Tag Archives: product

Dec4

You Can Go “Home” Again

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Our third theme in Art 1 this year was “home”. This proved to be a harder theme than anticipated…and one that many thought was uninteresting. I knew some students wouldn’t be able to get past doing a drawing or a painting of their house, no matter how much we discussed different things that “home” could mean.

I challenged them to look beyond the obvious and look into their lives and show me what home meant to them. Many took this challenge. Many succeeded. But, many fell short. However, that doesn’t mean they didn’t learn anything.

A new “station” was opened on this unit. I introduced them to paint. We looked at watercolor pencils and watercolor paints. We also looked at acrylic paints. I could see the sparkle in the eyes of the few that explored the world of acrylics. I watched the frustration. And I saw the perseverance of the few that kept working and working until they were satisfied.

While I am unsure if I will use the theme of “home” again, I am pleased with the results. Here are some of my favorites.

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To see all the artwork, visit The Barnett Blog.

Oct29

Art 2 Work In Progress: Interior/Exterior

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Art 2’s newest theme is interior/exterior.  They have really explored this theme and their ideas run the gamut.  They are all so different and I am so proud of them and their work.  They work so hard and many come in with ideas so they are ready to go once they finish practice sheets.

Here are some of the works in progress.

This student did a smaller sample first to figure out how he should color his mango.  We both liked the look of the sketch so much, he tried to replicate it in a larger form, finger prints and all.

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This student is big into soccer, so he is doing an open stadium located in Madrid.

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I really like his concept of switching up the ball and the court.  This student’s work is improving so much.

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I am not quite sure what is happening in the mouth, but it isn’t “mouth parts”.  Today he and I had a discussion about what color the inside of our nostrils are.  He went so far as to use his camera to find out.  I love the way he is using the oil pastels.  He has never used them before.

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An “inside”look into someone’s eyes.  And, it is said that they eyes are the doorway to the soul.

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I eagerly await the finished artworks.

Oct7

Man / Machine

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Our first TAB unit is coming to a close.  Art 2 finished last week, and Art 1 is just about done.  The theme the students were challenged with was MAN/MACHINE. As a class, we talked about what “man” could mean, what “machine” could mean, and what connections/interactions/relationships they could have.

The students were limited to a black and white drawing no smaller than 8X10. We talked about different techniques including hatching, cross-hatching, pointillism, and scratchboard.  The students practiced these along with charcoal and using white pencil on black paper.

I couldn’t have asked for a better first theme.  The students gave it their all–well, 98% did.  They learned so much about the artistic process.  Many sketched first before committing to a final drawing.  Others went through 2, 3, or even 4 ideas before settling on something.  Some even started final works, reflected on what they were doing, weren’t happy, then started over again.  Kids researched drawing faces and learned how to draw wood grain.  I don’t think my classroom has seen so much independent learning in one artwork in an art 1 class, ever.  Art 2 amazed me with their thought processes and choices.

Interpretations were all over the map.  Here are just a few.

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On "aged" parchment paper.

On “aged” parchment paper.

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On newsprint, like a comic.

On newsprint, like a comic.

I have to admit that I was nervous putting them up in the hallway to display.  I was nervous that my colleagues would think my students weren’t as talented as in previous years.  I wrote a carefully worded email announcing new artwork in the hallway.  I always do this because the fine arts hallway is out of the way for many.  This time I explained what the students were learning, TAB, and the authentic art making happening in my art room.  My worries were not necessary.  I received…well the kids received so many complements.  In fact, one of my AP’s complemented me on the artwork, the wonderful email, and the exceptional learning going on in my room.

Jun4

Some Food For Thought.

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"The techniques of Monet or Degas can be copied; their principles of design are not obscure, they can be learned. If you want them for yourself you can have them—for a price. And the price is dearer than you may think. Not only will you have to put in at least as much time as they did in developing the same skills, all your living days, but the real price you will have paid is that you will have succeeded in becoming them, and will have missed becoming you. Better to raise the questions Monet did than to mimic his responses. What are his questions, the task he set himself? They are remarkably similar to the questions any artist, any creative person, any awake person asks. “What is that damn thing out there? What does an idea look like? How can I give form to a feeling? How does this whole mess fit together. How can I speak about the thing no long there? The thing not here yet? Why am I moved like this by mere daylight, by nightfall? Is there truth here, or merely beauty? Does this line have integrity, or is it guile? What have I made up, what have I observed? Of all the things I can do, what shall I do, what should I do? Will I ever get it right?" Peter London NO MORE SECONDHAND ART Shambahla 1989 Painting: The Rose Walk, Giverny, 1920–22, Musée Marmottan Monet
Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB)

“The techniques of Monet or Degas can be copied; their principles of design are not obscure, they can be learned. If you want them for yourself you can have them—for a price. And the price is dearer than you may think. Not only will you have to put in at least as much time as they did in developing the same skills, all your living days, but the real price you will have paid is that you will have succeeded in becoming them, and will have missed becoming you.

