Art Portfolio
A place where all my blurry iPhone 6 quality photos and art creations come to live.
How's Your Heart? |
I chose cool colours to represent my heart because they represent a mix of both positive and negative emotions. I used the dark blue for the hurts in my heart, as it is a deep shade comparable to these feelings. It is applied fairly heavily because of how deeply these hurts re rooted. The white drawn overtop of the dark blue shows that these wounds cannot easily be uncovered. The medium shade of blue I connected to my worries and anxiety because it is a merging of positive/active (racing heart, foggy head, lack of breath), and negative (stress, hard to focus) energy. My anxiety seeps in my heart like a cloud and once it breaches the borders I have a hard time pushing it back out. The mix of textures shows the chaos and lack of control I have over these feelings. The lightest of the colours, pastel blue, was used to represent the joy and silliness that I feel in my heart. The lightness of the blue is soft, welcoming, and reminds me of the beauty of nature, bringing me great happiness. The lightest of the blues surrounds my heart because I have a joyful soul, making it the foundation for my heart and my life. Finally, my hopes are represented in purple, which I felt was fitting due to its association with power and ambition needed to fulfill these goals. My hopes are on the outside of my heart reminding me that my dreams are in reach, I simply have to work hard to attain them. I made my heart most of the page because I would consider myself sensitive and emotional, leading my life by my heart. My heart is not perfectly centered because I often feel pulled in many different directions regarding decisions and relationships causing my heart to feel off-centered and unstable. However, it is still a recognizable heart shape due to my fondness of order and aesthetically pleasing works. Overall, this assignment taught me a lot about where my heart is at the present moment and how I want to work towards more light and less dark in my heart.
Review from a fellow art explorer: The heart is big, bright, and symmetrical. This tells me that the artist is very joyful and feels confident and well put together at the moment. The artists' heart is surrounded by a deep dark purple in which the joys seep into. I see high hopes from this, a lot to look forward to. The worries flow in slowly from one side, but do not take up much room. In fact, they may be flowing out of the heart rather than into it. Finally, there are a few lines drawn with dark blue in the heart to show hurt. This tells me that there is some hurt but is majorly overcome by other emotions.
Alternative Lesson - Emotional Colour Wheel
Possible minds-on for this lesson:
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a valuable book as it allows children to recognize that it is ok for them to have different emotions at different times of the day.
About the Book: Feelings are a normal part of life for children as well as adults, believes author Janan Cain, who wanted kids both to understand the concept of emotions and be able to express their feelings with words. Her delightful The Way I Feel has drawn praise from parents, educators and medical professionals across the country. It's used at bedtime, when parents want to talk about what happened that day; in classrooms, when teachers want to talk about pride and disappointment; and with sick children who are suffering from fear and confusion as well as pain. Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions, including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Kids need words to name their feelings, just as they need words to name food, clothes, toys, people, etc. Strong, colourful, and expressive images go along with the verses to help children connect the word and the emotion.
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a valuable book as it allows children to recognize that it is ok for them to have different emotions at different times of the day.
About the Book: Feelings are a normal part of life for children as well as adults, believes author Janan Cain, who wanted kids both to understand the concept of emotions and be able to express their feelings with words. Her delightful The Way I Feel has drawn praise from parents, educators and medical professionals across the country. It's used at bedtime, when parents want to talk about what happened that day; in classrooms, when teachers want to talk about pride and disappointment; and with sick children who are suffering from fear and confusion as well as pain. Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions, including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Kids need words to name their feelings, just as they need words to name food, clothes, toys, people, etc. Strong, colourful, and expressive images go along with the verses to help children connect the word and the emotion.
This idea was found on a blog where they use this activity as a form of art therapy. However, I think that it could easily be applied into a junior lesson plan. It is a good way to be able to check-in with your students on how they are feeling mentally. If their mental wellbeing isn't good, then they are not going to be able to be as active and engaged of a learner as they could be. Students make a circle with eight equal sections. They then are able to choose what 8 emotions they would like to express and label each emotion on the top of a section. The student fills in each section with corresponding colours and images that personally matches that emotion. As a consolidating activity I would have them write a reflection on their emotion and design choices through a journal entry as the emotions and depictions could be quite personal to them.
