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.