Lesson idea: Extra-dimensional | 3D Design OpArt study

It's been quite a while since I shared a lesson idea and/or a video with you all so you all are in for some real treats today!! ;)

This lesson idea is a spin on something I have been doing with the 2D Design classes (OpArt studies) that pairs with things I have seen on Pinterest as well as it being something that has made the rounds on the art education blog circuit. It takes the geometric 3D form (the cube) and  expands on the idea of dimension by applying Op-art patterns and designs on the different faces of the cube so that the finished piece looks incredibly dimensional. You can see some of the works-in-progress of this project HERE and also HERE.

This project was incredibly labor intensive for all of the student artists because OpArt needs to be so carefully thought through and then even more carefully created and colored. Whenever I do OpArt projects it always takes me a lot time to evaluate the work because looking at it makes my head spin and I have to take a whole lot of breaks. I told the students this and they thought I was being dramatic but when they started working on their pieces? Well... they totally understood. Ultimately, the project ended up taking almost a solid month for us to complete (including a bunch of random days when our class time got shorted for one reason or another). Just the same, I was fine with it. I'm doing my best to just go with the flow these days.

While I could show you only still photos of the finished pieces of student work, I don't feel like still photos will do the presentation of this lesson idea the justice it deserves. As a collective and the way it is being displayed is quite something to see in real life and the closest way I can come up with to show it to you would be to do a video. And so? Here it is! The school's senior visual art prefect joined me for this one and in the video I will be sharing with you some of the inspiration behind the overall collective of work. It's quite thought provoking in the way it all came together and it might be my most favorite exhibit we have done so far. Go figure - it's pretty much another exhibit of installation art!! (It just happened like that.)



Just in case it was hard to see the student work, here are two stills I also took in the midst of taking the video...

And because outtakes are always fun and it IS Monday, here is a quick outtake that otherwise would have ended up on the "cutting room" floor because I am so bad at using my video camera on my phone. *shrug* ENJOY!!! (at my expense)

Life as an art student | Day 3 of 20

Since I am a full-time graduate student and I also do everything else full-time (wife, mother, high school teacher), the ideal time for me to get course work squared away is in the summer months when I don't have the demands of the regular school year. My degree track is steering me to earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching with a subject area endorsement in visual arts. Because I am a career changer, I don't have nearly enough visual art/fine art credit hours for my subject area endorsement (most other people probably do) and so I am relegated to having to take specific studio art credit hours that an undergraduate art student looking to go into art education might have already taken already.

It's a LOT of work to be a career changer. Just the same? It's worth it to me and I am hardly bothered with the prospect of being in a Painting I 3-credit hour class. I will readily admit that I am awful at painting but that I desperately want to change that! And for that reason, I am totally jazzed about taking this intensive summer session of painting.

It's the third day of class and we still haven't painted yet.  We started discussion about what it means to think visually and then we watched this really neat TED talk via streamed video about Beau Lotto's work with color and light and what we see when those things interact. I plan on sharing this with my students when the school year rolls around because it really was informative, interesting, and definitely entertaining at times.

We did at least spend  some time at our easels working but not with paint. We did a negative space study that utilized torn paper to create the forms and show the organization of space (and imitate how we would lay paint down on our canvases) and while I know that there were a lot of other students who were frustrated with how challenging this was and also because we are still not yet painting, I really REALLY enjoyed this activity. It's even one that I feel like could be really useful for the students to try out in 2D. I rarely (OK, I never) use still life set ups and I am quickly becoming convinced that I should.

My view and finished work from today!

Yesterday we stretched and gesso-ed our own canvases - something I LOVED and if I instructed the painting classes at my school? I would TOTALLY push my students to do at least once or twice a semester. (So maybe it's good I am not teaching painting because my students might strongly dislike me for that). The first day of class we went over the syllabus and also had an open discussion about paintings (abstract included) and what 'we' as viewers glean from what we see.

I am really enjoying this class so far. If nothing else, it blocks a wonderfully long chunk of time on each day (except Friday) for me to fully devote myself to being a visual artist and strengthening my own technique - this is very MUCH needed! Still, this is much more than just that. I am definitely learning a lot, being challenged, and finding inspiration with what/how I go about my own journey as a visual artist.

RoyGBiv day still on my mind

Technically this is day-old news here on the blog but this is a great shot (not taken by me) that is currently parked front and center on my school's homepage...

*sigh*

What a wonderful day and opportunity for fellowship it was!!!

