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Our Dinner Party Brunch

Yesterday was the last day of final exams. For three days, I got to have brunch with all of my students! What a delight. We ate off of our handmade place settings and each student brought in food to share. It was a pot-luck style meal that made me feel very lucky indeed!

Tonight, the class of 2012 will graduate, and I know great things await them!!

Thank you and congratulations! I have enjoyed our time together.

Dinner Party Brunch - free slideshow

The Making of an Art Installation

Spring has sprung here in the Garden State, and ’tis the season for art shows and art installations! I wanted to share some preview activities for the middle school installation, called “Tapped”. This year’s middle school, Art is Elemental theme is water. We are well under way in planning for, and executing the necessary components for our installation.

Above are pictures of my sixth grade students creating the faucet features out of two-liter soda bottles, tape and plaster craft. My seventh and eighth grade students are busy poking holes in rescued water bottle caps and stringing them together into long chains of “running water”.

Did you know that Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets? (in excess of $15 Billion) To put it in other terms, we pay more for bottled water per ounce than gasoline, and our oceans and earth are paying the ultimate price. This year’s installation is tapping our greatest resource…….awareness.

Our installation will be up for our middle school art show and district-wide Arts Extravaganza on June 6th! While our “Tapped” installation is temporary, I hope the message from a bottle will be lasting. Check back for more info!

Click here to watch last year’s Art is Elemental Middle School installation: when TRAsh becomes ART!

March is Youth Art Month!

There is a whole month dedicated toward celebrating art in our schools. Hooray for that!

Although it's officially celebrated on the calendar in March - we live it and love it every month out of the year!

Haddon Township has some good news! Emily Himles, grade 12, had her piece (shown at left) selected to be one of the six that will represent Camden County at the State Youth Art Month Exhibit at the State House in Trenton!

A special celebration will be held on March 30th! Congratulations Emily!

Kids on Fire

Our metals unit is finished! The assignment was to create a miniature metal panel using copper, brass and nickel silver. Each piece had to be smaller than 4 inches, but most are actually smaller than 3 inches.

The students do their own sawing, filing and soldering and use an acetylene torch to get the job done! To see the students' work, visit kiickstart.com

Artist Research Project

We completed a new mid-term assessment project this year. My students were required to select one artist to research from those we discussed in the 500 years of the portrait lesson. The students then created a biographical research blog post and also an interpretive piece inspired by the artist they researched. Above are some of the students’ interpretive pieces. Click here to see more.

Every Wall is a Door

Ralph Waldo Emerson was the one who said, "Every wall is a door". This quote has always helped me to remain optimistic and hopeful. It seems fitting for this post and my student's work above.

My students are finished with their mixed media collages. And I'm happy to say once again, I am pleased with their results! Of course, being pleased does not mean it was easy. It's hard work to make a bunch of ideas, directions and materials come together to look like a meaningful and intentional finished piece.

For some of my students the topic of "identity" is a stumbling block, because they feel as if they don't actually have an identity yet. (You know, after all, they're only kids!!) It is definitely true that over time, we mature into knowing ourselves with a deeper understanding that's more reliable and consistent then when we were young, (thank goodness) but even at "middle-age", I still consider that knowing myself is a series of vistas, more than an actual destination. I don't view it as a place where one arrives, but more like opening doors. It's about what we see, but also what we allow ourselves to see...walls, doors, windows?

The Collage Detail above was created by Karen Graeber, Grade 12. Click on her blog link to read what she wrote about her collage. Thanks KG! :-)

Click here to see more students' works.

Reflections

We are naturally geared (and conditioned) to use the end of something as an opportunity to reflect on where we've been, what we've done and/or how we might change.

As an artist, I love the act of reflection and do it circularly and effortlessly throughout all phases of the creative process - not just at the end. Artists have to think about and understand their decisions in order to move forward. Focus + reflection = meaningful action. Without it, you sit in place.

As a teacher, I reflect the same way - (constantly). How better to know where you're going than to understand, notice, recognize and appreciate where you are, not just where you've been? This year, I've got my eyes wide open, my hands are ready and I'm looking to the light! Happy New Year fellow artists, teachers and learners.. Here's to 2012!

500 Years of Self-Portraits!

I just taught an art history lesson to my students that highlighted 500 years of self-portraits. For my students, I think seeing and learning that virtually every artist has created a self-portrait (or tons of them) during their lifetime, put all of their own hard work into perspective!

