRbZUFsngJKNzToKOz4_25bZC8TaBrEzPDQ1svASbraSgBw/s400/printmaking+experiment.JPG" border="0" /></a>“What if we used a hammer for printmaking?” </div><div align="left"><br />This question, by 7-year old “S,” sparked a mini-lesson about how artists employ objects in their environment to make art. At the start of class, learners were invited to choose any item in the art studio (any item that paint would not damage) to test as a printmaking devise. Each child in turn dipped their new tool into paint and observed the resulting image or texture. As this experiment concluded, learners were invited to stay and make prints or to choose a different center and begin their work.<br />All but one student moved off to work elsewhere. The learner who remained had more experiments to conduct: What would the imprint of a feather look like? Would a pom-pom work as a paintbrush? Many different items were tested, and in the end, some of the objects that were used to make prints were attached to the paper (did you know paint could work like glue?), becoming a permanent part of the resulting image.<br />Art education professor and artist George Szekely (University of Kentucky) once told me about a field trip he conducted with his class of undergraduates. He gave each student a dollar, and drove them to a dollar store. Their mission: find something to make art with or to make art out of. They returned to the studio to make art with their odd-ball treasures-turned-art –tools (picture; toilet plungers, mustard squeeze bottles, feather dusters, pizza cutters…). </div><div align="left">Wouldn’t that be fun?</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-18728739668719293822009-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:002009-02-07T11:44:55.237-08:00Arthur Ganson’s Machines<div><div><a href="http://www.arthurganson.com/images/mechanism%20at%20300.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 441px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://www.arthurganson.com/images/mechanism%20at%20300.jpg" border="0" /></a> I like to run Arthur Ganson’s dvd in the sculpture center sometimes when students work. It is amusing, sometimes captivating, and always entertaining. Ganson’s work reminds me a lot of the work I sometimes observe my students engaged with. Like Ganson, learners in the sculpture/construction center are inventing, experimenting and engineering. There is often an element of humor. Occassionally, like Ganson, learners design their own tools to suit a special, idiosyncratic task. I think of Arthur Ganson as a grown-up RMS student, and am pleased that he found his own path and relishes creativity. Today I found liner notes in the Machines dvd case. Here is how it starts: </div><br /><br /><div><br /><em>For me, the practice of fusing material with idea and emotion began when I was a child. I was very introverted and found it difficult to talk directly to anyone about what I was feeling. What I did do, however, was retreat to the basement where I would pour my heart into little things that I would make for people. It became my way of speaking, and to some extent it was critical for my survival.<br />~Arthur Ganson, (2004) Machines, Liner notes </em></div><br /><br /><div><em><br /></em>If you would like to see some of Arthur Ganson’s machines, go to:<br /><a href="http://www.arthurganson.com/pages/Sculptures.html">http://www.arthurganson.com/pages/Sculptures.html</a></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-80202154967862172932009-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:002009-02-07T15:14:44.860-08:00A New President<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tFkJeNNCULUUyobIAxXxPf2V90ivPnVua4uIzK14kUyO5bXFONVA5y7PaKcxYqQAwE2IBkj9pmVEqR0yDyC743pZO-xVNtXpZgUNUpu0m8Q6dRw01yWrzb47GBD0KpoTc0r0Rg/s1600-h/l's+obama.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300197742589809810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tFkJeNNCULUUyobIAxXxPf2V90ivPnVua4uIzK14kUyO5bXFONVA5y7PaKcxYqQAwE2IBkj9pmVEqR0yDyC743pZO-xVNtXpZgUNUpu0m8Q6dRw01yWrzb47GBD0KpoTc0r0Rg/s400/l's+obama.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The whole school gathered in our community room last week to witness the inauguration of President Barak Obama. Together we stood up, sat down, applauded, cried and cheered. Later that day, in the art studio, I showed some artwork created by artists from around the world; portraits of Barak Obama. I was gratified to point out that with the exception of bronze, students in our art studio have available to them all the media used by the artists in the slides I presented, even, surprisingly, dryer lint. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/16/obama.art.irpt/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/16/obama.art.irpt/index.html</a>)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XdB-fKN-uAXYg9JonU2nghyphenhyphenmPMg0Sj2G1u7zThqiAxJgnPV2QY3RCN6S6GOuaN0-Cn4FVUfpP5wkU1XHMju1ZKeEAd_RvG-IoTO9dXV4H4PvIbzf2GquXC4dokSUM8TMgYaq3w/s1600-h/obama+take+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295321298561934514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XdB-fKN-uAXYg9JonU2nghyphenhyphenmPMg0Sj2G1u7zThqiAxJgnPV2QY3RCN6S6GOuaN0-Cn4FVUfpP5wkU1XHMju1ZKeEAd_RvG-IoTO9dXV4H4PvIbzf2GquXC4dokSUM8TMgYaq3w/s400/obama+take+1.JPG" border="0" /></a> After viewing the slides, “E” (age 10) was inspired to draw president Obama’s portrait. This is her first attempt, drawn from memory.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDULMyQRu9TpvgKMDvSit7nqM36JZ1JHZn_RRdQMMYnAytyO9fJ1EqEcukA6TJ9NfZPmi0o2whAYXjWIvAblTXOFSl4_eCvfmhT6ENq00yOU2RgNbRANq2C0w9b-QyhLxOynVq6w/s1600-h/NYTimes.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295321291942595218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDULMyQRu9TpvgKMDvSit7nqM36JZ1JHZn_RRdQMMYnAytyO9fJ1EqEcukA6TJ9NfZPmi0o2whAYXjWIvAblTXOFSl4_eCvfmhT6ENq00yOU2RgNbRANq2C0w9b-QyhLxOynVq6w/s400/NYTimes.JPG" border="0" /></a> An observant classmate (“G”) noticed the New York Times Magazine I brought in and displayed, titled Obama’s People. I watched as she quietly brought the magazine, which she opened to a portrait of Obama, and placed it in view of her classmate. “E” then had a reference to work from and proceeded to make two more versions of the portrait, now working with more information.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyBuOw_4-O8k8-qy2LeYmfqkLcs-4cpO6_EJJwrm4LMTDvuZ7t80FslcHIGy1mfk6nFE4KtvUq32WSn6z3sSfKJuz3wMBfmbINBueHI-2t2WedrqYI27jUx87s4ECXDyyzWz7bw/s1600-h/obama+take+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295321285743104946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyBuOw_4-O8k8-qy2LeYmfqkLcs-4cpO6_EJJwrm4LMTDvuZ7t80FslcHIGy1mfk6nFE4KtvUq32WSn6z3sSfKJuz3wMBfmbINBueHI-2t2WedrqYI27jUx87s4ECXDyyzWz7bw/s400/obama+take+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I often point out to students that artists sometimes work from imagination, sometimes from memory, sometimes from observation, and sometimes from exploration and experimentation. Providing insight and the right tools is not just the role of the teacher however, as was demonstrated in our studio when one student (“G”, mentioned above) supported another with care and respect.<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-47389263175224483462009-01-25T11:22:00.000-08:002009-01-25T11:36:33.668-08:00Developing Craft - Handmade Paper Artist<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGkXpMoMD8iQ7cCA2CvSOYNCY1wiicRRV0jzXJFPSrf6EeJqssnujq7Oiy8iWbxcTLbQeiUDygumyJpq3fzldCxHWJ1j0I98pDDWoJPsCDKJD1xJq29ve21L59CkDYCUKKmnpTg/s1600-h/j's+mr+happy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295314312983449634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGkXpMoMD8iQ7cCA2CvSOYNCY1wiicRRV0jzXJFPSrf6EeJqssnujq7Oiy8iWbxcTLbQeiUDygumyJpq3fzldCxHWJ1j0I98pDDWoJPsCDKJD1xJq29ve21L59CkDYCUKKmnpTg/s400/j's+mr+happy.JPG" border="0" /></a> “J” started his experimentation with papermaking last year. Once he learned the basic steps of crafting paper from recycled and found materials, he began exploring the idea of using small batches of different colored pulp to combine in patterns within a single sheet of paper. This idea led him to devising various methods to keep the colors separate. He made dividers out of cardboard and stencils out of paper and tagboard.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGPJvUxTr2J4K3zgpPKnttd2iCLGzGTO4GTgYnGfMtfMDqTk-7Zdq9VzjS5OXv3_j9-xboHqmmFKqmjfJO5501WfMhzIo5PXVZ9VUfPp4bZ-FmcYfrV4twxRollegoLPb-M_rOg/s1600-h/j's+paper+bird.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295314308319266738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGPJvUxTr2J4K3zgpPKnttd2iCLGzGTO4GTgYnGfMtfMDqTk-7Zdq9VzjS5OXv3_j9-xboHqmmFKqmjfJO5501WfMhzIo5PXVZ9VUfPp4bZ-FmcYfrV4twxRollegoLPb-M_rOg/s400/j's+paper+bird.JPG" border="0" /></a> Last week, during our extended “Wednesday Workshop” time, “J” tested out an intricate and ambitious stencil cut from the same kind of Styrofoam we often use to make relief prints (one could use a meat tray as well). He prepared his pulps, agonized over which color should be background and which should be used for the image of the bird he cut into his stencil. A third pulp was prepared for a design element surrounding the bird. The result was not as crisp and clear as he imagined, but while assessing the experience, “J” commented that he likes the end result because it is less overt, more abstract, and this he finds more interesting to look at.