I have been able to speak with a number of folks (administration, faculty, and students alike) about what they took away from it and I have gotten nothing but super positive feedback. Administration has even said that they would fully support (meaning funding and all) for this to be a recurring event at the end of every single year!!!! *SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRE!!!!!!!*

You must realize something: This idea originate from my own "crazy" imagination in the midst of winter when I was also working on getting the ombre experience lesson idea together while also juggling everything needed to do the sound of music set design and fabrication. I casually mentioned it to the one senior student who spearheaded this with me with (sort of) the expectation that he was absolutely "crazy" enough to want to do it. (He's just that kind of awesome and so I kind of wasn't surprised that he wanted to do it.)

Here are some more shots and things to note of how we got from start to finish on the whole thing.

We did a number of trial runs with inflated balloons to see how long they would maintain their ability to self-levitate. We determined that we had a max of 8-10 hours before they would lose their ability so in order to fully utilize that ability, we determined we would have to inflate the balloons the morning/day of the release. Our preferred time frame would have been mid-morning but we ended up being given the tail-end of the school day in the way of the last two periods - so about 1:30-2pm was when we would do the release.

In order to accommodate both the inflating of the balloons, storage until the release, etc. etc. etc., we used our school's performance arts center/venue and gathered over 20 students to help inflate, tie off, and attach balloon clips (with strings pre-attached) to the balloons. We estimated it might take us as long as five hours with two tanks of helium based on some balloon inflating that had been done weeks before for another event for around 300 balloons. We ordered 600 (100 of each color from Oriental Trading) but ended up with less than 550 because of shoddy balloon quality, balloons that burst from being overinflated ("pilot" error, if you will), and ones that just got away from us and floated up to the ceiling while we were trying to inflate them. We had the students come in at 5:15am to do the inflating and we were done and cleaned up by 8am when school started. (Note: EVERY student that came in said it was "totally worth it" and other students that missed out were disappointed that they didn't take the opportunity to join in!!!)

We stored the balloons in this venue until they students would all gather together for the presentation and instructions about how this whole event would go down...

We did provide lots of coffee and other yummy breakfast food as extra incentive for those who got themselves up and into school so early. 

 At the last period of the day, all of the students were gathered in the venue for the presentation about color theory (done by my senior student partner-in-crime) and he capped off the presentation with specific instructions about how each student was to get their balloon off the balloon clips/strings and out to the school quad in formation in order to release them. There were diagrams/maps that showed the path they were to walk and volunteers on-hand to facilitate traffic control and flow. Volunteers were wearing rainbow tie-dyed shirts so though would be easy to pick out from the crowd.

 Once the students got out to the quad, there were more volunteers (donning the requisite tie-dyed shirts) who were holding large poster board signs corresponding with all six colors of the balloons we had.

Students stood in their color group (away from other groups) until they were given the "OK" that every single student had exited the building with a balloon and was ready for the release.

 

 The center of the color "wheel" formation was marked with a duo of balloons (in black and white) where my senior student stood with an electronic megaphone and I was with my camera to document the action.

 When all was clear and everyone was confirmed to be outside with a balloon in hand, the volunteers were given the "yes" to bring their groups toward the center and we all bunch together as closed as we could. A countdown was given from 20 and then the balloons were finally released.

Again, I'm sorry I don't have any video of the actually release but it was truly (for lack of better words) MAGICAL to experience. Even now just looking at the stills of the event above with all of those colorful balloons floating up to the sun, I can hardly put into words how it felt to be there. And that, my friends, was/is the whole point of such a thing as RoyGBiv day in the first place!!!

It's about not just telling but SHOWING the students the gift that is an experience, that gift that is visual art, the gift that is being a part of the creation of visual art, and the gift that is being a part of something so much larger than itself.

A lovely blog reader (Hi, Cynthia S!) left a wonderfully supportive comment on my original posting about this event saying that she was going to "copy" this for her school next year. Friends, folks, blog readers, WORLD - PLEASE COPY THIS IDEA!!!!! Like I said before, to my knowledge (and per Google) no single day like RoyGBiv day exists at all AND IT SHOULD.

My own personal thoughts about this are to maybe not make it one single day that is the same day every year (though the last day of school is a good one for it to be) but perhaps making it a "surprise" experience - so you never know when RoyGBiv day will be - is better since that type of thing better adheres to the whole way that rainbows happen to begin with. Rainbows are kind of surprise to come upon, right? But they are always welcome. Now, for something like a balloon release? Well, that takes some planning so you would certainly require a select group of folks that would have to be "in the know" about it but my thoughts are that it could happen in other ways too. Like, perhaps, one day at lunch rainbow cupcakes could be made and served to surprise all of the students. (BTW - this is also another significant undertaking to make happen. I know from experience!) or you could figure out a way to get a sno-cone truck to come in and serve up those pre-fab rainbow sno-cones (I know, whatever, it would definitely cut down on the labor to make RoyGBiv happen in the first place).

