Wrapping up

Everyone is ready for the semester to come to a close. As each semester winds down its almost like you can feel the motivation and determination drop away with each passing day. While classes are in full swing students get into a routine, and become accustomed to the rhythm of the school year and its demands. However, as the countdown gets lower and lower, it becomes more difficult to stay focused.

But, this is the last stretch. Just one more week of studying, getting up early, and rushing in a panic to get studio art projects complete. Just one more week before a glorious, restful span of time away from school. This break will not only be chance to relax and catch up with family over the holidays, but will also serve to refresh ideas. After three months of consistent work on art, I have begun to run out of good ideas.

The break will give me a chance to stop thinking about art for a couple of weeks. Or, at least, it will give me a chance to stop thinking about the same ideas I have been thinking about for months on end. The time off will renew my idea store-room, and definitely allow me to come back to the new semester with fresh ideas and motivation to make a lot of art.

Lesson Idea

Students could take on the assignment with the requirements of having to draw themselves from life, and combining that with a made-up representation of a "thought". The image below is a good example of how the two drawing styles can be combined:

Unknown Artist. Pencil Drawing.

Students would be able to work from reference materials such as photographs, drawings or paintings in order to create the imagery necessary for their "thought". They would need to be able to explain how the imagery they chose to draw relates the viewer to the place, time or event that they are attempting to express.

Importance of writing

There is something in the act of writing that creates clarity. Whether it is the physical act of  transferring ideas and thoughts onto paper, or just the amount of focus required to organize thoughts in a logical structure, I do not know. Either way, writing can be a useful tool whenever an individuals thoughts are cluttered, or ideas are scattered.



Many people think of a journal as a personal item, used only to write about emotional experiences and private thoughts. I think that a journal can be a very useful tool when used in a public way, though. In my art classes I plan to have my students keep a journal/sketch book that they record subjects and topics they have been thinking about, as well as ideas for projects and art. I would inform students that this notebook would be a public item, and that I would be reading through it at several points through the semester. This way, students would be able to keep their personal, private thoughts out, and include only ideas they wished to share. Students would also be able to write in whatever style they felt most comfortable with, whether that include only drawings, only writing, or a combination of the two.



The journals would help me, as an instructor, to get a better sense of what my students are interested in and how they are currently thinking about art in relation to other topics. I would be able to keep current with my own assignments and be better equipped to keep my students interested in what I am trying to teach them. 

Influential Artists

Some of the major influences to my own art making.......


Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois

Cells; Spider

Kate Chopin

Literature

Janine Antoni

Saddle.

Touch.

Mona Hatoum

The Negotiating Table

Corps Etranger

Egon Schiele

Self-Portrait

Visiting Artist

This past Wednesday, November 28th, the UICA hosted a Penny Stamps discussion in their theater style auditorium. Along with smaller venues, such as colleges and other types of art institutions, the two art museums in Grand Rapids do a great job of bringing in many different artists from a variety of mediums, style and popularity. Unfortunately, more times than not, I have been unable to attend the events for whatever reason - work, deadlines, or otherwise.

This time was different though. One of the most influential individuals, in regard to my art-making practice, was going to be in Grand Rapids. The UICA was hosting Janine Antoni, not only one of my own personal favorites, but an internationally recognized and successful artist. It was an incredible opportunity to be able to hear Antoni talk about her own work and ideas. She was well-spoken and communicated the concepts and ideas behind her work very articulately ad convincingly. Her ideas made sense, and there was a logic to the way she works that was refreshing in its straight-forward, powerful, elegance.

Janine Antoni at the UICA. 2012

I am so happy that I was able to attend this artist talk and hear the thoughts of one of my favorite artists. Her work and practice are so similar to my own, and her influence is directly accounted for in my own sculptural process. The experience of hearing  her speak was one of learning and encouragement, and makes me even more excited to continue making my own art.

Finding that fine line

       As a future instructor of art it will be my responsibility to give my students a foundation of principles, rules, and guidelines from which they can build their art skills upon. Through instruction, explanation and demonstration I can give my students the basic understanding that they need in order to be able to make interesting, quality pieces of art. However, it is also my responsibility, as an art educator, to push my students to explore.
      When does this transition from teacher-led instruction to student-led exploration occur? Will I be able to recognize when students are ready to move past the basic skills and start thinking in more conceptual ways? I think so. Students will have several chances to prove that they understand fundamental skills such as color theory, two dimensional and three dimensional design, as well as composition and basic drawing skills. These skilsl will all be assessed through major projects in an introductory level art class.
        The real interesting work will be once students have acquired these skills and begin to learn how to address concept. Teaching students how to think in a new and more difficult way is a tricky thing to do. In one hand, there is little concrete, straight-forward methods for teaching something as abstract as conceptual thought processes. So students will feel lost and slightly abandoned as they are encouraged to explore ideas and expression.