Better to raise the questions Monet did than to mimic his responses. What are his questions, the task he set himself? They are remarkably similar to the questions any artist, any creative person, any awake person asks. “What is that damn thing out there? What does an idea look like? How can I give form to a feeling? How does this whole mess fit together. How can I speak about the thing no long there? The thing not here yet? Why am I moved like this by mere daylight, by nightfall? Is there truth here, or merely beauty? Does this line have integrity, or is it guile? What have I made up, what have I observed? Of all the things I can do, what shall I do, what should I do? Will I ever get it right?” Peter London NO MORE SECONDHAND ART Shambahla 1989

Painting:
The Rose Walk, Giverny, 1920–22, Musée Marmottan Monet

(Thanks to my friend Katherine Douglas for posting this in our art teacher FB group.  It is super inspirational and I think I might print it out and post it in my classroom next year.)

May18

Altered Books Revisted

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My Art 2: Painting/Drawing students finally finished their altered books, and let me tell you what… they are fabulous.  (As a side note, I think I have been in Texas too long if I just wrote the phrase “let me tell you what.”)  Anyway, I knew some were going to be a home run, but I wasn’t prepared for almost every book having at least one amazing page.  Normally I get some great books and a few that could have been great, but were never finished.  And, of course there are the ones that should have never been allowed to become artworks.

This year, I had a hard time deciding which page in several books to display.  It makes me feel so good as a teacher to see such exploration.  And, throughout the process, my kids just weren’t learning from me or on their own…they were ASKING OTHER KIDS about what they were doing.  And some of the kids didn’t even like each other.  AWESOME!!!!

I will be doing this again, but much sooner in the year as I think it really opens up the definition of what can be done with art. In fact, perhaps I will introduce the Altered Book to Art 1 towards the end of next year.

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May17

Art 1 Final Project (Part 3: In Progress)

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We have been working on the final project in art 1 for 4 days now.  And, let me tell you, it has been a blast.  After making monoprints, I introduced the idea of surrealism.  Then, as a class we talked about the “requirements” of the final project.

I talked about composition and how it was important to invite the viewer in and keep them in by creating an entryway, “lines” that help the viewer to move around, and depth to keep them there.  I told them that an artwork is a 2-way street–both the artist and the viewer are important.  Not only can you use the artwork to say what you, the artist, had to say, but you also want to create something that the viewer wants to look at.  I told them that they could have this horrific subject matter, but if they created depth and interest that the viewer could get lost in and move around in, then they have won.  They have solved both problems and their artwork is a success.  I told them of a painting I saw in Vienna that was so bloody, but had so much depth, that I went and stared at it for over a half hour, just lost and wandering.  I never showed them the painting, although I have thought about it.  I can still just stare at it for quite some time and get lost.

“Kreuzwegstation”, Hermann Nitsch, 1961. (Translation, “Station of the Cross”)

But, back to the art 1 assignment.  The last part of the assignment was the use of multiple mediums.  I told the students that I wanted them to explore mixed-media art.  I let them know they could use any technique or material we have used.  I told them they could try new things we haven’t used.  I was open to anything.

And off they went to collage.  And, off I went to collage. We have been having a blast.  The kids are loving looking through magazines and having me make photocopies.  Every piece is so different.  Some are serious.  Some are fun.  Some are just plain awesome.  I can’t wait to see where they end up.

One student today said to me as I was walking around looking and asking questions, “I don’t know if I am doing this right.  Is this what it should look like?”  “It looks exactly like what it should look like,” I said, ” Yes you are doing it right.  I am coming up with mine as I am going along.”  He seemed very pleased with this answer.  I know he is working hard and I can see he is making carefully planned out choices.

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A serious piece about words that hurt us–I think she is still looking for the “right” eyes.

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Yesterday, she said she wasn’t sure what to do.  All she could come up with was trees.

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This student has been inspired by both the highest point, Mount Everest, and the lowest point, the Black Sea.  She chose the former.

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Simple, at least for now, with just a set of eyes.  Can’t wait to see what the conte will bring.

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I have one student that pulled about 5 monoprints.  She is creating multiple mixed media pieces and then will decide which one is the most successful and will turn that in.  Here is one of them.  I love the energy and her intensity with which she is working.

