Art Projects

Art Projects

Zentangled Scratchboard

Sense

After watching multiple how to videos on Zentangled Scratchboard making, I attempted to create a scratch board that would show a variety of textures using multiple household tools. I have since discovered that using dish soap is the secret to creating a successful homemade scratch board. Next time I would also use oil pastels in a variety of colors to add interest to the picture.

Alien Names Project

Beautiful Creatures

This piece reflects a non-objective creature who lives in his own unique world. It was fun to take one's name and design a creature from it. This project would be great to teach kids about complimentary colors as they see their name come alive through the process of the lesson.

Cardboard Construction

Formal Sense

This sculpture was made with miscellaneous cardboard, acrylic paints, and a hot glue gun. I did not have an image in my mind of what the end result would look like, but was very excited when it began to take shape as I molded it into a non-objective cardboard creation.

Make Your Own Mask-Making Method Project

Illusions

After much research on different mask designs and cultures that still use masks today, I chose to do create this design to reflect something totally foreign and mysterious. It was easily assembled, and fun to create;therefore, this art project would be perfect for a younger group of art students who already have the cognitive capabilities in using scissors and glue.

Batik

Fish Out of Water

My Batik incorporated the study or organic objects in the ocean. I love the intricate detail of starfish and their various sizes and kinds. After making several sketches of a variety of sea creatures, I created a pattern based on the characteristics. I drew out my pattern, transferred it onto a white t-shirt using Elmer's glue, then after the glue had dried painted my design with a deep red acrylic paint. When the paint was nearly dry, I washed out the majority of the paint wanting a splotchy look. I peeled away all the glue, then hung my shirt to dry. This illusion of water and starfish create a look of gazing through a red looking glass on a shallow edge of the shoreline.

Milk Jug Mask

Masked

After learning about a variety of African masks, I wanted to utilize texture into a simple design that would portray the culture and look of Africa. I used a milk jug for the base and cut unique eyes out, added paint by blotching it on thick, and tied my raffia to the bottom to complete the look. A very fun project that could easily be integrated into English Language Arts and History lessons.

Light Painting

Moments

Using one light stick and a free app on my iPad, I was able to create an illusion of light moving through the air. This was my favorite of all the art projects I have completed this year and will definitely be doing this with my kids for fun this summer!

Notan

Peeping Wizards

An old Japanese Art, Notans are one of the simplest, yet optically appealing art creations. This piece uses a small square piece of black construction paper, a white full-sized piece of construction paper, scissors, and glue. I simply cut out various designs from the outside edge into the center, and then glued them down mirroring the spot of originality.

Foil Project

Natural or Not

I created this design by drawing onto cardboard the object I wished to portray. I then traced it with glue using a hot glue gun, and when it had finished drying covered it with tin foil. Smoothing down across the top of the tin foil, the image pops out at the viewer of the piece. I loved the final piece, but would keep this project for a more advanced class that could do the majority of the work themsleves. (The hot glue gun burns and fagile tin foil make this project a little tricky).

Mandela

Find One's Own

My Mandela uses symmetrical design, symbols, and color that portray how I perceive myself and values. The center flower depicts myself as natural, simple, and beautiful. The golden ring has four diamonds on each side reflecting my value in my marriage to my husband, also at the center of my world. The four flowers represent my children growing and blossoming into incredible individuals spreading their talents, love, and good works around them. The flames are my passion that represent what give each day excitement and fulfillment. The bubbles are my spontaneity. The rays of sun streaming over the clouds emit light, warmth, and truth. I created my Mandela by pencil sketch, tracing it with permanent ink, then finishing it with watercolor.

Georgia O'Keeffe

Crunching Apples

The outside of this piece was covered in masking tape to create a clean border, then using a small square to focus my mind and eye, I tried to watercolor the most interesting part of the apple that lay in front of me. It was very fun to experiment with finding how perception and focus effected how one perceived an object. This project would be a great to apply one's watercolor techniques while learning about Georgia O'Keeffe, a great icon in art history.

Water-colored Emotions Project

Fruity Flavors

This was one of my favorite projects! Using watercolor paint I portrayed onto paper the flavors of some of my favorite fruit. The fruits I chose were lemon, raspberry, strawberry, mango, and blueberry, I used table salt to create small details within the images, which lifted the paint back off the watercolor paper. (This was so fun! I could have used up my whole salt container!) It was a very abstract piece of art that tapped into my creativity and pushed me to a different level of thinking and looking at something from a different angle. 