Whatever the case, I'm actually leaning towards making RoyGBiv day a regular occurrence at my school. My reasoning also harkens back to the fact that I teach and live by an establishment of faith and the rainbow is SO sacred as it is featured in scripture. I love being able to draw students back to scripture to remind them of how much of this present-day world still contains the makings of scripture from way back when because it helps them to see how timeless the words of the Bible truly are. For purposes not of faith though? Well, RoyGBiv day is just awesome and that's all there is to it.

So all of this is to say that if it can be done at my school? It can be done at YOURS too and I encourage you to help make this happen because you just have no idea the enormity of the gift that you will be giving your school/students/self/colleagues/administration/community when they witness it. :)

RoyGBiv day should be every day

Photo credit: One of my amazing colleagues who was NOT stuck in the middle of the crowd like me!

"And God said:  'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

"'I set My RAINBOW in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.  It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the RAINBOW shall be seen in the cloud;  and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh;  the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  The RAINBOW shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' ” (Genesis 9:12-16, NKJV throughout)

Yesterday was the last day of classes for the beloved seniors at my school. Today is their last day to be on campus (other than for graduation activities) and I can hardly believe that the year is really drawing to a close and they won't be here anymore. I don't know what it is about this particular group of seniors but I completely adore so many of them. They have been the MOST creative, the MOST energetic, and the MOST FUN of all classes I have had so far. While teachers shouldn't (but certainly do) play favorites, some of my most favorite students ever have been members of this class. That being said? It was a rather monumental day to partake in and I've spent months and weeks working on the very event you see pictured above.

You see, yesterday at my school, we did something that I have affectionately named "RoyGBiv Day." As far as I can tell (and as far as what Google has told me) a day like this doesn't exist but that didn't stop me from dreaming and scheming of a way (with a "partner-in-crime" graduating senior) to orchestrate a 500+ balloon release/launch with balloons of the whole rainbow spectrum.

This particular senior is a VERY advanced art student who has exhausted the ranks of the art program here (both visual and performing) and while I've never actually had him in a class of mine, I have managed to work pretty close with him on a number of different occasions so much that even my (almost) four year-old daughter calls him "Mr. Treasure." (Not his name but her mispronounciation is so close and CUTE because I do think he is the kind of student that is just that special.)

While I normally never show pictures of my students on here in order to keep it about the art, I'm going to go ahead and show you two pictures of him: one where you can see him "in action" of his presentation before the launch and the other one at the epicenter of the launch itself only moments before the balloons were released.

While it  might be tiresome for you to read how blessed I feel by having this job and working with the amazing students I do every single day, it is the absolutely TRUTH. It is SUCH an amazing blessing and I am thankful every single day to not just have a job in the first place but one that allows me all that it does. And ultimately? That's what RoyGBiv day was kind of about to begin with. Definitely my student (probably one of the few who could pull something like this off) was majorly responsible for pulling it all off the way he did by doing things like getting over 20 students plus faculty members (myself included) here to school at 5am to inflate the over 500 balloons that we needed in order to make this work...

Contained within each of the balloons was a single note with messages ranging from words of encouragement, wisdom, and general well wishes. While some of the students referenced scriptures, all of them were reminded that their message didn't have to be that specifically and could be anything that could help uplift whomever might find it. The goal was (for us) to have faith that we were sending something out there into the world that someone, somewhere would need to find and the Lord would help them to find it in the exact moment and at the exact place they needed to find it.

Wish I had some video footage to share with you to help better illustrate (and punctuate) how amazing it was to behold such a sight as all of those balloons in all of their rainbow glory floating up to the sky and stretching farther and farther but I don't. (I do still photography and not motion picture.)  Just trust that it was AMAZING and if you ever have the opportunity to participate in a balloon launch? It will be an incredibly blessing.

Lesson idea: Packing Tape People (Sculptures)

This project idea is not original and I snagged it after seeing it on my blogroll when Mark Jenkins and his art endeavors were highlighted.

This year there has been a general theme in the 3D Design classes that has carried/pushed art outside of the classroom and also promoted group/peer learning. While all of this has definitely been fueled by the massive amounts of graduate work I've been doing in order to earn my Masters of Arts in Teaching, it's served the students and school well. I have gotten great feedback about all of the attempts at installation art and I pray that I will be able to continue with this beyond this year.

Anyway, the packing tape sculptures. (Sorry. I am so easily sidetracked!)

The goal was to create multiple sculptures and place them in various places all around campus. All told, I believe we successfully designed, fabricated, and installed a little more than 10 sculptures.

Before the designing and sculpting occurred, I (with the help of two students) identified 18 "random" locations on the school's campus that would both permit as well as benefit from having a sculpture within it. Students grouped themselves in fours and fives and then picked locations from a pile. The last group from each class was permitted to open all of the "leftover" locations and select from that in order to show them they weren't "stuck" with anything that nobody else wanted.