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I have been having a blast, not only watching my students create and make choices and collaborate, but also creating mine.  I think that the energy I am bringing to making my piece has rubbed off because the energy in the room is different.  The way the students are working is different.  And that is a good thing.

The students are funny.  They are like, “Who are you?”  “You are never like this.”  “You’re examples are never this crazy/weird.”  I told them, “Not weird, Awesome!  My artwork is just awesome and you are jealous of it’s awesomeness.”  Of course, this is all in good fun and they jab me right back.  (Then the whole penguin thing occurred, so….um….yeah.)

But, here is my example, just in case you were wondering.  Yes, that is a duck ship.  Yes, it is beaming up an armadillo.  And, yes, that condor is shooting laser beams at the unicorn. But, no, I don’t know what’s up with the monkey.  And, no I don’t know which side the fish are on.  I just know it is Animal Armageddon in Penguin Town.

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The students have 5 more class, plus their exam period to complete their surreal mixed media artworks.  Every day I look forward to my 3 art 1 classes.  I can’t wait to see what they do next.

 

 

May14

Art 1: Final Project (Part 2: Monoprints)

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I had planned to start on Monday, but an unexpected Mother’s Day gift from my son (stomach virus) caused me to start a day late.  While I felt bad taking time away from my students to work, I think they are strong and will not let it affect them.

Today was part 1 of the project:  monoprints.

Several years ago at a conference at UT, I learned how to create monoprints using water and tempera paint.  It was messy and tons of fun.  At the time, we used the paper to make paper kimonos.  Cute, but not really my thing.  I have used the technique another time as a background to learn about symmetry using the Maori Moko Tattoos.  I have since stopped that lesson, but I thought the monoprint technique was a great base for this artwork.

As I stated in part 1, I find that many people, myself included, have a hard time making those first marks on clean, pristine, white paper.  So to help solve that issue and hopefully allow the kids to jump right in, we created monoprints.

Our “plates” for this were my tables.  I covered three tables with water and 2 colors of tempera:  blue/yellow, red/yellow, and red/blue.

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Next the students would lay down their paper and pull their print.

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Some of the kids liked the process and made several monoprints.  Others were not into the mess or just didn’t want to make art today.  But I am happy with the outcomes and I hope they all have a great base for their multimedia artwork.

Now, the worse part of this activity is the clean-up.  I did have newspaper every where, but there were still a lot of dripping from walking the prints over to the counters.  And, unless you ask the kids to help, no one will.  They will all just sit and watch you clean and wipe up the floor on your hands and knees.  I was disappointed that out of my 65 students, only 3 offered to help clean.  I guess the brightside is it was cleaned to my standards.

Here are some of the fabulous results.

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Apr8

Art 1: Informal Balance: Wrap-up and Review

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Think back to this post where I talked about bringing in some choice to my art 1 students.  They were able to work in groups and were each given an egg carton to which they could do whatever they liked as long as their final artwork had informal balance.  We worked on the project for about 2 weeks, then we took a week’s break (spring break), and finished up in about 2 or 3 days.  During spring break, I decided not to grade them on the outcome of their project, but instead to grade them on the process and what they had to say about that process.  I had created a list of questions for them to answer.

When it came time to actually figure out a grade, I really had no idea what to do about it.  I didn’t really have a rubric on how to grade what they had written.  They had never done anything like this before, so they had no idea what I was really looking for.  They were honest in their answers.  In the end I gave each student a 100, unless I specifically recalled them spending days not working (which one child did and his partners said something about it in their answers) or they failed to answer all the questions.  The grades ranged from 85-100.

It has taken me a long time to write about the project/process; I’ve been reflecting about it…a lot.  What had I really hoped to gain from this “experiment” of throwing so much choice at the students?  I mean, really, it was all for me.  Yes the kids learned about informal balance.  And I truly believe that many did understand it by the end.  And, of course, there were some that didn’t, but I am not sure they would have gotten it anyway, if I am being honest here.  I had been reading so much about choice that I really wanted to try it out.  I felt the only way to see if I liked it and how I could implement it in my classes was to do a trial run.   I felt this unit was really more for me then for them.  Part of me feels like I shouldn’t admit that, but how am I to know what works and what doesn’t if I don’t try.  Many things look good on paper…

I learned a lot about choice and how to make it work in my classroom and how to make it work for me.  I admittedly am a sort of small control freak.  It is hard for me not to know an outcome.  But, I rolled with this.  I think I need to do some sort of a modified choice.  I think that leaving it so broad was hard for me and for the students.  (Many did say they they didn’t like not knowing what it “should” look like, and that it was hard to come up with an idea.)  I think I would have to slowly bring them into the “choice world”.  It was too much at once.  I think to make it work well, I would need to limit choice to either 2-D or 3-D.  (I have done some choice things in my 2-D and 3-D classes and it has been successful.)  Maybe I should spend some time on different techniques, then go from there where they could expand, explore, and build on things we have already discussed.  I still have a lot to think about.  I like giving them freedom, but I need some sort of control.  I need to find a balance that benefits us both. We (my students and I) need to have a symbiotic relationship if we are all going to thrive.

