Official "GOAL SETTING" day

"The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it.

What is makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get"

Jim Rohn

We started out by watching a very short little video on The Art of Colored Pencil.  The artist showed how the colored pencil is used in an overlaying fashion, as many as 12 different hues, to create some very realistic tones in a still life composition.  I then discussed the proper way to sharpen the pencils and pointed out a couple of things in the video, like how the artist held the pencil when drawing lightly (from the end of the pencil).  

The students filled in the form I developed (seen on my other blog site djochum2.blogspot.com)  As I looked them over afterwards, I was pleased at the variety expressed.  I can't wait to see how this manifests itself in the final products.

We spent some time cutting the student's paper into the desired sizes they will need to complete their goals.

Again, a lot of variety in sizes.

The rest of the period was spent working on drawings and developing compositions.  One of the students beginning works on a 9 x 12 in ebony pencil is right here.

As you can see, it is only first day of working, but she has gotten a good start at what she perceives to be a cubism drawing of boxes.

Demos, Practice, and Havin' Fun

"After a  DISCUSSION on NON-VERBAL communication, a WRITTEN assignment was given?"

Last night in my home studio I created a couple of demonstration videos with my iphone.  With the help of a new clamp, a tripod, a portable light, and a drawing surface I was able to put together a couple 5 minute 

presentations on vine charcoal drawing, ebony pencil drawing, india ink painting, and a couple watercolor

techniques.

I posted the videos on Youtube, so if you want to check them out, the site for the Black/White media is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG4YPGVR3R8 and the site for the watercolor presentation is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBfmnn5jU-c.  It is called Introduction to Watercolor.

I handed out charcoal sticks, kneaded erasers, ebony pencils, paint brushes, and watercolor sets without pigments.  When they are ready to use the paints, they can set up whatever palette they choose by selecting

pads of color from a common tray.  

The students spent the bulk of the period trying out the charcoal in drawing their still life objects and spending some time practicing with the ebony pencils.  Some were still researching the EXPRESSION

categories.  On Friday they will fill out the "My Goal is to" form where they will commit to a plan of 

action.  I will be posting that form on the related blog site djochum2.blogspot.com.

Discovering Impressionism, Expressionism, and Cubism

"What is essential is invisible to the eye"

from the Little Prince

Another full day of learning, organizing, preparing, and just plain taking care of "bidness".  This blog won't be very long because its mostly just a report on the "day to day" of my classes.

I went through the text "The Visual Experience" that is our current art textbook in Texas and jotted down all the pages listed in the index for the main EXPRESSIONS that the students will be choosing from in order to work on their particular assignment they give themselves.  Other than REALISM, which is a little easier to understand and a concept which the students are familiar, I felt that they needed to familiarize themselves with the other choices before committing themselves to one of them.

The illustrations in the text concerned with IMPRESSIONISM had some nicely chosen ones by RENOIR.

It happens that I had brought in a couple of personal books on Renoir, so I felt good about having even further research material available for them later.

And so it went with EXPRESSIONISM as well.  I had to point out that in this first cycle, since we are concerned with the STILL LIFE along with the other factors, that Abstract Expressionism will need to wait until a later cycle.  Picasso and Braque were well represented in the discussion of CUBISM so I hope they gleaned some good information from that research.

I told them to keep in mind the test they will be preparing as they take their notes.  Some later asked if they could give themselves a grade on the test portion for today if they wrote some down.  Good things to hear.

I told them to not be satisfied with the cursory, obvious bits of information, but search out that meaningful piece of infor they think no one else would bother with.  THAT'S what they'll take home!

Time For first GRADE entries

"In our time there are many artists who do something because it is new;  they see their value and the justification in this newness.  They are deceiving themselves;  novelty is seldom the essential.  This has to do with one thing only; making a subject better from its intrinsic nature."

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Today was a quite busy day in class.  We started out watching two short videos titled WHAT IS ART?

I found them on Youtube and found them to be entertaining as well as informational...just the ticket for the captive audience of a high school class.  Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDo_vs3Aip4  for the Creature

Comforts version and to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZXOL-HUfWM for the more serious approach to the subject. 

