Wednesday, February 19, 2014

assigning art journals to art students

The inside front cover of my “Art At The Museum” journal. The pocket on the left contains art history games I learned while taking a course at the St. Louis Art Museum for k-12 art certification.
      An excellent art journal reflects the personality and intimate experiences of it’s creator. My journals are about topics that I am interested in either exploring or sharing with others. These interests do not always appeal to the young however.
      I believe it is necessary for art teachers to keep assignments in the classroom current and challenging. Art activities are often influenced by trends but to produce work for this reason alone is not necessarily sound judgement. Fortunately, I discovered many years ago that educators can easily produce popular academic assignments for their students with just a bit of tenacity and a large portion of study.
      This summer I will be working on an art journal that I intend to use as a sampler in my future classroom. This is one of the many ‘perks’ of my teaching profession. In order for me to teach a project well, I must produce it myself. The sampler, I feel, should reflect diversity in both methods and topics in order for it’s contents to inspire so many different personalities inside an art classroom.
      I’ve posted here a brief listing of those pages that I’m considering for an art journal assignment in order for student industry/study to measure up to state and national academic standards. Apart from these required pages, my students should also be expected to include several of their own page ideas.

One of 50 some odd pages dedicated to lesson plan ideas from my “Art At The Museum Journal.” This page was dedicated to a chair design project.
10 Broad Ideas for Art Journal Page Assignments:
  1. Include an illustrated poem on a page. The poem should either be written by you or be in the public domain. The poem should be about art and a work of art.
  2. Observe a behavior assigned in class and journal a reflection based upon your thoughts concerning the behavior.
  3. Watch and assigned video and create an artistic response to the video. Then record your response on a page in your journal.
  4. Read an assigned article and articulate a response to it on a journal page.
  5. Work with one or two other people in the classroom to create a collaborative work and then include a piece of it on a journal page.
  6. Reflect upon a visit to a museum, art fair, open art studio event or gallery exhibit as a journal entry. Include a couple of photographs depicting the event and yourself in the same photo as proof of your attendance there.
  7. Include a page inspired by your own genealogy.
  8. Include a page inspired by your own cultural heritage.
  9. Include a page using paper pop-up technology.
  10. Create a thematic page based upon the artistic technique of your favorite painter.
More Articles for Art Teachers:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

the elements of pop-ups

      “With this book you will be able to touch, see, and study each of the elements of pop-ups as they are designed to work. You will be able to see exactly how each score folds and how each glue point is to be glued. You will be able to work and view each mechanic. Don’t be afraid to take these pop-ups apart. Just promise to put them back together!”

      I want to teach my students about the mechanics of pop-ups but, I don’t want them to destroy the lovely samples that I have in my collection. I purchased the copy from a local Barnes & Nobel in order to prevent this type of curious destruction. I think it will help along with a selection of youtube videos.

      By David A Carter and James Diaz, Copyright 1999 by Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

Related Articles Published by Simon & Schuster:

 Some of the world's best examples of pop-up books have 
gone on display to the public at the National Library of Scotland.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

the moving alphabet book

      “Learning the alphabet can be fascinating…fun…and easy. Turn the wheel and a new image appears in the cut-out window. Turn it again and again until you have seen four different pictures in all. Each letter is surrounded by marvelous drawings of animals and objects that start with the letter. Find and identify nearly 250 images in Tony King’s delightful illustrations and colorful photographs. And if you are stumped, a complete list of all the images can be found on the last two pages of the book.”
      Alphabet books make wonderful assignments in advanced design courses. Not only do these kinds of projects stretch the imagination but alphabet projects also make impressive additions to any young designer’s portfolio. Above is a book I will use to show students before assigning the project.

 By Tony King, copyrighted in 1982 Published by General Publishing Company

 Visit The Alphabet 100 Ways

 Related Articles:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

the fantastic book of board games


      “There’s never been a book quite like this! It has fourteen especially created board games you can play, by a galaxy of today’s best illustrators. From Suzanna Gretz’s inimitable teddybears’ first game of droughts to Angela Barrett’s elegant version of ludo, this book has games for every member of the family.”
      I purchased this book at a St. Louis book fair this year; I thought it would inspire my students. I plan to write a lesson plan based upon game development and this book supplies wonderful examples of “how” a variety of illustrators with multiple viewpoints might interpret such a challenge.

