the wired atelier* blog

Week 21... Continuing research

2012-01-23T08:22:00.002-05:00

Students will spend this week continuing their research on the Top 20 Works of Art to Know (according to Mrs. Mulloy). Each of the first 10 works (DUE WED FOR CHECKPOINT GRADE) should be investigated in at least 2 pages of the IW using the research guidelines given to students and posted here.
http://mulloy.pbworks.com/w/page/49708716/Top%2020%20Works%20of%20Art%20to%20Know

The second checkpoint for completion is Wednesday (1/25), the first 10 works are due. The next 5 works and corresponding IW entries, for a total of 15 complete, will be due next Wednesday (2/1).

In addition, all students are creating Artist Statements in their IWs. A guide for writing an Artist Statement can be found here. Artist statements should be typed and published to the correct folder on the wiki by FRIDAY (1/27)! Finally, students will begin working on a studio project while continuing their written and research work in and out of class.

Art 1 classes will be completing some drawing exercises aimed at refreshing our realistic drawing skills. Both group and individual grid drawings will challenge students to focus on drawing from reality instead of perception.

Advanced Art classes will be working on the 12 Peppers project. For this assignment, students will be creating 12 identical images on 4x4" paper of an everyday object as subject, creating each one using a different medium. All 12 pieces will be mounted to one board to create one work of art. As always, a full IW should accompany each project.

Open Studio Nights

2012-01-18T10:09:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Mulloy will be opening the Art studio from 6-8pm most Thursday nights for students who need time, space, and access to supplies to work on projects for her Visual Arts classes. Students should park near the middle school entrance and enter through the door closest to Mrs. Mulloy's room.

Students who plan to attend should double check with Mrs. Mulloy each week; if no students plan on attending, Open Studio will be cancelled for that evening.

Questions? Email me at mulloy_allison[at]hcde[dot]org

Week 20: The Top 20

2012-01-18T09:59:00.001-05:00

Students will spend this week continuing their research on the Top 20 Works of Art to Know (according to Mrs. Mulloy). Each of the first 5 works should be investigated in at least 2 pages of the IW using the research guidelines given to students and posted here.
http://mulloy.pbworks.com/w/page/49708716/Top%2020%20Works%20of%20Art%20to%20Know

The first checkpoint for completion is Wednesday (1/18). The next 5 works and corresponding IW entries will be due next Wednesday (1/25).

In addition, all students are creating Artist Statements in their IWs. A guide for writing an Artist Statement can be found here. Finally, students will begin working on a studio project while continuing their written and research work in and out of class.

Art 1 classes will be completing some drawing exercises aimed at refreshing our realistic drawing skills. Both group and individual grid drawings will challenge students to focus on drawing from reality instead of perception.

Advanced Art classes will be working on the 12 Peppers project. For this work of assignment, students will be creating 12 identical images on 4x4" paper of an everyday object as subject, creating each one using a different medium. All 12 pieces will be mounted to one board to create one work of art. As always, a full IW should accompany each project.

Week 19: A New Semester

2012-01-10T09:52:00.002-05:00

All Art students begin this semster by reviewing the tardy and attendance policies, teacher expectations for students, a discussion of last quarter's generous grades, and writing reflections. The first refletion required in the IW is about 1st semester. Students will write at least a half page reflecting on how their time went, what they learned, did well, didn't do well, etc. Next, students will create a half page of goals for 2nd semster. What do they want to do, learn, improve on, accomplish, etc.? These reflections are due this week.

All students also begin preparing this week for the Top 20 Works of Art to Know (according to Mrs. Mulloy) research assignment they will be completing in and out of class. Students copy requirements for research into their IWs as a reference for each piece they will look up. Students spend time in the computer lab this week making wiki accounts, learning the Top 20 works, and beginnging their research to complete an IW about each. We will be working on this research for the next few weeks in class, and students must know all 20 pieces for their Final exam in May.

A link to the requirements and a Prezi with the Top 20 pieces can be found here:
http://mulloy.pbworks.com/w/page/49708716/Top%2020%20Works%20of%20Art%20to%20Know

Links for art research sites online can be found here:
http://mrsmulloy.blogspot.com/p/useful-art-links.html

I'm BAAAAAAAACK!

2012-01-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Mulloy has returned from maternity leave! Grades for assignments submitted to the sub have been posted (and are quite generous, in some cases). Students with questiuons or concerns should present them to Mrs. Mulloy THIS WEEK. Updated timelines for each course will be posted, and weekly updates to this blog will recommence!

Welcome back and Happy New Year to my students and their families! I look forawrd to a productive, meaningful semester!

Plans for November & December in the Art room

2011-10-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

Art 1 (periods 2, 3, 5)

• VW Art Show project Due 11/28/2011 Task: Students create a project for the VW art show, a local contest sponsored by VW. The theme, "What I see out the window of my VW" can be interpreted in any medium of the students' choosing. When finished, students must create a brief statement to accompany and explain the piece. This is a large project which should take several weeks to plan, execute, and reflect on. A full IW should accompany the project.

• Zentangle Sampler Due 12/09/2011 Task: Students create a Zentangle sampler using at least 20 patterns. (See http://www.zentangle.com/index.php for more info and images)

• Choice Project Due 12/16/2011 Task: Students create a project using the style, medium, and theme of their choice showcasing the skills gained during the 1st semester.

Art 3, 4, IB DP (periods 6, 7)

• VW Art Show Project Due 11/04/2011 Task: Students create a project for the VW Art Show, a local contest sponsored by VW. The theme, "What I see out the window of my VW" can be interpreted in any medium of the students' choosing. When finished, students must create a brief statement to accompany and explain the piece. This is a large project which should take several weeks to plan, execute, and reflect on. A full IW should accompany the project.

• Interdisciplinary Project Due 11/29/2011 Task: Students create a project demonstrating/exploring an interesting connection between Visual Arts and another subject (Math, Science, History, etc) of their choice.

• Zentangle Sampler Due 12/09/2011 Task: Students create a Zentangle sampler using at least 20 patterns. (See http://www.zentangle.com/index.php for more info and images)

• Choice Project Due 12/16/2011 Task: Students create a project using the style, medium, and theme of their choice showcasing the skills gained during the 1st semester.

Mrs. Mulloy will be out on Maternity Leave for the months of November & December. Any issues or questions need to be addressed before leave! Students will be prepped on all assignments by Mrs. Mulloy before leave, and the Maternity sub will provide further instructions and feedback.

Week 6... In the Mix

2011-09-13T08:54:00.001-04:00

Art 1: Color Theory and Painting
Students finished the practice of color mixing by creating their own color wheels including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as 2 tints and 2 shades of each hue.

Advanced Art: Reworks of Masterpieces cont'd

Students are finishing their Masterpiece re-works this week. Students are choosing a master work of art to redo in some way. Different materials, different color schemes, different interpretations of the same theme or object; students are taking an exisitng piece and making it new, fresh, and their own!

Next, students will have a choice between 2 assignments: A Macro series of photos, drawings, or paintings, OR A Surreal Landscape collage, digital image, or painting.

Week 5... Busy Hive!

2011-09-13T08:49:00.001-04:00

Because this week was shortened due to Labor Day, a Flood Day, and a Flood Delay, our timelines are being pushed and edited a bit. We still have a lot of content to cover, so students are busy bees for the next few weeks!

Art 1: Color Theory and Painting

Our final Element to explore is Color!
Students learned new color vocabulary this week, including color schemes, mixing and theory vocabulary. Students also learned the practice of color mixing by creating their own color wheels including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as 2 tints and 2 shades of each hue.

Advanced Art: Alterations and Reworks of Masterpieces

Students are finishing their Altered Contour drawings from last week, as well as beginning their Masterpiece re-works. Students are choosing a master work of art to redo in some way. Different materials, different color schemes, different interpretations of the same theme or object; students are taking an existing piece and making it new, fresh, and their own!

Week 4,... Tell me more!

2011-08-29T08:30:00.005-04:00

Art 1 students continue using the Elements of Art and Principles of Design they learned about in the previous 2 weeks. This week is full of several short projects, giving students a busy classroom every day! Students first create projects focusing on Texture. After collecting both actual and implied textures (through rubbings & drwaing), students create collages of their textures. It is amazing to see the different smooth, rough, prickly, sticky, fluffy kinds of textures they find and create! Students next explore Line by creating a relief sculpture from cut white paper. Students can curl, zig-zag, cut thin and thin strips, then glue them to a another piece of white paper to make an interseting all-white study of lines! Students will make value study drawings of these sculptues to further explore Value next week! Students next explore Space by creating drawings of chairs in class close up and from different angles. They focus on positive/negative space and creating dynamic compositions. After creating 3 different 3x3 inch drawings in their sketchbooks, they colored each one in an interesting way to focus on the lines and shapes created by the positive/negative space. Our final Element to explore is Color! Students learn new color vocabulary, including color schemes, mixing and theory vocabulary. Students also learn the practice of color mixing by creating their own color wheels including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as tints and shades of each hue. Any assignments not completed this week will carry over to next week!

Advanced Art students begin the week by altering one of their contour drawing exercises from last week into an interesting work of art. It is up to the student to choose how to alter the drawing and which medium to use. Next, students choose a masterpiece to alter. Students first make a contour drawing of the masterpiece, then choose a technique in which to make the masterpiece different. Students can collage, paint, draw, or use mixed-media. the challenge is to make it an interesting new work of art!

POP! Extra Credit!

2011-08-25T08:25:00.001-04:00

POP! Extra credit*

You will earn 2 extra credit points added to your lowest grade (not to exceed 100 pts) if you do all of the following by Sunday 8/28 @ midnight:

Post a link to my Website: mrsmulloy.blogspot.com to your Facebook wall with a positive comment, then tag me, print it, or text me a picture to show me you did it! I must have your documentation by the cut-off time above!

Don't have Facebook? Propose another idea to Mrs. Mulloy by Friday (8/26)!

*As mentioned in class, POP extra credit is only available by checking this website regularly. POP extra credit is not announced in class and is an incentive to use this site to reinforce and enhance my curriculum

We're going to Use the Elements of Art... Week 3

2011-08-25T08:16:00.001-04:00

Art 1 students review, sing, utilize and quiz on the Elements of Art this week... much to their chagrin, but it works! Students also began introductory projects focusing on each Element and allowing them to become familiar with different art media as well. Students' 1st project is to create drawings with colored pencils focusing on Shape & Pattern. After creating a 2 inch border (and flexing some math skills) on their papers, students divide their compositional space in to geometric and organic shapes. Next they use the principle of Repetition to create patterns within each shape. The resulting pieces are bright, colorful, and fun! If there is time, students will also create a Line Relief Sculpture, Value Study, and Positive/Negative Space silhouette. If there is not time, those projects will carry over to next week!

Art 3/AP/IB DP students refresh their drawing skills this week by creating 3 contour drawings. the 1st subject is a chair in class. They focused on positive/negative space and creating dynamic compositions. Next, they create a contour drawing of an object from a pocket/purse. Lastly, they create a contour drawing of leaves. They will then choose 1 drawing to alter, using the contour drawing as a foundation for a more interesting work of art.

Week 2... Nametags, Sketchbooks, and Forms, Oh My!

2011-08-15T07:57:00.002-04:00

Students in all classes spent this week finishing their nametags, creating designs for their own sketchbooks (now known as Investigation Workbooks for IB), and turning in forms signed by parents. If you have not signed and returned your student's art form and fees, please do so ASAP! Thanks to all who returned them this week and paid the fee already at registration!