After taking notes on the videos in their log books, I distributed the 18 X 24 white drawing paper they will be using to create their studio art works.  I demonstrated the use of the paper cutter and discussed with them the concept involved with using all the time they will have to complete the 1, 2, 4, or 8 finished artworks this grading period.  They also received the same size newsprint paper to work out preliminary designs.

On Monday I will demonstrate the use of charcoal, colored pencil, and watercolor.  I will also discuss ways in which to approach the idea of using their small sketches into larger compositions.

I was able to upload a very short video of a few students drawing from their chosen still life subjects into

a site called VIMEO.  If you click on this link, http://vimeo.com/14818575 you will be able to view it.

Finally, the last item on the agenda was to average the grades students took on their work so far in class in the five categories and enter these into the computer.  Except for a few, the grades were very close to ones I would have given them myself.  I feel as though most are taking a very honest look at their involvement.  I hope this is the case and it continues.  I'll keep you all posted.

a BALANCING act...

" If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens"

Grandma Moses

We started our classes today watching a 6 minute video on the Principle of Design, BALANCE.  It was on youtube and I was able to bring it up through my 3G telephone connection and use my projector to view it on the big screen.  Students took notes as the lesson involved seeing how balance is achieved with like and unlike shapes and sizes and how VISUAL BALANCE works when an object which is more interesting and draws out attention more strongly, is introduced to balance less interesting shapes.  The discussion that followed included talk about the various subjects the students have to choose from and that some are more intrinsically interesting than others because of varied line within the forms themselves.  For instance, the bones and the shoes are more interesting than the plain boxes.

I'm posting the "finished" example of the old shoe that I drew on the chalk board as I gave the demonstration on CONTOUR LINE drawing and how the students might try the "blind contour" in their practice on the small sheets of paper.  I mentioned that they can deliberately "slow themselves down" by switching their drawing instrument to the hand they are not used to drawing with resulting in even a more accurate representation of the subject.  A little "right" brain, "left" brain activity.

I try to use the chalkboard as little as possible, but in this case the students seemed to "get the picture"readily and I saw some apply the concept soon after.

GO!!!!!!!!!

"The public is wonderfully tolerant, and forgives everything except genius"

                                  Oscar Wilde

Today was definitely GO day.  Students came in, got out their notebooks and art supplies, turned to last period's log, started a new log for today, just for starters.

I demonstrated the use of the india ink and dip pen they can use for their assignments.  Pictured here, you can see I used the "idea drawing" form.  The first box I wanted them to see how many lines you can draw with one dip of pen..we counted 21..the other squares represent other ways to use the pen to produce a variety of lines and value.  I felt the students were very attentive and seemed to get something out of the demo.

The students then went to the cupboards and selected the first objects they are going to draw for this first lesson.  They had the choice of drawing or research and back again as they wished.  So some grabbed books, and some grabbed objects.  Pictured below are two student drawings of two different objects done in contour line drawing style.  The first here is a tonka truck.  If  your screen will allow an enlargement, check out the drawing itself.  Very nice!  The next one is of some bones.  Again, nicely done.  I keep telling them that my goal is get them to think for themselves.  I am SO encouraged by the student's first day of actual creative activity.

Ready, Set,....

"There's no heavier burden than a great potential"

So yesterday, Tuesday the 31st of August, I passed out folders, finished the movie "Why Man Creates", passed out 9 different forms for use in our new curriculum, discussed each form generally and had the students read them more closely, and wrote an entry into their log books.  Whew!

I'm posting a few more forms on the other blog site, djochum2.blogspot.com, in case you want to check them out.  Students spent about 20 minutes looking at the new art textbook, particularly Chapter 3 on LINE and Chapter 8, which deals with all the Principles of Design, including BALANCE.  Their portfolios are finished and in their drawers, practice paper is ready, I handed out Ziplock freezer bags to keep art supplies in and distributed a pen and pencil to each to put in bag.  I told them they may begin bringing in art supplies tomorrow, Thursday.

Saw a great little 2 minute video on Youtube Derek Dibbern showed me on Facebook.  Just type in The Unsettling Truth About Life.  Another affirmation of what I hope this class will provide, "a little dancing music".