It was a great conversation that they will follow up on when they select and write their artist research posts on their blogs in January. I’m thrilled with the self-portraits my students created. Click here to see and read more!

Art @ NJEA

There are two days built into the school calendar for the New Jersey Teacher's Convention. (Nov. 10 & 11) It is often viewed as a vacation by students, but for me it's work.

For the past three years I have organized a statewide preK - 12th grade student art exhibit called Art @ NJEA. The event is sponsored by The Art Educators of New Jersey and is located right on the exhibition floor at the NJEA Convention. The show featured 75 pieces of work from 26 teachers in 10 of the 21 counties from around the state. All members of AENJ are eligible to enter student art!

Haddon Township High School was represented by four students this year: Caitlynne C, Emily D, Emily H and Ally D (TL - BR).

I'm so proud of my students!

Self-Portrait Color Studies

Here are a few of our 9 x 12 inch color studies. Each student cropped a section from his/her large drawing and used it as practice for all of the steps involved. This step allowed the students to feel more comfortable painting and approaching the assignment. I love them and am so pleased with how they are coming out so far...I think my students are too! A few are already working on their 18 x24 inch paintings! Click here to see more.

Fantastic Faces

If you were to ask my students if they feel like they have been staring at and drawing their face for forever, they might say, "Yes!"

But the truth is, it's only been 6 class periods and some are already starting to practice their monochromatic color scheme painting.

Their 18 x 24 inch self portraits are on their way to becoming Monochromatic Tempera Batik paintings. Click here to see more portraits in progress!

Infusion of Color

This week, the students also used apples as the subject matter for these colored pencil studies. From top to bottom: Tara M (11), Olivia D (11), Joey K (12) and Patti A (11).

Fruit Still Life Drawings

Our drawings came together and took about 5 days to complete from sketching to shading. We knew from the start that the fruit wouldn't last forever, so the students took a picture of their composition with their phone or ipad - and used it like a digital cropping tool. (I consider this acceptable use of technology, even though students are technically required to have their phones off and away.) After the fruit got moldy and was taken home to my compost pile, the students drew from their pictures as reference. Visit kiickstart.com to see more student drawings.

The drawing above was created by Caitlynne C. She is a junior and a second year art student.

The Art, Miracle and Science of Drawing Fruit

Two days into our fruit still-life drawing lesson, I honestly thought we experienced a lemon juice miracle! (pictured above) However, four days later, it was quite clear that our lemon juice miracle was just science delayed. Our fruit became brown and slimy bringing with it a friendly infestation of fruit flies. (pictured below) Despite the less than perfect classroom conditions, we carried on and did our new pencils & papers proud!

Our once succulent fruit has now returned to the good earth in my compost pile! Ah, the circle of life. Fruit flies and all, it was worth it! The assignment generated a positive experience for the students, and while they might be a tad more self-critical than I am as their teacher, I’m pleased with their efforts and results. No one can learn how to do something, or how to get better at doing something…without actually doing it! Funny how that education thing works.

Of course, we aren’t the only artists who have drawn rotting fruit. Consider Caravaggio, the Italian Baroque Master (1571-1610) who painted “Basket of Fruit” in 1599.

Or in more contemporary times: here’s a video time lapse of strawberries rotting in reverse. (wild)

Images of my students’ drawings – coming soon!

Developing Responsibility

I’m trying something new this year. In an effort to provide my students with a sense of ownership and responsibility, (while also hoping to reduce the constant and never-ending output of pencils and erasers that I experienced last year) I gave all 57 of my high school students 3 of their very own drawing pencils (2H, HB, 6B), 2 markers, 2 blending stumps and 2 erasers. To hold their new supplies, the students created a personalized envelope from one of their decorative papers and received a penny folder from Staples to hold their work. These supplies are theirs forever!

The whole experience reminds me of when I was in 6th grade and received my very first art supply kit from my grandparents for Christmas. I liked how they looked, felt and smelled…even though I didn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with them! As I slowly learned how to use those materials, I felt more and more like an artist.

30+ years later, I'm extending the same ownership to my students with hopes that each one of them will feel more and more like an artist.

New Media

Last year, I taught high school drawing and painting for the first time in my 21 year long career. This year (number 22), I'm tackling new media, by taking my first group of students to the computer lab yesterday to get them started on our year long blog assignment! It was so exciting. I have 60+ students in my Creative Arts classes and they are all required to keep a blog. We're still in the process of building them, but so far so good! I was very proud of how they handled this and how serious about it some of them are already becoming. They may be "digital natives" being taught by a "digital immigrant" but we're speaking the same language...and I like it!