 

       On the other hand, it is also tricky for a teacher not to direct a students thought too much. It is my job to help students understand new things, but in this scenario it is critical that their ideas be there own. It would be very easy for me to give students examples- but that's too easy. I need to find ways to promote critical thinking, curiosity in a topic, or the exploration of an idea. Rather than giving students ideas to work with, I will give them resources for which to start researching, or have discussions with them about where their interests lie.
        Through these discussions, research and exploration I believe that introductory level students can begin the process of thinking about art in a richer, more complex way. They can begin to make connections between the physical mediums they are working with and the abstract ideas that they are interested in, or feel are important.

To define is to limit

The way that the art education major is currently set up at Grand Valley allows students to obtain a Bachelor of Arts with their K-12 certification. This is all well and good and will allow graduates to obtain a job teaching art at any grade level, which is a welcome freedom when jobs are scarce.
However, a BA degree does not reflect the extensive amount of work that students do in their actual studio classes. As art ed majors we are actually required to take many more studio classes than those students who are getting a studio degree. The requirements for art ed include a wide breadth of classes, including several introductory level classes, a handful of intermediate and advanced levels, as well as many drawing classes.

The lack of recognition for this effort is a little frustrating. So, after a little bit of research and investigation, I discovered that I would only be four classes away from a Bachelor of Fine Art degree. With the amount of classes I have taken to obtain my BA, there would only be one extra semester needed in order for me to graduate with two whole degrees.

This news was an excellent surprise to me, and I have since jumped on the opportunity to add on a BFA degree. I will not only graduate with the recognition I think I deserve for my efforts, but I will be able to go farther in my professional work. Many graduate programs will only accept BFA degrees for those hoping to eventually get their masters in a studio, such as sculpture.

With only one extra semester at Grand Valley, I will be able to go on to graduate school, get my masters, and eventually get a job teaching sculpture at a university level. This is a win-win situation that will allow me to fulfill some pretty major goals.

Cheers.

A critical comment

Cri-tique
noun, verb, cri-tiqued, cri-ti-quing.

1. an article or essay criticizing a literary or other work; detailed evaluation; review.
2. a criticism or critical comment on some problem, subject, etc.
3. the art or practice of criticism.

To a student that has just spent four weeks toiling over what is now their final project, this definition of critique is not a very exciting one. To bring a finished product in front of a group of people is a challenge in itself. But when the group of people are primed and ready to look at your work as if it is a problem in need of evaluation, review and criticism is a completely different matter. The concept sounds counter-productive to a student's education, using fear tactics to educate never helped anyone.

However, as a student of the visual arts, this way of evaluating work becomes the norm as it is the standard in many classes and schools. Students repeatedly try their hardest to finish a piece of work to the best of their ability, and then present it to their peers in order to learn how they could have made it better. Sometimes these critiques can be really discouraging and hard to swallow- but the majority of the time the input from the group is valuable and constructive. The reality is that critiques are
not as terrifying as they sound initially.

In fact, one of the most consistent problems is that groups are not critical enough. By no means should individuals be meaner, but they do need to be more thoughtful about the input they do give. Questions and comments should relate to relevant information in association with the piece of work such as: formal qualities, conceptual ideas, and how the two connect together.

With these considerations in mind a student has a lot to gain from the comments and suggestions made by their peers and art instructor. Critiques are a useful teaching tool in any  classroom, at any age level. They do not have to be scary and can be carried out in a very positive way. Their function in the visual arts is to act as a means for development, improvement and learning.

Practice clarity

Before you can teach something, you have to have a clear understanding for yourself.

HOLY COW. You would think this would be obvious, but sometimes it just is not the case in a classroom. Everyone has experienced a particular lecture, where the instructor just did not really have things completely put together. Hopefully, the teacher just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or maybe just stayed out too late with "colleagues" the night before. If one lesson, once in a while, gets a little screwy there won't be very many consequences for instructor or the students.

The real problems arise when a lack of clear instruction is a consistent factor in a teacher's performance. Students become confused, impatient, and incredibly frustrated. Interest in the assignment plummets, and students give up on whatever objectives they are supposed to be learning.

As an instructor is is imperative that you are able to work through new technologies and concepts in a logical, step-by-step method. You must be able to answer questions in a clear, concise way without repeating yourself one hundred times. Do not over-complicate things. Keep a new process as simple as possible, only introducing more complexity or separate options after students demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles.


All in all, a teacher should practice explaining. Write out the steps in the order you plan to address them. Maybe even practice your method on a friend or family member to see if your steps are actually as clearly laid out as you think they are. This preparation will make your classroom flow infinitely more smoothly, and students will feel like they have accomplished something new once you have finished.

Finding Space

GVSU Sculpture Space

As an art student, one of the greatest priveldges I have is access to an infinite amount of space and material. I have any tool I could ever need, for any project, at my immediate disposal. I am restricted in my art-practice in absolutely no way be materials and resources. I never have to compromise good ideas simply because I have no way to manipulate the material in the way I need to. I can cut, sand, bend, melt, harden, attach, strengthen, cover, clean any material I need to in order to fit my conceptual idea.

