Clay Bricks

This young artist was particularly intrigued to arrive one week and find that the clay was cut into rectangular prism shapes. They reminded her of bricks.

Here she uses a stick to smooth "mortar" on a brick.

Using one piece of clay to scrape off "mortar" to spread on a brick.

Here are a variety of objects built from the bricks. A bed in the lower right corner. This was a theme this young artist returned to in her clay work for several weeks, even requesting help making the clay square when she came in to find it in balls.

Exploring Paint - Tools, Mark Making and the Stickiness of Paint

This young artist began in a fairly usual way, painting with colors on the table. She experienced the mixing of the colors as broad brush strokes captured her motion across the page.

More mixing as she used her hands as a tool to smooth the paint, here the hand motions seem to create a symmetry of swirls.

The artist moved to the wall and chose a larger brush, creating bold strokes of color and extending her reach to the top of the paper.

She continues working to fill the page with paint, colors begin to mix more while the mark making is still energetic with her moves across the paper recorded in the textured marks of the big brush.

Getting her hands into the paint, she discovers the sponge (previously used to dab the wet brush) can be a tool in the paint. Here she has begun a second paper, printing with the sponge and discovering that the paint causes it to stick on the paper.

She explores variations with the sponge, making different shapes and lines using the side of the sponge and creating new mixes of color with each dab of the sponge on the paper.

The Zoo - A Collaborative Painting

This week the task for the family studio was to create a collaborative painting. This pair began with a sheet of paper 18 by 24 inches on the table between them.

As the young artist began with expressive red paint, dad began to add to the design with smooth circles of similar colors.

Here, the young artist begins to mimic Dad's movements in his own brush strokes.

Some cool colors are added to the initially warm palette.

The final image, named "The Zoo."

Day at the Beach

Here, father and son begin by mixing a palette of colors to create a joint painting.

The scene begins with water at the beach, painted together, brushes sometimes mixing as they go.

Dad adds a house while his son continues on the water.

They remember the dolphins they saw and add those.

Both artists look pleased with their painting and with the remembering that goes with it.

Continuing to add details, a line of red chairs on the (yellow) sand, flowers above the sand and then the beach house.

The finished painting, "A Day at the Beach."

Monoprinting

Monoprinting is a fun way to explore and experiment with paint. Here the young artist begins with a ground of purple painted on plexi-glass on her tray.

She uses a comb to scratch lines into the paint, notice how this mimics the color and design of her shirt in the picture above.

The finished print, capturing the texture and colors.

A Device to Transmit Sound

This project was created during a week of exploring recycled and found materials. One artist/inventor began with the intention to "make a device to transmit sound." When asked what exactly she meant by transmit sound, she admitted she wasn't sure but she just thought it would be interesting to try.

The building began with two plastic cups, inserted through holes in a box. Here a rubber band stretched around one cup will make a sound.

Experimenting with listening and talking at different sides of the box.

This expanded to trying different materials, (tissue paper rattling above) to see how they sounded through the device.

Sharing our creations with the group at the end, the different materials tried and the results of each. I think what excited me about this exploration was the way the experimenting seemed led to new materials and possibilities along with changes in the design of the device. An exact definition of sound transmission was not necessary to enjoy playing with the idea and experiencing numerous ways sound could be explored through the materials at hand, both directly and through the invented device.

The Hot Tub - Why I Love Student Choice in the Studio

This pot began toward the end of the spring after school session. A nice example of the clay skills this young artist developed over the course of her classes. Notice the scoring marks on the bottom slab, ready for attachment of a second side to complete the pot. Also, there is a coil of clay worked into the space between the two attached slabs, adding strength to the joint of the piece.

Here, she carefully adds the second side, supporting the inside and outside with her hands as she joins the fragile sides together. Behind her are cut off pieces from shaping the slab to be just the right size to complete the pot.

The completed and smoothed slab pot...or what I thought was a pot based on her original intention. The artist seemed a bit dissatisfied, saying she thougth that it was too deep to be a pot. As an observer, I felt a bit disappointed that she did not see and relish in the growth in her hand building skills that I was seeing.

I returned some time later to find this addition, also built with slabs - as well as another transformation. "It was too deep to be a pot so I added a ladder and now it's a hot tub." Watching this unfold was a wonderful experience of developing clay and sculpting skills along with the delight of imagination and creative problem solving.

Visit the Teaching for Artistic Behavior page to read more about Choice-based art making.