100-Color Challenge

Wonders of Colors

Using both acrylic and watercolor paint I created one hundred different colors. I roped my husband into experimenting with me to see what colors he could create as well which turned into a fun and collaborative project. I was pleasantly surprised at the easiness of using the watercolors with the sole purpose of creating our own colors and fustrated with the difficulty of the acrylic color variety we could create. This is a great project for introducing different mediums before diving into a more formal piece.

Printmaking Project

Apples to Apples

This project was a struggle for me! I used red and yellow acrylic paint for this piece which was hard to control the amount that came off onto the paper. I also chose to use the bottom of a paper towel roll because I felt it would give it a fun intricate design, but found left the piece too simple and without much detail.  It would be fun to redo this project having carved out my own stamps using a variety of sponges or other objects that leave more detail.

Practicum Presentation on Prezi

http://prezi.com/r-ccqtk4lvze/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan #1

April Finlinson

1^st Grade Lesson Plan

Objective: By completing the activities, the student will understand the textures smooth, rough, and soft, and will be able to represent those textures through the creation and display of  a work of art.

Visual Arts Standards Addressed:

Creating: VA:Cr1.2.1a Use observation and investigation in preparation for making a work of art.

Creating: VA:Cr2.1.1a Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art or design.

Materials:

            Crayons, 16”x11” Construction paper, Cotton balls, Sandpaper, Cobblestone

Vocabulary:

Texture: the way a surface feels.

           

Pedagogy:

            I will have a collection of different objects for each of the students to explore how they feel to the touch.

            I will have pair them each with a partner whom they will work with throughout the discussion. Each pair will be given a collection of objects to explore how they each feel to the touch.

            I will teach the vocabulary word of texture, have each of the students look at the objects one by one, and help me to find the smooth, bumpy, and soft textured items.

            I will help define smooth, bumpy, and soft by creating a definition with them using the words they use to describe the items. I will do this by following their responses by asking, “what makes you say that?” and “what more can you see or feel?”

            When I have established that they have a strong foundation for what these textures are, and how they each feel, I will give instructions for their art project.

I will have them fold their long construction paper into four sections by following my every move. I will then tell them that in the first box they can create the most delicious candy the world has ever tasted by drawing a picture of it with their crayons and showing different textures to create a type of food that they like. The second box will show the kind of wrapper it will come in. The third box will show how it would taste in your mouth. The fourth would show how it would taste if it was rotten.

Assessment:

            After they have finished, they will write their names on the back, and then use a magnet to attach it to the front white board for display. We will walk around and talk about the different textures we see in one another’s pictures and how they showed texture by using crayons and paper. 

            “What do you see that is similar?”

            “What do you see that is different?”

            “What’s another way we could show that texture?”

            “What do you see?”

            “How do the colors they chose make you feel?”

            “What more can you see?”

           

           

            We will finish by having them each go back to their seat and have them look at their own artwork and think about what their favorite thing about their artwork is. If there is time we will have a couple of them share with the class their thoughts.

Lesson Plan #2

April Finlinson

4th Grade Lesson Plan

Objective: By completing the activities, the students will understand the art method of pointillism. The students will be able to represent pointillism through the creation and display of a work of art.

Visual Arts Standards Addressed:

·         Investigate: VA:Cr2.1.4a Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

·         Perceive: VA:Re.7.1.4a Compare responses to a work of art before and after working in similar media.

·         Investigate: VA:Cr2.2.4a When making works of art, utilize and care for materials, tools, and equipment in a manner that prevents danger to oneself and others.

Materials:

            Washable Acrylic Paints in Red, Yellow, and Blue, No 2 pencil, 4”x 4” Drawing Paper, Crayola Large Washable 8 pack Markers

Vocabulary:

Pointillism: a style of painting in which a picture is formed from small dots of color.

           

Pedagogy:

            I will have a collection of different pictures of works of art where pointillism was used to create the artwork.

            I will have them walk around the room and look at the different art works set up around the classroom.

            After everyone has had the chance to see each of the artworks, I will have them return to their seats for our discussion. We will discuss the artworks they saw, and I will ask them the following questions:

            “What do you see that is similar in all of these paintings?”

            “What makes you say that?”

            “What more can you see?”

            “Does the method, or way the Artist painted look similar in each of these paintings?”