Students will be using their Investigation workbooks (IWs) all year, every day. They will write, draw, reflect, research, and brainstorm every day in these books, so I asked them to make the cover designs special. They should create a cover that immediately shows who they are, what they like, and what their personal style is. I am excited by the diversity of designs and the willingness of some students to make a really interesting cover!

Art 1 students are also reviewing the Elements of Art and Principles of Design this week. There will be a quiz on that vocabulary soon! Students finished work on creating their own sketchbooks from a simple bookbinding technique they learned in class. Their covers really reflected their personalities and interests and helped me get to know them even better!

Once finished, we began learning about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Here is a link to a great site that explains what these terms are and their significance. The terms and ideas are the basic language of Art, so it is important that students learn those early and quickly. After an intense note-taking session, I taught them a song to help them remember the Elements of Art and an acronym to help them remember the Principles of Design. And yes, I made them all sing it! Although it's a silly song to the tune of Row Your Boat, it really helps students remember and reminds us all we are not as cool as we think we are! :) We also listened to one student's new version created on Garage Band software to more of a Caribbean beat. Props to Baxter for the great new version! We will be quizzing on those terms until I feel everyone knows them by heart!

Advanced Art students (Art 3/4/AP/IB DP) are also generating ideas this week and beginning to plan projects. Both group and individual tasks asked them to list ways of coming up with ideas and how to find inspiration. Students also looked through the art library in the classrom for ideas, listing them on their idea sheet.

Week 1

2011-08-09T14:34:00.001-04:00

Week 1... Intro to the Courses

Mrs. Mulloy's classes:

2nd, 3rd, and 5th periods: MYP Art 1
6th period: Art 3

7th period: combined Art 4, AP Art, IB DP Visual Arts SL & HL

All classes are spending this partial week going over class logistics and expectations, participating in Icebreaker activities, completing the Art Survey, Art Pretest, and going over the course syllabus!! Students should return their signed parent slips from the syllabus next week.

Thursday and Friday (Aug 11-12), DP students and I will be at an IB retreat, and a sub will be conducting the other students through these tasks.

Welcome to Art!

2011-08-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

BACK TO SCHOOL!

August is here, and school is back in session! Students in my Art classes are taking a wide variety of courses, including MYP Art 1, MYP Art 2, Art 3, Art 4, AP Art, and IB Art (Standard and Higher level). Theretwo additional art teachers teaching high school this year, Mr. Kelley is returning to teach all Art 2 sections, and Mrs. Jennings will be teaching 6th & 7th grades and Art 1. SMMHS and the HS Art studios will be buzzing all year, and it is my goal to keep this blog full of posts about our activities in each class!

Enjoy, feel free to leave comments, and keep checking back!

The Research begins

2011-04-06T09:14:00.002-04:00

For the week of April 4-8, many students will begin their research project, others will be introduced to it and begin in a week or so. As is my tradition, students will finish up their courses by becoming an expert on a piece of art they choose. This year, students may complete the traditional research paper (Full research, 4 sources, citations, typed, single spaced, 10 pt Times font, etc) to present their findings, or they may create and produce a podcast instead. Using the flipcams in the art room, and the iMovie software in the Mac lab, students can compile their research , along with some fun, into an informational podcast about their work of art. Again, students may choose to complete either a paper or a podcast to present the results of their research. They will have approximately 3 weeks to complete the research, writing, and production of their projects.

Ceramics classes are making a "Clay Postcard" this week. After choosing a "postcard" type scene of a place they enjoy or find beautiful, students will recreate the scene in bas relief on a tile, or as a "clay postcard." They will complete a paper or podcast as well for their final project!

Seminars on Creativity in Education

2011-04-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

For the week of March 28- April 1, students engaged in some thoughtful and enlightening seminars during class. After watching 2 different TEDtalks from Sir Ken Robinson on schools and creativity (links here and here), students discussed their own experiences in public education and feelings about creativity. Students also discussed the ideas Daniel Pink suggests in his book, A Whole New Mind, after watching an interview with him. Students were challenged to examine the purpose of our educational system, their role in their educations, and to question the ideas they have about creativity and intelligence. We all learned quite a bit, and have a lot of food for thought after this week!

Pause in Blogging

2011-03-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

As Spring arrives, school gets abuzz with activity! Unfortunately, I do not always have time to do the extra work here and update the blog with assignments, due to all the other responsibilities and activities that come up.

All assignments are now listed in Powerschool, sp please access more course and assignment information from your parent and student portal.

As always, please email me if you have any questions or concerns about what's going on in the Art room!

Thanks!
Allison Mulloy

Week 26... Plaster Casts, Photos and Doodles

2011-02-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students began the process of plaster casting with partners this week. Each student was responsible for prepping their plaster strips and casting their partner's face, arm, or foot. Although quite messy, plaster casting is a fun process and gets all students involved. All casts must be finished by the end of the week; we will mold clay into the casts next week!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students began the Google Doodle project. This year's theme, "What I'd like to do someday..." is broad enough that all students can interpret their ideas into an interesting Google logo. See the Google Doodle Website for more details on the contest and past student winners!

4th period Photo students have 4 assignments they are working on in the next two weeks. First, a photo shoot of Flowers, leaves, and other small organic objects, 5 of which are to be submitted to the wiki or Facebook (due Fri 2/25). Second, students will shoot a variety of images of mechanical, architectural, or otherwise man-made objects, again, posting 5 best (due Thurs 3/3). Third, students will choose their best organic and best synthetic photo and create a diptych collage in picnik.com (due Fri 3/4). Fourth and finally, students must post comments on wiki pages of their classmates photo work, providing virtual critiques and feedback on their photographs (due Fri 3/4).

6th period Art 2 students also began the Google Doodle project. This year's theme, "What I'd like to do someday..." is broad enough that all students can interpret their ideas into an interesting Google logo. See the Google Doodle Website for more details on the contest and past student winners!

Week 25... Hard at work

2011-02-24T11:24:00.002-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students

4th period Photo students

6th period Art 2 students

Week 24... busy bees

2011-02-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students

4th period Photo students

6th period Art 2 students

Week 23... More Love!

2011-02-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students

4th period Photo students

6th period Art 2 students

Week 22... Love all around!

2011-01-24T09:17:00.001-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes began the week by researching the idea of Love in Art and History. Students looked at different artists, approaches, meanings, styles, and techniques all portraying this universal theme. The rest of the week is dedicated to students producing their own piece of sculpture or pottery from clay based on the theme of Love, due Mon (1/31/11).

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students spent the week working on their Love-themed projects. Students were challenged to find a way to represent their idea of Love without being too obvious, cutesy, or typical. Students were instead asked to think of a sophisticated, fresh approach to portraying this theme. PIeces need to be finished by the beginning of week (1/31/11).

4th period Photo students began the week by finishing their altered "mugshot" portraits and turning them in. Students must print, email, post to facebook, or find another way to turn in their photos on time. No excuses for malfunctioning cameras, printers, or missing cards will be accepted at this point in the course. Students had several months during 1st semester to work out issues and make arrangements! Next students began work on their Love projects, a series of 3-5 images based on the student's interpretation of the Love theme. Pics and IW are due Tuesday (2/1/11)!

6th period Art 2 students finished their Word Line drawings by cutting out the negative spaces and mounting the images to black paper. The results are astonishingly clever and quite beautiful! After students finished their line drawings, they bean their LOVE themes project. As my other Art classes, students have been given the task of interpreting and illustrating the theme of love and/or hearts in a fresh, sophisticated, intriguing way. This is a challenge for many, but I am excited to see the different approaches and materials the students choose!

Week 21... Back in the Swing of Things

2011-01-24T09:04:00.001-05:00

It seems as if we've been out of school forever! Students returned from their snow week to begin their latest art projects and investigations.

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes worked on mass-producing slab molded bowls to use for our Fundraising Soup Bowl night in March. Each bowl will be unique and a product of a team of student ceramicists. Students learned a lot about process and working together to produce a large quantity of pieces. We will continue our bowl making eery few weeks until March!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students spent the week researching the idea of Love in Art, Literature, Sciences, and History. Students looked at different approaches, meanings, styles, and techniques all portraying this universal theme. Students watched a PBS video about the science behind Human Emotions and their role in our relationships to help feed ideas to explore. Students were challenged to find a way to represent their idea of Love without being too obvious, cutesy, or typical. Students were instead asked to think of a sophisticated, fresh approach to portraying this theme.

4th period Photo students used the first days of class to finish their 30 Day critiques. Students who did not complete the 30 day project over break will receive a zero. Students who did not write their peer critiques will also receive a zero. The last part of the week was spent taking 10 head-and-shoulder portraits (mugshots) of students around school and manipulating each one. By taking the relatively uninteresting shot and adding 5 layers of Digital effects on Picnik.com, students will create interesting new portraits.

6th period Art 2 students spent the week creating a drawing from words. Students first created a realistic contour drawing based on a photographic image. After creating the entire image from contours students then began to replace each line with a line of words chosen from a poem, song, book, or quote of their choice. The resulting images are fantastic; each image is formed entirely out of lines of words!

Week 20... Snow week

2011-01-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

Because of our snow storm, school was cancelled for the entire week. Be safe, have fun, and make snow art!

Week 19... 2nd Semester, here we go!

2011-01-24T08:14:00.005-05:00

To start our new semester, each class took the time to reflect on 1st semester. By creating a list of what students learned 1st semester and their accomplishments in the course until now, students were able to better understand where they are and where they want to be by the end of the course. Students then wrote goals they created in their workbooks for 2nd semester.

Oops!

2010-12-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

Our attempt to show at the Red Bank Market tomorrow as planned is FOILED by time conflicts! The market was actually held tonight, 12/3 and will not happen tomorrow, 12/4 as I thought. Thanks to those who were wiling to come for extra credit; other options are available to make that up if desired!

POP! Extra Credit #2

2010-11-29T16:18:00.000-05:00

POP! Extra credit #2*

You will change your lowest DAILY grade to a 100 if you do all of the following by Sunday 12/5, 11:59pm:

Post a link to my Website: mrsmulloy.blogspot.com to your Facebook wall with a positive comment, then tag me, print it, or text me a picture to show me you did it! I must have your documentation by the cut-off time above!
Don't have Facebook? Propose another idea to Mrs. Mulloy by Friday (12/3)!

*As mentioned in class, POP extra credit is only available by checking this website regularly. POP extra credit is not announced in class and is an incentive to use this site to reinforce and enhance my curriculum.

Week 17... Semester Exam Projects

2010-11-29T11:46:00.002-05:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes worked diligently to construct and finish a "Choice Teapot" this week for their Semester exam project. Using the knowledge and skills acquired this semester, students must design and create an interesting teapot, employing the construction methods of their choice. There are 4 requirements for this project; the piece must: hold liquid and have a handle, spout, and lid. Other than that, students should create the most interesting piece they can to demonstrate their learning this semester. Problem-solving, attention to detail, and connecting knowledge and skills are integral in making a good teapot and exam grade! A 3-4 page IW on the project is due, along with the finished artwork, any extra credit and all previous assignments, on Friday, December 10th by 2:00pm. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED, MISSING WORK WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students worked on The Sketchbook Project this week. The website for the project is http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject . Each student is creating a 4 page spread in the sketchbook based on their interpretation of the theme: "If you lived here..." Choice of materials, approach, and techniques are the choices of each student artist; the choices should reflect the knowledge and skills gained up to now in Art 3/4/AP. The 4 page spread in the sketchbook is due, along with the finished artwork, any extra credit and all previous assignments, on Monday, December 13th by 2:00pm. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED, MISSING WORK WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

4th period Photography students continued their work investigating photographers of their choice. As instructed in Week 15, students are to complete a "meaty" 4 page investigation about the photographer and his or her photographs, to count as an exam grade. the complete requirements and details are listed in the previous blog posts! Students will have had over 2 weeks to complete this 4 page exam investigation, and should be demonstrating their investigation skills in addition to becoming experts on their photographers. The 30 day project also begin this week on December 1st. Students should take a picture every day for 30 days and complete an investigation on the project. 30 day shoots and IWs are due the first week we return in to school in January! The 4 page Exam IW is due, along with all previous assignments and any extra credit, on Friday, December 10th by 2:00pm. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED, MISSING WORK WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

6th period Art 2 students worked hard this week creating their Choice projects for Semester Exams. Students were asked to create their own project idea, investigate it fully, and complete the project using the techniques and materials of their choice. Students were asked to create a project that would showcase the knowledge and skills they learned in this course and were advised to choose something that will appropriately and adequately demonstrate exam-worthy learning. A 3-4 page IW on the project is due, along with the finished artwork, any extra credit and all previous assignments, on Friday, December 10th by 2:00pm. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED, MISSING WORK WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

Week 16... Thankful for Art and Short weeks!

