Teaching Art

I agreed to fill an immediate need for an art teacher position opening at Winfield Middle School in Jan/Feb 2023. My life's journey is (and always has been) episodic. I've been an advertising man, a marketing leader and and an educator. Five years ago I completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Fontbonne University. I've been a Special Education teacher and I've worked with students from Middle School and High School. (My certification with the state includes cross/cat, elementary ed and art k-12.)  

So when Winfield Middle School needed an Art Teacher to fill an immediate need, I was thrilled to step in for a month or so at the beginning of 2023. I managed three classes back to back for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.  

The expectations were clear at the onset. Mr. Morgan believes everyone is an artist. The goal is for each and every one of my 60+ students to become a “better” artist. As with anything (sports, academics and art) it takes practice. 

The introduction to the class included a discussion of the GOAT. Mr. Morgan lead a discussion about who might be the Greatest of All Time in Art. He suggested it might be Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). 

Instruction included a series of short practice assignments:

Assignment 1 - Contour Line Drawing - without lifting your pencil from the paper do a contour line drawing of a still life set up in the classroom.

Assignment 2 - Source Image Drawing - using what you have learned about contour line drawing, draw a picture based on a magazine image provided. Add color limited to the tools provided (a limited number of colored pencils).

Assignment 3 - Present your work - Follow this presentation format: a. What was your challenge? b. What did you like about your piece? c. What will you do differently, given a similar challenge in the future?

Assignment 4 - Charcoal Drawing - using only charcoal, what you have learned about contour line drawing and composition/design/layout create a work of art based on still life set up in the classroom. You may also use a kneaded eraser to create highlights.

Assignment 5 - Value in Shades and Tints - shading and tinting in tempera paint. Using only one Hue (color) and black and white paints, work in small groups to create a value strip showing how your hue changes with careful application of black (to create shades) and white (to create tints).  

Assignment 6 - Monochromatic plan and execution - using the value skills you have practiced thus far and following a work plan developed in class create a monochromatic tempera painting on a primed square surface provided - a 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 square. 60+ works were on display in the hallway bulletin board for discussion about what worked and what might be changed in future efforts. (This public showing allowed students to see the merits of peers in all three classes).

Assignment 7 - Using only the color markers and tool provided (i.e. compas, ruler) and applying what we've reviewed in the text about geometric shapes create a composition and be prepared to discuss your results including color theory.

Assignment 8 - Cursive Dexterity - Students are challenged to copy the alphabet in script while carefully paying attention to the flow of lines and finding a steady way to hold and manipulate the writing tool (pencil, pen & ink or even ball point).

Assignment 9 - Gallery Walk. Students are invided to comment on samples on display on bulletin boards in the classroom and hallway.

Test - 10 questions - multiple choice, true/false and open ended short answers. (examples - What are the primary colors? Isaac Newton developed the Color Wheel: True or False? What is a composition that uses only one hue (color) and tints and shades: Is it a. abstract b. monochromatic c. cubism or d. none of the above? 

  

 

  

C

Charcoal still life by Picasso (avove). Students were invited to take a bit of inspiration from the GOAT.

Narcissus Garden

Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kasuma at Laumeier Sculpture Park

February 1, 2023 to  May 14, 2023

Yayoi Kusama, (born March 22, 1929, Matsumoto, Japan), Japanese artist who was a self-described “obsessional artist,” known for her extensive use of polka dots and for her infinity installations. She employed painting, sculpture, performance art, and installations of Pop and Minimalism. Family conflict and the desire to become an artist drove her to move in 1957 to the U.S, and settle in NYC. Her early work in New York City included what she called “infinity net” paintings that consisted of thousands of tiny marks obsessively repeated across large canvases without regard for the edges of the canvas. Such works explored the physical and psychological boundaries of painting, with the seemingly endless repetition of the marks creating an almost hypnotic sensation for both the viewer and the artist. Her paintings from that period anticipated the emerging Minimalist movement, but her work soon transitioned to Pop Art. She became a central figure in the New York avant-garde, and her work was exhibited alongside that of such artists as Donald Judd, Claus Oldenburg and Andy Warhol.

Note: Happy Birthday Kusama - 94 years March 22, 2023

Happy Birthday to the Matriarch

Happy Birthday to the Matriarch 2/14/2023

Aunt Lee recited a poem on your birthday, years ago;

She was holding back tears of love.

It was one of so many days of thanks, you know;

The gatherings forever blessed by G-d above,

 

Time rolls on and we wonder how;

In spite of those trials and tribulations;

We got to where we are now;

You have earned and deserve the joyful jubilation.

 

Always genuine and for real;

Time goes by and we cherish the memories we have found;

Among us: Sam, Randy, Lynn, Digger and the rowdies of Deel;

So lucky and so happy to have you around.

 

Amid the countless celebration and salutations;

Broken in times of sadness;

You temper with calibrations;

You remind us all to embrace the happiness.

 

With a tenderness anyone can feel;

We can’t thank you enough for what you mean in our lives;

Although stoic at times, your affection is so very real;

We cannot thank you enough, no matter how many tries.

 

The benevolent Matriarch with hearts and smiles;

You have done so much to enrich all of our lives;

Thank you for being on this journey for so many miles.

We cannot thank you enough, no matter how many tries!