The balance of November:

November 2018 I was engaged with quite a lot of teaching.

Here are a few of the projects...

3D Abstract Art

Grade 5

In a nutshell, one way to create abstract artwork: 

Begin with a simple shape, then respond to that shape, trying various angles and approaches to add (or remove!) the next bit.  Repeat, until you have something you like.  Your body's innate sense of balance will help you to know when it's right.

For this project, we made a unifying factor: each student's work had to have some sort of face somewhere on it.

Day 1: use cardboard to build forms

Day 2: apply papier-mache

Day 3: paint

Day 4: create exhibition

Hanging and lighting the pieces transformed them!

Our art gallery space was about 18x18 feet, contained on two sides with heavy black stage curtains, and a shadow screen at the front.

The white back wall was left exposed, to reflect the coloured lighting we used.

The class came up with a fun title for their exhibition

and they wrote about their work

it seems some students really got the "think through your hands" idea  :)

Collage + Drawing

Grade 2

I taught this several times with various parameters

here, to create mostly-2D images

with a focus on prairie imagery

 Crankie Project

Grade 4

Here, collage + drawing to create a scrolling image for a crankie box.  Before taking on this project I did not know what a crankie was.  But then I learned, and built two crankies out of two old dresser drawers, a few pieces of dowelling and a bit of simple hardware.

Here is the larger crankie box in action, with the not-quite-finished image scroll.

A few kinks to work out, as you can see from that awkward bit in the middle.  Turned out the collage was very thick and bulky in that spot, but I was able to pare it back some, and in the end the crankie functioned quite smoothly.

The full image scroll was 15" x 12 yards.

The Bottle Project

Grade 4

...of which I have no images except this one:

2L pop bottles being washed in my tub the day before the class.

This was an interesting project, to create art with detritus that goes well beyond the "pile of garbage as installation artwork" one still sometimes sees in galleries.  

I encouraged the students to really explore the aesthetic possibilities of cutting the bottles, drawing on them and inside them, filling them with various things, gluing them together, creating hanging chains of bottles, etc.

Another aim of this project was to address the reality of street bottle pickers who use this same detritus to earn income, to acknowledge that they are human beings who perform a vital function in their work.

The students' work was eventually installed outdoors as a temporary public art piece.

I also taught several Grade 3 printmaking and mask-making classes in November.  It's a pity I did not take photos, because I got the students to push these projects beyond what I usually do with them, and of course they surpassed their own (and my) expectations in doing so.  Sometimes I get so involved in the class that I forget about taking pictures!  C'est la vie, next time I will remember.  :)

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I've been enjoying being back to work in my studio this month, and will write more about it in my next post here.

Thank you as always for reading!

"life is but a dream"

Over the last month I've had the honour of making art with students at a primary school.  They are creating a Legacy Project in which every student paints a rock with a word or symbol of something that they would like to be remembered by.  The rocks will then be permanently installed outdoors on the school grounds.  

I brought in some canvas pieces as well.  This way each student creates two things: the painted rock becomes part of their permanent Legacy at the school, and the painting on canvas is theirs to keep.

Some of the students have not painted on rocks, or on canvas, before this.  It's been great fun introducing them to transparent and opaque painting techniques, and talking about what sort of legacy they want to leave at the school.

I wish I'd remembered to take photos of all the classes' work!  But I get very involved with the kids and their art, and I forget about these details...  ah well, I got a few good ones  :)

Below are some of my favourites from the Grade 1 classes:

The wonderful thing about working with kids is that they have no fear, for the most part, about making art.  It's very energizing to be immersed in that kind of creative environment.  

In the words of a certain well-known song: "Life is but a dream".  Yup.  And I'm feeling very happily lucky to row this boat.  :)

Body Project #2

In mid-January I had the great pleasure of teaching an art class with Grade One students who were learning about and discussing ideas of "community".  It was a Campus Calgary session, and I had three mornings with them.  

First we briefly talked about what community means, discussing concepts like Sharing, Mastery, Generosity and Belonging.  

Then we made a body project.  It was a really big project!

 

Working with a partner, the students took turns laying on large sheets of cardboard and traced one another's body shapes with crayons.  Their teacher, parent volunteers and I cut out the body outlines.

    

Then the students painted one side of their body cut-out, and used collage techniques to glue coloured papers, fabrics, yarn and beads on the other side.

 

On the last day we hung them from the ceiling, with their feet just above the floor, to create an art installation.  The body shapes could move and twirl on their strings, creating a kind of dance.  It was a whole community of colourful dancing figures!

I delight in creating large art projects with students who come out for the Campus Calgary sessions at the Arts Commons.  

Any creative process spanning several days is an opportunity for more in-depth reflection of ideas and processes.  And if you think of creativity as a problem-solving tool, well then "sleeping on it" is an important element, n'est ce pas?

Many thanks as always to the supportive people at Arts Commons, to Mrs. G, the parent volunteers, and to the kids who are invariably eager and expansive thinkers and doers.  

Working together, we create what I hope are memorable learning experiences, and that is a type of community worth being involved in.

An unexpected turn of events - part 2

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of facilitating a week-long Campus Calgary Open Minds session with grade 4-5 students at the Arts Commons.  

Mission: to create "3D, site-specific installation artwork which will interact with the public."

Response: life-sized papier-mache figures!

The theme of the class was "Inclusion".  We discussed what "inclusion" means, and ways to show inclusion in stance, facial expression and interaction among people.  We had a tour of the building, and the students made some preliminary exploration drawings - I encouraged them to come up with at least two variations on their ideas - and then we dove into working with our hands.

We began with wood armatures...

...built up the forms with cardboard...

...applied papier-mache...

...and finished with paint, beads, 

sequins, feathers, yarn and string.

Such simple words to describe a series of complex tasks!  There were many elements to consider:

Anatomy - wood bones, cardboard muscle & tissue, papier-mache skin.

Simple machines - positioning arms and legs to create a dynamic figure.

Use of tools - drills, tape measures and staple guns (the papier-mache was also new to a few of the students).

Spatial thinking - scaling up 2D drawings onto the 3D armatures.

Colour - conveying emotions and ideas through colour.

This project was a first for me and I was not sure whether it would be possible to complete in a week, but in the end it all came together wonderfully.  Once again I found I could trust the students to take an idea and run with it.  

Their teacher's attitude also had a huge impact on the success of the project - she was happy to take it on even if it didn't work out, saying it would be a great experience either way.  Now that is an ideal attitude for collaboration!  

Because, you know, these art sessions really are a collaborative effort between the artist and the classroom teacher, to ensure the students have a fun and in-depth learning experience.

Also invaluable was the help of various parents throughout the week, as well as the hands-on support of Arts Commons program co-ordinator.

On the last day of the week-long session, we transported the finished work to various locations around the Arts Commons building.

The environment in which the figures were placed had an impact on how they were perceived.

Then they were put into the art supplies room over the weekend, giving a cheerfully cramped aspect to the small room.

The following week they had their grand finale: spending a few days on stage in the lobby of the Jack Singer Concert Hall!

There were dance performances going on all week, so lots of people could see and respond to the installation.

Wrapping up their adventures at the Arts Commons, they were bundled into a truck and taken away, back to the school.

During the exodus, passers-by stopped to take photos with the colourful figures, adding a final layer of public interaction.

May these papier-mache figures - and their makers - continue to have interesting lives at their school and into the future beyond!

Goodbye and good luck!