Basic Understanding

I have been reviewing some of my practices and to do this I wrote out some of the techniques I have used in class with my students.  Through this process I actually changed some and please keep in mind this is for just developing the idea, there is still a lot of art to be done when it comes to creating the art.  As always, free to use as you wish because I'm a good Communist like that.  However, if you end up making some good money maybe you could kick a little my way since teachers don't get paid squat, or even better, buy me a bottle of wine.

School-Scapes Grade Six

1. Brainstorm feelings.
2. Brainstorm feelings about school.
3. Associate colors and shapes with feelings in #1.
4. ASsociate places with those feelings in #2 and add colors and shapes from #3.
5. Review good photo-taking techniques.
6. Go out and take photos around campus and keep in mind #4 and #5.

Ceramic Culture Grade Six

1. Define what culture is, both what it means and what are some examples of it.
2. Look at Principles of Design pattern, rhythm, harmony, unity, variety.
3. Research how different cultures have identified themselves on ceramic work (this is coupled with a slide show where one culture from each continent is displayed as well as some contemporary work).
4. In process journal brainstorm cultures you may be interested and making a cultural motif of.
5. Keeping in mind the principles of design we studied develop a decoration for your ceramic object.

1. Research different ceramic techniques and terminology.
2. Practice with each of the techniques - pinch pot, slab construction, coiling.
3. In your process journal design at least three different profiles.
4. Execute your work and halfway through working on it write a short journal entry about what is working well and what is difficult.

Artists and Communities Grade Eight

1. Brainstorm words that are important to your person or your place
2. Ideally 4 - 5 letters
3. Write on in all capitals
4. Join the bottom of the letters together
5. Write three questions about your name/tag.
6. Add a number and symbol.

Surrealistic Portrait and Still Life

1. Look at several surrealistic paintings and identify things you believe make them surrealistic.
2. Think about some dreams you’ve had, they are difficult to remember so do not rty to remember the whole dream, just images and as you have one write it down in phrases or a couple of sentences.  If you really can’t think of one then use classic ideas of dream imagery.
3. Practice drawing techniques found in both still life and portraiture.
4. Introduce students to some of the symbolism found in Carl Jung’s psychology, e.g. Greek myths symbolizing aspects of the psyche.
5. Have students brainstorm with images - circle exercise - of symbols they think represent themselves.
6. After a good bank of images exists, then design the drawing, with the symbols and the ultimate design of the painting, keep in mind that it needs to be surrealistic, so make odd changes in your imagery or juxtapose things not normally found together.  Also keep in mind you portrait and your hand need to be in the composition.

Sequential Art Grade Nine

1. First map out (write in words, in order first, second, third . . .) normal activities of an insect.
2. Now map out the insect doing something a human would do.
3. Now combine the two.
4. Look at your story map, rearrange parts of it.
5. Make an official story map.
6. From a story map make a story board.
7. Film your animation.

Crossing Cultures Grade Nine

1. Choose one work of art from one of the traditions.  Interpret it for the purposes it serves - look at the Purposes of Art for examples.
2. Describe how the work looks, be specific about colors and shapes and their relationships, narrative and overall design.
3. Take individual words from these activities and write them in a top to bottom list.
4. Now do the same with one work of art from the other tradition and write your top to bottom list next to that list from the first tradition.
5. Look for natural connection and random connections, as you make these make a small sketch of an image this makes on another sheet of paper.
6. Take these images and compose a drawing of one or a combination of a few.