Sometimes you have to do a little drawing

In our evening drawing studio, we spent the third week exploring shape and shadows. The flash of the camera cuts out the shadows of the blocks below but you can get an idea from the drawing that it was a complex composition of shapes and shadows.

Another student used blocks, observing the multiple shadows created by several points of light from our overhead track lighting.

Finally the artists discovered that isolating a single object and single light source made it that much easier to carefully observe the light and shadow on different surface planes. In this case the size of the drawing paper seemed to help too. The artist felt much more satisfied with these little drawings done of a single object which allowed for focus and simplification. They make a lovely series as well.

a@tc Internship: Wednesday Art in the Afternoon 9.21.11

a@tc Internship: Wednesday Art in the Afternoon 9.21.11: Today in art in the afternoon we started by drawing mandalas with oil pastels. We used this time and the drawings to introduce ourselves. As...

a@tc Internship: Big Chalk Draw!!

a@tc Internship: Big Chalk Draw!!

Mobile Making - Using Drawing to Plan and Reflect

In our mobiles class this summer we built with wire, paper, recycled objects, string and ribbons. The challenge for young artists was often as much in figuring out attachment strategies as in creating a design. Tape became a popular media as did bendable pipe cleaners and wires.

We used drawing throughout the 3 days as a way to plan, to reflect on our creations and to think of new strategies and ideas.

Below, the artist arranges found and recycled materials on top of the plan she has drawn for a space-themed mobile.

With the addition of wire attachments, the mobile hangs as a sculptural creation.

The next 4 drawings show an artist using drawing as observation and reflection. The sculptures are shown first followed by the drawings created at the end of class to record our creations.

Notice the different shapes used for different parts and materials on the mobile.

The spy gear goggles seen here are drawn again below.

The goggle plan (below) proved helpful as other artists wanted to create their own gear.

In the sketches below the sculptor depicts the curve of the wire and then the individual beads arranged along it to create this unique small sculpture. In addition to reflecting on his creation, this artist gives us clues as to how it is constructed.

The artist below was careful to match the colors and metallic luster of her materials in recording her sculpture with a drawing.

Finally, this diagram of a moving sculpture with gears inside begins to function as a diagram, adding arrows and views inside to the moving parts. The artist/engineer begins to show and share his understanding of how the device works as he reflects on it through drawing.

Book Making

Our book-making workshop this summer offered a great opportunity for thinking about working in series with our accordian mini-books and for making personal journals to fill with summer drawings, reflections and memories. See images below.

Paper Architecture Creates Learning Environments

Below you will see additional images of learning environment designs created using a variety of paper building and collage techniques. Notice the color, variety and ingenuity used in the designs.

The above environment features symbols for resources such as funding, people and transportation to access learning opportunities beyond the classroom.

Natural and playful elements like the tree and the slide to enter the classroom make learning fun and exciting.

The environment above features a variety of working, meeting and seating areas as well as access to the outside (on the right).

The hearth adds warmth and a sense of home while the central circle features a meeting place that can transform and take advantage of technology by projecting on the ceiling depending on the needs of the learning meeting and subject.

Lofts, lots of books and cozy nooks for reading are of utmost importance.

This designer really valued quality supplies and took the care to create these mini supplies for her worktable.

Art (Paper Construction) and Thinking Skills

In this workshop for upper elementary teachers, participants created ideal learning environments using paper sculpture and collage techniques.

The focus was on how art can help develop thinking skills and we took particular inspiration from the Studio Thinking Habits of Mind developed by Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner at Project Zero.

Paper architecture offers great opportunities for problem solving, inventing and creating using simple materials. Working in a group setting adds the added benefit of learning from the process and discoveries of other artists.

At the beginning of the day when we discussed goals several teachers mentioned working through perfectionism and fear of failure when drawing and making art with upper elementary students.

This sort of activity which begins with building and then presents drawing at the end as a tool for collaboration and communication can help get around some of those fears.

Below are a few different views of one group's combination of several learning environments to create a learning community.

The group had to take into consideration how to connect their learning environments and how flow and function would work together in a shared space.

The multi-level design allowed for great variety in use of space and highlighting features that worked together well.

The group drawing depicts the plan for connecting the different learning environments and presents a plan for a unified learning community.