 Board Games Included in The Book Are:
  1. Root The Loot by illustrator Jez Alborough (view video Creating the Ducks Books)
  2. Ludo Park by illustrator Angela Barrett (visit The Night Fairy)
  3. The Amazing J. Slingsby Grebe Gold Medal for Utter Brilliance Game by illustrators Quentin Blake and John Yeoman (video Collaborations in the 70s)
  4. Pigs In The Pantry by illustrator Tony Blundell (Read his biography)
  5. Lost In The Wood by illustrator Catherine Brighton (more children’s books)
  6. Heavens Above! by illustrator Peter Cross (interviewed by Alan Hewitt)
  7. Picnic or Teddybear’s Draught by author Susanna Gretz and illustrator Alison Sage
  8. Cheese by illustrator Satoshi Kitamura (read his biography)
  9. The Phone Game by illustrator Shoo Rayner (visit his brilliant website)
  10. Bumbledon by illustrator Tony Ross (Interview with Tony Ross)
  11. Don’t Do That by illustrators Ralph Steadman and Helen Wire
  12. Alice in Wondergame by illustrator John Talbot (his professional resume)
  13. The Game of Goose by illustrator Fulvio Testa
  14. What-A-Mess In The Bone Race by illustrator Joseph Wright (view his professional cartoonist portfolio)
Articles About Board Games:
Lithograph Examples of Board Games:
Free Printable Board Games:
Board Game Collectors:
Related Articles: 



"Board game designers need a place to try out their prototypes. Some invite people to their homes for "closed" sessions, but I like to have a place that is open to the public. It encourages participation by other gamers and budding game designers. Several years ago, I was happy to meet Michael at his newly-opened gaming cafe in Berlin, the Spielwiese, and it has been the perfect place for our Berlin group of game designers to meet every since. The concept of the gaming cafe and Ludothek (you can buy and/or rent games there as well as play them in the cafe) is also very original and a popular attraction in Berlin's hip Friedrichshain district, attracting an international crowd. And now, it's become the testing grounds from dozens of published board games from Berlin designers, as well as a destination for visiting game designers and hobbyists from around the world." Jeffrey Allers
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Monday, February 3, 2014

questions and answers about textiles

Question: Why are textiles included in Missouri art curriculum in the first place?
Answer: Textiles are included for four distinct reasons. The first reason being that our market places are brimming over with all kinds of materials that artists may use to express themselves with. The state art educators want to be the first to promote the free use of any new mediums. Secondly, if teachers are going to teach art history of a particular study like textiles, they also then need to be able to instruct students in the use of historical materials. New mediums help art teachers keep up with the times, and old mediums help art teacher reinforce art history lessons to students. The third reason that textiles are now taught is to promote to the children of Missouri a broader definition of "art." Art does not have to be a painting or a sculpture only, it can also include a hand-woven rug or a meticulously sewn quilt. Traditionally, modern artists believed that fine crafters and fine artists must be kept apart in the world of art. But the state now wishes to teach a greater variety of view points both on and in the art related fields. This is because the state now recognizes that children come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Children also come from many different cultural backgrounds, countries and religions. So in an effort to appeal to a greater variety of people, the state is teaching a greater variety of topics under their fine arts curriculum. And fourth, the state public schools are funded by the tax money of many different people. The inclusion of textiles is one of several new mandates for art teachers that will appeal to a larger audience who supplement our public schools with their tax dollars.

Question: Is paper mache considered a textile?
Answer: Yes, because it is a fiberous pulp medium that can be manipulated in a wide variety of ways.  Paper mache may also be used during a sculpture course in general. This is because both sculpting and painting courses have broader stipulations than textile courses when the state is defining the materials used under particular art requirements. 

Question: What mediums are used in textile education?
Answer: The mediums in an art textile class include fabrics, weaving, and paper that is manipulated as a flat woven surface and/or sculpture. The paper can not simple be drawn on or painted on in order for it to be included in an authentic textile course. There are many teachers who include paste painting techniques in projects that they label "textiles." This is not a textile subject technically. In textiles, the paper must be further manipulated with techniques such as folding, shredding, or weaving in order for the lesson to be thought of as something other than a painting or drawing requirement. (Dyeing fabrics is, however, considered a textile technique traditionally.) Simply painting onto the canvas is a painting technique. These methods cross over in art courses but in order to label them properly, teachers must adhere to particular standards. In mixed media project both textile and painting techniques are often included. In this case, the teacher would file her art project under "mixed media" for that particular state standard instead of textile. If she has no other textile project, she could used the mixed media for a textile requirement but it would be better for her to choose the former and incorporate a weaving project for a textile standard requirement.

