Zandrea, Peer Response-Caroline's Project Book

I loved this imaginative world of the pony that goes to school. The presentation of the postcards makes the idea tangible. This could be a great project for the classroom. Children have a hard time pretending and daydreaming now days. I will include a section in my storytelling arts projects for a similar activity. Caroline really made me giggle to myself as I read this humorous narrative to its family. The project book came together really well and I can see this being a great interactive show, with blown up images of the postcards to some of the "work" the pony participated in and a giant stuffed pony displayed in all its glory. Her daughter planted the seed of this creative endeavor and also brought about a cohesive body of work for Caroline. I would suggest to keep recording events and little sayings; before you know it there are endless possibilities for shows.

Peer Response, Nicole Kirkpatrick

I really liked the idea of Carolina's Project Book. This is something that I could do with middle schoolers. It's a great idea to have student's take an object or stuffed animal and create a sketchbook around the places that item goes. Carolina's ideas really came through in her project book. She made me think about different places that a specific object could be put into creatively, and then document it. Loved It!

Translation, Nicole Kirkpatrick

Thinking about which one of our projects/exercises to bring into my classroom was tough. I'm thinking that there is definitely more than one (if not all of them) that I can use in my classroom. To narrow it down though, I truly think I'd have to say it would be the Altered book. I've been wanting to do that for a very long time, but never really had anyone show me an easy way I could use it in my classroom. The steps to alter it really made it easy for me to get started. It did take me (I think) longer to get to the end on my book than others (as far as the ideas went), but with the use of all the transfers, it made it easier for me. I really think I'll be able to use the "themed" project book as well. I was thinking how wonderful it will be to see my middle schoolers working on a discarded book from our own media center, and bringing out their own ideas in it.

I know I was only to talk about one I could use, but I also liked the color book as well. What a very neat and interesting way to use colored paint swatches. I may use this as well in their sketchbooks. All that we learned is just great, and I truly can't wait to put all I've learned into my classroom this year!

Translation to Teaching

One of the most important things I learned this week was to focus on play and “playing with purpose” both in my creative process and my teaching. Both the sketchbook and printmaking class had an element of mystery. The enthusiasm, flexibility, and transparency of the teacher(s) created an attitude that everything is possible, and reminded me how exciting it is to remain curious and constantly explore the creative process. I hope to take this attitude back into my classroom. The exercises that enforced this playful and exploratory way of drawing were the “mystery object drawings” (touch drawings) and the memory drawings. Both pushed me out of my comfort zone with drawing. For the mystery object we had to touch an unknown object and translate that sensation into a drawing. Usually when I draw I aim for realism and get frustrated if I can't reproduced the correct proportion, texture, or angle of the object. By not looking at the object we were drawing I could not get stuck in my desire and expectation for realism. I loved how Lauren walked us through the memory drawing by asking us to mentally recall a family portrait and our favorite dress. I typically rely so heavily on observational drawing, I feel like I can’t draw it if I can’t see it. In these exercises I learned to mentally picture the image or object and focus on that while I was drawing. With the dress drawing we closed our eyes for much of the process so the end result was an abstract and wonderful surprise. We could then work back into the image making choices and changes, but I really like the initial image because it seemed so "free" and "unrestrained." I think I will use both these exercises to give my students a new connection to drawing. It made me less fearless and forced me not to “over think” my work. Many of my students get nervous about drawing so I hope by adapting these methods to my printmaking classroom I can introduce my students to a new approach to drawing that is focused on playing and being open in the creative process. I plan also to try the blindfolded partner drawing and one-minute sculpture figure drawings. In the past I have avoided my student’s fears of drawing by allowing them to trace images, but I realize now how freeing drawing can be and how it can be a truly unique tool for expressing the self.

Peer response

I left this comment on Dawn's Found Drawings, but I wanted to repost it under the "Peer Response" title too.

I think these are great! Not only did you transform a ridiculously bad situation, like your hotel catching on fire, into a refined, sleek image; but you’ve made me curious. From first glance I can’t quite figure out what the image is, I can’t tell the scale or even the material. I am attracted to the black and white composition and I love what you’ve done to the blue color. Repeating the form and cropping the shapes really alters my expectations. I think these are really strong works and I would like to see them very large. Nice Job!

Translation to Teaching

In thinking of what lessons to translate into the classroom, I really enjoyed the doughnut exercise. While it seemed tedious at the time, it forced us to look at an object from different angles and explore new ways to draw with an restricted amount of time. I recently practiced it with my family at dinner. We passes around the sketchbook and timed each other drawing the dinner rolls. Everyone had fun doing it and we all reflected and talked about the drawings afterward. Thus, I would definitely like to try this out in the classroom. Using thumbnail size sketches, it would be fun to pick an object and play a "beat the clock" type drawing game.

One of the important strategies I learned during this class was to give restrictions. Don't give every option in the world. Give an assignment and only allow one medium, or finite time, or one prop. Exercises like the doughnut drawings, or the paper and tape project force you to creatively use the limited materials you have and go above and beyond to create something special.

Found Drawings

After walking around UF for even a minute, you can't help but notice the beautiful brick buildings.

The campus is overflowing with the rectangular cuboids. When looking closer, you see that each brick has a unique design. Each brick seems to be imprinted with different shapes and colors.

