Clay Coral Sculptures
As an introduction to clay for sixth grade art students at Falmouth Middle School, this coral clay project served as a replacement to the traditional intro to handbuilding projects such as a coil pot or pinch pot. The coral sculptures not only required basic knowledge of all three techniques: coil, pinch, and slab, but gave them a sense of content that art can explore. We discussed the science of the marine invertebrate, coral, and the problems they face today due to climate change as well as historical and contemporary art that focuses on corals. Texture and form were major components of the lesson as well. One student's sculpture was featured in Youth Art Month at the Portland Museum of Art.
See my intro presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C0EBqkcUjgbHyuGGQPt2MmPc2ZsVGF2K85DJpWqJxhk/edit?usp=sharing
The glazing portion here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Dkk1RSMsxQe5TJjQ-I886xXkn1SeltyxES9I9Gy4AoU/edit?usp=sharing
And the full lesson plan here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1onlj6hC1br7rxmTvpyLjEyAJGj5tychSSmiNrGvk7tk/edit?usp=sharing
Warm/Cool Painting
This project was my adaptation of my mentor, Simon Adams' original project. Students learned about warm and cool colors and how placing colors next to one another changes our perspective/ the way colors appear. They completed a practice activity involving looking at some contemporary paintings of their choice as well as Matisse paintings to find warm and cool colors and demonstrate they can mix them. They then looked at Dahlov Ipcar paintings as inspiration for dividing up a composition and using color to fill in sections with warm and cool colors. They chose any animal or nature object, or a still life object in the room. See my intro presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HLjAorfuKe0Uga-7fG8-UaUP68a1L8nFNxnos5W7rpo/edit?usp=sharing
And the full lesson plan here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GwhmC8qiqS4f1F8hQtytWE0m3UcGJkI0KwyX0fFJkTE/edit?usp=sharing
Teapots
Students sculpted teapots that explored the ideas of form and function. They could create any object with clay that was then reimagined and arguably classified as a teapot. Two separate classes each decided respectively what makes a teapot functional and agreed on what they needed to include. We also discussed the history of tea and contemporary artists that create teapots.
See my intro slideshow here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HCptlukRl6Ek3Qv7K4tbkRYbMd7fPABScbt8P3KmApQ/edit?usp=sharing
And the full lesson plan here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13yB9vrwwDycMf_ROhml1HlVs0vw3MvVpI4GyFPqW_T4/edit?usp=sharing
Elements and Principles Zine Mini Project
In this mini project, students created zines that illustrated their choice of four of the elements of art and four of the principles of design. This project was an adaptation of the one my mentor, Simon Adams, designed as an introduction for new sixth grade classes. They had access to magazine images in which they could find examples of elements of principles. They were to write out the definition of each of the terms they chose, in order for the zine to be educational for themselves and any other viewer.
See my introduction here (elements and principles as well as what zines are): https://www.canva.com/design/DAF6iBGcrO0/T0qsVojqoxvr9M_U2gaUkw/edit?utm_content=DAF6iBGcrO0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Self-Portrait Skills
In order for seventh grade students to become more familiar with facial proportions and drawing portraits, I taught a formative lesson to build this skill. The introduction emphasized drawing from observation and focusing more on what you see than what you think a face should look like. We discussed confidence and the one rule throughout this lesson was not to make any negative comments about appearances, given students would be looking in mirrors all class. We also discussed the eurocentric standards of facial proportions that are traditionally taught, and using resources only as a beginning guide. Shading was the next step (not pictured), and students were instructed to think in terms of three-dimensions as if they were sculpting with shadows. The students took the challenge head-on and impressed with their persistence.
See the intro slideshow here (this version has been since edited for high school use, but is largely the same): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17uroV4NATezBTfcBAHgnZLdG7oZ8PWL5KmvOyw5_D6Q/edit?usp=sharing
Enrichment Project: Sculpture Paste
The enrichment classes at Falmouth Middle School are ungraded courses designed to fully engage students in a variety of different areas, including art. This sculpture paste project was a way to introduce students to relief painting and sculpture. We talked briefly about what relief is, and then students were able to be hand on immediately, using the interesting material with pallette knives or their hands to paint. The next class, the material had firmed up enough to sculpt it like clay, so they expirimented with higher reliefs and three-dimensional forms.
Single intro slide ^
PMA: Mock Lunch Installation
Students looked at Pope L.'s work Maybe, and then drew food they eat at lunch time on paper with pencils. They then put the items on paper plates and set them up as if for a real "lunch", and then simply left the items on the floor as they were. They walked around to look at the lunch items, interacting with them as if they were in a museum. The concept was to get students to think about what art is and how we interact with it, as well as their daily meal routines and the food they rely on. See the plan below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vLHW7qSA1CghPBC1gfG3roanNTsTXLxEDx-AxPvNNJw/edit?usp=sharing
And my research of the work for more context: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16L9MDRFGu3ONhDjQvSdkUt_MMSN3OJ_30TJ_DlCB0Lw/edit?usp=sharing
Brunswick Junior High Art Fair: Silicone Moldmaking
This fun project was dubbed "the most unique project ever done" at the Brunswick Junior High After School Art Fair by Art Teacher and MAEA President Cory Bucknam. A mixture of silicone and cornstarch introduced students to a fun and useful method of making molds. Students chose from a variety of objects provided by the instructor, and some things they had on hand, to make molds that they could take home along with air dry clay to continue to use and experiment with. The students quickly picked up on why moldmaking is useful, citing its possible use if they wanted to start a small business 😄
See the full lesson plan here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13C8ZEznoXxzrgXpHmzPDNV8mJoLbBxS0EJA8L_DkzRc/edit?usp=sharing
Children's Book Unit (Middle School Edition!)
Based on Shaun Tan's The Red Tree
This unit I designed is something I plan on implimenting in the future! The lesson scaffolds ideation that will lead to a student-directed installation of a series of works. See each of the lesson plans below as well as overview slideshow.
Link to project presentation: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFxoNNGEk4/stuKb6gZlpi4mHpXl6_SyA/edit?utm_content=DAFxoNNGEk4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
1- Token of Hope: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IsOum-dXX5YMMGbo61qU019A1cYjqgLHoBMUPz5Ucm8/edit?usp=sharing
2- Dark Shapes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16xZPhuxahPKQJKuLlvWSTxQRE-cvAWvox4AHxfaMvqE/edit?usp=sharing
3- Expanding and Exhibiting Hope:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gmqz-f8b__6BseWdu8dLQujdVzXM3x3rt9ty_KCbPuk/edit?usp=sharing