Art to Remember (PARENTS! PLEASE READ!)

All three grades at ICMS are currently working on a project that is mainly based on drawing from images. The 6th graders are either working on lighthouses or insects (don't ask....we tried to have a vote, but it was split, so I let them have the choice!). The 7th and 8th graders are working on close ups of flowers or plants (many of them tropical) OR a landscape. Let me just say, that they are coming out beautifully!
The unique thing about this project is what we can do with the final works of art. This project will be used for our art department fundraiser.

Art to Remember is an Indianapolis based company that turns your child's artwork into high-quality keepsakes. Soon, you will receive a packet with your child's artwork and an order form so you can choose from a variety of different items, such as coffee mugs, bookmarks, magnets, pillows, to have your student's work forever imprinted upon.

Another great thing about this company is that it will provide funding for ICMS's art department! Let's face it, every time a fundraiser ends, it seems another pops up. But, Art to Remember is different.

Family and friends will cherish these creative keepsakes made by their loved ones for years to come. Just in time for the holidays!

Art Site Links!!

On the left hand side of this blog, I've posted several links to various art websites that are fun for kids (or anyone!).

For example, Odo Sketch allows you to use a special tool to draw online. This is no ordinary draw program! On Odo Sketch, you can layer colors and show value! You can also save your work so that others can see it online. When you click on your finished drawing (or others' finished work), Odo Sketch plays your whole creative process in fast forward!

Another great site is FreeRice, a learning tool that donates 10 grains of rice (for every correct question answered) through the World Food Programme to help end hunger. Not only is this website fun and a great way to learn art history (or math or science, etc), but it's helping people in need!

Do you like to investigate and explore things? Try out Lifetime of Color's "Color Theory vs. Dr. Gray" or "The Art of Crime Detection." This website is full of fun games that teach you about the elements and principles of art.

Do you see yourself as a future comic book artist? Or at least a comic book connoisseur? Then you should check out Make Beliefs Comix! You can create your own comic strip by choosing various characters with various expressions. Want to impress Mrs. Epple? Translate your comic into Spanish (or one of 7 different languages!).

Go! Have fun! Explore! (Just make sure you do your homework FIRST!!)

6th Grader's Wallpaper "Quilts" (a lesson in measurement!)

Often times, the visual art world gets wrapped up in using terms such as 'high art' (paintings and sculptures that we might find in a gallery or museum) and 'low art' (crafts such as embroidery, knitting, quilting, woodworking that might be done as a hobby). But, much of what is considered 'low art' has been in the high art zone in the past (think Ming Dynasty porcelain) and many contemporary artists are currently working to uplift low art so it can be viewed as legitimate fine art. Quilting is an art form because it takes creativity and skill. Many may just call it a craft because a quilt is usually meant to be used (for warmth and comfort) and not hung on a museum wall.
When introducing this lesson, I made sure to point out to the 6th graders that the IMA displays a whole section of beautifully crafted quilts on their gallery walls. We also looked at images of a new(er) type of quilt that is ONLY intended for the wall of a gallery or museum. These 'paintings in textiles' are just simply called 'art quilts'. After gaining an appreciation for the 'high art' of quilting, I turned the lesson back to the basics of quilting and the parts of a quilts, because all forms of art need to start at the basics! Each student received a worksheet with a similar block pattern, but was able to choose between seven different patterns that could be used on the one block. After they chose their patterns, they knew how many different 'textiles' (we used wallpaper samples!) they needed to follow their chosen pattern. Each student then went to work on measuring and checking measurements and Remeasuring and Rechecking measurements until they were certain that their measurements were correct. And then we checked them again! It was a daunting task for many of the students, but I can gladly say that I have a six grade group that are now masters of the ruler! From there, they cut and glue their pieces onto their block by following their pattern. Then, they glued their block onto the 'backing' (poster board) and we 'sewed' (hole punched and wove yarn) all the blocks together. This was such a fun project! I especially loved seeing the students work together at the end to put their quilts together so that the blocks worked together for an allover class piece.

Letters & Numbers: 7th & 8th graders use the style of Robert Indiana to express themselves

Who doesn't know about the famous 'LOVE' statue that we have on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art? Not only is Robert Indiana's sculpture been replicated by himself (he's actually done several of the statues and paintings), but also by others for art, advertisement and the like. Did you know that Robert Indiana is actually from Indiana? Yes, he changed his name to his location at a time when it was the thing for up and coming artists to do (see Judy Chicago).
One tool I really enjoy using in my classroom to talk about art history, read about current art and see others using art in their lives, is Art Scholastic Magazine. The magazine is great because it showcases artists that kids are usually very interested in. I love it because I'm an art history nut and it gives me a new way to talk about art in the classroom. Also, using these magazines is a great way for me to have students practice non-fiction reading that is pertinent to our lesson. So, when I saw an issue of Art Scholastic that focused on Robert Indiana (a Hoosier born artist!) I was thrilled to share it with the 7th and 8th graders. Much of Indiana's work seems quite simple, but his form of pop art often times has hidden symbols that Indiana called his 'sculptural poems'.
In the style of Robert Indiana's work, the 7th and 8th graders started by listing numbers, words and letters that were important to them in some way. For instance, many students chose to use their birth dates, initials, athletic number, etc. Then, they began to work the numbers, letters and words together uniquely. Finally, they painted their pictures with bold, flat colors. The paint (acrylic) that we used for this project was new to most students, so this was the biggest challenge. Most students at this point had only ever used watercolor or tempera paint. Acrylic can be a more difficult medium because it is not as forgiving as watercolor, is much thicker than tempura and dries super fast. Because of this, many students weren't as happy with how their paintings came out, but I let them know that for their first time use with this type of paint, they all did a pretty outstanding job!