Barb's response to teaching response by Cherish

You will most certainly make an outstanding art teacher Cherish (or Charity as I like to call you!). You are innovative, a thinker, and a solver. You press on until you find solutions (as in your altered book... um purse... I mean book... no...purse). I enjoyed your company in class and your nice, southern ways!

Steph's Project Book

For my project I am designing a 3 room gallery exhibition. The central theme of the exhibition is the Wheel of Life. What started out as an exploration of the significance of the circle evolved into the representational quality of the circle as it relates to both the spiritual and physical qualities of life. I envision the main room of the exhibition to be a combination of sculptures, installations and paintings dealing with the 8 spokes of the Wheel of Life, the 7 chakras centers and the symbolic meanings of their colors. Extending off of the main gallery are two more exhibition spaces. One space is all paintings dealing with various representations of the circle as it relates abstractly to the life cycle, spirituality, and the figure. The second exhibition space will hold photography relating to the circles found in nature and made by man as they relate to the cycle of life.

The images in this book are photos of my own art and photography and examples of the type of work I envision in this exhibition.

Steph's Everything Book

The "Everything Book" really is it's tittle. Until this class I had always limited myself to ink or pencil for my sketchbooks. This one taught me to build, collage, cut away, reproduce, tape in, glue in, draw and write what ever I was thinking and learning as it all is the foundation for artistic creation.

I glued in images from my altered book so I'll always have my process to reflect on.

I experimented with many different image transfer techniques and media. I'm so looking forward to sharing these with my students.

What is a collection? A good question that spawns many answers. My collection here was beads and wire.

How many ways can you re-present a single concept? From collage to B&W to Monochromatic to a combination of them all.

More memories found.

The negative space is just as important as the positive space!

How many ways can you draw a doughnut? O So may.

Steph's Altered Book

My altered book began as an old Art History book. Through deconstruction I found the pages that spoke to me and began there. These pages are a mix of image transfers, carved out sections, collages fibers, paint, tape and wire. The process of giving new life to this old and unused book gave me a new creative life that has spread to other areas of my art and teaching. I look forward to sharing this with my students.

Bishop's response to Stephanie's altered book

I thought it was great to listen to Stephanie explain the process which led to her 'final' altered book. I think it was very enlightning to see how she approached the 'problems' with her altered book and how it made her rethink the entire altered book process. I especially enjoyed when she said before that if a student had turned something in similar to her pages she would have considered them unfinished but now it is more about the process and really letting go. Also, I thought it was brave and exciting that she completely moved away from the traditional concept of book and removed her pages from the binding.
I had similar problems with several pages feeling incomplete with very little on them and felt like I had to add more "stuff" to them. I found myself realizing simple doesn't discount its visual interest or impact and that adding more stuff is well, just adding more stuff.

Bishop found drawings

Both found drawing series were discovered around construction debris. The first is rust and paint on a dumpster and the second is a spray painted tag on a wheel barrow.

Steph's Response to Amanda's Project Book

I am inspired by Amanda"s Project Book. The simple concept of the veins in leaves as inspiration for a series of art works reminds me to pay attention to the small things in life that are all too often over looked. She showed me a new way of sealing the tracing paper drawings with the jell medium and contact paper. IT was an ah ha moment for me and sparked many new ideas of how to use materials in more creative ways.

Cherish's Translation to Teaching

In the past week I have learned numerous ways to create art and generate/store ideas for art-making. During the week in sketchbook, Lauren helped me to realize that sketchbooks/books are not always created to exist as art objects in themselves. Books are opportunities to generate, alter, magnify, and expand ideas. Books should be viewed as opportunities for failure and success, both of which further learning. When I become a teacher, I plan to help students generate and alter ideas through the use of their own books. The paper+tape, flag, one-sheet, and color association book would be great activities to generate and hold student interest during class. Students could work in an"everything book" for an entire semester, which would allow students and myself to document progress and ideas. Project books/altered book would be an amazing way for students to express their self-interests and communicate with others. To prepare for the implementation of sketchbook/idea development in my classroom, and I plan to continue trying-out new methods of art-making and idea generation through the use of books.

Response to Allison's Project Book

I had the opportunity to sit across from Allison this week in Sketchbook, and in that time learned so much from watching her develop her project book. I was fascinated to hear that most of the words associated with Dyslexia have definitions that could be interpreted in a visual manner. The way that she designed small windows to illustrate her artwork and used definitions to further develop her ideas in her project book inspired me to go farther with my own project book.

I was also impressed by the personal nature of her project. I think her interest and investment in her chosen subject generated an genuine connection between the audience and her artwork.

Project Books

My project book was based upon concept maps. I started focusing on shapes and forms they produced.

Cherish's Phrase Prompts

1. Average Joe

2. It is what it is...

3. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

4. Mr. Tough Guy

6. The early bird gets the...

5. Seeing is believing

6. Time flies when you're...

7. Look before you leap

8. There's no place like home

9. Good help is hard to find

10. Smarty Pants

What is Amy Gonna Do Now?