Self Portrait
Reflection
This painting process was my hardest one yet. I thought for sure that this was going to be the piece I ended up completing but not loving. The addition of the black marker made a world of difference and I was finally able to accept and love my art for where it is at. My design choices were intentional and representative of who I am. I made my face fairly asymmetrical because I enjoy things orderly and in their place. My eyes are the size they are because I have smaller eyes that squint when I smile. My eyes are looking mainly to the side because eye contact is something that I have always struggled with. My mouth is this size because I am quiet but smiley, and it is this shape because I speak from my heart. My hair is this style because I often wear it down and straight. The only colours that I used in my piece were warm colours: red, orange, and yellow. These colours are representative of my soul and the personality traits that lie within it. I am playful, loving, emotional, and happy. The sun rests above my head to represent my love of the warmth and endeavour towards positivity. The vines across my neck represent my admiration towards nature. There is a plane flying across my forehead because my mind is always thinking and dreaming about travelling and seeing more of this beautiful world we live in. The lotus in my portrait actually rests on my wrist in the form of a tattoo. The mug of coffee is fitting because I am a procaffeinator, which means nothing gets done until I've had coffee. The heart design was included because Proverbs 4:23 states, “above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Finally, I included the dashed lines because life is not linear, and we are constantly changing and growing. This is exactly what happened with my art piece as well, it started off as something completely different than what it is now. It changed, it grew, and it bloomed into something I am happy with.
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Meaning behind my tattoo: The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud --- the obstacles of life and its suffering. The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one.
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Self Portraits - Alternative Lesson Ideas
I found these three great lesson plan ideas on Scholastic for student self-portrait
ideas in the elementary grade. Depending on the grade level you were teaching you could either gear up or gear down these proposals.
#1 - Andy Warhol Inspired Portraits: First, students draw an outlined self-portrait using black marker. (Permanent marker works well.) Photocopy each student's line drawing so they have four or more copies of their portrait design. It helps to copy their portraits onto cardstock or the thickest paper you can feed through your copier. Then the students color in each self-portrait using a different colour scheme. You can use whatever materials you have available: markers, crayons, or colored pencils will suffice. You can also have the students explore a different medium for each portrait. Mount the students' collection of portraits in a two by two array
ideas in the elementary grade. Depending on the grade level you were teaching you could either gear up or gear down these proposals.
#1 - Andy Warhol Inspired Portraits: First, students draw an outlined self-portrait using black marker. (Permanent marker works well.) Photocopy each student's line drawing so they have four or more copies of their portrait design. It helps to copy their portraits onto cardstock or the thickest paper you can feed through your copier. Then the students color in each self-portrait using a different colour scheme. You can use whatever materials you have available: markers, crayons, or colored pencils will suffice. You can also have the students explore a different medium for each portrait. Mount the students' collection of portraits in a two by two array
#2 - Negative Space Collages: First students draw self-portrait busts using permanent black marker. It helps to provide mirrors to allow students to notice lots of details. Encourage students to add texture and to fill in details about their hair, face, and clothes. Then they color in all of the negative space (background) with a solid color marker. Finally, students cut out images and words from magazines to collage over the background. Show students how to cover as much of the background as possible by overlapping their paper cutouts.
#3 - Klee and Picasso "Cubist Faces": First students use crayons to draw their faces. Remind students to press firmly with their crayons to leave enough wax for the wax-resist technique. Then they divide their faces and the background into smaller, geometric sections. Students may choose to leave some features without segments for contrast. Finally, students use watercolours to create wax-resist paintings over their crayon drawings. Encourage students to think about complementary versus analogous colour choices. This is a great opportunity to work in some colour theory.