2010-11-22T00:15:00.002-05:00

Since we observe the Thanksgiving holiday Wed through Fri this week, we only have one or two class meetings this week.

Ceramics is lucky to have 2 class days to plan their teapots and prepare clay before beginning the real work next week (drying time and short periods prohibit starting too much!). They should have a great idea of what they want to make, research about pieces using similar ideas, colors, textures, to forms, and how to get it made. I'm Thankful for great pottery students!

Art 3/4/AP students must finish their Kara Walker inspired silhouette images and corresponding IWs. It will be a push, but they can do it! Lunch, study halls, and after school options are always available with planning if more studio time is needed. I'm Thankful for risk-taking advanced students!

30 day Clouds

Art 2 Photo students must use their time wisely to get research done for their Research project and 30 day IWs while making plans for their 30 day photo shoot to begin! I'm Thankful for outstanding photographers!

Art 2 students also have a lot of planning and investigating in their IWs to do before beginning their MIDTERM choice projects this week. I'm Thankful for students pulling it all together!

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

Week 15... Student Teacher doing great!

2010-11-21T23:59:00.001-05:00

Our student teacher still has the reigns this week with several great lessons! Her knowledge and excitement are a great addition to the art room, and with two teachers we've gotten so much cleaned and organized in the art room!

Ceramics students presented their cultural projects that were due this week. Most students did well, and we all learned a lot about 6 different cultures and their history and traditions of ceramics! The IW, Project, and Presentation were all test grades, so students were reminded to take it seriously and o well on this almost 3 week project!! Students also created a ceramic logo "stamp" to mark their pottery with. It's like a permanent personal trademark on the pottery! Students were also told about their final project: a teapot. Their instructions were to create a teapot with a spout, lid, handle, and vessel for liquid. Beyond those requirements, students can use the skills and creative abilities we've fostered this semester to create anything they want! Students must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the skills, terminology, and process learned thus far.

Art 3/4/AP students excitedly began the Kara Walker project planned by Ms. Loudermilk. After studying her work , students ware creating amazing large-scale black silhouette shapes depicting stereotypes they want to confront. These are going to be powerful works of art! The IW and project are due Tues, 11/23.

Art 2 Photography students worked on printing their best of the best projects again this week, in addition to begin prompted with the next 2 assignments, 2nd being their midterm exam project. #1 due 1/4/11, Students will investigate 365 Projects for the inspiration for their next photo shoot: a 30 Day Project. Students will take a photo every day from Dec 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. They may choose to do self portraits, the same shot every day, a certain item or themed items, etc. They should investigate information, how-to's, interesting techniques, and nice examples for their IW's. Students will post them to the wiki and be ready to discuss and present them to the class when we return from Winter Break! #2 due FRIDAY 12/10, Students will research a photographer of their choice (who has made an obvious impact on photography) thoroughly in their IW's. MIDTERM GRADE!! They will investigate the important and relevant biographical and artistic information more fully understand the work of the artist such as:

Birth, Nationality, family background?
Time period, relevant events in history?
Education, Art training?
What age pursued art?
Influenced by which artists?
Influenced by which issues/events?
Medium/a?
Style?
Subject Matter?
Famous Works?
Career in art successful during life?
Influence to later artists?
Influence to later society?
Influence to your society?

Art 2 students spent later in the week taking a break from all the nail carving and paper cutting projects as soon as they finished and used mostly our brains, ears, and mouths. After a great socratic seminar on an article we annotated in class which assessed the importance of Art Education, students wrote a reflection in their IW's. We also used our class time this week to look through our IW's and write a list of things we learned form each page in our IW's. As students should have completed over 30 pages from several different assignments this semester, they had at least 30 topics or items to make a list from of that they had learned in those assignments. We then made a large poster with each student writing 5 things they had learned in the course this far. From "Don't procrastinate," to "I am better at art than I thought I was," to "The printmaking process takes patience," students enjoyed seeing all they learned spilled out there on the poster before them! Students were also told about their MIDTERM project, and to be ready to begin planning in the IW for their chosen project on Monday.

Week 14... Cultural Awareness

2010-11-21T23:10:00.001-05:00

Ceramics students spent the week studying various cultures from around the world and their traditions of pottery. Each student worked as part of a group to research a specific culture, then each student created a piece or two in the style of that culture, The group then created a presentation to showcase their investigations of their cultures and the pieces they made to represent their cultures.

Art 3/4/AP student finished their 12 layer canvases and corresponding IWs. They are quite stunning works of art demonstrating quite a bit of creative thinking and manipulation of artistic media. The students also learned a lot about themselves and the creative process through this lesson!

Art 2 Photography students worked on printing their final projects in addition to 2 investigations and photo shoots. #1, student investigated Light Painting. Looking for information, how-to's, interesting techniques, and nice examples for their IW's, students spent time researching and creating their own 3 light painting photos, due on the wiki. #2, students investigated a specific theme of their choice, i.e. friendship, trust, class, poverty, etc. to create a series of 5 images about. Looking for information about the theme, interesting themed photos, and nice examples of themed manipulated photos for their IW's, students spent time researching and creating their own 5 themed digital manipulation photos, due on the wiki.

Art 2 students finished their collages based on the Masterworks they brought in as part of their previously assigned investigations. After sketching the contours of the image they reproduced, they filled in areas of the image with small bits of colored paper found from magazines to create beautiful collages. The results are AMAZING work and many will be exhibited at UNUM at an exhibit in Downtown Chattanooga! Students who did not complete the Masterwork IW completed bookwork as an alternative assignment.

What's all this Wiki business?

2010-11-01T22:59:00.000-04:00

Wondering what in the world a wiki is? Hope this short video helps!

Week 13... After the Sugar Rush

2010-11-01T11:51:00.001-04:00

After the Sugar Rush of Halloween, students have a great week ahead working with our student teacher. Ms. Loudermilk, an Art Education student teacher from UTC, has been with us a few weeks observing and working individually with students, and will now be heading the class for a couple of weeks. Although Mrs. Mulloy will be around, Ms. Loudermilk is learning the ropes by taking over of the Art room! The students and I are excited about the fresh ideas and enthusiasm she brings to us!

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes begin work on their Cultural Research Projects on Monday. It is a large project that will consume a couple of weeks and count as test (pottery & presentation) and daily grades (IW & group work grade) and should be treated as such! After separating into 6 groups, each group studying a different culture (Chinese, Egyptian, Grecian, Native America, Mayan, and Japanese), students spent time in the Mac lab completing research, assigning duties and making plans for their projects. The remainder of this week and part of next will be devoted to researching the assigned culture and finding specific shapes, forms, colors, textures, and characteristics of ceramics from that culture. Once research is complete, students from each group will create ceramic pieces using the characteristics of the country they researched. After creating several pieces as a group representative of that country, students will present their work to the class. Ms. Loudermilk's PowerPoint with examples and requirements can be found here. An IW for the project is due Mon (11/15).

3rd period Art 3/4/AP class continued excitedly working on the 12 Layer Canvas project. So far, students have created new layers from the following instructions:
1. Draw a 2" grid over the entire canvas.
2. Paint in the squares.
3. Add tissue paper.
4. Add tape.
5. Add a white wash.
6. Write words.
The IW for this project should be about process, exploration, ideas for further media exploration or ideas for new projects, and a reflection on the finished piece as well.

4th period Photography students continue this week working on their wiki pages. Although I asked students to have the past assignment pages finished by Monday (11/1), only a few students had completed the work (due to a lack of work in class Thursday and no class on Friday with the half-day). Students were assigned the task this week of completing those pages of past assignments as well as the new assignment of adding critiques for 12 of their classmates. Each student must post a thoughtful critical response in the form of a comment on 2 different pages for 12 different peers. A total of 24 comments in addition to the finished pages displaying all previous Photography class assignments are due by Monday (11/1).

6th period Art 2 students are busy reproducing Masterworks in paper collages this week! After completing an investigation about a well-known work of art by a master artist, students chose one masterwork to reproduce. First students make a contour (outline) drawing of the major lines and shapes in the work, then they scour magazines for close matches to the colors within their masterwork. Depending on the effect students choose, they can cut, tear, or punch out their colored papers to act as "paint" to add the "brushstrokes" of color to fill the shapes. Students were encouraged to do a lot of accurate sketching using one of several methods (grid drawing, pencil proportions, "blind" drawing) learned previously in class to get a realistic drawing of the painting. Students were then reminded to collect a bounty of color to ensure they had all areas planned for before assembling and glueing the collage. I'm excited to see the final results! Students who previously completed this projects produced results like this!

Week 12... Wikis all around!

2010-10-25T19:48:00.003-04:00

Students returned from Fall Break to create wiki accounts, test pages to trouble-shoot, and began creating their own pages to publish. Lots of work in the Mac lab this week!

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students had an IW on Slab Boxes due Mon (10/25). They began the week by creating wiki accounts and test pages to learn how the wired atelier* wiki (mulloy.pbworks.com) works. Tuesday they created pages to critique one of their own pottery pieces. Using the self critique form provided on the wiki as a guide, students wrote a few paragraphs about their work. Reminded before Fall Break and this week in class, students were asked to bring a bowl to use as a mold. After the wiki work was finished, students who were prepared with their materials on Wednesday made a pinched molded bowl from small balls of clay pressed together then smoothed to a finished surface. We discussed that most pottery surfaces used for food should be smooth, as to prevent food particles and dirt getting caught in the surface of the clay. Students who were not prepared with their mold bowls were asked to figure our some way to be productive and produce work to make up for their unpreparedness. I hope students learned a lesson about listening closely to instructions and making sure they remember to bring materials when needed! The week was finished by finishing up the past IWs and pottery pieces due before Mon (11/1).

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students began the much-anticipated 12 Layer Canvas project this week. Each student got an 18x24 canvas and each day gets new instructions for a new layer. They don't know what each layer will be, so there is not way for them to plan the final result, but instead learn to experiment and learn from the unexpected beauties of exploration! Their first instruction was "Create a 2"grid over the entire canvas." Their 2nd layer's instructions were "Paint in the squares." The 3rd layer's instructions were "Add tissue paper." Students are eager to hear the next layer each day, but I'm only revealing one layer at a time. It's amazing to see the different results each student produces from the same simple instructions! There is nothing due next week, as this week we are in process, but students should always be looking and sketching!

4th period Photography students had an IW on Digital Manipulation and 5 images due Mon (10/25). Students spent the entire week in the Mac lab working on the wiki. To improve the process of submitting photos and getting feedback, students will now create a new wiki page to submit each of their photo projects. Students will then post at least 15 comments on different classmates' images to provide a virtual critique of their work! I'm excited to see if tis new process improves the process of submission and feedback! This week students spent time creating pages for all their previously submitted assignments and posted them to the wiki! All pages of old assignments are due before Mon (11/1). Go check them out here and feel free to leave some positive feedback; students have taken some beautiful pictures!