Teaching by Example

When I started developing and writing the Art is Elemental curriculum, I became frighteningly aware of the waste and wastefulness in my work life. It inspired me to take action in my classroom. Last year I invested in a bunch of IKEA dishtowels (79 cents each - they were 49 cents when I started doing this at home a couple of years ago.) I have the towels hanging by my sink. I change them daily (more so if needed) and I wash and fold them over the weekend to restock them on Monday. There are still paper towels available for the really gross jobs.

I wasn't sure if it would work or if it would really make a difference or not...but I gotta tell ya, IT DID! The kids use them, they feel much better on your hands than the cardboard-like paper towels the school provides, and it became second nature for all of us. My garbage can barely had anything in it at the end of each day (no lie!) and over the course of one school year, I figure we maybe went through 4 rolls of paper towels!! How crazy is that?

I was kinda expecting that I might lose steam for this endeavor, (people who know me, know that I'm a tad compulsive) but I stayed motivated by just looking at my garbage can! I think actions like this are a simple way we can teach by example. I'm about to start year #2 of my "resusable hand towel system", but this time I only need to purchase a few more! Reuse & Reduce, the investment has already paid off!

iphoto books!

Creating a book to document, celebrate or share your students’ work is easy and fun to do! If you use a mac, your iphoto has options built right in! If you use a PC, there are lots of resources, like Shutterfly, that will assist you in creating books using pictures you already have.

I developed a lesson for my sixth grade students that had them using Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Earth From Above photographs as inspiration. The students reacted and responded to several of his photographs and created their own interpretive tempera batik landscapes. In addition to being inspired by Bertrand's photographs, the students also learned a little bit about where his photos were taken and where those places exist on our planet.

I really loved the paintings and found myself drooling over them and their luscious textures and colors. My students enjoyed doing them too! My appreciation for Bertrand's work and my gratitude for the inspiration it provided me and my students, left me wanting to thank him directly. I had never made a book in iphoto, but I knew it would be the perfect thank you gift. Turns out, it's super easy to do and was only $39 for a beautiful, customized, 20 page, hard cover book! How great is that?

When we go back to school in September, I'm going to have my students sign it before I send it off to him! I think they will be thrilled to see their work published in a "real" book that's going to find its way into the hands of the artist they studied in class! It's not just good manners to thank the people who inspire you, it's also a good lesson for students to see demonstrated!

Click here to see examples of more students’ work. A complete PDF e-booklet of this lesson is included in the NEW Kiickstart Tempera Batik DVD, available this October!

Art in Our Schools

Over the past several months a committee at the New Jersey Department of Education has been reviewing the NJQSAC, DPR process. The goal of this review was to streamline the accountability process. Sounds like a good thing right? Well, I'm not so sure about that.

NJQSAC is the process NJ schools go through every three years to demonstrate they are providing the proper instruction required by the state. It's a lengthy, time consuming process that no one likes, but in my opinion, it's been kind of a "good nuisance", because it keeps art programs (and other special area programs) in the arena with the other core subjects. It validates and acknowledges all of the subject areas and their role in preparing 21st century learners.

If the changes they are proposing go through, the two tiers would be:

TIER 1 (STAYS MONITORED): Language Arts Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Languages. These content areas will remain as part of the NJQSAC District Performance Review.

TIER 2 (WOULD NOT BE MONITORED): Visual and Performing Arts, Technology, Health and Physical Education and Career Education. Under the new changes, these content areas would no longer be monitored through the NJQSAC District Performance Review.

It's a sensitive issue, because this is the first attempt, by any group, to prioritize content areas, defining some to be "important enough to monitor", and others "not as important".

A public hearing on the changes is scheduled for August 3RD at 3 PM.

Email the NJ State Board of Education Office

and ask that all nine content areas be included in the DPR under Items 14, 15 and 16 of the proposed District Performance Review.

Click HERE to send a message. You will be provided with an editable form letter.

What's at risk??? It's my concern that this type of change to the core content areas in the state of New Jersey will make it easier (and acceptable) for school districts to reduce course offerings and cut programs in the Tier 2 subject areas. In education, things that aren't "required" have a funny way of disappearing.

If students don't have to have certain courses to graduate, as required by the state, they're easier to cut because they are deemed as unecessary. I don't know about you, but since when has a holistic, well-rounded education ever been UNecessary???