Question: What is the difference between teaching textiles and teaching sewing?
Answer: In textile art courses, teachers instruct their students to manipulate fabric, weaving materials or even paper pulp mediums to create art. Included in this instruction, are all the standards used by art educators when teaching painting, sculpting etc.. In other words, if an art teacher is designing a quilt unit, he or she will also include in that unit the study of design theory, color theory, and the art history of the chosen subject. If a sewing teacher is teaching a unit in quilts, she will most likely teach basic machine sewing methods plus economic principles. Home economics instructors and fine art teachers sometimes share similar interests, but these two schools of practice are very different from each other because of the information that is included in the curriculum of each interest. This is also true of the differences between craft teachers and fine art teachers. A craft instructor will most frequently limit her teaching to the manipulation of materials. A fine arts teacher covers more material and also teaches subjects in the arts from the perspective of fine arts. All three of these teaching professions are beneficial to the development of eye-hand coordination in students. But the type of additional information taught with material lessons designed to enhance small motor skills is determined by the instructor's knowledge base.

My Textile and Sewing Pinboards:
  • Prickly Pins - I'm keeping a web scrapbook of those textile/sewing ideas that I may develop future art assignments with. 
  • Kaleidoscope Quilts - Examples on the web
  • Crazy Quilts - Crazy quilting as a textile art is extremely creative and free-flowing by nature, and crazy quilters will often learn as much about specific embellishments as they will about crazy quilting itself.
  • Baltimore Beauties - Baltimore Album Quilts originated in Baltimore, Maryland in the 1840s. They have become one of the most popular styles of quilts and are still made today. These quilts are made up of a number of squares called blocks. Each block has been appliquéd with a different design. The designs are often floral, but many other motifs are also used, such as eagles and landmarks. They have a background of white and incorporate many primary colors such as reds, greens and blues. 
  • Amish Quilts - Amish quilts are appreciated for their bold graphic designs, distinctive color combinations, and exceptional stitching. Quilting became a favored activity of the Anabaptist sect after emigrating to the United States and Canada from Germany and Switzerland over 250 years ago.
  • Hawaiian Quilts - Hawaiian quilting reflects distinctive design qualities found in the Hawaiian floral and fauna. The patterns are usually large and radially symmetric. Most Hawaiian applique quilts are cut from a single piece of folded fabric. 
  • Needlecases, Needle Books and Pincushions 
Question: Where might I find lesson plans for teaching sewing to young students?
Answer: I suggest that you either purchase or check your local library for a title called, "Kids Can Quilt" by Dorothy Stapelton. In this book, you will find pattern templates, excellent directions and projects that develop basic skills and creative thinking processes that are simple enough for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to accomplish.
Looms made from cardboard boxes provide young children with easy spaces to
 manipulate yarn through. The teacher will need to string the loom in advance.
Eliminating this step from the weaving process is helpful.

Question: I want to teach my second graders how to weave but their finger skills are not yet "advanced" enough to weave with cardboard looms. They have already practiced with paper weaving. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer: Yes, teach them how to weave with a cardboard box loom. I have pictured my teacher sample below. This kind of weaving is just slightly more advanced than paper weaving and very age appropriate for second graders. Ask parents to donate shoe box lids only for this art endeavor. You will need to string the looms in advance though. 
 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Friday, January 31, 2014

add texture to your textiles

Above is one of many teacher “samples” I have created to instruct students in the textile arts.

Textile pieces don’t need to be assembled like traditional quilts. Students can add
 pockets, pleats, layers, beads and blanket stitching wherever they prefer
 in order to create unusual designs.

I have sewn a clipped and ruffled center to this fabric flower from felt. In the flower above,
I have used several embroidery stitches to accentuate the design in a alternative way.
A variety of applications and methods may be used to incorporate texture
 into textile artworks.

Some of my fabrics are purchased from a store and others are hand-dyed or painted
 during my classes. I teach students a wide variety of methods so that they may
choose those techniques that appeal to their own creative interests.

In this photo, you can see that I am starting to add even more visual and tactile information
to my small banner with the introduction of bright yarns and threads. It is important to
teach students that they do not need to rely on machines to produce elaborate work.
Very few young people have the income or materials to produce artworks apart
from what they can manipulate by hand on their laps. They must be taught independence
and ingenuity apart from their financial means in order to survive as artists.

I chose to back my textile piece with this lavender leaf patterned fabric. Finishing artworks
 on both sides is professional. Art teachers instruct students to be professional in order
for them to achieve excellent results.
More Related Articles:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

upcycling pre-teen trash

Every spring my daughters and I collect from their closets clothing and other items that they have either
outgrown or no longer need

These items are then donated to charity.

However, given the fact that I am very sentimental about my children, it often makes me sad to see them
throw away those things that I have associated fond childhood memories with. Of course, you can
not keep everything.

This sample banner, I think, helps me to demonstrate just how my students may use some of the old
garments and novelty toys they might label as “toss offs.”

This image of a young teen is from a marvelous book. I will find it in my bookcase
sometime today and link to the author/artist here.

Students may even include text in their samplers; here I have used a permanent ink
marker to write a story directly onto the fabric.

Here I have demonstrated that students don’t need to follow stricter rules used by quilters when they are thinking
 about their designs. I’ve used both the reverse and the front of this fabric within the same design.

