Tag Archives: student work

May14

Art 1: Final Project (Part 2: Monoprints)

Posted on May 14, 2014 by missjaybar

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.

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

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.

May11

Art 1: Final Project 2014 (Part 1)

Posted on May 11, 2014 by missjaybar

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Originally, I planned on being able to have one last project in art 1, spending a day or two reviewing for final exams, and then having a written test. Not exciting, but it is what it is. Then STAAR happened. I didn’t really take into account that state testing would take kids out of my room for 3 days (and me for one to administer), thus having me lose almost a whole week and pushing back my plans. There wasn’t really much I could do that could be done in less than 2 weeks that was meaningful. And, I couldn’t just let them do nothing for 2 weeks. Plus, I really didn’t want to write an exam. It’s not my favorite thing to do. So, I came up with a final project that would also become their exam grade. I call it “”.

Over the next few posts I will document our exploration through the multimedia process. I am not sure of the outcome, but I am excited about the journey.

First we will create monoprints using tempera and water. I have done these before, albeit 6 years ago, for a project on symmetry and the art of Moko Tattoos. This will become the “ground” or base for the artwork. I have found that often students are intimidated by the white surface. It’s so clean and error free. Hopefully having this monoprint background will help break that fear.

Second students will find several images from magazines. I suppose if a student really wants a certain image from the interwebs I will allow it. They image will then be in b/w unless the student has a color printer at home. I am hoping to halt images at 3 or 4 so it doesn’t become too crowded.

While I was out administering the STAAR test, students did 2 Arts & Activities reading about composition and leading the viewer through a composition. Here and here. We will review the major concepts from the readings and I will expect them to create their artwork with the concepts in mind.

Students will then be asked to add more to their collages using a variety of other media: pencil, colored pencil, marker, sharpie, pen, paint, and well, I guess anything else we have used this year. I am hoping they will had additional layers of depth and interest with the additional media. I have created a pin board for them with some collages, but I really am unsure what to add to the board. I don’t know what to search for to find examples to show. But, maybe that is good as it will leave the door wide open and they won’t have preconceived notions of what this “should” be.

Pack your bags and join me on the journey to places unknown and unfamiliar. My art 1 kids are always surprising me, I hope they do here as well. (And I hope they will be able to work in our short time frame–this is the most nerve-racking part of this.)

Apr8

Art 1: Informal Balance: Wrap-up and Review

Posted on April 8, 2014 by missjaybar

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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!”

Mar31

Displaying the (He)ART of Students

Posted on March 31, 2014 by missjaybar

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Taylor High School Visual Arts Department proudly presents the inaugural Art Show. March 28, 2014 at 7pm the doors opened and the show began. That morning I arrived at school at my normal time of 8am. Then the madness began. I gathered up my thoughts and set up camp in the front of the school outside the main office. Students came to help at various points in the day, and several students “skipped” their classes and helped all day. And, for that I am grateful. They gladly hung work and dealt with me and my blabbering and my orders and my annoyances and all the rest.

As walls became filled, we covered the work with red, green, and black paper to cover it from prying eyes. Flyers were hung, hopefully enticing students and teachers to come back tonight to fill their curiosity about what was behind the paper.

At 6:45 I was ordered by my students to go and change. They knew I needed a break, and they were anxious to see me in a dress. When I came back, people were starting to arrive. It was a beautiful site.

I was glad to see the QR codes that showcased the Senior Artists were being utilized.

The culinary department made some wonderful treats and decorations.

The show lasted about an hour and a half or so. By the end I was so overwhelm by the support I felt. I felt support from the students, from the teachers, from my administrative staff, my principals, and most importantly, the community. It felt really good and to know that what my students create is supported by all these people. A parent told me in both English and Spanish that I touched her heart because of the inspiration I give her son. It almost made me cry. I am still overwhelmed days later, and it makes my already awesome job that much more worth it.

I have created a youtube video/slideshow of the art show. It is long–coming in at 31 minutes. There were over 400 pieces of art submitted to the show and each one is showcased in the slide show. So, if you have some to spare, take a look. Slideshow

Mar5

Art Classes Featured

Posted on March 5, 2014 by missjaybar

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Art Classes Featured

Taylor Daily Press featured student artworks, students working, and an article about the upcoming art show, Displaying the (He)Art of Students

Mar4

Update on Giving Choice

Posted on March 4, 2014 by missjaybar

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We are starting on our second week of choice in Art 1 when creating a project about informal balance. Today I walked around and talked with the different groups to check in on their progress and to make sure they are on the right track. I want to say that about half understood informal balance and are able to incorporate it into their artworks. About a third of those who didn’t understand it and were not consciously addressing are now able to once talking through things with me. And, well, out of those that are left, some just are making things out of egg cartons, and one group basically said they weren’t going to do anymore, and to just give them a 70. At least they were honest about it.

I am excited and surprised by many. I have to be honest that there are some students that are surprising me in their art. Some that I thought would be the ones making the egg carton alligator are thinking outside the box. While others that I thought would nail this are the ones making the alligator.

Choice hasn’t been easy for me. Not knowing the outcome is hard for me. But, I have to learn to go with it. I will update once the unit comes to an end.

STUDENTS WORKING HARD 🙂

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