<br /><br /><div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-19233801969079778602009-01-25T10:21:00.000-08:002009-01-25T11:17:40.702-08:00Tubular<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTlghBtNbIo88e392P-_Eil1aS1_W7mlTt1kcoBDvWUmTn4Bebgp6tyK3wCj9d79FPY4Co-LAGkp52zQcp2tgFWwkb9Bq93hR7dySWn8eRBj-0QPs-EDRYKZx8Q938sN17OysbA/s1600-h/1-22-09+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295309976506331490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTlghBtNbIo88e392P-_Eil1aS1_W7mlTt1kcoBDvWUmTn4Bebgp6tyK3wCj9d79FPY4Co-LAGkp52zQcp2tgFWwkb9Bq93hR7dySWn8eRBj-0QPs-EDRYKZx8Q938sN17OysbA/s400/1-22-09+014.JPG" border="0" /></a> 9 ½ year-old “R” has spent a good deal of time constructing with cardboard tubes. He often constructs architectural pieces; buildings of all types. He also makes aircraft and space craft. This week’s animal form was a departure for him, and I observed his process with interest. After constructing the body and legs, neck and tail of this creature, he needed an armature for the head, and asked if I had a ball of some sort. Since I didn’t have anything that met his specifications, I suggested he could fashion his own ball out of crumpled newspaper.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgue595C6tgJAulXhTod3IK5iEHCMTFiNGvUNE6-NauDWwymW3lu18eyQVvSZfNO_jvVmbfYciehUUB-shQPw_ign3dzI1dXrzXuHMC8hwhkK8E_8t4Z0sH7WCYFAfB_5I4kZL9hA/s1600-h/r's+tape+animal.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295309967396515218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgue595C6tgJAulXhTod3IK5iEHCMTFiNGvUNE6-NauDWwymW3lu18eyQVvSZfNO_jvVmbfYciehUUB-shQPw_ign3dzI1dXrzXuHMC8hwhkK8E_8t4Z0sH7WCYFAfB_5I4kZL9hA/s400/r's+tape+animal.JPG" border="0" /></a> During a recent whole-group demonstration at the start of class, “R” had seen many possibilities for finding or crafting armatures for papier mache sculptures, and readily adapted one of these techniques to fashion just the right size and shape for his animal’s head.<br /><br /><div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-84775151962690162692009-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:002009-01-25T10:21:36.444-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W8kKztvarJ-kCx7Kruh1AybDRfp6lg_N9FB3oUc3qJwV65ObX7rdl6IOMya_OXNWGPJOQPQI40zDbQixcU4M0r7hAzFoL4MreG_t42JR5ACUGEZz1DK1vc5LWhW_2TBZJ_Tj9Q/s1600-h/katherine's+horse.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295297586680763938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W8kKztvarJ-kCx7Kruh1AybDRfp6lg_N9FB3oUc3qJwV65ObX7rdl6IOMya_OXNWGPJOQPQI40zDbQixcU4M0r7hAzFoL4MreG_t42JR5ACUGEZz1DK1vc5LWhW_2TBZJ_Tj9Q/s400/katherine's+horse.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">This watercolor and marker painting was created by 6-year old "K". It was hard for me to watch it walk out the door with "K," because it's magic had already cast a spell on me.</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-68407896317459018142008-11-20T13:10:00.000-08:002008-11-20T13:55:18.808-08:00Engage and Persist<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpg2EQdj6Uk1Kx4mQ4z3XBUjW14OKIEg_p43N_RjihgmkMU4CV_pgZY5rFWmeeE9lnLi-D2c_Qn060-m3LzgsKLDBJqdCbvZlNkPJqp8YLZtBT9CaKdbS0G6yMnO6-ElOt2lbUw/s1600-h/nick's+robot+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270850528790795058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpg2EQdj6Uk1Kx4mQ4z3XBUjW14OKIEg_p43N_RjihgmkMU4CV_pgZY5rFWmeeE9lnLi-D2c_Qn060-m3LzgsKLDBJqdCbvZlNkPJqp8YLZtBT9CaKdbS0G6yMnO6-ElOt2lbUw/s400/nick's+robot+004.JPG" border="0" /></a> Middle School students at RMS keep artist’s journals containing the following list:<br />Artistic Behavior (or: What Do Artists Do?)<br />Compiled by RMS Middle School Students, November, 2007<br />· Exhibit original and creative thinking<br />· Explore a variety of media and techniques<br />· Behave like an artist within a community of artists<br /> (respect needs of others, ideas of others and art of others)<br />· Reflect on your work and the work of others<br />· Respectful use of materials and tools<br />· Engage and persist<br />(be in PURSUIT of idea, technique, expression, excellence)<br />· Convey idea, feeling or personal meaning<br />· Take creative/artists risks<br /><br />This is list was inspired by Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner’s work in the book Studio Thinking <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Studio-Thinking-Benefits-Visual-Education/dp/0807748188">http://www.amazon.com/Studio-Thinking-Benefits-Visual-Education/dp/0807748188</a><br /><br /><strong>Engage and Persist<br /></strong>The cardboard and found object figure pictures here was started by 12 year old “N” on the second day of art this fall. “N” brought in a color printout of a character in a video game (I believe) and began construction. He has worked on it once a week, during his regular art class, and frequently in five and ten minute increments, stolen from the time between dismissal and whenever his ride arrives to take him home.