6th period Art 2 class had an IW on a Masterwork due Tues (1026). 6th period students also began the week in the Mac lab creating wiki accounts, test pages, and trouble-shotting wiki issues. Wednesday students who were prepared with their Masterwork began a project to reproduce the Masterwork through collaged papers. First, students created a simple contour-line drawing of the Masterwork as realistically as possible, keeping all objects in proportion and replicating the image as closely as possible. Students will next assemble colored papers from magazine clippings to fill the spaces created by the contour lines with color. Just as the original artist used strokes of paint to create the image they are reproducing, students will alter the original by creating strokes of colored paper to mimic the colors in the painting. I am excited to see the finished results! Examples of this project previously completed by other students can be seen on the online gallery at Artsonia here. There is no new IW due next Tuesday (11/2).

Week 10... In Between Finishing and Starting!

2010-10-25T19:45:00.002-04:00

As this was an "off week" after the 1st quarter and before Fall break, most of the week was spent finishing up old projects and fixing IWs.

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics students fixed slab boxes, threw on the wheel, made platters, clay leaves, glazed bisque fired pieces, and caught up on IWs. The slab box IW is due after break (10/25), so there was a lot of time to get that ready!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students spent the week finishing up Choice project #2 and the accompanying IW, due after Fall Break (10/25).

4th period Photography students spent the week in the Mac lab learning about Digital Manipulation and the online Photo Editing program Picnik. Their assignment, due 10/25 after Fall Break, is the take an original Photo they've taken recently and manipulate it 4 different ways. The original plus 4 different manipulations of the same image are due along with an IW on Digital Manipulation and Picnik. It's a free, fun site to edit your photos that simulates photoshop's filter with "Effects," you should try it!!

6th period Art 2 students finished their experimental images used their carved acrylic plates. Students created Photograms and Oil pastel Images on the other side of the acrylic plate. This experimental project yielded some unintended yet beautiful results, and the students were able to access the Photography darkroom as a surprise! An IW on a Masterwork is due Tues after Fall Break (10/26), which we will use for our next project.

Week 11.... Fall Break!!

Now that schools start in August instead of September, we are thankful for Fall Break!!!

Enjoy, look at some art, be safe, and have fun!

Love, Mrs. M

Art Sale THIS Weekend in Red Bank

2010-10-06T00:20:00.008-04:00

Mrs. Mulloy purchased a booth to sell artwork at the Red Bank Market to raise $$ for supplies. Please come support us!
Sat, Oct 9th 10am-4pm

Art Sale Event page

Help will be needed Friday after lunch to prepare the goods for presenting and sales. Saturday, we'll need help manning the tent in 2 hour shifts.
Extra Credit is being offered!

Week 9.. Homecoming! Already?

2010-10-05T19:08:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe it's Homecoming Week at SMHS and that we've already been in school 9 weeks, but here we are! This week students did not have class on Friday, as teachers have in-service. As we near the end of the quarter, please encourage proactivity among students in making sure their assignments are completed!**

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes had an IW on Glazing due Mon (10/4) and glazed their 4 intro projects last week. Students who are absent are responsible for finding a way to get these projects quickly finished on their own time within the week, as clay drying and firing schedules cannot be changed, and unfinished work cannot be graded. This week, students began making a Memory Box using the slab method. After planning their boxes and measurements, students rolled out slabs of clay to the size and shape they needed, then left them out flat to harden some. The next day, the leatherhard slab pieces were scored and slipped to the slab bases and reinforced on the inside corners with soft plastic coils to construct the form of the box. Students struggled in many cases with thin, cracking, dried-out walls, but learned the hard lessons of clay: follow instructions or disaster strikes! :) Students should choose someone to write a letter to or in memory of someone to enclose in their boxes when they're fired, and should also plan the decorative glazing they will incorporate once bisque fired. Their IW on Slab boxes is due Monday after Fall Break (10/25)!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students worked on a choice project this week. Students may choose any subject matter, medium, and idea of their own to execute this week. Some are painting, some collaging, some making photograms, some are building frames; there is a flurry of creative energy during 3rd period this week! Full investigations on their projects including critiques, as always, are due Monday, (10/11).

4th period Photo class began the week with a day in the computer lab to begin investigating photographer Cindy Sherman and Portraits. This IW is due Monday (10/11). The photo shoot this week involves a partner. Students are to shoot 5 portraits of their partner, but each one should try to show a different "person" through hair, makeup, clothes, lighting, background context, props, etc. These 5 photos are due due Monday (10/11) as well. In addition, students are also rotating into the darkroom to create their won photograms! All students should have completed 1 successful photogram by next Friday (10/15).

6th period Art 2 students continued carving their portraits into their acrylic plates using nails and other strong, sharp objects. Although taxing on hands because of the amount of pressure students have to apply to carve into the acrylic, students are achieving remarkable results! This week's lesson: Art hurts sometimes! :) I am very excited to see the finished results of these experimental intaglio printmaking projects! The IW on Kathe Kollwitz and Intaglio Printmaking was due Tues (10/5).

**Special Note: Students who fall behind due to absences in studio-driven courses like Art should ask for an alternate paperwork assignment if time cannnot be arranged in the students's day to return to the art room and work. It is the responsibility of the student, however, to seek this alternate assignment before extended absences or proposed due dates.

FYI- Trouble with Grading Software

2010-09-27T22:22:00.001-04:00

Our new county-wide software (PowerSchool) for grading has been inaccessible most of last week and this week as repairs and adjustments are made at the district level. Although this new software is exciting and will be wonderful for teachers and parents once it is online, the bugs are still being worked out of this new system.
Please know that, though no new grades can be posted in the online gradebook, grades are still being documented and will be entered into the system once the data storage is reliable. This may result in a delay of progress reports, so please be aware!

Thank you for your patience; I'm sure practicing mine! :)

Week 8... Art studies in depth

2010-09-27T21:55:00.010-04:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes do not have an IW due this week, as their Throwing on the Wheel investigation was due last week. Students began this week by researching Glazing. We now have several bisque-fired pieces ready to glaze, so before we begin the process, students will become acquainted with the History and How-To's of glazing. After this week, I hope our classes have glazed their Slab Texture Tiles, Coil Coasters, Pinch Pot Rattles, and even their Clay Leaves. I am excited to see how the first finished pieces turn out! The finished IW on Glazing is Due Mon (10/4).

3rd period Art 3/4/AP class worked on the Seminar Reading Project (see previous week's description of the project task and goals). After focusing last week on brainstorming and investigating ideas then beginning on one section of their work (either typography and layout or realistic drawings), students will spend this week pulling the project together to make a beautiful, meaningful work of art based on their Seminar books. Once finished, students typed a 2-3 paragraph Artist Statement to explain the piece. One student remarked last week, "It's amazing how may more details I'm noticing in the book now. Its cool how art can help me understand my book better!" Yay for interdisciplinary connections and reinforcing important ideas across the curriculum; it really does work! IWs this week should be focused in the Seminar Book project; hearty investigations of the book, ideas, and a well-done critique should all be present and are due Monday (10/4).

4th period Photo class worked on quite a few tasks again this week. They continued rotating in the darkroom to learn basic darkroom printing techniques in order to make Photograms, completed one Visual Analysis of a Photo, and copied important vocab into their IWs from a list provided. Important information on: Use of Enlargers, mixing the Chemistry in the Darkroom, and Black and White printing was covered. Notes should've been taken during Mulloy's demo, as instructed, to remind students later of the timing and process for when they work in the darkroom alone. At the same time, students are also photographing the ABC's (26 photos total, 1 of each letter) which are due Monday (10/4).

6th period Art 2 students spent the week studying and practicing portrait drawing. Tuesday was a computer lab day to do research for the IW, and the rest of the week was spent creating their projects. After getting their own photos taken, students will create Expressive Self-Portraits using an Intaglio printmaking method. Students will create the images by scratching their portrait into a clear acrylic 'plate' which will then be inked and run through a printing press. The resulting portraits should be quite Expressive, bold, gestural and hopefully fun to create! An IW on Käthe Kollwitz and Intaglio Printmaking is due Tues (10/5).

Week 7... Seminar Books, Photograms, and Coils

2010-09-21T08:01:00.003-04:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics classes created coil vases this week. Due Monday (9/20) were 5 photos of ceramics seen outside of the classroom. Students could show me camera phone pics, post to Facebook, or print out the pics. A demonstration on how to throw on the potter's wheel later in the week began the rotation of students onto our 4 potter's wheels to experience throwing. Each week, students will rotate onto the 4 wheels and hopefully create some great pottery while learning a fun technique! Students concentrated this week, howeer, on creating a solid coil construction which was: 20 coils high, included spirals, and was water tight. The different shapes and approaches have been really interesting to see in creation! Students do not have a new IW this week, as it is TURN IN WEEK for workbooks!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP class worked on the Seminar Reading Project. After investigating their seminar book by creating a summary and list of important themes, symbols, and objects from the story, students were asked to bring in 2 photos or 2 of the actual objects from their lists to draw. After making sketches and observing details, students will create a 6x9 realistic drawing of each of their objects. Students will then choose a passage or two from the book mentioning those objects and use their skills with typography to incorporate the text from the passage into the artwork. Students may propose a similar idea, such as creating a sculptural piece instead of a 2-D piece, but proposal must be made to Mrs. Mulloy before deviating from the established assignment! Due Monday (9/20) was an IW on the history of and relationship between Literature and Art. There is no new IW this week other than for the Seminar Reading project! All other IWs are now overdue and will be graded this week!

4th period Photography students learned about Photograms early in the week by doing research, then learned in the darkroom how to create their own Photograms. Due Monday (9/20) were a Rule of Thirds IW and 10 Rule of Thirds Photos: One set of 5 centered, one set on the Rule of Thirds. Learning and practicing basic black and white printing skills in the darkroom, students gained valuable experience in traditional photography this week. Working chemical solutions, dilutions, While we were rotating in the darkroom, students also completed a Visual Analysis of a photograph of their choice, copied important photo vocab into their workbooks, and began their next Photo shoot Assignment: Photograph the ABCs, 26 photos due Tuesday, October 5.

6th period Art 2 students finished up their Summer Reading Projects at the beginning of the week. After finishing the artwork, students created Artist's Statements to accompany their art work in an exhibit around the school. Our hope is that other students will not only be able to admire the creative talent of our art students, but also reinforce the major ideas and themes of the Seminar and Summer Reading books we read. Students then began an Expressive Portrait project. They will create portraits of themselves based on photos then altered to be in a more Expressive style.

POP! Extra credit*

2010-09-13T19:55:00.001-04:00

You will earn 2 extra credit points added to your lowest grade (not to exceed 100 pts) if you do all of the following by Sunday 9/19, 11:59pm:

Post a link to my Website: mrsmulloy.blogspot.com to your Facebook wall with a positive comment, then tag me, print it, or text me a picture to show me you did it! I must have your documentation by the cut-off time above!
Don't have Facebook? Propose another idea to Mrs. Mulloy by Friday (9/17)!

*As mentioned in class, POP extra credit is only available by checking this website regularly. POP extra credit is not announced in class and is an incentive to use this site to reinforce and enhance my curriculum.