This class has been packed full of ideas and gems for me to take back to my classroom. From actual project ideas to medium techniques. We all have different ideas about what will work best in our own classroom.
What I wanted to touch on was Lauren's teaching style. There were several things that really stood out to me- even though she was injured for most of the week. Firstly, a genuine interest about each of our well-being. I truly believe that trust is a huge part of students being able to let their guard down and be able to start developing their own artistic process. Lauren does a great job creating a safe and supportive environment.
Secondly, Lauren set's high expectations. I find that I will dumb down or water down a project instead of really challenging my students. (For whatever reason) Instead of making my students work and be uncomfortable for a greater result. I'm looking forward to pushing my students a little further. :)
Lastly, Lauren spent substantial time with us individually. In a fifty minute period, it's hard to hit everybody in a class, but I think sitting down with students and spending quality time helps the student to feel valued and provides the teacher with opportunities to truly guide.
Thanks Lauren, for a great class. :)

Sketchbook for Elementary School

This course has given me so many ideas to use in my k-5 classes. Here are a few of my ideas:

·         Given a simple prompt and a limited number of materials, have students create something based on their own interpretation.

·         Practice drawing without sight or with their non dominant hand. Discuss the experience.

·         Use simple transfer methods (contact paper and white glue are my new friends) when making collages.

·         Use paint samples to brainstorm color symbolism.

·         Likewise, use concept maps to brainstorm a theme.

·         Use a viewfinder to guide students in creating a composition (I have lots of old slides.)

·         Have students strike a pose while others try to draw it and guess what they are doing.

·         Drop things from the air for chance compositions (rubber bands, cotton balls, q-tips, etc.)

·         Place tactile objects in bags and have students try to draw what they feel.

·         Do a digital photography unit of “found” paintings on the school grounds.

·         Sketch from other artists work to better understand their work.

·         Have students bring a favorite object and have them practice drawing it over and over and over, particularly from an insignificant view.

·         Experiment with common powders and water for drawing (instant coffee, kool-aid, bio-char J)

·         Use my new list of prompts to encourage divergent thinking.

·         And of course, use sketchbooks more!

Amanda's Woven Amazingness

Here is Amanda working on her Project book. One of the things that really struck me about her creative process, was that she seemed to be very open to happy accidents and was able to work organically with wherever her art work takes her.

I loved the work she did with the leaf structure, as well as her woven images. I am really interested to see if the wax paper is able to translate as a medium for her more sculptural translations, (like the lamp shade)- but I'm pretty sure she will make it work which ever way she goes.

Miss you already girl :)

Rustic Pottery Extravaganza Project

I loved this project. And it was so much fun being able to develop an idea and plan it in it's entirely. Basically the event or 'Project', would be some kind of art show, where friends and family could come and see what I have been making- and hopefully buy some of it from me. :) You can see in the images- the color scale, and the forms I would create.

I also really loved this willow leaf pattern and my hope would be to incorporate it on the surface of the clay. I'll have to play around with the shapes and scale to see what looks best. Wish me luck!!

The Crow and the Pitcher

You'll have to excuse the six picture post- I wanted to show the entire story of my book. Unfortunately, the third and last image have been switched so don't get too confused!! I absolutely loved this project. I have been teaching altered books in my classroom, and it was really cool to learn techniques that I had never seen before. I'm so excited to pass some of these ideas to my students!!

Howling Thing

My peer responce is to Cherish's project book. I absolutly loved the concept behind it, ghost stories/the Howling thing. I thought she had some really wonderful imagery there. I really responded to her approach, I really liked how she approached the depiction of it and didn't just draw a ghostly image.. (though this is beautiful and worth seeing). I really responded to her explaining that it was just about what you think you might have saw and letting your imagination get the best of you. I loved the old photographs and layering on top of them to make them creepier. I liked the more abstract depiction of the Howling Thing, ghostly lines over washed out old photographs. I especially loved the idea with the old civil war soldier.

I feel like there is some much she could do with this. She could build boxes with different layers so as you walked past it the images changes. (Kind of like this.) Or project a picture on the wall and every couple of minutes have like a ghostly streak on the wall.... Really she could probably fill another project book and get a gallery show with this concept.

Great job Cherish!

Landlocked Sailor

As usual, I struggled with the concept of what to do. Inspiration comes at the oddest moments. Thinking of my husband = landlocked sailor = nautical terms = value systems? This has certainly challenged my cerebrial approach, opening me up to more metaphorical and visual connections. Now, if I can only learn to make collage transfers....

Cherish's altered book process

I was watching Cherish stew about her altered book when one of our peers basically told her to hate it and destroy it. I've never seen someone go at destroying an "artwork" with so much passion! Being terribly self-controlled myself :-) this gave me the sense of reckless abandon that can be essential to improving our processes. Thanks for the inspiration Cherish!

Translation to teaching BR

It is hard to know where to begin. I watched Lauren from both perspectives.... that of a student and that of a teacher. I gleaned so many things to take back to my classroom. In addition to the processes and new materials used, I gained an understanding of how to encourage all students, for this is surely one Lauren's gifts. I also learned a great deal about pacing. We were able to accomplish so much because we were held accountable and kept on task. It is a week I will not forget, for it transformed me as an artist and an educator.