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Dem Bones ~ Middle School Version!
I taught the Middle School Summer Art Camp at Kettle Run High School from July 12- 15. Here is a re-cap...
Day 1
We had our middle schoolers make pinhole cameras out of hot cocoa cans. They made their cameras and got to work using them and developing the images. Our camp was so packed with 22 students – we had to have them work in shifts. While they were waiting for the darkroom, they made paste papers. I had never hear of this before – wish I had gotten pictures of them creating – but I was too busy making my own... You mix up the art paste (see pic) – the kind used for papier mache, water it down a bit and add acrylic paint to it. We used large glossy paper and painted the color on – then used plastic scrappers (see pic) to add texture. Ours were store bought but they can easily be made out of notched cardboard.
Here are some of the results:
Then we showed students how to make an accordion fold book that could hold their pinhole images. They cut out their paste papers to use as covers or as additional decoration.
Day 2
We worked with students in the darkroom to show them how to make a positive print from their pinhole negative.
Here are some of the students' best pinhole images:
We discussed Henry Moore and showed photos of him being inspired by rocks and bones. Students chose a bone they liked and drew it realistically. Then they drew it three more times until it was abstracted. From one of the 3 drawings they created a plaster sculpture using a newspaper armature.
Here are some drawings: Mine is on the left - student on the right.
The student's sculptures that was made from the drawing above:
Day 3
We took students to the American Museum of Natural History and the Brian Jungen show at National Museum of the American Indian. They had a blast – even in the rain! We ate lunch in the courtyard at the Hirshhorn since we would be out of the rain. Then we took a walk past the Henry Moore sculptures that were across the street. We stopped for a group shot:
Finish everything day! We had students create one more new piece of art – the drawback to the field trip is less art produced but the kids enjoy it so much and they rarely get a chance to go anywhere during the regular school year we feel it is important to keep it in future camps.
Students chose a few items they liked from the bones – or from a new pile of shells and sea creatures. They must have been tired of the bones because all of them chose from the shells! They created a few thumbnails to create a composition they liked – then they enlarged it on 19x19 paper and painted with acrylics. The paints were very yummy and I really enjoyed this. Some students had a hard time with composition and benefited from creating the thumbnails.
here are some thumbnail/painting pairs: (mine is first and includes the original items)
I think this project is where I was of the most help to students. I worked with them to create the best composition with the items they had chosen. I pushed them to create more thumbnails until they were happy with the results and could see the difference between a strong and a weak composition.
Most of the afternoon we worked with students to finish up and choose their best work to go in the art festival which is in April.
Now I can start my summer ~ no more teaching until August 23rd!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Dem Bones - Day 3 and 4
Day 3 was the field trip! We got on the bus at Brumfield and then went to pick up the group at Ritchie - we had to sit several students 3 to a seat because the camps were a bit larger than expected! Student had their sketchbooks and had a few places where we would spread out and draw. This was a popular spot:
A parent that went with us took pictures and burned them on a CD for everyone to take - too cool! THANKS!!
The art teachers in our too cool bones t-shirts. Good idea Jess!
Mrs. Stone (Coleman), Mrs. Hill (Ritchie), Me (Greenville), Ms. Beach (Brumfield)
Team Ritchie on the left and Team Brumfield on the right!
The whole crew in front of the American Indian Museum
Day 4 was our final day in camp so it was finish it all up day! We printed their skeleton collographs, connected their wire tot heir boxes, finished painting their caleveras and added some glitter touches to them.
We met with each student and discussed their work and which piece we were going to keep for the County Art Festival in the spring. They also filled out a questionnaire - just to get some feedback on what they liked, what they didn't and to make sure they had a good time. I will have to quote some of them - we enjoyed reading over them after everyone had been picked up!
Here are some highlights of the student work:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Dem Bones ~ Day 2
Since the first day we spent most of the time in the classroom we decided to change it up a bit for day 2. We started by choosing a bone from the still life and taking it outside. Put your bone in the landscape and draw what is around it. So we found some shade and got to work. I could not believe it - 20 kids in a fairly small area - and they were SILENT for over 30 minutes drawing. Here are some shots of the students and their work:
Love to see them using techniques we teach!
completed drawings - wish we had time to push these even further getting them to add darker blacks and more greys!! 
last one is mine
I cropped a little bit - most needed work on their composition. Just a reminder though - these students are only 10/11 years old! Next we talked about aboriginal dot and xray painting and students decorated a box - their wire animal sculpture will adorn the top.
Students listed 10 facts about themselves and added a symbol to go with it - and they will use those symbols to incorporate into their skull! I cannot wait to see these completed tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Dem Bones ~ Art Summer Camp
Finished Day 2 of Art summer camp today! I feel like it is Friday already. We have twenty students with two elementary art teachers. I am enjoying working with a new colleague.
Day One was a still life of some amazing animal bones.
Then we had the students create the tones using white and black charcoal sticks. We put some dramatic lighting on the bones to help them see the whites and blacks better. I really enjoyed working on mine too - but of course the life of an art teacher - you get 5 samples started and never finish one of them! I need to sit diwn and create like this more often (and finish)!
this is mine:
Student Work Below is Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Students also worked in a sketchbook to develop ideas for a wire sculpture. They created their favorite animal - then sketched a 'best guess' of the skeleton of the animal.
Loved this one: I am pretty sure this is how it might look, maybe!
We decided after day one that the students were a little bored, as we were with the bones already. The curriculum is developed by the art teachers that will teach the camps. I wish I wasn't so burnt out from the end of the year to put some better input into it. We were struggling a bit with what we had to work with at the end of the first day. So we came in on day two with some additional ideas we thought would keep the kids energized and producing throughout the day. Pics of those works to come...
Tomorrow we will be taking them with a camp happening at another school across the county to DC. 40 students, 4 art teachers and 2 parents...
We are going to see bones of course - at the American Museum of Natural History and the Brian Jungen show at National Museum of the American Indian.
Should be fun!!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Getting Published!
One of my goals was to get published in an art ed mag. No real time frame on it, just one of the things on "my list". While surfing around my sites yesterday this pops up from School Arts: Looking for Authors: ClipCards Needed for SchoolArts Magazine. How cool - I already have 2 done thinking about which others I want to submit.
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