Week 6... in the Mix

2010-09-13T14:11:00.004-04:00

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics had an IW on rattle design and history due Monday 9/13. This week students began learning about throwing on the wheel, including a demonstration DVD by The Clay Lady, online research, and a teacher demo. Students will begin to, after this week's intro, rotate daily on the wheel; each student spending a few days experiencing and experimenting with the equipment and process over the semester. Hopefully by the end of the semester we'll actually be throwing pots! Students also made a clay leaf impression piece, using the slab method and a fresh leaf to create a beautiful and functional piece of pottery. After slabs were rolled, students collected fresh leaves from outside and pressed them into the top of the clay, creating a beautiful surface texture and reinforcing the idea of interesting surface design in addition to the importance form in pottery. Homework this week was to take 5 photos of pottery they see outside school (at stores, people's homes, etc). The 5 photos are due Monday (9/20).

3rd period Art 3/4/AP students finished up their choice projects and IWs with critiques early in the week, then began to brainstorm and investigate for their Seminar Reading Art project. After investigating their seminar book by creating a summary and list of important themes, symbols, and objects from the story, students were asked to bring in 2 photos or 2 of the actual objects from their lists to draw. After making sketches and observing details, students will create a 6x9 realistic drawing of each of their objects. Students will then choose a passage or two from the book mentioning those objects and use their skills with typography to incorporate the text from the passage into the artwork. Students may propose a similar idea, such as creating a sculptural piece instead of a 2-D piece, but proposal must be made to Mrs. Mulloy before deviating from the established assignment! Students should create an IW this week on the history of and relationship between Literature and Art, due Monday (9/20).

4th period Photo students had an IW on Camera Basics & Exposure and their 2 photos due Monday, 9/13. Students spent this week learning about different time periods and genres of photography through watching the Adventure of Photography DVD and taking notes about important events, figures, and ideas in Photography. Students also began investigating the Rule of Thirds and Composition in Photography, for which the IW is due Mon (9/20), as are 10 pics: 5 images using a symmetrical, centered composition, then 5 identical pics instead using the Rule of Thirds to compose them.

6th period Art 2 students finished working on their Summer/Seminar Reading book projects this week. They were asked last week to bring in 2 objects or photographs from their list to draw. After students completed the two 6x9 reaistic pencil drawings, they chose passages from the book and applied their knowledge of typography to paint a beautiful arrangement of words to combine with their drawn images on large paper. Projects should be completed by Friday (9/17) and are due Tuesday (9/21). For this week's IW assignment, students should research Expressive Portraits (vs Realistic portraits) in preparation for their next project. They should've already turned in a headshot photograph of themselves to use in this project in Week 4! Expressive Portrait IWs are due Tuesday (9/21).

Week 5... Busy as a Hive!

2010-09-08T15:29:00.004-04:00

*Progress Reports go home Friday 9/9!*
Although this week was shortened by Labor day on Monday, students have been busy learning and creating in the art room this week! Mrs. Mulloy was chaperoning a STARS leadership team on Wednesday out of school, but students had a lot going on with their research and art making! Submissions for the Hamilton Place Bus design contest have been scanned in and will be submitted this week! I'll keep you posted if any Eagle Artists make the cut, and I'm working on getting our online gallery updated as well!!

1st and 2nd periods Ceramics had a History of Ceramics and Pottery investigation due Tues (9/7). This week students worked diligently creating their own ceramic rattles this week. After creating designs in their sketchbooks and investigating the history of rattles in different cultures and their use up to now with infants, students got their hands dirty! Although our shortened 55 minute periods are tough for accomplishing much ceramic work, we are learning to work quickly while having enough time to clean up before the bell rings and get to the next class (usually at the other end of the building). We are also learning a lot about the role of humidity, temperature, and trying to keep our clay wet enough to work! Chemistry is alive in the art room, as are pop quizzes! Students' rattles and investigations (3-4 pages, as always) due Thursday (9/9)!

3rd period Art 3/4/AP should have already turned in a bus design and IW last week! My students looked a lot like college art students this week; each working on their own choice projects! Creating 3-4 page investigations on their ideas, students are executing interesting works of art, from traditional charcoal still-life drawings to tissue-paper embroidered canvases! Projects and investigations, including a self-critique ( as always) are due Friday (9/10)!

4th period Photography had 7 Elements of Art photos and an IW due Tues (9/7). This week students began to learn about Camera Basics and Exposure in Photography. After a podcast series, videos, and online research time, students created a 3-4 page investigation on the topic. Heavy in new vocabulary, this week was full of talk about apertures, shutter speeds, ISOs, depth of field, stops of light, and ranges of values. In addition to all the vocab and notes, they need to use a camera with adjustable settings to take multiple photos manipulating the light, focus, and depth of field just by changing the camera's settings. They should submit 2 digi files or prints: one exposed automatically, and one showing an identical image but with manipulated exposure (blurred focus from long shutter speed, shallow depth of field from larger aperture, etc) due Monday (9/13)!

6th period Art 2 students were busy creating the 2 realistic drawings (yes, they can learn to draw realistically, no matter what!) they will use in their Summer reading/ Seminar book inspired artwork. After summarizing their book in 2 paragraphs, students were asked to brainstorm important ideas, themes, symbols, and objects from their books. Students then created small sketches of each object or symbol. (All of this work was done in the IW and should be part of a 3-4 page investigation on the Summer reading book and project!) An additional homework IW (3-4 page investigation, 50/50 images and text, with MLS sources, as always!) on Art and Literature is due Tuesday (9/14)! They were then asked to bring in 2 objects or photographs from their list to draw (the most accurate realistic drawings are done form OBSERVATION, not memory). After students complete the drawings, they will choose passages from the book to and use their knowledge of typography to paint a beautiful arrangement of words to combine next week with their drawn images on large paper. I am SO excited to see how the works of art turn out, and I hope this project will reinforce the students' interest in or knowledge of their Summer Reading/Seminar books, as well as the important relationship between Art and Literature!

Week 4... History in the Making

2010-08-30T09:13:00.006-04:00

1st and 2nd period Ceramics had a 3-4 page Autobiography investigation in their workbooks due Mon (8/30). The students started this week in the computer lab investigating the History of Ceramics and Pottery. They are to complete a 3-4 page investigation in their workboks addressing the major questions in an investigation: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? As always, their investigations should include 50% text and info, 50% images. They should include at least 5 sources in MLA style in their investigation! The last part of the week they created designs for their ceramic rattle!

3rd period Art 3/4 students created their final designs for the Hamilton Place bus design contest. After planning extensively last week, students have created some fantastic designs to submit for entry to the contest! After finishing their design entries, students should finish the 3-4 page investigation in their workbooks by completing a self critique! Next, Art 3/4 students began investigating and planning their first choice project which they will need to complete by Friday (9/10)!

4th period Photography students had a 2 different investigations in their workbooks due Mon (8/30): an Autobiography , as well as the 3-4 page investigation on the History and Invention of Photography we began in class last week. The students started the week creating timelines of key events on Photo History, dividing in groups to find correlating events in world history to correspond on the timleine. Students also began photographing the 7 Elements of Art, and those 7 photo files are due next Tuesday (9/7)! An investigation on the Elements of Art and their 7 Photos are also due Tuesday (9/7).Students got a day in the computer lab to do online research for those assignments!

6th period Art 2 students had a 3-4 page Autobiography investigation in their workbooks due Mon (8/30). Students created their final designs for the Hamilton Place bus design contest this week. After planning extensively last week, students have created some fantastic designs to submit for entry to the contest! To prepare for our next project, students brought in two things: their summer reading book and a "headshot" photo of themselves making an expressive face. Angry, excited, bored, blissful, whatever! Photo MUST be of head ONLY and be close enough to see details in focus!
Students began the Summer Reading project this week as well. After investigating their summer reading or seminar book by creating a summary and list of important themes, symbols, and objects from the story, students were asked to bring in photos of 2 of the objects from their list to draw. After making sketches and observing details, students will create a 6x9 realistic drawing of each of their objects. Students will then choose a passage or two from the book mentioning those objects and use their skills with typography to incorporate the text from the passage into the artwork.

Week 3... Let the Projects begin!

2010-08-26T08:10:00.002-04:00

Students began working on their first involved projects in their Art classes this week. Homework assignments, or IWs, have been given, and students are hard at work solving the problems I have presented them! Please ASK your student about the IW assignments and requirements; they should know by now!

1st and 2nd period Ceramics classes quizzed on Ceramics vocabulary this week. The 6 stages of clay must be memorized asap! Students also learned the basic handbuilding techniques and formed their first pieces from clay. A Slab-formed Texture Tile, a Pinch Pot vessel, and a Coil-made coaster or vessel. Students also worked on an Investigation of Self/Autobiography of 3-4 pages in their IWs due Monday (8/30).

3rd period Art 3/4 students spent the week investigating, brainsorming, planning, and sketching ideas for their next project. Students are creating designs for the Hamilton Place Mall Bus Design Contest. With the theme of "Design a Better World and Community," students brainstormed aspects of their world and community that they loved, then thought of things they wanted to see changed for the better. Students then investigated and produced designs using the template for submission provided by Hamilton Place. When finished, we'll scan and submit the entries digitally! The investigation for the project is due Monday (8/30)!

4th period Photography students spent the week "dropping" their files of photos to my computer to turn in. The 5 best photos they've taken and the 5-7 photos of school that were due Monday (8/23) were uploaded to my computer. We viewed and discussed most students' 5 best, but we realized we have too many people to critique in one period! Students will critique each others' school photos soon! We spent the remainder of the week in the Mac lab on our Photo History Investigation project. Students must complete a 3-4 page investigation on the History and Invention of Photography in their workbooks, including 50% text, 50% images, as always!

6th period Art 2 students spent the week investigating, brainsorming, planning, and sketching ideas for their Bus design project. Art 2 students are creating designs for the Hamilton Place Mall Bus Design Contest as well. With the theme of "Design a Better World and Community," students brainstormed aspects of their world and community that they loved, then thought of things they wanted to see changed for the better. Students then investigated and produced designs using the template for submission provided by Hamilton Place. When finished, we'll scan and submit the entries digitally! The investigation for the project is due Monday (8/30), along with an Autobiography investigation of 3-4 pages in their workbooks!!

Week 2... Nametags, Sketchbooks, and Forms, Oh My!

2010-08-18T11:12:00.002-04:00

Students in all classes spent this week finishing their nametags, creating designs for their own sketchbooks (now known as Investigation Workbooks for IB), and turning in forms signed by parents. If you have not signed and returned your student's art form and fees, please do so ASAP! Thanks to all who returned them this week and paid the fee here or at registration!

Students will be using their Investigation workbooks (IWs) all year, every day. They will write, draw, reflect, research, and brainstorm every day in these books, so I asked them to make the cover designs special. They should create a cover that immediately shows who they are, what they like, and what their personal style is. I am excited by the diversity of designs and the willingness of some students to make a really interesting cover!

*Ceramics students have a quiz on the Stages of Clay Thursday (8/19).

*Art 3/4 students have an autobiography in their IWs due Monday (8/23).

* Photo students should bring 5 of their best photos to critique for Thursday (8/19), and remember to bring their cameras for a shooting day Friday (8/20)!

Week 1... Intro to the Courses

2010-08-16T13:40:00.007-04:00

1st and 2nd periods: Ceramics Art 2
3rd period: Art 3/4
4th period: Photo Art 2
6th period: General Art 2

All classes went over the course syllabus, expectations, logistics of the art room, and began learning course specific vocabulary. Students did a great job listening to me talk all period; I promised them most days wouldn't be so tedious!! Students should return their signed parent slips from the syllabus next week.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

2010-08-14T21:28:00.002-04:00

August is here, and school is back in session! Students in Art classes are taking a wide variety of classes, including Ceramics, Photography, Art 2, and Art 3/4/AP. There is a new art teacher, Mr. Kelley, who will be taking over the Art 1 studies this year. SMMHS and the HS Art studio will be buzzing all year, and it is my goal to keep this blog full of posts about our activities in each class!