The design process for conceptualizing each of the sculptures required them to visit their location and then fill out short answer worksheets and draw pictures (front, side, and back view) explaining their thought processes and intentions. We had class discussions about communication via body language and how the sculptures needed to draw upon that in order to correctly communicate whatever message the students were trying to make of their sculpture and its location. While the students fussed plenty (because we rarely to never do writing of any kind in 3D Design class ever) they completed their work in very impressive fashion and became that much more invested when they were creating the pieces.

The fabrication process went a number of different ways. In all ways, we employed the use of pre-wrapping in order to protect the individual's being cast from the stickiness (and pain) that can result from being wrapped in packing tape. We used all of the following as pre-wrap and I have indicated the overall end result below in ranked order:

1. Packing tape => This was the best overall!! It yielded the most solidly structured pieces and lent itself to creating things that had a real transculent quality that DIDN'T require any stuffing though we did end up stuffing all of them. The way we used this is we turned the tape sticky side out and wrapped with it very carefully and then we turned the tape around sticky side in and taped it upon itself.
2. Saran/Plastic wrap => Definitely very effective as much as it could be but we went through A LOT of this and since that made it that much more costly (just buying the tape alone was a huge investment) I didn't prefer it as my #1 choice.
3. Table paper => This is basically large "throw away" paper that we use for table coverings for quick clean-up. We used this because we ran out of the previous two and it was very difficulty to work with. If I do this project again I will do everything I can to NOT have to go this way.

 Below you will see pictures of the students doing the wrapping/sculpting of a selected group member in order to cast their sculpture...

When it came time to do the head/face, I made a rule that they were NOT allowed to cover anyone's face in pre-wrap or tape!!! I had them make a "cap" of sorts and then take it off of the person and use that as the beginning of the head that they had to sculpt more to make the face. Many of them stuffed the cap and then just kept adding tape and forming it until they were able to achieve shaping that more closely resembled a face. I instructed them to really concentrate on features like the chin and the nose in order to really make the face look that much more human.

Here are a few of the sculptures done and placed in their respective locations...

Windows lining the Student Art Gallery hallway.

Top floor looking down to the dining hall atrium. Tilt-shift effect via instagram.

Lifting weights in the student workout center.

Working in the Digital Art studio lab off the library.

Browsing in the school store for spirit wear. Tilt-shift effect via instagram.

In wait in the front office reception area. Tilt-shift effect via instagram.

Practicing a vocal solo in the choir room.

Enjoying a refreshment in the seated outdoor area off the dining hall and facing the quad.

Using the eyewash station in the Chem lab.

All in all, I would say this project was successful.  Some of the challenges faced by the students were many of which I predicted: creating structures that could stand alone, difficulty manipulating non-traditional art materials, and showing correct body proportions.

One thing that was completely unexpected was how "creepy" many of the sculptures would end up looking once they were placed in their designated locations. Speaking from experience, I forgot about them and would come upon one and be kind of startled. The idea behind each of them was to "represent and embody the spirit of any student at this school." While I believe that sort of occurred successfully, it definitely evoked an emotional response successfully that, while they each appeared creepy, definitely compelled the viewer to investigate the piece a little more closely and think about it a little bit longer. With that occurring, I feel the overall idea of the project and the execution of it was successful.

I plan on doing a version of this project again but probably not next year. I find it is smart for big attempts at outside-the-classroom art that it's best to do them every other year if they are repeated at all.

Lesson idea: Name Tangles in Scratchart

This lesson is not my original idea and I found it HERE. The difference in the original lesson plans and what I did is the medium. The original idea utilized pen/marker and ink and I reinterpreted the idea in scratch art. It teaches a number of different elements and principles of art and design (contrast, space, emphasis, variety, balance) and it also introduces the students to a medium that might have always seemed novel and/or fun in the past but a medium that can be used to make a more serious piece of artwork.

I must admit that as the first project for the semester, this was very ambitious for them. It required the understanding and utilization of negative space on top of requiring them to think in reverse - since scratch art essentially reverses whatever design/image you are creating. (So in hindsight, I could almost call this the "Double-negative Name Tangle project"). Additionally, the end result of the work is non-objective in subject matter making it even more challenging for the students since the metric for whether they've done something well enough or not is definitely not concrete or clearly defined. Still, I feel like forcing them to focus on their lines and the way they come together to make patterns and shapes offers them a different perspective as well as a new respective for the creative process of design and the fabrication of a well-thought out piece of work.

Ultimately, the students did very well AND created pieces that are impressive with regard to their reasonably limited experience in art (this is a foundational course).

In the future, I am considering having a stock of matte black ink markers for corrections - I used Sharpie with wedge tips and it worked well but resulted in a glossy finish against the matte look of the scratch art paper we were using.