NOTES & DISCLAIMERS: The world of visual arts & culture is broad. Artwork and artists from various times & perspectives do and have approached the arts from a wide range of viewpoints, perspectives, & beliefs which includes all kinds of people, artists, art, imagery, and topics. I do my best to ensure content and resources presented both in class and on this site are age & school appropriate.. If you see something concerning by accessing or following any link or resource on this page, please contact me immediately so that the issues can be addressed and hopefully resolved in a timely manner.

ART ROOM INFO 

Information in this section is geared towards students enrolling in visual arts courses, as well as parents & community members. Learn how you can support the visual arts and your child's education & art experiences! 

VISUAL ARTS HANDBOOK 

The information provided here is very important for students and parents of students who are currently enrolled in a visual arts course. Each section below describes rules, procedures, expectations of how we will function in visual arts class.  It also provides information on how parents & community members can support the visual arts and your child's education & art experiences! 

STANDARDS, FOCUS AREAS, & CRITERIA 

Education in the art room encompasses a wide range of topics. Students will connect with the visual arts through curriculum, teaching strategies, and methods in which State Standards will be introduced through Visual Arts Focus Areas / "AIMS" and assessed often in relation to the 5 C's of Visual Arts.  

Visual Arts Standards overview

Ohio Visual Arts Standards for all grade levels fall under the following 4 categories and encourage students not only to engage with the process of developing ideas and creating their own artworks, but also value engaging with visual arts on a personal level and as a part of the human experience throughout time, regions, and across cultures.

• CREATING / DESIGNING: Artists use creative thinking and reasoning skills to perceive concepts and ideas to develop works. 

• PREFORMING / PRODUCING: Artists employ personal processes and skills to solve problems creatively and present work in various contexts 

• RESPONDING: Artists engage in analysis and interpretation to understand and evaluate artistic works. 

• CONNECTING: Artists understand and communicate the value of creative expressions in internal and external contexts 

Visual Arts focus areas (Course content target learning gOALS / "aims") 

Planning for COURSE CONTENT of visual arts courses "aim" at facilitating opportunities for students to engage with the visual arts through the following overarching Target Goal sections

• CONNECTIONS & BIG ?’s / IDEAS: Life, Social, Cultural, Cross-Curricular: 

How are the Visual Arts interconnected/intertwined with the world that we are part of? Why do & have people created art throughout history & today?

• ART APPRECIATION: Art Exposure, Encounters, Engagement, Experiences, Immersion, Impact, History, Movements, Periods, Artists, Aesthetics, Criticism:

How do we encounter & engage in, & with visual arts today & how have people done so in the past? How can art, artistry, and artists be defined & explored?

• ART & DESIGN CONCEPTS: Art & Design Concepts, Ideas, Elements, Principles, Guidelines, Methods, Etc. 

How can we develop, design, create, practice, perform, & produce like an artist? What ideas, concepts, processes do artists consider, apply or investigate?

• TECHNIQUE & SKILL: Techniques, Skills, Methods, Processes, Media, Craftsmanship, Artisanship, Persistence, Perseverance

How do artists create art? What materials can & do artists use? How can one learn to use these materials successfully, safely, and properly? 

• VISUAL VOICE: Student Artistic Self Discovery, Development, Ideation, Planning, Vision, Creation, Process & Products: 

What is "Visual Voice" and how can we each use ours to connect with and respond to the word around us? How can we think, & behave like an artist?

Visual Arts CRITERIA (THE 5 "C'S OF vISUAL aRTS)

CONCEPT / COMPOSITION / CREATIVITY / CRAFTSMANSHIP / COMMITMENT

Most student assignments will include some or all assessment & grading standards that fall into the following categories

Concept - Appropriate evidence of themes, ideas, topics, content learned about, & discussed? Final work of art demonstrates understanding of ideas, & concepts learned and applied? Visually Communicate and/or functions as intended?  All project standards met? 

Composition - Relevant application of design concepts learned & practiced, appropriate design choices, & strong use of 2D or 3D space to visually communicate / create through an artistically thoughtful composition? 

Creativity -  Personalized display of a student's unique vision, individual interpretation of artistic project prompts? Through extensive project planning, students develop imagery, designs, and/or text that conveys the idea or meaning of the artwork? Not copied, or plagiarized? Student's own "Visual Voice '' evident? 

Craftsmanship -  Proper demonstration of learned techniques & processes? Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the art tools & media? Well crafted? Appropriate level of artisanship demonstrated?

Commitment & Challenge - Responsible dedication to planning, progress, perseverance, project execution, participation, & professionalism? Took time to develop ideas & complete the project? (Didn’t rush.) Good use of class time?  Appropriate level of challenge?

VISUAL ARTS BASICS

VISUAL VOICE & THE CREATIVE PROCESS

IDEATE / RESEARCH / DESIGN / PRACTICE...PLAY / DESIGN...CREATE / REVIEW / REFINE / REPEAT

ART & ETHICS

WHY DO PEOPLE CREATE ART? 

Why do people of all nations, ethnicities, religions, ages, sex/gender, social status, create art? I would argue that creating is a part of the human experience. Whether we are the creator, observer, participant, user or otherwise we all actively participate in some way in the creation, consumption, sharing, and or function of visual arts. Throughout history and among various cultures and subcultures the visual arts have served a great many purposes. Click on the various links below for an overview of many of the reasons that people have and continue to create works of visual art.  

SKETCHING & DRAWING

STUDENT PROJECT GALLERIES

& STUDENT PORTFOLIOS 

Below you will find examples of student artwork by our amazing Waterloo Art Students from the various classes that I have taught. Students who are currently taking art classes. You may find some inspiration here by looking at what your predecessors have created. Ensure that as you browse and appreciate, that you resist the temptation to copy any of the work you see here. Make sure to honor your fellow artist and always make good ethical choices! 

STUDENT COURSE PAGES

Hello my fabulous ART STUDENTS!!! Click on the image or text below associated with the course that you are currently enrolled in to find course materials and resources. You will need to become familiar with your course web page as you progress through your class throughout the year. 

ART FACTs: The first image below depicts a single print from an artwork by famous "Pop Artist" Andy Warhol Marilyn Munroe II - 1967. Warhol experimented with silk screen printing, an art method used in the advertising industry at the time, that was not really considered a technique for artists. Warhol made many artworks and quite a few of them included Marilyn Munroe, a famous actress as his subject. If you fancy seeing one of Warhol's Marilyn prints take a trip to the Cleveland Art Museum with your friends or family!!! 

All of the other artworks you see here could be considered "appropriations" of Andy Warhol's Marilyn prints. Artists have been "appropriating" images for most of history. The term appropriate, means to take something familiar, that the audience will know or understand, and make changes or alterations to it, which often give new meaning. It is a sticky situation in the art world though, because using or borrowing other people's art may not be ethical. 

RESOURCES 

VISUAL ARTS BASICS