Enjoy, feel free to leave comments, and keep checking back!

Week 6... Color studies

2010-03-08T07:48:00.002-05:00

Art 1: Students spent this week learning about color theory and mixing. Students created their own color wheels using hues, tints, and shades of the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Students also began creating designs using their initials and typography as inspiration. They will use their new knowledge of color schemes to make a triptych of paintings using the same design and different color schemes.

Art 2/Photo: Students spent the week investigating a photographer for their research project due 3/22, shooting pictures and investigating in their workbooks for their ABC photo project due 2/22, and defining key photography vocab terms in their workbooks due 2/25.

Art 3/4: Students completed tier Haiti poster designs, critiqued in their workbooks, and began planning and investigation for their next choice projects.

Week 5... Snowy Weather

2010-02-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

Students were out of school Monday, 2/1 for Snow!

Art 1: Students spent this week exploring the Element of Space. Positive/Negative space was used in the creation of drawings based on chairs and stools in the room; students used bright colors to define the positive and negative spaces. Physical space was explored through one-point perspective drawing techniques students learned in class, creating a cityscape using one-point perspective.

Art 2/Photo: Students critiqued their Tree photos as a class. Several will be chosen for display at Town Hall for the next month. Students also completed self critiques in their IW's before creating wiki pages to publish their critiques. More shooting time and photo history were given in class.

Art 3/4: Students continued work on their Haiti posters this week while working in their IW's on homework assigns and planning their next choice project. IW check for assigns 1 & 2 was 2/3.

Week 4... Explorations

2010-02-03T09:49:00.005-05:00

Art 1: Students completed short projects exploring each Element of Art. Line and form studies in paper, Shape and Repetition Creations, Texture collages, and Value studies. Several pages of notes were taken in IW, and the first two IW assignments were due 1/27.

Art 2/Photo: Students finished critiquing Elements of Art photos, chose a group of photos for display, and spent some class time taking pictures for the ABC photo assignment due Feb 22. IW's exploring trees and 3 tree photos are due Mon 2/1.

Art 3/4: Students began work on their poster designs for Haiti awareness and relief. IW's due next Wednesday 2/3!

Students were released early 1/29 for snow!

Week 3... We're going to sing the Elements of Art!

2010-01-26T18:36:00.004-05:00

(Remember this week was shortened for MLK's birthday!)

Art 1:
Students began by finishing their sketchbook cover designs. They learned and took notes on the Elements of Art. They created a non-objective work of art based on the element of Shape and the principle fo Repetition to create pattern.

Art 2\Photo:
Students critiqued their images of our school and their Elements of Art pictures. They researched photo history in the Mac lab in small groups and made timelines demonstrating major moments in Photo history, as well as world and American history that directly related to photography in some way!

Art 3/4:
Students began their 1st choice projects.

Week 2... Intro to the Course

2010-01-26T17:53:00.003-05:00

Students spent this week getting acquainted with the course and instructor. In addition to covering the syllabus, completing surveys, taking pretests, discussing class policies, becoming familiar with the organization of the classroom and the logistics of turning in papers, etc., students also began their first projects.

Art 1:
Students begain by looking at Typography, the study and use of fonts. After discussing how different fonts can express different personalities and moods, students created nametags for their cubbies which showed a little about their personality and interests through the font they created or chose. Students used their choice of colored pencils or markers to add color to their designs and hung them on their cubbie drawers.
Students also began work on their bookmaking project; they created their own 40 page sketchbooks (Investigation Workbooks or IW's) to use throughout the semester. They will complete their 2-3 page/week homework assignments, their notes, "Investigation" for class projects and writing reflections all in this same book. They were challenged to decorate the front and back covers in designs which would reflect their lives and interests. They were given the option to use colored pencils, markers, and collaged images from magazines as the media to create their book cover designs.

Art2/Photo:
Students begain by creating nametags for their cubbies which showed a little about their personality and interests through the font they created or chose. Students used their choice of colored pencils or markers to add color to their designs and hung them on their cubbie drawers. Students also brought in several photos taken before class. I asked them to select only the best images they had available they had taken themselves. The class analyzed and critiqued the photos as a group. We were all impressed by the images students had already created; there is some real talent in this class! This was a great pretest to see what level each student is starting on as far as skill and technical knowledge.
Students also took a day to shoot some pictures of the school. The photo assignment was to take pictures of things we all see everyday at school, but may never notice. The goal of the project was to force both the photographer and the viewer to look at scenes and objects they see all the time in a new and different way.
One day was spent in the computer lab researching photographers, useful websites, and signing up for Picnik, an amazing photo-manipulation site the students will be using.

Art3/4:
Students began this week to create lists of ideas, materials, techniques, and artists they wanted to learn more about this semester. They made goals for themselves as artists and students. As Advanced Studio Art students, I expect each student to have a portfolio of artwork by the end of the semester of at least 12 quality pieces, each with a critque and artist's statement.
In addition, students must create and complete an "Invesigation Workbook" throughout the course. I provided them with a bound 100 page sketchbook to use as their IW. The IW should contain 2-3 page "Investigations" of images and words for each class project, as well as 2-3 page/week homework assignments, their notes, self critiques, and writing reflections all in this same book. I've instructed them to use it as a visual record of their thoughts.
The nature of the course allows each student to work independently on projects of their choosing most days, however there will be projects I assign which I want every student in the class to complete. Part of the difficulty in this course is taking the initiative to generate ideas, participate in the process, and manage time effectively. I look forward to working with this highly skilled, creative, fun group of students who MUST be brave to take MORE of my courses!! :)

Welcome to 2nd Semester!

2010-01-26T17:47:00.002-05:00

This semester I am excited to be teaching three different classes: Art 1, Art 2 Intro Photography, and Art 3/4 Studio Art. I will do my best to differentiate the classes here by making headings within each week's blog for each specific course. This blog will be updated weekly with assignments, topics of discussion, due dates, reminders, and any other important information for students and guardians!

As our first week consisted of a day and a half (thanks, Snow!), we barely got into introducing the courses week 1. We will use week 2 to truly introduce each course with syllabi and class logistics.

Welcome to Art and 2nd Semester, Everyone!

Finishing up 1st Semester

2010-01-26T17:42:00.002-05:00

Students finished up the last two weeks of the semester in Art 1 creating their quarter exam projects: Altered Books. Not only was the project a great test of the skills and knowledge gained about various techniques and approaches to art, but also allowed students a lot of freedom to express themselves. The resulting Altered books were truly amazing works of art. I hope to have several pages and books added to the online gallery for everyone to see. I was truly impressed with the abilities and knoweldge the students were able to demonstrate through the production of their artwork!

Thanks for a great 1st semester! See you in Art 2!

Altered Arts... Week 15

2009-12-01T07:40:00.008-05:00

This week students began by researching Altered Arts, specifically Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) and Altered Books. Students gathered information online and found lots of images and examples to spur ideas. As usual, students recorded their findings and resources in the Developmental Workbooks, or DW's (the books formerly known as sketchbooks). This is a class joke; ask your student. :)

Students will begin exploring Altered arts by creating their own Altered Book as a quarter exam project, which we will be working on in class for the next two weeks. The book will be based on the lyrics of a song or quote of the student's choice. They will be required to have at least 15 two-page spreads, including 5 required techniques from the list I provided students. Students must make choices as to which media, techniques, and images will best express the ideas, feelings and message of their chosen words. They must use the knowledge of materials and processes they have gained throughout the semester to communicate a specific idea.

Students will also have the opportunity to create an ATC to submit for the Hamilton County Art Students' ATC Swap this month*. Students can create a high-quality ATC to submit for the swap using any medium using a landscape as the subject matter. If a student's ATC is deemed appropriate and strong enough for submission to the Swap, the student will receive an additional quiz grade of 100! *This is an extra credit assignment, it is not required.*

REMINDER: HOMEWORK ASSIGNS 11 AND 12 DUE WEDNESDAY!!!

Self Critiques on the Wiki... Week 14

2009-11-23T08:12:00.004-05:00

For our two day week prior to Thanksgiving, students are completing critiques of their own work. Using the self critique questions I provide as a guideline, students write reflective short essays describing their work. After giving full descriptions of the work, students then analyze and evaluate their work. For this critique, students are focusing on the Andy Goldsworthy inspired sculptures they created last week. They are creating wiki pages to present their work.

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the break!

Andy Goldsworthy Studies... Week 13

2009-11-17T09:50:00.004-05:00

This week students spent time researching environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. Noted for his inventive use of natural materials in specific settings, Goldsworthy's work is exciting to students. Creating sculptures from natural materials found on site using no man made adhesives or tools, Goldsworthy's work involves ideas such as time, change, and permanence in his sculptures. Often times the only way to experience his sculptures are through the photographs he takes, as the sculptures are often in remote locations or are changed by weather and natural disintegration.

Students used the information they researched to create informational wiki pages about Goldsworthy's art, including a brief critique of his work in general. Students wrote three paragraphs and included images in their pages, completed during class time in the Fine Arts Mac lab.

Later in the week (if the rain stops!), students will take a hike in the woods around the school to evaluate their materials and resources, eventually creating their own outdoor environmental sculptures!

Link to wiki page with student responses to Goldsworthy's work found here.

Calder Mobiles... Week 12

2009-11-11T14:07:00.006-05:00

Students asked themselves how Physiscs relates to Art this week as they learned about Alexander Calder and kinetic sculptures. After researching the artist and art form, the students watched a brief demonstration video detailing how to make three different styles of mobile sculptures. Students then designed and created their own tree, articulated, or spiral mobiles out of sculpture wire and found objects or painted cardboard.

Progress Reports go out Friday, November 13!

CD Cover Designs... Week 11

2009-11-06T07:46:00.006-05:00

Students played the role of graphic designers this week as they took on the task

of redesigning existing CD covers by their favorite bands. After analyzing previous album artwork by the bands, students selected one album cover to redesign. Students not only focused on interesting typography, images, and layout, but also on creating a mood or feeling that would inform the consumer about the music before listening.

This lesson required students to communicate important information

about the music while creating an interesting visual design.

Recycled Sculptures... Week 10

2009-11-06T07:38:00.003-05:00

After researching the life and work of sculptor Louise Nevelson, students worked in pairs to create their own sculpture inspired by her work. We collected everyday "trash" and discarded items such as soda bottles, paper towel rolls, old cardboard, and boxes which the students then transformed into beautiful sculptures. Groups painted the items within their found object sculptures in monochromatic color schemes, drawing attention to the interesting shapes and forms of these everyday objects.

Students not only had a good environmental lesson in creative reuse of materials, but also focused on the Human Ingenuity required to create an interesting work of art.

Wrapping up 1st Quarter... Week 9

2009-11-03T10:17:00.002-05:00

Students spent this week finishing up all projects, organizing their materials, and participating in Community and Service activities. Students in the HS Art room created ceramic pieces inspired by leaves which they will donate to i-Fest for sale. You can purchase one at the celebration in April!

Have a great Fall Break!

Keith Haring Murals... Week 8

2009-11-02T07:40:00.003-05:00

Students spent this week learning about the artist Keith Haring and studying his artwork. Students were particularly interested in Haring's beginnings as a graffiti artist in New York and his chalk drawings in the NYC subways. Noting Haring's use of semiotics, or symbolic language, students created their own Haring style symbols to communicate ideas they found important in their lives. Students chose ideas like family, sports, religion, friends, music, and

Using the simplified figures typical of Haring's work, students combined their ideas with their classmates in small groups to create murals which they hung around school. The resulting murals were bright, bold, and continue to communicate the ideas students wanted to the entire school on a daily basis!