Floor Plan Considerations
The floor plan I have created allows for a successful art lesson to occur. There are five tables that allow for five students to sit at each table, which is great for a collaborative community. In the middle of each table there is a plastic bucket holding all of the required art supplies for the day’s activity (e.g. paper towel, scissors, glue, etc.) as well as a number making it easier to delegate which table does what task first. The tables are spaced out enough that allow for ease of traffic around the classroom. There is additional seating on the carpet, the beanbag chairs, or a quiet desk near the back for a student who needs minimal distraction. I opted to have only a horseshoe desk at the front of the room where all students are able to see me rather than a traditional teacher desk. The demonstration table is at the side of the room, away from the door. The desks closest to the demonstration table will pull up their chairs and the other students will stand around them. The window blinds will be closed for safety by the window and I will use the ledge for a paint station. The other two paint stations are located around the room so that there is not congestion at single areas. One table can get their bucket and clean water with two hands moving in a clockwise direction to the sink, one table can set up their supplies, and the last three can be at designated paint stations around the room. The groups will then switch tasks to allow for efficiency and limited traffic. The paint stations will have squeeze bottles and paper plated with parchment paper on top of them allowing for them to be reused. There are posters around the room to help them with things such as mixing colours, clarifying their criteria and goals, and recognizing different principles and elements of design. With clean up it will happen in a similar fashion as the preparation period, rotating tasks, dumping buckets into the dirty water sink, and placing appropriate materials into the garbage and recycling.
EDITS to my floorplan: I would shift my groups further away from the wall, towards the centre, to provide wider passageways to the stations I have established. This would also allow for better traffic flow. For the younger grades instead of using the sinks for clean and dirty water I would use buckets on the floor to accomodate for the tinier humans. This would also discourage the spray of water from the taps. Paint station #1 would be switched with my quiet desk station to provide more space. Finally, for the demonstration instead of having them all crowd around the table I would keep them in chairs and use chart stand/board, or use the carpet space.
Photos from Nature
Minds On - The Case for Land Art by The Art Assignment
The case for land art is a great minds on because it shows art explorers that art does not have to be confined to a building, bolted to the ground, or nailed to the wall. Art can be made by using earth's natural resources on earth's natural foundations.
"Do we make nature or does it make us?"
"Do we make nature or does it make us?"
Approaches to Drawing
Original Drawing - Pre-Instruction Sketch (7 min.)
Strengths:
- I like the face of the animal I was able to include
- I like the shading
- I do not like how long I made the body
- I do not like the back right leg
- My legs are too short
- My neck is also too short
- I will work on proportions
- I will work on cleaner lines
Shape (3 min.)
Scribble (3 min.)
Texture - From Behind (6 min.)
Negative S P A C E (10 min.)
Things to Display Around the Art Room
Mask Sculpture
Reflective Practice
Q1: What aspects of yourself, (personality), are present in the mask, and in the self you present to the world daily? (How is it like you?)
A1: I am like my mask because I possess a lot of character traits that a dog does. I am a happy, friendly, and playful individual who is loyal and protective to those I love. I am someone who likes to observe others and listen intently to conversations.
Q2: What aspects of yourself only come out in the mask…any surprises? (How is it different from the person you usually show to the world?)
A2: The aspects of myself that only come out in the mask is my goofiness, as portrayed by the tongue sticking out. It takes a long time for me to feel comfortable enough with someone to show them my silly side. My eyebrows grow like weeds, which came out in the dog’s fringed brows. With those I do not know very well, eye contact can be difficult, portrayed in the masks upward looking glance. The tufts on the top of the mask are representative of my stray hairs that like to stick out at the side of my head when I put my hair up.
Q3: How would the persona behind this mask move?
A3: The persona behind this mask would move on all four legs, happily wagging its tail and bounding along spryly with its nose to the ground.
Q4: How would they sit?
A4: On the rear legs, two hands (paws) flat on the ground, head tilted to the side.
Q5: How would they stand? … (capture personality/behaviour in these last 3)
A5: They would stand on all fours, tail still wagging, head looking all around for sights, smells, and sounds.
Q1: What aspects of yourself, (personality), are present in the mask, and in the self you present to the world daily? (How is it like you?)
A1: I am like my mask because I possess a lot of character traits that a dog does. I am a happy, friendly, and playful individual who is loyal and protective to those I love. I am someone who likes to observe others and listen intently to conversations.
Q2: What aspects of yourself only come out in the mask…any surprises? (How is it different from the person you usually show to the world?)
A2: The aspects of myself that only come out in the mask is my goofiness, as portrayed by the tongue sticking out. It takes a long time for me to feel comfortable enough with someone to show them my silly side. My eyebrows grow like weeds, which came out in the dog’s fringed brows. With those I do not know very well, eye contact can be difficult, portrayed in the masks upward looking glance. The tufts on the top of the mask are representative of my stray hairs that like to stick out at the side of my head when I put my hair up.