The batting here is used as though it were fabric and some of the edges of fabric are
left raw and frayed. Small plastic toys from my children’s old toy bins are also
 sandwiched between layers of material.

Even a silk flower from one of my younger child’s old costumes finds it’s way into the mix!

Finally, I have backed my textile sample with fabric from a skirt once worn by my youngest.
More Related Content:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

textured, blue textile banner

My first textured, textile banner completed for a college credit course. Missouri art teachers are now expected to take some textile credits for a k-12 art education certification. I dyed the blue fabrics in a class for an assignment. We were then asked to integrate our fabrics into some sort of a banner.

I added pulled threads and one other machine knotted, metallic fabric to this project.

The butterfly was made by hand as well; I used embroidery threads, copper wire and beads to create this blue butterfly. The banner is backed with a wool felt that was once used as packing material for one of my family’s many cross country moves.

About half way through the project, I decided the banner needed a few additional colors; I chose yellow and pale pink.

I finished many of the edges off with a decorative blanket stitch.
More Related Links:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Thursday, January 30, 2014

more links to the arts in missouri

Arts Organizations In The State of Missouri:
Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph www.stjoearts.org 
African Musical Arts, Inc. www.africarts.org
Art St. Louis www.artstlouis.org
Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City www.ArtsLinks.org
The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art www.centralmethodist.edu/cmashbyhodge
Bach Society www.bachsociety.org  
Bootheel Youth Museum www.bootheelyouthmuseum.org
Boulevard Magazine www.boulevardmagazine.org
Boys and Girls Club of Greater KC www.bgc-gkc.org
Branson Arts Council www.bransonartscouncil.org
Chesterfield Arts www.chesterfieldarts.org 
Circus Harmony www.circusharmony.org
City of Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs www.GoColumbiaMo.com/Arts/
Craft Alliance www.craftalliance.org 
Harriman Arts Program of William Jewell College www.harrimanarts.org
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts www.hammonshall.com 
Kansas City Artists Coalition www.kansascityartistscoalition.org
Kansas City Art Institute www.kcai.edu
Kansas City Art Institute Northland Campus for Special Programs www.kcai.edu/northland
Kansas City Symphony www.kcsymphony.org
Lyric Opera of Kansas City www.kc-opera.org 
Mid-America Arts Alliance www.maaa.org
Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies www.MACAA.net
Missouri Association of Community Theatres - New website coming soon  Missouri Citizens for the Arts http://www.mo4arts.org/  
New Letters www.newletters.org
NewEar Music www.newear.org 
Osage Arts Community www.osageac.org
Paul Mesner Puppets Inc. www.paulmesnerpuppets.org
Performing Arts Association of St. Joseph www.paastjo.org
Pro Musica www.promusicajoplin.org
Rockhurst University Center for Arts & Letters www.rockhurst.edu/artsandletters 
St. Louis Artists' Guild www.stlouisartistsguild.org
St. Louis Chamber Chorus www.chamberchorus.org
St. Louis Children's Choirs www.slccsing.org  
St. Louis International Film Festival www.sliff.org
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts www.vlaa.org 
St. Louis Wind Symphony www.stlwindsym.org
George A. Spiva Center for the Arts www.spivaarts.org   
Springfield Regional Arts Council www.SpringfieldArts.org
Stages St. Louis www.stagesstlouis.com
State Fair Community College Goddard Gallery www.daummuseum.org 
VSA Arts of MO www.vsarts.org/x317.xml 
Washington University Gallery of Art www.wustl.edu/galleryofart
We Always Swing Jazz Series http://www.wealwaysswing.org/season/2010-2011/  

Government Sites
Missouri General Assembly www.moga.mo.gov
Missouri Humanities Council www.mohumanities.org 
Missouri House of Representatives www.house.state.mo.us/
Missouri State Senate www.senate.state.mo.us/
State of Missouri www.state.mo.us
National Endowment for the Arts www.endow.org
National Endowment for the Humanities www.neh.gov
Congress www.congress.org
Contacting the Congress www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html
US Senate www.senate.gov
US House of Representatives www.house.gov
US Senate Appropriations Committee www.senate.gov/~appropriations
The White House www.whitehouse.gov

Other Arts Funding Web Sites
Council on Foundations www.cof.org
The Donors Forum www.donorsforum.org
Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org
NonProfit Gateway www.nonprofit.gov
Grantsmanship Center www.tgci.com 

Arts Education Sites Arts Edge www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org  
Missouri Fine Arts Academy www.smsu.edu/coal/mfaa/mfaa.html
US Department of Education www.ed.gov
Open Studio www.openstudio.org
Missouri Alliance for Arts Education http://www.moaae.org/
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)