Georgia O'Keeffe studies... Week 7

2009-09-28T10:32:00.002-04:00

Students spent Monday gathering information about Georgia O'Keeffe and her artwork. Noting O'Keeffe's monumental style, focusing on organic objects and bright, bold colors, students created sketches reproducing the artist's bold compositional style and use of negative space.

After gathering natural objects from our local setting, students created their own monumental drawings in O'Keeffe's style and used chalk pastel to add bright, smoothly blended colors.

Initial Designs & Color Schemes... Week 6

2009-09-28T08:38:00.005-04:00

Students created their own logos this week, inspired by the lines and shapes of their initials. After creating small sketches of at least 6 different designs, students chose one design and drew it three times. Each design was then painted in a different color scheme, changing the effect of the identical designs based on the colors used.

Progress Reports were also given out this week!

Romare Bearden Collages... Week 5

2009-09-28T08:25:00.003-04:00

Students learned about Harlem Renaissance artist Romare Bearden this week. Noted for his inventive use of paper in collages, his focus on the themes of everyday life of African Americans, and his involvement in the art world, Bearden is an influential figure in art history.

Inspired by Bearden's work, students used his style and techniques of paper collage to create their own images of everyday life.

Color Theory and Painting: Week 4

2009-09-14T10:23:00.004-04:00

Our final Element to explore is Color!

Students learned new color vocabulary this week, including color schemes, mixing and theory vocabulary. Students also learned the practice of color mixing by creating their own color wheels including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as tints and shades of each hue.

We're going to sing the Elements of Art... Week 3

2009-09-14T09:59:00.006-04:00

Students sang and quizzed on the Elements of Art all week... much to their chagrin, but it worked! All students had passing grades on the quizzes by week 3. Students also continued introductory projects focusing on each Element and allowing them to become familiar with different art media as well.

Students created drawings with colored pencils focusing on Shape. After creating a 2 inch border (and flexing some math skills) on their papers, students divided their compositional space in to geometric and organic shapes. Next they used the principle of Repetition to create patterns within each shape. The resulting pieces were bright, colorful, and fun!

Students also created projects focusing on Texture. After collecting both actual and implied textures (through crayon rubbings), students created collages of their textures. It was amazing to see the different smooth, rough, prickly, sticky, fluffy kinds of textures they found and created!

Students explored Value by creating their own value scales. After an introduction to drawing pencil categories, students used soft ebony graphite pencils to create a range of at least 7 values using one pencil. Students explored how different amounts of pressure and layers of graphite can affect the value created with a single drawing instrument.

Students explored Space by creating drawings of chairs in class close up and from different angles. They focused on positive/negative space and creating dynamic compositions. After creating 6 different 3x3 inch drawings in their sketchbooks, they colored each one in an interesting way to focus on the lines and shapes created by the positive/negative space.

Hard at work: Week 2

2009-09-14T08:12:00.005-04:00

Sketchbooks, songs, and silliness, oh my!

This week was full of all three. Students continued work on creating their own sketchbooks from a simple bookbinding technique they learned in class. Their covers really reflected their personalities and interests and helped me get to know them even better!

Once finished, we began learning about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Here is a link to a great site that explains what these terms are and their significance. The terms and ideas are the basic language of Art, so it is important that students learn those early and quickly. After an intense note-taking session, I taught them a song to help them remember the Elements of Art and an acronym to help them remember the Principles of Design. And yes, I made them all sing it! Although it's a silly song to the tune of Row Your Boat, it really helps students remember and reminds us all we are not as cool as we think we are! :) We also listened to one student's new version created on Garage Band software to more of a Caribbean beat. Props to Baxter for the great new version! We will be quizzing on those terms until I feel everyone knows them by heart!

We also began our first project concentrating on the Elements and Principles. Our Line sculptures used simple cut white paper lines of varying thickness, lengths, and directions to create interesting forms on our white paper background. Since the sculptures were wall hangings, we created them in a style of relief sculpture. They look fantastic under the gallery lights in our hallway; the shadows created by the raised lines make them even more interesting!

Week 1: Introduction to the Course

2009-09-14T08:02:00.003-04:00

Our first week of class was very busy! We began with lots of forms: pretests, surveys, syllabi, parent signature forms, and more. We went over class logistics and expectations and got a feel for how the class will be run on a daily basis. Students began watching the CNN Student News podcast as their daily starter, and already they have a new appreciation for puns!

Students also began their first projects this week. All students created a nametag for their storage cubbies. After looking at typography, the study of type as design, students created designs which showed their style and personality through their font choices. Students hung their nametags on their cubbie drawers for identification.

Students also began the creation of their sketchbooks at the end of this week. Using a simple bookbinding method and readily available materials, students made their own sketchbooks to use in class and at home for the semester. They decorated the front and back covers with images, words, and ideas which they felt represented them and their interests. They created some colorful covers which really reflect their personalities!

Welcome Back!

2009-08-10T16:32:00.002-04:00

Welcome back to school and back to the Atelier!

School starts Wednesday, so I hope you're ready for some fun; we're going to learn and do so much this year! Some things have changed in the art room, and some have stayed the same... come see how many differences you can spot!

In class this week, we will be covering the syllabus, forms/fees, expectations, policies, procedues, logistics, pretests and lots of other really exciting housekeeping issues like that. We may even get to make some art! My goal as always is to know your name within the first week; I am 5 years undefeated! I am excited for a new year in our awesome school. I hope you'll enjoy this year in the Atelier with me!

Stay tuned for lots of info and annoucements this week as I will be starting my daily blog posts back up.

1,000 Paper Cranes

2009-04-22T11:42:00.002-04:00

Tuesday's class time was spent learning about the 1,000 Paper Cranes project and the story of Sadako, as well as learning to make origami paper cranes. After watching a brief video on the Sadako Story found online, students watched a step-by-step tutorial video showing each fold in making a paper crane. Along with my demonstration, students were able to feel comfortable with the steps and technique by the second crane they made.

Students must make 10 cranes each by Friday (regardless of absences, field trips, etc). Five origami cranes can be plain white paper, but AT LEAST five must be colored paper (watercolored, colored w/ pencils, etc).

As part of our 1,000 Paper Cranes project, a few students will be volunteering to teach visitors to our i-Fest celebration how to fold cranes and help us in our pursuit of making 1,000.

Wiki work

2009-04-22T11:37:00.002-04:00

Students used Monday's class time in the computer lab adding new wiki pages to the site. Based on their work from Friday on the Voting for Public Art at the Hunter Museum Website, students transferred their ideas from their sketchbooks to finished wiki pages. All students created their own new pages in their class folder to present their work.

Check out the wiki page here to see the work they did in the Student Responses folders.

Voting on Public Art

2009-04-17T07:40:00.010-04:00

Students participated in the voting for Public Art in Chattanooga today. We spent the class in the computer lab looking at the Hunter Museum's Website. The site has a section on the art now under review for the public to choose for placement in Miller Plaza downtown. That link is here. Chattanooga has a great history of supporting Public Art, and this opportunity to participate in choosing the work is a fantastic learning opportunity for students.

After researching a little about each piece of art and the three artists, students wrote a paragraph about each piece of art being proposed. Students then wrote a fourth paragraph describing their choice and why it's the best piece of art for that spot.

One of the proposed works of art above:
LET'S GIVE CHATTANOOGA A BIG HAND, A COMMISSION BY DONALD LIPSKI
Stainless steel, 36 feet high x 12 feet wide x 6 inches deep

Finishing Self Portraits

2009-04-16T20:38:00.003-04:00

Students spent their class time finishing the realistic self portraits they began yesterday. Students worked quietly throughout the period, allowing them to focus more clearly on observation and detail and excercise their right brains a bit more. Students continued applying their new knowledge of facial proportions to guide them in creating these drawings.

The students' work from today was quite impressive. I know these portraits will be a source of pride for many of the students. It is easy to tell the effort and skills students applied to their work by the outcome and beauty of these drawings!

Self Portrait by Nathan L.

Applying our knowledge

2009-04-15T21:47:00.002-04:00

Today students finished their guided instruction on facial proportions and drawing the human face. I was really amazed with the quality of drawings the students created on their first attempt this quarter at this tight, realistic drawing style. Students finished up their drawings by adding ears and necks to their faces and learning to draw hair. Students noted that the neck is usually the width from outside of the eye straight down, and that the hair line generally starts half way from the eyebrow to the top of the head.

Students also began a self portrait today based on their new knowledge of facial proportions. Students were challenged to adapt their knowledge of general placement of features while observing and recording the specifics of their own faces. Students, although very wary, are beginning the best self portraits most of them will have ever drawn!

(Shout out to the student who is making me an Oreo Ball dessert; here is a recipe!)

Drawing the Face

2009-04-14T20:19:00.005-04:00

Students learned the general proportions of the human face today. Following a step-by-step video, students analyzed features and their relationships in creating their own realistic drawings. Students learned that the head is generally an upside-down egg shape, and that the "Eye line" is half way down the head. Students also learned the placement of the "mouth line" at 1/3 up from the chin, and the "nose line" 1/3 up from the mouth line. Students learned the general max width of a nose is the width from tear duct to tear duct, and that the mouth is generally as wide as the distance from pupil to pupil.

Although difficult, students were encouraged to erase and correct at all times in order to prefect their drawings. We noted that many features on the face can be created by shading to look more 3-D rather than drawing harsh outlines. Students got through the features of the face today and will move on to adding ears and hair to their portraits tomorrow. The drawings are going to be great, even if they are just practice!

Printing blocks

2009-04-13T21:37:00.004-04:00

Students spent Thursday and Monday making prints of their personal logos from the carved blocks the created. Students turned in both a single black print on small paper and a large sheet with a series of 5 prints in color. We plan on mounting the strips into a large collaborative piece of art!

PROGRESS REPORTS went home today! Please sign and return the report by Wed (4/15) to earn an extra credit!

Carving Day

2009-04-08T12:25:00.005-04:00

Students carved their personal logo designs into small cork blocks today and began printing. After addressing safety, process, and watching a demonstration, students went to work. Students must turn in one clean print of their personal logo.

Personal Logos

2009-04-07T20:54:00.004-04:00

Today students studied logo design and a sampling of historic and current logos. Aspects such as simplicity, boldness and ease of recognition were discussed, noting the primary function of the logo being to indentify and make an introductory statement about the person/business/organization the logo represents. Notable logos we discussed were Nike and Apple among others.

We also looked at the well-known German artist Albrecht Dürer, part of the Northern Renaissance, who had a distinctive monogram. Using his initials AD, he created an interesting logo which he included in most of his artwork.

In addition to this historic artist, we also looked at a current graphic designer's sketches in creating his own personal logo which I found online.

Students spent the period creating at least 9 different personal logo design ideas before selecting one final design. Students used initials, numbers, and images which meant something to them in creating their own logo to identify themselves.

Altered Art research

2009-04-06T18:24:00.006-04:00

Students spent today's class time in the computer lab researching two different art forms: Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) and Altered Books. Students gathered information in their sketchbooks based on questions I gave them. Students were encouraged to look at lots of images of both Altered art forms and get plenty of ideas, as they will get to choose which one of these projects they want to do.

Oil pastel study

2009-04-06T09:48:00.005-04:00

On April 2 & 3, students explored oil pastels in a simple project using geometric shapes.