<br />Every detail is attended to. Materials are tried, replaced and re-purposed. Paint colors are mixed to exacting standards. Although his class had a deadline to submit a finished piece two weeks ago, “N” ‘s figure was not quite ready. He told me he would rather take an incomplete than display his figure as “a work-in-progress.” Now that it is finished, “N” told me that he is planning to present it to a relative as a gift. Should we add “generosity” to the list of artistic behaviors?<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyutNhe3mIIUx1mGv-VttyF-6qaQylO9z4qPMGN1GOKh8nMBYCFMSStG0j9h4srPFz-Qdjxd2C6HzqAJnt6kYlBWefOLBfS8tUAdwcA8-q91DnWvDuN93JMVIPb96REoYBxilCGQ/s1600-h/reference+robot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270850523725429490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyutNhe3mIIUx1mGv-VttyF-6qaQylO9z4qPMGN1GOKh8nMBYCFMSStG0j9h4srPFz-Qdjxd2C6HzqAJnt6kYlBWefOLBfS8tUAdwcA8-q91DnWvDuN93JMVIPb96REoYBxilCGQ/s400/reference+robot.JPG" border="0" /></a> Cardboard and found-object figure with reference/inspiration<br /><br /><br /></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-83862963636980489352008-11-19T13:46:00.000-08:002008-11-20T07:19:48.648-08:00A New Printmaker Finds Her Wings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnL_9ggEynq92yrm_OpI2dROHDnP_EuBqVseb90cK8v4Xjsa1ssRPeuoAjAs2byWGOnk8Ef6QcmAOJ5hj7XedL0ZlT2l0EwTYWK1RXF4i1RTJuylegrNRtCSCjkq6N1a3YRca1w/s1600-h/three+color+print.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270488665059719810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnL_9ggEynq92yrm_OpI2dROHDnP_EuBqVseb90cK8v4Xjsa1ssRPeuoAjAs2byWGOnk8Ef6QcmAOJ5hj7XedL0ZlT2l0EwTYWK1RXF4i1RTJuylegrNRtCSCjkq6N1a3YRca1w/s400/three+color+print.JPG" border="0" /></a> After a whole-group “5-minute demo” on how to make a multi-color reduction print, this 7 ½ year old artist crafted a 3-color image titled: <em>Beauty Parrot</em>. This was her second attempt. The first day, using the same plate, her inking was unsatisfactory (to her). She returned for the next class and was able to produce this crisp image during one class period. During the following class, she worked with this process one more time, creating a holiday image, which currently has two colors. I suspect she will return to this print next time, and add at least one more color.<br /><div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-28510840414802794642008-11-19T13:12:00.000-08:002008-11-19T13:36:59.461-08:00The Motions of the Horse<a href="http://www.marcelduchamp.net/images/Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" alt="" src="http://www.marcelduchamp.net/images/Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJQMmJiGJRmFK-tWpCk-QR_khnkPIM4nVHduzRFNcplqdNZ31fvxVnb0AIuzKtNDM1u51X6Wn4BjPKqKBi7x4aPUiolv2SiXaqAm0iuDW0qjTnSzdnVrlyBTeJ9T0j1AfeOEqnw/s1600-h/claires+horses.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270483025326930514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJQMmJiGJRmFK-tWpCk-QR_khnkPIM4nVHduzRFNcplqdNZ31fvxVnb0AIuzKtNDM1u51X6Wn4BjPKqKBi7x4aPUiolv2SiXaqAm0iuDW0qjTnSzdnVrlyBTeJ9T0j1AfeOEqnw/s200/claires+horses.JPG" border="0" /></a> “C” is almost 8 years old and LOVES horses. She often draws about them in art, and recently hosted her class on a field trip to the barn where she boards her own horse. “C” knows all about horse care, tack and the various breeds. She also knows quite a lot, it appears, about the way a horse moves. The next time her class comes for art, I think I will see what she thinks of the iconic painting by Marcel Duchamp, shown here. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="right"><a title="Marcel Duchamp" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp">Marcel Duchamp</a>. </div><div align="right">Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 (1912). </div><div align="right">Oil on canvas. 57 7/8" x 35 1/8". </div><div align="right"><a title="Philadelphia Museum of Art" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Museum_of_Art">Philadelphia Museum of Art</a>.<br /></div><a href="http://www.marcelduchamp.net/images/Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg"></a><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.marcelduchamp.net/images/Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmkz5v5upQLCBxVPMt6Cc6WXhuwNnSv1ehjOyFtKMdZhDPbOZsqf-N5pM7Fyq7CZCP2IiBX2Kl8LLNWp2us7sQbWUY9p-PesaxRGwWiZwZcNphVxibkod2VbA4s4OScgdEAYrvg/s1600-h/claires+horses.