I couldn't believe I never looked closely enough to see it. But now that I have, the millions of bricks around campus now stood out and had individual meanings.

Altered Book

By far this is one of the pieces I am most proud of. I truly broke through my fear walls and played with purpose. I loved the breakthroughs I had making this book and hope to continue making more altered books.

Project Book

What happens when a toy horse decides to go to school? Here's one little guy's journey to art camp at the University of Florida.

melissa swift, favorites

I might be crazy, but I actually liked the donut assignment. While yes, it seemed odd to be stuck in the vicious cycle of finding a creative way to present a donut 25 times...it served it's purpose: to get creative.

I think my favorites are #17, #18, and #21, but I won't lie: I'm quite impressed with #1...not too shabby for having to do it left handed :)

melissa swift, found drawing

I really enjoy looking for the beauty in the things that generally go overlooked or under-appreciated. I'm quite fascinated by the affect light has on some otherwise completely mundane object.

I found a variety of plastic objects and was attracted to the way light reflected off of them, and the shadows they cast.

This project really makes you take the time to look at your surroundings and explore the beauty that goes undetected in our busy lives.

Translation to Teaching

I have been thinking about how I can incorporate all that I have learned into teaching my high school students. In the past couple of years I have used a Visual Calendar as a warm up exercise. The students are supposed to draw something each day. They may choose whatever is on their mind to do a quick 3 minute sketch. I find that a lot of the kids do not know what to draw and end of scribbling something on the date just to do it. I have been thinking that it would be a little more interesting to make a calendar flag book that has at least twenty pages (4 weeks x 5 days). I would then give a prompt a day or maybe a prompt every other day. Maybe a prompt one day, a response to the previous days work, then a prompt again and keep alternating. Maybe the uniqueness of the book it self would keep them interested. The prompts are such a great jumping off point that I will definitely use some of the ones from this class with my students.

Project Book

I love the idea of a Project Book. I have never planned out a project in this way. My project book is based on my four dogs. Through research I actually learned a little more about the temperment of each of the different breeds of dogs that I have. I then started thinking about how truly unique each dog is which led me to their eyes. Dogs can say so much with just the eyes. They show happiness and sadness with just a change in the eyes. My thoughts led me to doing large scale paintings of dog eyes. Upon further travels in my brain, I got to thinking about the markings of the different breeds. Another large scale, close up of their abstraction of dog markings came to mind. The other idea I stumbled upon was doing large scale paintings of the different features. I really like the brown wash close up of my Lab's freckley nose.

I will continue my project book and further explore my Daschund's snout (a very prominent feature), my Beagle's mouth (they are known for their bark), and my Jack Russell's eyes (since she is the one that really has a lot going on in her mind). I would love to hang these in a grouping almost building a larger than life face of a dog.

Found Drawing, Nicole Kirkpatrick

I enjoyed looking and taking photos for our found drawings. My found drawings sparked an entire project book. They went along with the idea of "line" in my work in Sketchbook. I had no idea that I would have had the ideas I had that stemmed from this simple assignment.

Found Drawings

I had an idea immediately when I was walking to the bus stop. My idea was to take pics of the...what I named..."road nuggets." These are the little bumps that are placed in the center of the lanes on most roads. I thought that organic shape of the tar used to place the geometric shape of the "nugget" would be great for this project.

BUT...when I got back to my hotel, there was a truck that had all of the fans, blowers, and dehumidifiers that are used for fire/water damage clean up. They were stacked in the back of a box truck and the door was open. I thought...PERFECT! So, I took some pictures of the each of the different types. They were all this beautiful blueish green color. I made the color a little bit more intense but still kept the same basic blue green hue. I played and played with these in photoshop, turning, flipping, and cropping. I am quite the novice when it comes to photoshop but I think what I did turned out pretty good.

Peer Response

I posted a peer response to Dawn's "Found Drawings" from July 27th. The response is a comment under her post.

Zandrea, Translation

 My students love making "accordion folds" for various projects we do in the year. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate storytelling and written word into our curriculum. This would be great to use with their accelerated reading they're required to do and/or with their favorite books. It is very adaptable for my K-5 students. We usually do a mother's day project with "pop-up" cards, so this could be a follow up lesson. I may even write it in to submit for a classroom lesson to incorporate their social studies or spelling words. Either way it has made it on my To-Teach list.

Cherie Smith, Altered Book

The strong reaction I had to the process of creating the altered book took me by surprise. I was a little off balance from the beginning. I also had a strong reaction to using the old images and photographs I had brought with me. Even during the final discussion I resisted the impulse to say that my altered book told a story. I only realized in the quiet of my home that every image that ended up in my altered book was a picture of someone who directly influenced my choice to start a master's program and further my education. So my book is telling a story...it is remembering the guides who have led me down this path thus far.

melissa swift, found drawing

I thought for sure I'd gravitate towards the shadows of foliage for this assignment, but surprisingly, I found my way into the linear world. Plastic surfaces made the most interesting reflections of light and shadows - which clearly I am fascinated by.

Christie Knoll, Peer Response

 I really enjoyed Sarah Sparks Project Book. I could see so many different ways her concept could be used within any art program.  I think she captured the innocence of her daughter in the manner she drew her. I think she was able to pull from the marks her child made, interesting ways to create compassion. She keep the lines simple but they had energy and strength.   Most of all it made me smile.