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In Art 309, we received hands-on experience, listened to lectures, recieved and gave demonstrations, we had full class discussions, had class critiques, and did in-class projects. This is my second semester taking Art 309. For the first month and a half we workshopped our workshops with our peers. I taught a workshop with high school art students who chose the workshop. The workshop was called Freaky Faces: Sculpting in layers. Students used everyday materials to cut, stack, and layer a portrait that shows facial structure and definition. We looked into artists Kimmy Cantrell, Sylvia Douglin, and Picasso. Directly after we prepared to teach two workshops on Animal Zentangles. We chose this to give artists a break from the daily grind. There were no mistakes and no pressure to create. We ended our semester creating a collaborative research graphic novel. My partner and I researched Experinental Learning. Experiential learning is an influential framework that describes how people learn through experience, It is a method of teaching that allows learners to learn while doing, reflecting, thinking about it and applying it.
Heart of Illinois Conference Workshops!
I engaged in culturally relevant teaching by centering the curriculum on Kimmy Cantrell and Sylvia Douglin, contemporary Black artists whose work prioritizes identity and expressive distortion over Eurocentric standards of perfection. I enjoyed talking to the students and seeing their renditions on our project idea. Each student created a piece of art unique to them. I enjoyed using found materials over bought but next time I would separate the materials to see how the students would work differently. This workshop is skill based and encouraged for older ages. Below the rubric I graded students on
This student artwork features complex layering with pipe cleaners, foam, collage, ribbons, and paper. Your playful interpretation of abstraction, such as using pipe cleaners as facial hair and foam sponges as sunglasses. The craftsmanship shows significant depth, which was achieved by stacking elements that jump off the surface. This piece stands out as a great example of using mixed media to build a high definiton three dimensional portrait.
This student portrait shows a good use of layering and 3D depth, such as the fabric bow and the raised nose. The face is solid with abstract shapes and asymmetry. I loved the use of collage to take away from the generic cardboard background. I believe if you had more time, you could expand on the work. While you use great textures to define the face, she was very hesitant to explain the materials you chose. This piece shows her growing ability to use mixed media and build a unique character. I also really enjoyed the use of using your name tags for the piece.
Teaching at the Normal Public Library
I enjoyed this workshop at the Normal Public Library. It seemed low-stress for the people taking the workshop. It allowed them to leave their stressors at the door even if it was for a few minutes. Some students used our pre made printouts of animals and created their own patterns. Other students drew their own animal and used our pattern sheet to fill in the negative space. It was nice building rapport and hearing about their hobbies outside of the workshop. This workshop was open to all ages.
Pal 1
Artist Talk
Jorge Lucero is currently a art education professor at the University of Urbana-Champaign. He studied at Penn State and the Art Institute of Chicago. He brought everyone a copy of his book Conceptualist Permissions for Teacher Posture. He explains that this book is a list of artists and how they inspired him. These artists taught him something from their art, and the lesson was taken into his own practice.
Pal 2
Professor Mike Willie sponsered a group urban sketching trip. We toured various places in Chicago. We saw the Obama Presidential Center under construction, the Chicago Theatre, Wrigleyville, and we ended at the Art Institute of Chicago. In the Art Institute, I explored The Raqib Shaw: Paradise Lost exhibition. The panel is 100 feet long and 21 panels.This painting is a reflection of Milton's 17th Century poem "Paradise Lost". The painting spoke on cultural identity, creativity, innocence
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