Wonderments: make it yourself games

At the end of the school year I love to give students ideas for ways they can use art to keep from getting bored in the summer. I often teach them some paper folding, and making things from recycled stuff, anything that will capture their imagination and motivate them to be creative at home. This year I am showing some of my classes how to make a simple game, then they can springboard off this idea to invent their own games! Here are a few results from 1st grade. The board game is on one side- and the spinner is on the other side of the cover. They can invent more boards and pieces to add to their book all summer!

revelation: "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" and crayonology...

Search Amazon.com for art history books

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recapitulation_theory

"Crayonology" the study of art students as they create with crayons and related art materials. 

I believe I am an expert "Crayonologist" :)

As I watch my students grow and challenge themselves in art, I see them going through some of the same problem solving approaches,  reasonings, and struggles that I have also experienced. From my small sampling of artists, I am drawing the conclusion that given the opportunity all of man probably goes through these same processes; collectively and individually.  I think it's fascinating that given the same materials for means of creating, students at like stages will do the similar things with them. Their stage determines their interaction with the materials, with the other students, with me- the stage they are in determines how they will manipulate the materials, what they will be interested or fixated with, what they will think is funny, what they will think is "dumb". I don't get tired of watching them go through these stages.  

Just as all of man drew simple shapes on cave walls- I see young children draw these same simple shapes.

At about 9 or so they strive to be realistic, it's what they call "good". It reminds me of the "good", proportional realism of classics. As they are striving for this, they go through some rather awkward disproportional phases- Mideivel?

Then, the rebellion against classical as the search for answers to questions about line and color, they experiment, and stretch, and look for ways to express themselves- Modern?

wonderment: last few days

We are ending the school year earlier than was initially planned. Due to lack of funds, we are ending June 2nd! We are in the final days of school. Here is my wonderment; it doesn't seem to matter when the last day is- we still rise and fall to the occassion. There is a rhythm to the end, regardless of the date. Students and staff alike start getting rather excited when we are down to counting weeks not months, then even more excited and rather frenzied when we are down to days not weeks! We are trying to stuff the days so full they are busting at the seams. Our emotions are barely below surface with the dangerous recipe of staying up late and being more active with the longer daylight hours, testing students, packing our rooms up, preparing for summer and next year, and tear laden goodbyes to the classrooms of students we have grown to love! These last days are full of field trips, class picnics, plays and performances, field days... Anything that will corral all those wiggles and giggles while the anticipation builds! ...until we can set them free, and let them bust loose into Glorious summer Vacation!

tip #9- what inspires you?

 Inspiration is everywhere... in the repetition of colorful giftbags... rainbows in my backyard... children's artwork...

Do you need inspiration?

Look around you. Where do you choose to spend most of your time? What do you love? Who do you love? Where do you love to be? The people, places, and things that we love most are the easiest things to create artwork about. The more familiar, the deeper our understanding, the more extreme the attachment, the better the art! We have the most to say about the things we are most passionate about. Making artwork about what we know is almost mandatory. Then we can branch out from the places we are rooted.

Where does your curiosity lead you? What do you want to learn about? This is another area that I find I want to create artwork about. When I wonder about something, an idea starts forming. I let myself be led from there. I read about it, I hunt down visuals, I collect objects, I talk about it, and I mull it over.  Sometimes I come up with something good by going down this meandering path.

Watch what's going on around you. What are other people into? What are the popular shows on TV? What's on UTube? What are people talking about? What are current themes? What's in the news? What books are on the best seller list? These can all be great sources of inspiration.

Some artists keep idea boards, or binders. Some artists make lists. My daughter uses a 3 ring binder with the clear sleeves to keep picture that she looks through for inspiration. I use my sketchbook to develop ideas. I also use my camera to collect ideas. 

If you just need a place to start, start with something in the room you are in right now. What attracts your attention? What seems significant? What do you think you would like to focus on that you can see right now? What can you make, draw, or build that could tell about it? Just get started and do it. Sometimes starting is the hardest part.

Wordle your blog!

You can wordle your blog! or any collection of words. See my links on the right column.

tip #8- Find tools you love to work with!

I have fallen in love with Sharpies! Now my daughter loves them too! She bought a new one for me that is black with a thin line and it clicks in like a pen. Love it!!!! There are Sharpie pens too- that don't click in...

I also am in love with my liner brush for painting! Do you have one? If you don't, it's worth trying. You have to thin the paint way down, then you can write or draw pretty thin expressive lines with it. I used it a lot in my summer flower series, and in this sunflower field painting.
I have an 8 year old student who has fallen in love with a certain color of blue glitter crayon. I know just how she feels! It's a joy to watch her put her heart into it!
Find something you love to use, some materials are downright addictive!

Wonderment: Following directions

Two classes, 56 students, same directions- What a difference! Class make-up completely changes a lesson! Each class has a personality. Some classes are the calm, quiet, studious type; some are active, silly, and on the go, some are moody, mysterious and a little disturbing... I find it fascinating what a difference it makes in the outcome of their artwork! Here's an example:

See if you can guess the personality of these 2 classes! They are both Kindergarten classes, and they come to art in the afternoon- one right after the other. This is a "Crazy Hair" assignment that I have taught a lot. I didn't make up the lesson, a lot of art teachers use this one because the students really love making these (I love to make them too :)

Here are some pictures from class 1-

Here are some pictures from class 2-