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-10130748545386840902008-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:002008-11-19T12:59:31.990-08:00FREE CLAY!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4Al6J837O2D_etzgBNgXsGWu7_01Wl1r5H6mr-XGlFWDzZpzZl4Y-vgueyBaA_hjvnax-5B1uy5PBN9GwuZfG4DXEkXgIVDKsp8id7K1uanGSu_xTO2ERItqb5GC-Ou8gApgvA/s1600-h/bentonite.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270473346748326802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4Al6J837O2D_etzgBNgXsGWu7_01Wl1r5H6mr-XGlFWDzZpzZl4Y-vgueyBaA_hjvnax-5B1uy5PBN9GwuZfG4DXEkXgIVDKsp8id7K1uanGSu_xTO2ERItqb5GC-Ou8gApgvA/s400/bentonite.JPG" border="0" /></a>wet clay - dry clay - fired clay</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"> Students are mining clay in our own backyard, and delivering it daily to the art room. After collecting about 30 lbs of the stuff (which we think is mostly bentonite,) I have called for a moratorium (no more playground clay until we use what we have!) We have done a test firing and were surprised when the yellow-brown “mud” turned as orange as our commercial terra cotta clay, and that it can be fired at the same temperature (without melting). Our playground clay is stickier and has both organic material and pebbles in it. We have glazed some pieces in clear glaze to observe the result. We have discovered that bentonite comes from volcanic ash, which is why the clay is so fine and sticky. I have learned from my own pottery teacher that if we fire the clay to an even higher temperature, it may “glaze itself.”<br />In the art studio, science and art often come together. A wise 7 year old RMS student once told me; “we are doing experiments like scientists, but we are being creative like artists.” Authentic integration of this kind is one of our specialties in the art studio.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtwWaVnV96j6rXsvAzahli_o_cUlIip_1g-U_xw0TdAuI8vE9EnGhH8CUhZpYwnmFcnk8BqwcdeCE4q8qMLLpMe9VQuChVwHwomDkfHTQddWB_ssUmyhUZE7CbhnhDr1d01ojhQ/s1600-h/found+clay.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270472780434166818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtwWaVnV96j6rXsvAzahli_o_cUlIip_1g-U_xw0TdAuI8vE9EnGhH8CUhZpYwnmFcnk8BqwcdeCE4q8qMLLpMe9VQuChVwHwomDkfHTQddWB_ssUmyhUZE7CbhnhDr1d01ojhQ/s400/found+clay.JPG" border="0" /></a> First pieces to be fired!</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-79632946307217116352008-10-16T20:29:00.000-07:002008-10-16T20:31:12.398-07:00Tandem Drawing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKgc2wExe5bwWUxcKoVU7xb4DERD8X5EPtIp52RPMZkcoObk6Gnmm5fC6dfzwLXbefmTRkn2mkB-ckEjgSgJO65UhBmFwTAH3dBzOCNtf72TREOe-dLOZMRkJPeIqNZ7AgnT-tw/s1600-h/tandem.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKgc2wExe5bwWUxcKoVU7xb4DERD8X5EPtIp52RPMZkcoObk6Gnmm5fC6dfzwLXbefmTRkn2mkB-ckEjgSgJO65UhBmFwTAH3dBzOCNtf72TREOe-dLOZMRkJPeIqNZ7AgnT-tw/s400/tandem.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257960137955028498" /></a><br />"you draw on that side, I'll draw on this side." Two 6 year old friends, sitting opposite each other in the drawing center had a plan for drawing together on the same piece of paper. One drew from observation, using the many animal models available for this purpose; the other drew from imagination and memory.Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-73996358670248298052008-10-16T07:32:00.000-07:002008-10-16T20:22:24.584-07:00the Importance of CLAY<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHEG1B9tNVNunjHNRV35YjNjgf1tr9pRGdy9jY9fHZ1ERprbgLgmNNW-gM1Pws2t42QP92dnxBDiG1lC2wxm6LlDKMtOE0j61JH1AKaNDAbBy0sLKLFynHpPiA7yzEsCh5g3cwA/s1600-h/clay+017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257762467014143426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHEG1B9tNVNunjHNRV35YjNjgf1tr9pRGdy9jY9fHZ1ERprbgLgmNNW-gM1Pws2t42QP92dnxBDiG1lC2wxm6LlDKMtOE0j61JH1AKaNDAbBy0sLKLFynHpPiA7yzEsCh5g3cwA/s400/clay+017.JPG" border="0" /></a> (This is just the tip of the iceberg...I especially like the mother, father and baby stingray by "W" - kindergarten student)</div><strong>Clay, Glorious Clay</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>I have just unloaded the kiln for about the 5th time this school year, and as I look around at the fired work, I notice that students who began the year with little or no experience or facility with clay have already made measurable strides. I also admire several skillfully made pieces by older, more experience students who not long ago struggled. Most impressive and noticeable is that the entire surface of the clay table is covered with work by my youngest students. The K-1 artists LOVE clay. They are fanatics. I worry a little as I survey their accomplishments that parents might feel a little overwhelmed by the quantity of clay items soon to be carefully wrapped in newspaper, labeled with a piece of masking tape and delivered into their homes; which brings me to the following article.