On a 12x18 piece of paper, students used a ruler to draw 7 lines anywhere that touched two sides. After drawing the lines, students used the cropping squares to trace 5 perfect squares anywhere on the paper. Using oil pastels, students first colored in the 5 squares different colors. Next, looking only at the rectilinear shapes made by the lines, students colored in each shape with a different color of oil pastel, blending with any colored square the shape may encompass.

Student noted the specific way oil pastels are applied and can be mixed and layered with other colors, so that they may understand the properties of that medium for use in later projects.

The resulting projects are bold, non-objective, beautifully simple works of art.

Georgia O'Keeffe studies

2009-04-06T09:37:00.003-04:00

Students spent March 30-April 1 learning about the artist Georgia O'Keeffe and exploring chalk pastels. After viewing O'Keeffe's work and noting the major characteristics of her style, students spent their time creating their own masterpieces.

After a short hike in the woods, students selected natural objects to bring back in the room and draw. Using a cropping square as a tool for dynamic compositions, students drew close up views of their leaves, flowers, branches, and grasses in pencil on 18x18" paper. Focusing on interesting negative space, sharp details, and bold, blended color, students created beautiful pieces using chalk pastels inspired by the work of O'Keeffe.

Water for Wotera Posters

2009-04-06T09:24:00.002-04:00

Students spent the week of March 23-27 creating posters for our Talent Show/Prom fair.

After looking at a sampling of poster design history, including everything from WWII propaganda posters to 1960's psychedelic concert posters, students noted the fundamental issues of graphic design: creating interesting art while serving a specific purpose. In the case of our project, students had to create an interesting design for the event poster while including all the necessary information for the audience. Students were asked to not only give date/time/place type information, but also to give a feel for the atmosphere and purpose of the event.

The proceeds from the event were to benefit our school-wide effort called Water for Wotera. One of our exchange students, Desta Bume, is an extraordinary young man from a village near Wotera, Ethiopia who, although facing immeasurable odds, has excelled in his education. See our school Website for more information.

Sophomore student Baxter Whittenberg's poster design was chosen for the cover of the Talent Show/Prom Fair program and posters!

Spring Break '09

2009-04-06T09:14:00.008-04:00

My hiatus from the site is due in part to our taking Spring Break March 13-22.

I took a group of students, parents, and teachers to Greece this year for an outstanding tour of Athens and the Greek Isles, even stopping in one port in Turkey. It was an amazing trip, with far too much beauty and history to absorb in one week!

I will continue my Spring Break trips with a tour of London and Paris next year!

Great Designs

2009-03-10T21:24:00.003-04:00

The students spent the block finishing up their sketches for the Google doodle and many began transferring their best idea and design to the final paper. The theme, "What I Wish for the World," yielded some amazingly profound statements from the students on what they see as problems with the world and so many innovative ways to visually represent those ideas. Curing cancer, saving coral reefs and rainforests, ending pollution and hunger, affordable college education, and world peace were just a few of the things the students wished for the world.
I can only choose 6 designs to submit for the contest, and I can already tell I'm going to need lots of help choosing!
(Doodle above made for my fave artist- Rene Magritte's birthday!)

Brainstorming

2009-03-09T20:24:00.003-04:00

Students used the period today to brainstorm ideas for their Google Doodle project. After listing 10 things they Wish for the World (the contest theme), students began working with images and ideas for this exam project. Examples of past winning designs and tips from Google's doodle creator were shown in class to inspire students' ideas. The project will be due Thursday before the students leave for Spring Break.

(Last year's winning doodle below.)

College Finale

2009-03-06T12:35:00.007-05:00

Students finished up College Week by creating their final logo design for colleges on 9x12 paper. Using their choice of colored pencils or paints, students added color to their final designs. Some colleges really need to buy some of these designs to use; they're outstanding!
Students were asked to be brainstorming for their final project of this quarter- their EXAM project- the Doodle 4 Google contest. The theme is "What I Wish for the World." Students should be thinking of ideas and how they could incorporate images into the Google logo to demonstrate their vision for our world! We will begin working on these logos Monday!

College logo designs

2009-03-05T19:42:00.003-05:00

Students continued to enjoy College Week today with an art project surrounding college logos. Students pre-selected a college logo to redesign and brought in a copy of the original today. After spending the first part of class in the computer lab to research college logos and find information about the college they chose, students worked on several sketches of possible new designs for the logo. Prompts for new ideas were given to consider, such as mascots, initials, geographical features, and notable programs of study at the college. By the end of the period, all students should have created several design ideas in their sketchbooks and given color to the best logo. Tomorrow students will finish College Week by creating their best logo design on 9x12 paper and add color using their choice of colored pencils or paint.

Art majors and colleges

2009-03-04T12:05:00.007-05:00

Students continued their studies about college and arts-related majors today with a speaker from the Art Institute of Tennessee in Nashville. Students were presented with programs of study including Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Culinary Arts, Video Production, Interior Design, Video Game design, and Photography, among others. Students were shown sample portfolios and work from students in each program; it was quite impressive to see what you learn and how quickly you learn it! Students got information on scholarships, admissions requirements, and other information to help them understand the college admission process. Check out http://www.artinstitutes.edu/ for more info on the Art Institutes!

Students were also briefed on our final 2 assignments of the quarter: a College logo re-design and the Doodle 4 Google contest. For the college logo redesign, students must have a copy of an original college logo tomorrow(3/5). Students who do not bring their original logos will complete bookwork instead of the project. Students will use the established color scheme and mascot (if any) to redesign the existing logo for the college.
The Doodle 4 Google contest will be their quarter exam project, testing their ability to generate ideas, select appropriate materials, and execute their idea. See http://www.google.com/doodle4google/ for more info on the contest. Although each student will create a design for the exam grade, only 6 works of art can be chosen for entry into the contest! Students should begin brainstorming on the theme "What I wish for the World."

College Bound

2009-03-03T19:51:00.003-05:00

In honor of College Week at SMMHS, students spent today's class in the computer lab doing online research on colleges. Students generated a list of 25 different majors which require visual arts or design classes, along with a list of 25 different colleges which offer an arts-related major. While conducting this research, students also created a list of 5 different Websites where they found good information on colleges.
When finished, students responded to 5 questions about their dream majors, colleges and careers, then used their remaining time in class to find out what education, experience, and skills are necessary to make their dream careers a reality.

Happy Monday

2009-03-03T07:57:00.003-05:00

Today was a great start to a new week. Students presented their wikis today in class. There were some outstanding presentations, and many students had some great insight on the artwork they chose. Many students made connections to their knowledge of American history and shared some outstanding interpretations of the works of art. I was impressed by how much biographical information the students found about the artist to deepen their peers understanding of the artwork.

In honor of College Week at SMMHS, students also contributed a major and college they are interested in to our wall of "Colleges and Careers." We will spend the week looking more closely at Art and Design- related majors and colleges which offer these programs!

TGIF!

2009-02-27T19:38:00.004-05:00

Although we planned to present our wikis today, we had a day of interuptions and preoccupied students. 1st block was able to get through a few presentations before the first interruption, other classes did not. After having lengthy discussions in each class, our presentations were postponed until Monday. It seemed a fitting time to teach and learn about personal responsibility and the consequences of apathy and disrespect on all of us.

Students instead used the period to voice and discuss concerns they have at school with their teachers, administration, and their peers. One class even made posters to illustrate concerns and proposed solutions. It was a good exercise in accepting responsibility and productive criticism instead of whining, defensiveness and apathy. I was quite proud at many of the students' frank responses to my questions about our student body's attitude about school, and I hope I gave a few students something to think about. We truly have great students at SMHS, and I hope they'll see that, too!

Lab work

2009-02-26T19:48:00.002-05:00

Today was the final day students spent in the computer lab working on their wikis. Many student groups were completely finished with their Art critiques and had them posted by the end of the period. A few students should be finishing up tonight at home in preparation of their presentations tomorrow. I am extremely excited to see what our students have to say about the artwork they chose and see what they thought about the use of the wiki for this unit of study.

When several students were finished, I showed them www.bubbl.us. What a fun Website for creating concept maps and brainstorming! The students that tried it loved playing around and seeing the color change and manipulation that was possible with the concept maps.

Looking forward to presentations tomorrow!

Approaching Works of Art

2009-02-25T19:57:00.004-05:00

Today we worked more on creating our art critiques for our Harlem Renaisance wiki pages. After orally critiquing a famous work of art as a class, students were more comfortable with their critiquing skills and phrases. We also discussed the 5 categories of Aesthetic Judgement that can be applied to a critique, noting that Formalism and Emotionalism is what we usually focus on in a school setting. The class spent several minutes answering the questions about the masterwork that our Approaching Works of Art wiki page prompts us to ask in order to lead us through a critique. Students were reminded that art critiques are not biographical reports about artists, but instead looking closely at that's artist's chosen work of art. Because of this fact, anyone can critique a work of art, whether they know anything about the artist or not!

Students spent the remainder of the block working with their partners on writing the critique and organizing their thoughts. We noted that students within a group can certainly have different judgements or interpretations of the artwork, and that those discrepancies could be noted in the critique. We reminded ourselves that even though we may not like something, that does not mean the thing is "no good" or unsuccessful. Students were told that they will have one more computer lab day before presenting their wikis to the class this Friday for a test grade. Students were also reminded they have open access to the wiki at home to work if they are behind or need more time! I can't wait to see the outstanding work our students have created!

Today was the last day to turn in a signed progress report for extra credit and sketchbook HW#5 was due today!

In the Lab

2009-02-24T20:01:00.003-05:00

Students spent today's class period in the library computer lab doing research with their partners for their wiki assignment. Folders for each block were pointed out, as well as the group numbers and pages already created. Students were also asked to make sure their name on the wiki account was First Name & 2 initials of Last name (ex. AllisonMu for me) for privacy purposes. This Art Critique wiki assignment will count as a test grade.

After choosing a piece of art by a Harlem Renaissance artist, students searched the web for an image to add to the wiki. Using the Online Assignment page for an explanation of this assignment, as well as the Approaching Works of Art page as a step-by-step guide for writing the critique, partners used the period to collect pertinent information from reliable Websites and test their group's wiki page. Students were reminded of the timetable for this assignment (Presentations ready by Friday) and of their one additional day in class to work on computers, but were encouraged to do as much work at home as they can!

Students were again reminded of the writing portion of this week's homework assignment.

Harlem Renaissance Artists intro

2009-02-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

Progress reports were handed out- due Wed signed for extra credit!

Today we watched a video about artist Jacob Lawrence and wrote 15 facts we learned about him and his art. After the video, we each shared the facts we found interesting. We also talked about the Italian Renaissance, noting the "rebirth" of intellect, creativity, and the pursuit of knowledge during this time. We connected those ideas to the "rebirth" of the African American community in Harlem which involved not only artists, but also writers, poets, musicians, and intellectuals. We discussed the Harlem Renaissance artists' interest in depicting the lives and stories of both prominent figures in African American history, as well as those of everday people. Jacob Lawrence was especially intersted in this type of 'Historical Narrative' and 'genre' painting. Check out this collection of links for more info!

After copying a list of Harlem Renaissance artists' information into our sketchbooks, we chose partners for our Art Criticism Wiki project. Each group of students will complete a 4-paragraph Art Critique on a work of art by the Harlem Renaissance artist of their choice. Following the steps and instructions given on the wiki and in class, groups will design and create an original wiki page to present their critique. This week students will be given time in the library to gather information and images needed for the critique, as well as working in class with partners to write and prepare the information to place on wiki. Students will hopefully be ready to present their group wikis to class Friday!

Sketchbook assignment #5 (due Wednesday, as always) was also clarified. Students compared this assignment to the Shape & Pattern drawing they made in week 2 as an example of a non-objective drawing. Students were reminded that this week's homework also requires a writing exercise.