Q3: How would the persona behind this mask move?
A3: The persona behind this mask would move on all four legs, happily wagging its tail and bounding along spryly with its nose to the ground.
Q4: How would they sit?
A4: On the rear legs, two hands (paws) flat on the ground, head tilted to the side.
Q5: How would they stand? … (capture personality/behaviour in these last 3)
A5: They would stand on all fours, tail still wagging, head looking all around for sights, smells, and sounds.
"Minds On" - Lily's Cat Mask by Julie Fortenberry
ABOUT LILY’S CAT MASK:
"Armed with a vivid imagination and her trusty cat mask, Lily can take on anything–even a new school… But when her teacher tells her no masks allowed in class, Lily worries, can she make friends without it? Anyone who has been daunted by a new experience, or struggled to put on a good face, will relate to Lily. Whimsical art brings Lily, her father, and her new classmates to life, with text that begs to be read aloud." This book is a great introduction to mask making and allows students to think about the persona they want to portray within their mask. This not only adds a personal touch, but also provides an opportunity for reflection. |
Exit Ticket - Digging Through My Personal Growth Garden
The growth I have made as an art explorer over the last nine weeks has been surprising. If art was a garden and I was the gardener, the overgrowth was substantial enough in the first week to make me view art as something untameable and out of my grasp. However, as the weeks progressed, I began to plow through and dig deep into the garden, get my hands dirty, and realize the potential I had if I simply applied myself to the task.
Picture books such as Ish, Beautiful Oops, and The OK Book, allowed me to view art and my talent with a different lens. Mistakes equal growth, innovations, and improvements. Art you feel unsatisfied with equals reflectiveness, next steps, and learning. Every art adventure teaches you something. Whether that is something you are going to bring into your next piece, or something you are going to leave with your current creation. Similar to math, when someone has a fixed mindset towards art, chances are good they are not going to do very much art. Believing that you are not good at something is not a motivating force to continue doing it. My fixed mindset towards math deterred me from taking any math courses past grade 10. Much like my fixed mindset towards art lead me to take computers as my high school elective.
Showing your students that you are not what people would define as "good at art," evokes them with a sense of ability that they might not have had before. They no longer feel pressured to produce a work that makes jaws drop and people stop, but instead they create what feels good and right to them in that moment, which in itself is so unique and pure.
At the end of nine weeks my biggest take away that I would like to bring to my future classroom follows with how I began this reflection. Art is going to represent something different metaphorically to each student. For me, it is a garden, but instead of my garden being full of unruly weeds, my garden is manageable, exciting, blooming, and thriving. I know that there is going to be times when my garden desperately needs water, but this is not going to discourage me, I am going to keep weeding, digging, and exploring until the sky opens up.
Picture books such as Ish, Beautiful Oops, and The OK Book, allowed me to view art and my talent with a different lens. Mistakes equal growth, innovations, and improvements. Art you feel unsatisfied with equals reflectiveness, next steps, and learning. Every art adventure teaches you something. Whether that is something you are going to bring into your next piece, or something you are going to leave with your current creation. Similar to math, when someone has a fixed mindset towards art, chances are good they are not going to do very much art. Believing that you are not good at something is not a motivating force to continue doing it. My fixed mindset towards math deterred me from taking any math courses past grade 10. Much like my fixed mindset towards art lead me to take computers as my high school elective.
Showing your students that you are not what people would define as "good at art," evokes them with a sense of ability that they might not have had before. They no longer feel pressured to produce a work that makes jaws drop and people stop, but instead they create what feels good and right to them in that moment, which in itself is so unique and pure.
At the end of nine weeks my biggest take away that I would like to bring to my future classroom follows with how I began this reflection. Art is going to represent something different metaphorically to each student. For me, it is a garden, but instead of my garden being full of unruly weeds, my garden is manageable, exciting, blooming, and thriving. I know that there is going to be times when my garden desperately needs water, but this is not going to discourage me, I am going to keep weeding, digging, and exploring until the sky opens up.