<br />Last spring, I presented a session called <em>Is There a Scribble Stage for Sculpture</em> in New Orleans, for the National Art Education Association. Shortly afterwards, the following article came to my mailbox, from an art education professor in the Midwest. Although the article was written almost 20 years ago, it is relevant today. Especially today; Kiln unloading day.<br /><br />A Critical Need: Children and Clay<br />By Eleese V. Brown (Professor of Art at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst)<br />We live and perform in a three-dimensional world, yet the vast majority of art experiences engaged in by school children are of a two-dimensional nature. Many reasons have been given for this, especially in relation to working with clay. Clay is difficult to handle, messy, hard to store, requires expensive equipment – just to name a few. Clay work and supplies may be messy and hard to store. However, expensive equipment is not necessary for quality clay activities. And to say clay is difficult to handle is a weak reason for avoiding it in art classes.<br />Having worked with children and clay for the past sixteen years, I have become painfully aware of the fact that we are introducing clay to children neither early enough nor often enough. We do not seem to realize the extent to which its use assists children’s artistic and conceptual development. Indeed, clay may be more difficult for children to control because they simply have not been exposed to it as early in life as they have crayons, pencils and the like. As a result of this bias, children clearly have an edge when it comes to using media and tools that make marks as opposed to those that produce three-dimensional art forms.<br />Few would disagree that the making of drawings, paintings and prints causes children to pay attention to themselves and the world around them. And that the recording of what they see, by using such media, results in learning about themselves and their environment. Why, then, do we constantly ignore the fact that working with clay is also a unique, even critical, expression of learning? Paying attention to an object and recording all one can is perhaps even a fuller learning experience, developmental experience and logical recording of the three-dimensional world children work, play and learn in.<br />Most children do not have the success they should have with clay because they do not have early exposure to the medium. We must move away from prejudices against clay and acknowledge the fact that working with clay balances the drawing, painting and printmaking experiences that children’s learning with art has been limited to for so many years.<br />In my early study involving children’s use of clay, their development in drawing a figure was compared with their development in making a clay figure. At that time, three through seven year old children’s development levels in making a clay figure of a man proved to be from one to three years behind those evident in their drawn figures. From the age of eight through eleven years, developmental levels appeared much the same in both drawn and clay figures.<br />In a study conducted approximately ten years later, the results were nearly identical. In both studies, the conclusions were the same: While it may not be reasonable to expect primary school children to produce a wide variety of clay items, it is not unreasonable to expect upper elementary children to do so. Children must be encouraged to produce much more than handprints in clay slabs, simple pots and ash trays. Through such encouragement, children would not only increase their ability to work with clay, they would also increase their concept development….(partial paragraph removed by me)<br />In addition to my work with younger children, I have also had several opportunities to teach Basic Foundations courses to college freshmen. Inevitably, their three-dimensional assignments are more like bas-relief – the “front” is highly detailed, while the “sides” and the “back” are quite simple. I strongly believe that this is the result of years of working with art materials on a flat surface with little or no regard to how something exists in a three dimensional context. I am convinced that all the re-looking and re-training that occurs on the secondary and college level would be unnecessary if students had been given the opportunity to work with clay at the elementary and junior high levels.