Drawing on the right side of the brain

We have started with some pre instruction drawings:  self portraits and a person from memory.  Next is upside down drawings

Brand new classroom!

It has been and hectic summer rushing around to arrange a brand new classroom.  The maintenance dept. Has been tearing down walls, reinstalling the ceiling, installing new equipment, new air conditioner, new heater, installing doors, installing locks, walks, moving all supplies, preparing for longer class periods, new phones, new intercom, framing out windows, you name it it's been done!

End of the year awards ceremony

Lots of awards for excellent art endeavors.  At SDATA, ( SOUTHWEST DISTRICT ART TEACHERS ASSICIATION)  I accidentally entered my students at in the high school competition instead of middle school.  We took 5 ribbons including a 1st place and two 2nd places!

End of the year rube Goldberg machine

Another Rube Goldberg machine. Another school year. Rube Goldberg projects are great for students in 7th and 8th grade because

Chalk mandalas for the end of the year

Art club end of the year celebrations.

Rhombic Triacontahedron What?

better known as the IQ Light or Infinity Lights, this geometric form is the brainchild of
 Danish designer Holger Strøm in 9772.

Holger Strøm

Constructed using interlocking quadrilaterals, (Hence his name for the light, IQ lights)  you can make all sorts of variation on polyhedra- (multi faced 3-d geometric forms.)

I first discovered this from a fellow art teachers blog, Art in the Big Green Room.  She had a link to an Instructable that had a template. I grabbed the template and duplicated it in Paint to get 6 per sheet.  Walmart trip to pick up cardstock, and had Central Office copy, enough so each student could get 30 pieces.
Here is the revised template.

Students cut, then build the model.

Just for fun, I went to Wikipedia and found this rotating model.  Interesingly, each face is a rhombus with sides  based on the golden ratio!

Very helpful for me and students it to check out instructional videos on YouTube like this one...

Happy Rhombic Triacontahedron!

Number 2 Pencil Project Spring 2014

No. 2 Pencil Transformation
Inspiration and Purpose of the Assignment:
Any object that is seen or used on a regular basis begins to go unnoticed.  What we stop seeing is the form, color, or the object's visual properties.  For years you have been using No. 2 pencils in school on a daily basis.  They are indeed an ordinary, everyday object.  What can you develop when you build a 2-D image using pencil shapes and colors?

Studio Assignment
You will take time to study a pencil and to transform it and learn to see it in a new way. You will maintain the original color of the pencil (yellow with black lettering and a pink eraser).  Follow the steps below:

Carefully look at your pencil and brainstorm about what category/subject that you might want to work in (topics might include people, cars, insects, sports, or musical instruments.
Create a contour line drawing of the subject that you have chosen.
Fill the contour drawing with drawings of no. 2 pencils (using a no.2 pencil).  Stretch, squish, curve, and transform the pencil shapes to fit your space (You must include at least 30 pencils in your drawing).
Add color to your drawing using colored pencils.
Evaluation

Your grade will be based upon the creativity used in designing the image, craftsmanship, effort, and completeness.  Take time to do your very best work!

Original lesson by Ken Vieth's book  From Ordinary to Extraordinary, this is a wonderful exercise in critical thinking and problem solving.  The basic idea is to transform a regular drawing with the idea, "What if everything was made of Number 2 Pencils?"

Carthage Art Walk and Competitive Student Show

The first Carthage Art Walk of the season was a smashing success!  April 25, from 7-9.  There were several galleries and events with hundreds of art walkers.  There were artists painting miniatures, the band, Rebecca Hawkins Project played  from the Courthouse steps.  And 43 of my students had artwork on display in the lobby of UMB bank on the Square.  Inside the lobby they also had a piano player, an author signing, art auction and snacks.  Saw several students, teachers, administrators among the crowds. Overall a great experience! The winners below will be on display in Cherry's Gallery for the next month.  

A student with her art work

First Place by Kelsey

Second Place by Dock

Third Place by Tatiana