Working with wire: expressive 3D lines

Hey all. I have a lot to catch up on this blog of mine! I’ve been working very hard this fall, as usual, teaching at Visarts and VMFA, all the while keeping at my full-time graduate work at VCU in the art ed department. O and I’ve also been waiting some tables here and there. Whew.

I finally got a decent digital camera to properly document student work! That is the most exciting thing turning 26 has gotten me. I was able to snap some photos of the work my kids have been doing at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond. My lovely assistant Elaina and I (also VCU Art Ed grad student) helped our childrens make 3D sculptures with wire and wood. The project was inspired by Giacometti, a Swiss Surrealist/Expressionist who made wirey figures out of bronze. The kids were asked to create expressive self portraits, manipulating the wire, and then adding collaged elements (tissue paper, magazine clippings, pipe cleaners paint). Some of the kids were as young as 8, and found the wire challenging to construct with. However, we pushed through and look how they came out! The work will be shown at the Art After School Expo at Visarts on December 3!

 

Expressive self portrait in wire

made by 9 year old at Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond

Expressive self portrait in wire

made by 13 year old at Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond

Expressive self portrait in wire

made by 8 year old at Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond

Expressive self portrait in wire

made by 8 year old at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond

Alberto Giacometti

“Nature Nurtures Creativity”

My summer of teaching has finally come to a close! It was incredibly busy and also tremendously rewarding. I got to work with a wide range of students, ranging in age from 5 to 16. Each week I was challenged with a new class (out of my 9 classes, I only repeated a class once) and a new group of students. This year I really focused on applying my knowledge of constructivist education that I studied so intensely in my first year of grad school. What this means is, I tried to let the students construct their own knowledge, rather than solely teaching a how-to craft. I led art-making experiences which were more open-ended than I had in years past, allowing for the kids to discover new possibilities. I found that this was especially rewarding for the teens, who really appreciated the freedom to express themselves.

The class I was most excited to try out was the one titled, “Nature Nurtures Creativity”. I got the title from the book, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. The class was named after Chapter 7, which makes the case that children learn better and are more creative when they are immersed in nature. In this class, which I taught two different weeks with both 9-12 year olds and 5-9 year olds – students used natural materials combined with conventional art materials to create works of art. In the 9-12 class, we constructed robin’s birdhouses with sticks and plywood, and made looms out of sticks and wove natural material and scrap fabrics. In the 5 to 9 year old class, we did leaf rubbing and printing, and created sun catchers with sticks, tissue paper, and leaves. All of the natural materials were collected by the students around the premises of the Visual Arts Center. I’ve attached some fun photos of student work!

Sun catchers made by 5 and 6 year olds; sticks, tissue paper, and leaves

Sun catcher made by 7 year old; sticks, tissue paper, leaves

“Nature Rocks”! – collaborative piece with 5 to 9 year old class

Robin’s birdhouse made by 11 year old; plywood, paint, found sticks

Robin’s birdhouse made by 9 year old; plywood, paint, found sticks

art exploration at Maymont!

Maymont Elementary is now Richmond Public School’s preschool center. My elementary practicum class has been given the opportunity to work in the classrooms there – teaching a lesson every week of the semester! Here are a few photos of some art work – we were looking at Wolf Kahn’s color field landscapes and talking about color representing a feeling or a mood. These students are 4-5 years old!

Teaching in summer 2011!

Hello friends,

I am delighted to post my upcoming teaching schedule for Summer of 2011!

Time to Mess Around! ages 3 – 5 with an adult partner

Mess about with materials of all kinds, including drawing, painting and building. Focusing on exposure to materials and processes, artists will create beautiful works of art together. We will draw, measure and create constructions using wood, cardboard, found materials, paper, and glue. This class is about exploration of materials and techniques and can be repeated as many times as you like! Offered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, week of July 25, 10am-12pm.

Clay Pendants – ages 8 – 10

Let’s transform clay into beautiful ceramic pendants & accessories. We will make beads, rings, necklaces, and more. Working with a variety of clay bodies including terra cotta, earthenware, and polymer, we will incorporate found objects and use handmade molds to create unique pendants. Offered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, week of June 27, 9am-12pm, and week of August 1, 12:45-3:45pm.

Creative Book Arts – ages 9 – 12

Have you ever wanted to create you own handmade books? This class will glue, fold, and stitch its way thruogh the creation of unique, one of a kind journals, pocket wallets, origami books, and more. We will use new and recycled materials from various sources, then fill the books with our art and writing. offered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, week of June 13 and June 27, 12:45 – 3:45. offered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, week of July 11, 9am-12pm

Fun with Printmaking – ages 6 – 8

Young artists will explore dynamic printmaking methods as they create colorful multiples from their own designs. We will experiment with block printing, monotypes, and collograph techniques and use layers of color, texture, and unique surfaces. The results are spectacular, whimsical works of art! Class offered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond the week of June 20 md August 22, 12:45-3:45pm

Nature Nurtures Creativity – ages 9 – 12

In this experimental class, young artists will bring the outdoors in, and the indoors out! We will use only natural materials: sticks, leaves, rocks, dirt, etc to create painting, sculpture and found art installations that push the boundaries of art making. At the end of the week, students will design and build an outdoor installation with both found objects and art materials that will become a documented, celebrated work of public art! Offered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, week of August 8, August 15, 12:45-3:45pm.

Drawing in the Galleries – ages 12 – 18

Come explore the transformed VMFA! This class will draw and sketch its way through the galleries. Students will keep a sketchbook, as well as create larger, more creative works on paper to represent their favorite works of arts in the VMFA collections. Students will receive an introduction to art history, improve their drawing skills, and interpret great works of art in their own, unique way. Offered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts week of July 11 and July 25, 1-4pm.

Life Drawing – ages 12 – 18

Join us at the VMFA for a crash course in life drawing, one of the oldest and most celebrated art practices. Along with learning the basics in rendering still lives and anatomical proportions of the figure, students will explore the rich history and make personal connections with works in the museum’s exciting new spaces. Offered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, week of July 18, 9am – 12pm.

two more monotypes

Here are two more monotypes from the same series from summer ’10.