Drawing what we see

Today art 1 students have been working hard at learning to draw what they see.  So what better item to have them practice than their own feet.  

This also gives us a chance to spread out from the normal routine.

Is it positive or negative?

So that might be trick question since the entire project was a study of positive and negative space.  I had the students start by choosing an image and drawing its outline to use as a negative image.  They then filled the background with a variety of zentangles.  Some chose to repeat one zentangle and others went cray with a variety of designs.

Baylee B. - Christ the Redeemer

Sommer B. - Castle

John S. - Weapon Love

Hannah M. - Vase Face

Design a line

So this year I am trying to change up my Art 1 curriculum. I'm not sure yet if it will be a good change, but I am trying.  That being said, I am trying to show the students all of the different artists and types of art that are out there.  For our Line unit I showed them three fabulous artists; Julianna Kunstler, Marcos Bernardes and John Fanzen.  Each of these artist use lines as the main focus of their artwork.
We started by dividing a sketchbook page into 4 squares and then we worked together to draw artwork from each of these artists.  In the last square the students had to design something of there own, but they could use the artists as inspiration.  Then for their final project I let them choose which style they wanted to recreate on a larger piece of paper.

Austin M. - style of Marcos Bernardes

Sidney H. - Style of John Franzen

Hannah M. - Inspired by John Franzen, but in her own design.

Sommer B. - combo of Marcos Bernardes and John Franzen

Berlin adventure

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to go to Berlin, Germany to talk to other teachers about traveling with students.  The company I work with is EF tours and if you would love more info about traveling with them please feel free to write to me.  They have been fabulous to me and I will tell anyone about my trips.

So EF sent me to give this presentation, but I also got to do everything that the others were doing.  Here are just a few of the things that I got to do and see.

This is a section of the Berlin wall.  I loved the design and colors on the mural.

This is the dome of the Reistag (capital building).  We were lucky enough to get to climb to the top of the dome and look down into their government assembly hall.  

This is the last remaining section of the original Berlin wall. This was on the east German side of the complex wall system.

This is a memorial to all of the others (Gypsy's, Germans, handicapped, homosexuals, etc) that were murdered by the Nazis. It is a version of the pieta holding her child in the center of this room with an Oculus over her head.

View of the Catholic Cathedral.

Catholic Cathedral

This is a gelato in the shape of rose petals.  Just so you know I picked banana and chocolate flavors and it was very yummy.

Painting with light

I also started last year with this photography project, but I think it is a really fun one that the students instantly love.  It is called light painting, but it is basically working with the shutter speed on a DSLR camera.  

I love bringing out these cameras at the beginning of the year because most of them are going to take my photography projects with their cell phones and I love all of the tips and tricks that they will pull out and learn from using  nice camera.  Now not to say that they can't take good pictures with their cell phones, but you can't take an image like light painting on an iphone.

To do this we really slow down the exposure on the camera by putting our Canon cameras into TV mode, with the ISO on 200, and the shutter speed anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds.

Here are some of my favorites from the student's experiments.

Brandon G.

Connor K.

Heidi S.

Jena F.

Kayla E.

I think they did a pretty good job considering we had to do this in practically a coat closet of a room.

Learning names

This year I feel like I have been at a disadvantage.  The incoming freshman this year are students that I haven't seen for four years and so I feel like I don't know any of their names.  So even though I give out this assignment every year, it felt like a really good refresher for me.  It help me put a name with a face as I watched them work.

Now I'm still not perfect and I am trying really hard to just remember which class they are in, but I am sure that will come as the year goes on.

Anyways, I am sorry that these pictures are not very good.  I forgot to take the pictures before I put the artwork in the display case.   So far I am really impressed with the products that they have been putting out, lets hope they can keep it up.

Welcome back Tri-Valley!

Okay so I'm a week late, but better late than never right??

I would like to take this opportunity to say welcome back to my students and their parents.  Please check back here often to see what we are up to in the art room.

Today Art 1 is starting a new Line unit, and I have high hopes for the project.  Wish me luck !!