still life times 3.

Hello... is this thing on?

For the past couple of weeks, 3 different grade levels have been brainstorming and planning as they experiment with composition, color, value, and 3d volume/space. Each of the projects also addresses the idea of self as they are composed of personal items and favorites.

I introduced my 1st graders to the works of British artist Michael Craig Martin. I get a kick out of his thematic compositions and how he elevates and subverts this scholastic magazine/ visual dictionary figurative style. We looked at how some shapes were overlapped by others and how that's an example of front/back. We also noticed his free use of color to fill his objects.

We used his style and image structures to create a still life that was composed of things we liked to play or work with.

The kids started by writing a list of 5 things and then doing small sketches of them. After that, they moved on to taking those and trying out at least 2 different composition sketches. Before moving on to the final I have them share why they're choosing one sketch over the other to a partner.

I always encourage drawing softly, drawing bigger, and that changes may occur from small sketch to big final. They used crayon and cake temperas to complete the project. 

This is the first time these 1sts have gone though these steps with me and they did a wonderful job with the creative process.

My 4ths were using a still life by Roy Lichtenstein as the inspiration for a crayon and tempera multi panel personal still life. We identified how he used multiple panels to break up the picture. We talked about comics and how Roy was inspired by their look and visual devices. We connected this to the graphic novels today and the intro credit sequence to Marvel Comics movies these days.

The project involved them brainstorming, practicing, and planning a still life that used a minimum of 3 frames to communicate something about themselves. They also used crayon and cake temperas to complete their project.

Currently, my 3rds are also experimenting with the still life subject. This time, focusing on composition, color value, and 3d volume. We are looking at the work of LA based photographer Stephanie Gonot. I love how her compositions of food items references decorative patterns. The sweetness of her subjects and color choices also draw me right in. We look at a Picasso still life in my room and identify the point of view present in it. I then share overhead photos of food still lifes she has done and we talk about the overhead point of view and then get into shadow and light. This ties in with 3rd grade science concepts. How if we see the shadows on one side, the light source is directly opposite it. How shadows change in size and direction throughout the day, and how different size objects create different size cast shadows.

They, too, are listing, practicing, and planning as they create a still life that shows 3d volume and space, a consistent application of light source and shadow, and developing sense of effective/engaging compositions.

legos and the common core.

The first graders are working on their value unit right now. They are also all on their solid figure math unit with their classroom teachers. Last week they all made solid figures out of gum drops and toothpicks and some made them out of paper too. I thought it would be great to reinforce some of the vocabulary and content in my first value lesson with them.

To do this, we created a lego inspired still life together. We were able to review the names of the solid figures and what faces, edges, and vertices are on those shapes. Since they weren't going to actually build the shapes with me, we talked about how artists can use light and dark values to make shapes look like 3d solid figures on paper.

To introduce the project, I shared a painting by Allan Innman. We identified how each of the legos in his still life had a light and a dark side. We also contrasted the last project we did together, a Charley Harper bird and forest project and Allan's piece to see how Charley's shapes look flat and Allan's look 3d.

To balance the "mathy" aspects of the lesson I also introduced mixing secondary colors and what a still life actually is.

Our school is going to be part of an arts integration grant where the art department integrates common core grade level standards in our instruction and the classroom teachers also integrate the arts into their instruction. It is very fluid right now, I feel like the ground is shifting a bit under me (not only me, but the 2 artist in residence that work with me- I'll be guiding them through it too), but I feel like it should be an interesting and exciting ride for the students and teachers over the next couple years as we work through it. This lesson is a response to that push for integration. Taking a unit the kids are working on at the time and addressing those standards as well as art standards. I  have addressed common core standards in many other lessons, but this one was the most aligned in terms of content and sequence. The lesson is a little dry and direct, I know, but I think the kids got a lot out of it.

Next week, they will be using value again, but with a more personal twist.

Students wrote 2 sentences. They needed to address the still life in one and to identify an aspect of one of their solid figures in the other.

primary still.

The 1st graders are looking at shape again this week. Specifically, natural and geometric shapes.

Before starting our activity I write these terms on the board and I start drawing examples of them underneath them. As I do this, students share out and give me more examples. I also talk about what a still life is in art.

After this, I share an illustration by British artist Marcus Oakley.

I ask students to quietly look at it and think about what they see. I model this out loud- "I see one color, two colors, 3 colors I know. I see a geometric shape. I see another. I see a color pattern. I see a natural shape I know..."

After the minute is up, students share and I write these on the board. I tell them that we will use these words to help us write a class sentence together at the end of the lesson. I also point out that for such a "simple" picture, we were able to see so many different things.

I ask the classes if they know the name for the 3 main colors in the picture. At least one student remembers the correct answer from kindergarten- primary colors. I add that to our word list as well.

We then draw out a still life together. Pencil first, marker tracing second, and color stick filling in third. As we draw, I repeat the vocabulary we are learning. We make our flower pots into cylinders by using ovals, straight lines, and curved lines at the bottom. I show them a picture of a jade plant and we use that as our plant in the back of the drawing. I talk about how cacti and these plants are common to our area in San Diego and how they are desert plants. There are always kids who have them at or near their homes.

When we trace the lines, I ask them to use one of the primaries to go over the natural shapes and another to go over the geometric shapes.

They can color their drawing with the 3 primary colors. I ask them to leave the natural shapes white, so those shapes can stand out. They may color shapes in solid or add color patterns to them.

At the end of the lesson, I ask the classes to help me put together a sentence that tells a reader about the project we made. I ask them use a couple vocabulary words from our word list. Once we have our sentence I read it and a student reads it to the class. 

These are the sentences so far-

Monday 20 & 22-  We drew a still life with cylinders and plants.

Tuesday 20 & 22- We drew a still life with primary colors and natural shapes.

Weds 724 & 19- We drew a picture with natural and geometric shapes.

Weds 12 & 14- We colored the cylinders with primary colors.

 

uh oh...

I thought all the 2nd grade classes would be glazing their pinch pots this week, but I ran into some kiln issues... grrr!

Half the pots for my first class today were at the bottom of a hot kiln load this morning. Such poor planning by someone who shall not be named;) 

Anywho, I needed a project to do and remembered the work of Japanese artist Miroco Machiko that I had pinned earlier in the year. Mrs. Knight also did a project based on Miroco's work with her students this year, so I pulled up both Miroco's website and Mrs. Knight's blog post to share with my class. 

I like to share the work of other students as well as our focus artists because it allows kids to see how other kids have approached the project. I have found that it makes the work a bit less intimidating for them.

Like Mrs. Knight, I talked about the still life as subject in art. We also realized that Miroco's shapes of fruits and veggies did not look 3d and round. She doesn't worry about using light and dark colors to make things look 3d. Flat is good with her:)

Before jumping into the project, I had students give me names of some fruits and veggies. As they told them to me, I drew them out on my front board, so they would have some references for their shapes. 

I had the students shoot for at least 9 shapes on their paper. I emphasized using a variety of sizes in their drawing. I also stressed trying to use the whole paper. Once they were done drawing, students traced their shapes with some fancy metallic crayons. In hindsight, I wish I had them make these lines a little thicker, but the kids LOVED using these crayons. 

After that, I quickly demonstrated how to blend two watercolor colors together inside a shape. Another crowd pleasing moment:) Students could use any color except black.

Once students finished painting in their shapes they moved onto painting the background with black. I was a bit nervous about this step. I was picturing a big mess, but the kids showed great control with the black and the amount of water and color they used to fill the background.

Thanks for getting me through my morning Miroco and Mrs. Knight:)