Overall, it was a fun time in the art room and there was lots of good conversation and exploring going on.  They were doing what I had told them was my motto for the year (stolen from the Frizz of course) “Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!”

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Mar19

Process Over Product?

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A couple of months ago, I joined an art teacher’s forum on facebook.  It was a great find–a great use of social media.  I am in contact with hundreds, if not thousands of art teachers from around the globe.  It has really got me to thinking about how I run my art room, what is important, what isn’t important, what is art, what is craft, should we have more choice, should technique be the main focus, should, should, should.  In short, it has made me think, learn, and grow…3 things that are important to stay a relevant and qualified teacher.

It is through this group that I was introduced to TAB or choice-based art.  It is through this group that I have been introduced to this group of teachers from Apex, NC at Apex High School.  They have been experimenting with choice this year, and recently they have  brought to the front of my mind the question of process over product.

Is the artistic process more important than the product produced?  I don’t know.  Is the process just as important than the product?  I also don’t know. But as I begin to explore this topic and experiment with it in the classroom, I find I might lean more towards them being equals.

As I began to think about stressing the process in art making and really trying to have my students participate more in the process and making decisions regarding their art just like artists do, I began to think about how do I assess this?  Unfortunately, assessment is always towards the front of my brain. (It’s hard not to think about it when you have to have a minimum of “X” grades per marking period without question, complying with district policy, blah, blah, blah.)   I want my assessment to be fair and meaningful.  I want my assessment to be as objective as can be in a very subjective area like art.  I create rubrics for almost everything.  I have to. Otherwise, I feel like I am grading on a whim.

But back to assessment.  How does one grade process?  How does an artist think?  What actions does an artist do?  Fortunately for me, the very nice people of Apex have sort of figured that out and are willingly sharing their work here.  The questions/artistic habits that Melissa Purtee designed are wonderful and so helpful.

This week I participated in a video art chat and the topic of process over product was the topic.  Ian Sands, a teacher at Apex, discussed how he and the teachers at Apex HS are having the students do what they call a “snapshot”.  Bi-weekly the students go into blogs that they have created and they write about their process.  They must pick 3 of the artistic behaviors and add pictures.  It is a really interesting way to be able to assess the process and to see how the kids are working, thinking, and growing as artists.  The teachers are also discussing using the snapshot as their grades and not grading the final product.

This is where I become unsure.  This is where I veer off.

I decided to give this focus on process a try.  On Monday, my Art 2: P/D students started altered books.  For me, this is a project for the students to really focus working around a theme and trying new ways of making art. (They have prompts to jump off from.  Prompts include things like draw with glue, layers, glazes, burn the page, etc.  I want them to think about doing things other than just “traditional” drawing/painting. )  I have always graded the altered book in a way where each page was graded and then the book as a whole was graded.  I had a rubric that I had created for the assignment, but I wasn’t in love with it.

However, the project has always been more about the process of art making.  Why not then assess it more about the process?

I walked in to class today and told the kids we were trying a different approach to grading this time around.  I told them to disregard everything I talked about regarding the rubric and individual page assessments.  I have decided to have the students do a weekly reflection for the duration of this process instead.

I borrowed the artistic habit domains and wrote up the questions in Socrative. (No time to really set up blogs at this point.) They will answer 2 of the domains each week…their choice.  (I do think I will tell them that they can’t always answer the same two.)  Then that will be their grades.

However, I will still give them an overall product grade based on some basic questions that I outlined for them yesterday…more of did you fulfill the requirements of the altered book type things.   I can’t walk away from the product completely.  I think the product is equally as important.  I think it is important to see things through to the end, even if it is not successful.  Then you can reflect back on the artwork to see what worked and what didn’t.  But this is a conversation for another post.

I am excited to see how it goes.  I am excited to see what students will write. Many are already excited about the altered book, and I think this focus on process over product will let them be more free and willing to try new things.

I will update as we continue with this process process.  (See what I did there?)