Art Project #16: Batik

What a fun project. This was a fun activity that could easily be done at home. There are so many neat designs and patterns that could be done. I think my design turned out really neat. I like my color choices. If I could change anything I would expand my design to cover more of the shirt. When designing my shirt we were assigned to do a repeated pattern or something. I chose this floral design and I think it turned out pretty cool. I really want to look into Batik more because I think it is really neat. I recently got into the hobby of doing Henna tattoos and this is kind of similar but this happens to be on a shirt. With christmas coming close I think this would be a original and unique gift to give. I really enjoyed this project.

Art Project #15: Maps

To be honest this was probably my least favorite project. I didn't enjoy going to the art museum and didn't get the point or most of what she was talking about. When we were given this project I contemplated forever about what I could possibly do. I thought about where I am right now and what has been going on in my life. I am a college student living in an apartment with room mates. Thinking about small things then the ideas started to spark. I thought about the good and bad things and what my map is in my mind. I enjoy lots of color and flowers so I experimented and this is what turned out. I like to travel and miss the ocean so I tied bits of that in there. I think what she was trying to get us to understand or what I got from the lesson is that we all have a map of our individual lives. She wanted us to relate to our surroundings and make a connection. So I did the best I could to relate and think about my life as a map and here is the finished product.

Art Project #14: Special Wire Sculptures

It is always important to think about those special students that you may have in your classroom and plan accordingly to accommodate their needs. I have worked with special needs youth in the past and let me tell you they truly are special and wonderful people. Art can be a wonderful tool for them where they can make and escape from their disability and explore new things through creativity. I was a deaf person for this activity and this truly helped me realize how blessed I am to be healthy and hearing. Other people sitting at my table were blind and I could see their frustration and struggle doing even the simplest of tasks like cutting with scissors. Being deaf I could see what I was doing and was able to move accordingly but others could not so it became my job to help those who were blind. It was very tedious to go back and forth cutting wire and grabbing materials, I found myself getting a bit frustrated with those people. Because I was running around doing things I did not concentrate on my own project and felt that it didn't turn out so well because I was frustrated by the end and didn't want to try my best to work on it. After I realized that if these people were really blind should I have let myself get as frustrated and distracted as I did. Even though I do enjoy working with special needs children I don't think I am patient enough to work with them full time. But it is important to realize and know that I will have special kids in my future classroom. It is helpful to not just learn and know about them but really experience what it is like for them. This was a great activity and truly helped me think about and understand what these people go through everyday. I started my project with this awesome reindeer sculpture in mind. But because I got distracted too much from my project and became frustrated it turned out to be a swan. But the point of this activity was not to create a masterpiece sculpture it was the experience that mattered most and I came to a new realization. 

Art Project #13: African Masks

I love traveling and learning about different cultures. This among many other projects would be a great one to do with kids that also involves them learning about the world. There are so many fascinating art forms around the world to discover and explore. I think researching looking at examples and learning about the history behind these masks helped with creativity and discovering what to do for your own mask. It is amazing how a simple thing like color have such different meanings. I wish I could have done research before doing the project to get better ideas. I think I would change the mouth on my mask it looks a bit odd and also the shape and height of my eyes. I would have likes to add less color and more symbols and research it to make it have meaning. All over this was a neat and creative project that can be done in so many different ways.

Art Project #12: Coil/Pinch Pots

I have done ceramics and made pots in the past but most were done on a wheel. Not working with clay in a long time it was very difficult to get used to and shape. I found this project a bit of a challenge. When it comes to art I am more of a visual drawing and painting type of person. Working with clay making sculptures or doing anything 3D is out of my element. This would be a neat project for kids to do that they would really enjoy. It can also be a soothing/stress relieving activity just molding and working with clay. But on the down side it would also be a messy activity and may be one to do with older kids. I would change the these by making the edges more defined and smooth they are fairly crooked. Also when doing the stamps I did some with a lot of detail and the ones with less detail seemed to turn out better because they were simple and printed in the clay better. I also would work on the glaze making it smoother and even thicker. 

African Masks- Nov. 15th

• When researching African Masks and looking at all the vast and unique designs I found it interesting how old these masks are. There are many different tribes and beliefs in Africa and each tribe has different characteristics. Although each tribe is different many are alike in that they use masks. They may use them for spiritual beliefs and ceremonies. They use different colors, patterns, symbols, and designs to represent different things in their culture. 
• Masks are usually worn in three different ways: vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise. African masks often represent spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer.
• During celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, war preparation, peace and trouble times, African masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. 

This information was found on: (http://www.rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm)

Here are some masks that I found to be really interesting and neat:

Reflection #9: Using technology in the Art Classroom

“Many people warn of the possible harmful effects of using technology in the classroom. Will children lose their ability to relate to other human being? Will they become dependent on technology to learn? Will they find inappropriate materials? The same was probably said with the invention of printing press, radio, and television. All of these can be used inappropriately, but all of them have given humanity unbounded access to information which can be turned into knowledge. Appropriately used—interactively and with guidance—they have become tools for the development of higher order thinking skills.” (2)

Here are some clever ways to use technology in the classroom: (1)

• Having kids photograph their artwork and create digital portfolios
• Teaching photography techniques
• Creating an online art gallery
• Making a blog/website where students can participate and share their ideas and work
• Researching modern artists
• Using the internet and media is a wonderful source for learning just about anything. You can search artists and see images of their work and learn about their technique. The information is unlimited.
• There are many art museums and neat places to take fieldtrips
• There are many places to visit and discover and you don’t always have to stay in the classroom. Use local events, schools, shops as much as possible it is easy to take what is near for granted and why waste a great learning experience.
• Teach about careers in digital art
• There are many career opportunities and ways for kids to be creative. From photography, being an artist, sculpture, and graphic designers.
• Create artwork about technology
• Kids love their computers, ipods, music, movies, and media. These kids are so technically advanced, take what they know and like and incorporate it into art. Look at Andy Warhol for example and his media images.

Resources: 

1. (“Using Technology in the Elementary Art Classroom”, Becca Swanson, June 2010, www.associatedcontent.com)
2. (“Technology in Education”, www.newhorizons.org)
3. (“Emphasis Art”, Frank Wochiak and Robert D. Clements)