Lessons from Art

Art is a class that truly takes kids from where they are and lets them experience success on their own level.  Does every project come out they way they want it?  No, and that’s okay.  In real life, things don’t always come out as we expect.  The important thing is that we learn something, which will help us on future endeavors.  Learning something regardless of its outcome…priceless!

Having the opportunity to sit down with a child who feels they “can’t” draw (2-D) or build (3-D) and revisiting the process of how to break the subject into simple shapes is assisting discovery.  Watching them begin to smile as they make connections …priceless!

Sometimes art is one of the few classes that motivates a child to come to school.  I have kids every year that I stop and talk with when I notice they’ve been missing school frequently.  Their reasons vary, but I always let them know I notice when they are not a part of my class.  They are important and I want them to be there as their time with me is limited.  It’s not long before I see their smiling face at my door when class is ready to begin.  We celebrate the fact that they made it and we create!  Seeing the child in school and successful…priceless!

I could go on and on about the great things that art does for a child and I probably will in future posts, but for now, I leave you with this.

Thinking About Art Paste?

School Smart Art Paste

I have always used flour and water paste for paper mache projects.  I like that it dries very solid and the kids really enjoy mixing it after I show them how.  It does have drawbacks.  The biggest being that it has to be used quickly and it can be rather difficult to clean up.

School Smart Art Paste is a methyl cellulose art paste for paper mache, collage and decoupage.  Everyone I talked to had different opinions regarding Art Paste, so I decided to try it myself.  Here is what I discovered.

The Pros

• Easy to clean up
• One small box makes a gallon of paste.

• Long lasting – can store without turning sour

• Dries clear

The Cons

• Not are strong as flour paste, but does hold

• Doesn’t always mix completely – lumps form during mixing process – this could be from mixing by hand.

• Has a slight odor

I will use School Smart Art Paste again mainly due to the ability to store the paste without worry of spoiling and easy clean up. 

Top Five Art Projects

Do you ever have projects that kids are talking about even before they begin art class?

Here are the top 5 projects my students talk about most.

1. Watercolor Knot Designs

2. Monochromatic Portraits (in reverse)

3. Charcoal and Pastel Drawings

4. Paper Mâché Animal sculptures

5. Space art

What projects are your kids talking about?

Fine Arts Frenzy

Fine Arts Frenzy started out in the summer of 2011 as a collaborative effort between Adrian Schools and Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee.  Our first year involved integrating arts and science while working with students in 5^th-8^th grade as they chose a focus area in art, reader’s theater, or choir.  Our theme was space.  The kids worked hard to get ready for a culminating performance for parents and friends.

Students involved in art created props for the stage.  They also had the opportunity to create space art using spray paint.  They turned out really well.  We had them on display in the gallery the day of the performance.   I’ve included a short slideshow to highlight their work.  

 (Slideshow requires Flash Player) 

This year, Fine Arts Frenzy Does Math will take place during the first part of August.  Once again, we are collaborating with the Boys and Girls Club and will have a performance at the end of our time together.  We have two weeks to explore math through the arts!  Participating students grades 3-8 will be involved in learning math through the arts (visual, music, and dance).  One focus will be fractions, so I’ve been busy looking for and putting together art that involves practice with fractions.  I hope to post examples later. 

Young Voices

Every summer our local newspaper, The Daily Telegram, publishes a section featuring samples of student art and writing from across the county.  Several pieces of student art and writing from our district were featured.  You can view the publication here. 


Five students from our building were selected for the publication.  I'm posting pictures of their work, but you can view the actual publication using the link above. 

Making a Difference through Art

I found this story very inspiring and wanted to share it. 

Jeffrey Owen Hanson is a young artist and philanthropist.  Although he faces some challenges with a learning disability and vision impairment due to tumors on the optic nerve, he works to make a difference in the lives of others.   Jeffrey creates art and sells it to benefit organizations that are important to him. 

Check out these videos:




He also has a website:  http://www.jeffreyowenhanson.com/theartist.html

Purpose

The main intention of this blog is to provide a place where examples of student work can be displayed.  It is also a place to find out information regarding upcoming art events in the community.  You will notice that I've started a list of local area art related events as well as nearby places to visit related to the arts.  As I find new things of interest I will use my blog as a place to share those as well.