            “How do the colors mix to create other colors?”

I will then teach the vocabulary word of Pointillism, display blown up copies of the pictures they just looked at on the overhead, and teach about how Pointillism is used in these works of art.

            When I have established that they have a strong foundation for what Pointillism is and how it is used, I will give instructions for their art project.

First: I will have them write their names at the bottom right corner of their pieces of drawing paper with their number two pencils.

Second: I will have them draw three different shapes, each the size of their hand, which slightly overlap one another. 

Third: I will have them use two colors per shape that they drew. They will use the back of their markers to dip into the different colored paints one at a time, to create dots of various colors. The dots will be slightly touching one another as they fill the entire shape with dots.

Fourth: After they have filled each of their three shapes with two colors of dots, I will have them place their art piece on the side counter to dry while they clean up their area.

Assessment:

            As they are working on their art projects, I will walk around the room and ask questions about the individual art works to understand the method they are using to create the color they want portrayed for their artwork.

            “What colors did you choose?”

            “What made you choose those specific colors?”

            “What do you like the best about this method?”

            “Besides Pointillism, what’s another method we could create that color?”

            “What colors do you see when you look at the picture closely?”

            “What colors do you see when you look at the picture from afar?”

           

           

            We will finish by having them think about what their favorite thing about this method of painting was. If there is time we will have a couple of them share with the class their thoughts.

Lesson Plan #3

April Finlinson

5th Grade Lesson Plan

Objective: By completing the activities, the student will (C)understand and (P)demonstrate the elements of line using straight and curved lines by (P)creating a two dimensional image that looks three dimensional.

Visual Arts Standards Addressed:

·         Investigate: VA:Cr2.2.5a. Demonstrate quality craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools, and equipment.

·         Investigate: VA:Cr2.1.5a. Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice.

English Language Arts Standard Addressed:

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Materials:

            King Midas and the Golden Touch Story, Drawing Paper, Pencil, Markers, Crayons (or Colored Pencils), and Playdough,

Vocabulary:

Line: An element of art defined by a point moving in space.           

Contour lines: An outline.

Form: A three-dimensional image.

Line quality: the thickness or thinness of a line.

Pedagogy:

            I will tell them about one of my favorite elements of Art is Line, and how understanding lines will help them create better art.

I will then teach the vocabulary word of Line. I will lead a discussion to help them identify different kinds of lines (continuous line, curved lines, zigzag, that we can see around the room using the following prompts:

“Do you see any lines throughout the classroom?”

            “What kind of line is it?”

            “What makes you say that?”

            “What other lines do you see?”

            I will tell them that today we will use lines to create an illusion or to trick our eyes into thinking we are seeing something come out of a paper or other flat surface, like it is three-dimensional, even when it really isn’t.

            I will then have the paper passers pass out papers while I introduce the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch. This is a myth, or a tale that is handed down by word of mouth for generations about a king who felt that there was nothing more precious than gold, so when granted a wish, he asked for everything that he touched be turned to gold.

            I will instruct them that while they work on their magical touch illusion piece, to be thinking about what they would wish for.

            I will then tell them to pull out the piece of paper that was given to them, a pencil, and a set of coloring utensils (markers, and crayons or colored pencils), and write their names in the top left corner.

            I will have them put their pencils down and put their hand on their head to show they are done after completing the task. After I finish giving the instructions, then tell them to start on their piece of art.

            I will demonstrate how to trace their hand (including the part of the arm resting on the paper) with a pencil. Then using a marker draw a continuous line from left to right using a straight line on the outside of the handprint image, and a curved line on the inside of the image.

            I will then have them repeat this method until the whole paper is covered in the contour lines.

I will then tell them that they will then take out only three colors of their choice, and using a repeated pattern, color the spaces between the lines until the entire piece is filled.

I will tell them to start on their pieces, using the examples on the board in front of them for a reference while I read the story King Midas and the Golden Touch.

(If there is additional time: After reading, I will then give them their play dough and have them create a non-objective shape that represents the thing that they would wish for. They will then place the completed shape on their artwork near the fingertip of the pointer finger like it is being touched).

Assessment:   

            After they have finished, they will place it in the side counter under the windows for display and clean up their work area putting all supplies used back where they are kept in the classroom.

I will ask them to tell me what a line is, what the king valued the most in the story, and what evidence in the story helped them know this.