<br />I do not advocate clay work once a year, but often. Without practice, regression occurs. Working in clay must be as much a regular and on-going activity as two dimensional activities. It is only logical to expect that as children work more frequently with clay, they will become more adept at working with it as a vital, expressive medium. Children neither write nor draw without time and practice. They will surely not develop any like facility with clay without the same consideration. While clay is certainly not the only three dimensional medium available, it is the most flexible and it provides a strong counterpoint to “flat” art!<br />(This article appeared in School Arts Magazine, December, 1986)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNELGOtwmdfCGWrHso4FOyIn-n9As2vaeMU2WiekdSfyQ4cvVH9nagtv1QRcgSOW3O35ab-RPcovFKqqdmyY5DOfRU2oqZvXIMeMuMN2boyEadnRGF8cgxpbfCpBuVUFp40e1tg/s1600-h/clay+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257762471156275922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNELGOtwmdfCGWrHso4FOyIn-n9As2vaeMU2WiekdSfyQ4cvVH9nagtv1QRcgSOW3O35ab-RPcovFKqqdmyY5DOfRU2oqZvXIMeMuMN2boyEadnRGF8cgxpbfCpBuVUFp40e1tg/s400/clay+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">(collaborative clay face by "S" "S" &"K", a first grader and two 2nd graders)</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-83794617472922749182008-09-26T14:37:00.000-07:002008-09-26T16:35:10.594-07:00Three week's work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqDbs8AIrHTwwcBAJ3_8BUhdGEiiGQtrwVeWCiXKx4nIJsJQGEN9m6NYjymvQlnH3uwOQR2Ijlisw_t8sESSAmd7bFsgMmnuzs1Kzr2v_1DZ4xGcS1DAVLHYjnI1Zit7pQ4LJdg/s1600-h/embroidery+detail.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250447452193189794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqDbs8AIrHTwwcBAJ3_8BUhdGEiiGQtrwVeWCiXKx4nIJsJQGEN9m6NYjymvQlnH3uwOQR2Ijlisw_t8sESSAmd7bFsgMmnuzs1Kzr2v_1DZ4xGcS1DAVLHYjnI1Zit7pQ4LJdg/s400/embroidery+detail.JPG" border="0" /></a> 6 year old (almost 7) “K” has been working for three weeks on this embroidery, ever since the Fabrics and Fibers center opened.<br /><div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-47519217604593546032008-09-26T14:12:00.001-07:002008-09-26T14:19:11.503-07:0010 minute bird collage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydV0jJHds4HvDAJi_uotjHr6-6WN6z1haL06Ym92__ZjrEWi4u7ehuPju0KdA3ysYpJCWOUMr6QxuoC0Qws-nxxrEwGP8_oVetk-3siXHVjw_j3RWjk-TEV3BiDg6iS1Ea8iJ9A/s1600-h/9-24-08+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250441159119057298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydV0jJHds4HvDAJi_uotjHr6-6WN6z1haL06Ym92__ZjrEWi4u7ehuPju0KdA3ysYpJCWOUMr6QxuoC0Qws-nxxrEwGP8_oVetk-3siXHVjw_j3RWjk-TEV3BiDg6iS1Ea8iJ9A/s400/9-24-08+005.JPG" border="0" /></a> With ten minutes remaining in class following a long interactive, multi-media presentation to introduce the idea of poetic inspiration for artists, this middle school student produced a fanciful bird image using cut and torn paper. “A present for my grandmother,” he reported. Since most of the class period was given over to discussion and brainstorming, I think this student NEEDED to MAKE some art, and not just TALK about art!<br /><div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-74636925781818292252008-09-26T14:06:00.001-07:002008-09-26T14:11:53.274-07:00Girl Power<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl62zV3sjsYrIgn84OC9kRti6kcaWlshqcR-K4ziMxIWUNWNd0_ct5PrhXC_UHlaeQEEoRPnL2cWdQy_9E6DndoUfs8DCgUKDjBVm8RRNC4ecIb3A0YIOvkhJg-LENEhgbyUh03Q/s1600-h/art+shield.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250439973650272434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl62zV3sjsYrIgn84OC9kRti6kcaWlshqcR-K4ziMxIWUNWNd0_ct5PrhXC_UHlaeQEEoRPnL2cWdQy_9E6DndoUfs8DCgUKDjBVm8RRNC4ecIb3A0YIOvkhJg-LENEhgbyUh03Q/s400/art+shield.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>These first grade girls worked side by side to create “Art Shields.” In this picture, they have flipped the shields to the back, to demonstrate how they stay on their arms. The fronts are also decorated with colorful gummed-tape (which they call “lick and stick”.) Aesthetic protection?</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-6213937976018623162008-09-19T18:01:00.000-07:002008-09-19T18:09:23.586-07:00An Artistic Behavior: Using references<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSNpnDstF9xr1akxxg6fP_JYGCUTnpKSSoTih0RNTYJsXWHaA7ivNWBIdJCLnRcLbkjtjIblv4zcL6QTbIyMpgIrCuJO18RNf0t04ISo5dW8QC1oBjMReYtzfmPFqIeqHAwdkyg/s1600-h/reference+from+home.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247904121487926594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSNpnDstF9xr1akxxg6fP_JYGCUTnpKSSoTih0RNTYJsXWHaA7ivNWBIdJCLnRcLbkjtjIblv4zcL6QTbIyMpgIrCuJO18RNf0t04ISo5dW8QC1oBjMReYtzfmPFqIeqHAwdkyg/s400/reference+from+home.