GVSU Woodshop Space

The whole point of being a student, of  course, is to be able to learn as many new technologies and techniques as possible. A lack of materials or tools would be a great hinderance on the learning process, and quite frankly, not very much good work would result. The only problem with being provided with all the tools, all the time, is that once graduation day hits those tools are gone. Students are left with an abundance of knowledge, but they must start from scratch with regards to actually applying their skills.

Dinderbeck Studio in Grand Rapids, MI

This point becomes very important not only for tools and materials, but for space to work and for peers to work with. If possible, I think that students should reach out while they are still in school in an effort to direct themselves after they graduate. I have recently begun this process myself by joining a studio group in Grand Rapids. By joining a group of artists who all work in a shared space, with shared tools, I have solved the main problem of graduation - how to make use of the skills you have just worked so hard for.

Fieldtrips

Everyone knows that Artprize is happening in Grand Rapids right now. People are traveling far distances to come and participate in the voting, and to do their part in clogging up the sidewalks. This event is enjoyable for all ages, young and old, every type of person, and even families. However, it is something that is generally experienced in ones own free time, on a nice weekend off work perhaps.

Recently, I visited Artprize under different circumstances. My sculpture class went downtown and looked at the art together as a group, students and professor. This type of classroom trip is a really great way to get students involved in any lesson, and it promotes deeper thinking about topics, and fuller investment and interest.

As an art instructor I plan on taking my students to as many events and out-of-classroom trips as possible. Even if I merely take my class outside to interact with objects on school grounds, I feel that this is a powerful way to get students excited. For example, taking kids outside to collect branches, leaves, or other natural elements for them to create their own still life is much more exciting than handing out images.

Ideally, it would be wonderful to take students to art museums, exhibits and shows. If the funding were available to go on a field trip every week I would do it! The interaction with art in students' community allows them to make connections that they might not have been able to in the classroom. It broadens their understanding of how art can be used and applied in society, and gets them excited about how they can become involved.

Finding Balance

I think that the beginning of the semester always starts off the same. No matter what degree you are seeking, what year you are in, or whether you think you are fully prepared for it or not - school can quickly become overwhelming. Balancing employment, social life, family, and education can be an incredibly challenging endevour.

School, in itself, has a list of demands that breaks down from large levels of requirements to small lists. To begin with, a student had better be making sure they are signed up for the correct classes, in the correct order, in the correct year. Once you are in the correct classes the lists of assignments and expectations piles up higher and higher as the semester goes on.

Art students in particular have a high level of stress in regards to their education. Not only is there a high demand for production, such as finished projects and assignments, there is also an expectation for quality. Conceptual thought, and the ability to convey ideas through art is a challenge to learn and to teach.

In everyday life, the stress of a student is not necessarily the most desirable way to live. However, I think that this experience is imperative to becoming a successful art educator. As a student, you develop skills such as time management, stress management and the ability to prioritize. More importantly, though, actually being a student gives you the ability to relate to what your students will be going through themselves. This understanding will allow you to have a richer relationship with your students that is based on empathy, but also on levels of expectations. If you made it through school yourself, you know how high to set the bar for your own students. You can push them to try new things and challenge themselves while still retaining a realistic set of expectations.

Photos as clarification

I have decided that a critical part of my lessons, once I start teaching, will be the inclusion of photographs during my explanations. If I intend on teaching complex strategies, such as mold making and casting, I will need to have proper documentation of the entire process, step-by-step. This might seem like an obvious realization for some, but the fact that I came to this conclusion while still in school is very important.

First of all, outside of an art school, you can't just set up a foundry in your spare room like you might with painting or illustration. The process is labor intensive, requires many different materials, and a lot of space to carry around molten metal. Needless to say, if I want to take images of the steps involved, I have to have a foundry to even do the work in.

So, this brings us back to my initial point - its a good thing that I realized the need for photos while I am still in a class with access to a foundry. Part of my Advanced Sculpture work will be attempting to establish strategies for teaching sculpture and foundry in a K-12 setting, and from this point forward I will be documenting every single step as I make my own work.

Cutting and bending steel rod.

The photos included on this page are a couple very initial steps in my current sculpture project. These photos will help to clarify the process and expectations of student work as we move through the casting process for the first time.

Fitting piece in preparation to take a mold.

   I also think that photos of my own work, rather than those found offline, are a positive reinforcement for students. An art teacher needs to bring out their own work every once in a while to set a positive example for their students. Let your students understand that you actually do know what your'e talking about, and set the bar high for quality work.

The wax cast resulting from a mold of my face.

Bio

New Semester, new classes, new ideas, and a new blog.

The purpose of this space will be to provide a common home for all the experiences, thoughts and inspirations I have relating to art education. In the past, any ideas or resources I have come across have been reviewed but never saved. My hope is that now, with a common space to house them, all the ideas I collect for lesson plans, art projects, teaching strategies, and other information will be stored here, and available to look at whenever I need to. Because of the format, this collection will also be available to other art educators, and will hopefully become a helpful resource.

I am currently a student at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I hope to begin teaching art at a high school level within the next couple of years. I have incorporated pages to include my own artwork, the work of students I have worked with, as well as space for ideas and resources.