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This 11 year old student started a small, articulated figure the previous week. It was constructed from modified cardboard tubes and had a laser-wielding arm that moved up and down. The following week, he arrived with a color print-out from home, depicting the character he was interpreting with his sculpture. He changed the arm, and made several other modifications, remarking that it was easier to work when he had the visual reference, rather than just relying on memory.<br />We often stop and consider that although some artists work from memory, and others from imagination, it is often to an artist’s advantage to use various reference materials to inform their work. </div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-68239891296624616732008-09-19T17:57:00.000-07:002008-09-19T18:00:33.261-07:00Up Up...and Away?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_hfmryMXpYROstdFoRY0-5obGnXugQLU6WT_apzxT6h4BP9vvNdZSNxq-1XavV0oYhudz7fcRjXe1SpHPBCDiYKGBKAswVQurRqxTnd9lY6iNFfM20zXSCPcKcqPuVYIO4Jh8A/s1600-h/9-16+017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247902008858575682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_hfmryMXpYROstdFoRY0-5obGnXugQLU6WT_apzxT6h4BP9vvNdZSNxq-1XavV0oYhudz7fcRjXe1SpHPBCDiYKGBKAswVQurRqxTnd9lY6iNFfM20zXSCPcKcqPuVYIO4Jh8A/s400/9-16+017.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I was slow to reach for my camera...but a hot air balloon landed right outside my window on Thursday! I will be quicker next time (it was the second time in two days that it landed at school.)</div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-46954069717795772142008-09-19T17:49:00.000-07:002008-12-03T09:10:11.040-08:00Little Bear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8roRyVo7XztdudbSs9YXh0Fhl2j8wfWOQSm2Qx3MFSCu-9XnllIrfs3JOn3iZ7kQjotBIzEx_w6YQSbgUSdIsaBrMryQXn4zLd4o8TACumgwAKXaidSkuddLSl1wAjjTl1Fp8Vg/s1600-h/little+cat.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250446357385953138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8roRyVo7XztdudbSs9YXh0Fhl2j8wfWOQSm2Qx3MFSCu-9XnllIrfs3JOn3iZ7kQjotBIzEx_w6YQSbgUSdIsaBrMryQXn4zLd4o8TACumgwAKXaidSkuddLSl1wAjjTl1Fp8Vg/s400/little+cat.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MSWfvVyiKgtckSwTv7xgBcuw325us_1ZQn-3Dy6QOBhjw3rl8mm9BjKN6u2a8h-r_-_OKtXLYOepf9ucx8zC1dQC0ugZr-VfpF6XxRo8bwnXFVzFl_wxNryWjAJRNvef2577Uw/s1600-h/9-16+011+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247900503605862562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MSWfvVyiKgtckSwTv7xgBcuw325us_1ZQn-3Dy6QOBhjw3rl8mm9BjKN6u2a8h-r_-_OKtXLYOepf9ucx8zC1dQC0ugZr-VfpF6XxRo8bwnXFVzFl_wxNryWjAJRNvef2577Uw/s400/9-16+011+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a> 9 year old “E” is constructing a stuffed bear, called "Flippy-Teddy," at the newly-opened Fabrics and Fibers Center. Since this picture was taken, a body has been added.<br />Various sewing and weaving projects are underway, and students are already asking when the sewing machine will be available.<br />One student is working on yards and yards or rich blue fabric, carried in from home, to create a hooded cape for Halloween.<br /><br /><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9057151.post-74214070315711071332008-09-19T17:46:00.001-07:002008-09-19T17:49:11.750-07:00All American<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZaPRwuk3WNVGKTf6BbjvZzeSdcbec12AAbJqE3rI5p_BG1Urz_JOC_8XSLzPJUuDXhRjxdcz0w-0JHTDhDkPpUJxLHE50XE0IcJqYOZQcPSvQI8wcbRTeXYS2FdrlJ-TWkNLxA/s1600-h/9-16+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247899012451348162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZaPRwuk3WNVGKTf6BbjvZzeSdcbec12AAbJqE3rI5p_BG1Urz_JOC_8XSLzPJUuDXhRjxdcz0w-0JHTDhDkPpUJxLHE50XE0IcJqYOZQcPSvQI8wcbRTeXYS2FdrlJ-TWkNLxA/s400/9-16+006.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1">“K” will turn six next week. This is her “American Dinosaur,” made from clay and painted in acrylic. “You can tell that it is an American dinosaur because it has red, white and blue!” </a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE_zT7zX6SBZkGkrgmg6OPxdDnYaM-nbEPCQWLe96hy60rinSDyEhk4v9cOatvaHrP27GIl6JdJrXHiIxK1iQY97PbzHOWclV9qOnwF8-O6-4bWa1GJnp6Izykny9ivB01cxrWg/s1600-h/9-16+009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247899017052240722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE_zT7zX6SBZkGkrgmg6OPxdDnYaM-nbEPCQWLe96hy60rinSDyEhk4v9cOatvaHrP27GIl6JdJrXHiIxK1iQY97PbzHOWclV9qOnwF8-O6-4bWa1GJnp6Izykny9ivB01cxrWg/s400/9-16+009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Profilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08078287747351166815noreply@blogger.com