A Happy Heart

This happy heart was created as a result of a printmaking demonstration I did today. Using Gelli Arts printing plates, students were shown a variety of ways they can create images making a mono print. On a cross-curricular note, all of the kids knew mono meant one because of a term they are learning in Math!

My heart is filled with happiness as I know how lucky I am that I get to do what I do. This week was one that had many happy moments.

Students dug into their sketchbooks and began the hard work of planning out ideas around their first theme: Identity. This is often time the first chance students have been asked to come up with a work like this on their own. In a more traditional classroom setting, the teacher often selects materials/methods/subject matter and then teaches step-by-step instructions to get to the end point. 

Because I have opened up my classroom and allowed students to decide what they should do using the theme of Identity and a touchstone, we have spent a lot of time working through sketches, taking notes, and doing demonstrations. 

Below are some examples of the types of notes we have taken in class: 

Students also use their sketchbooks to plan out their projects. This week was also spent working on finalizing plans for our Identity projects. I encourage students to work on thumbnails and think about materials and sizing of their works prior to beginning. 

In addition to taking notes that go into how to use materials and create a variety of things, I also do quick demonstrations of various ways to handle the materials as you work with them. 

Below is a container that I created this week as a result of a clay demonstration. 

This part of the experience is always the most interesting to me. I often feel a little anxious because I only have vague ideas on how each student is planning to tackle their concept.

I also don't know for sure if their projects will "turn out" because in many instances it is the first time they have tried it or even sometimes the first time I have ever had a student try it in my class. I am going to spend the next couple of weeks roaming around the classroom, doing more demonstrations, and of course answering students' questions with more questions... 

It is so exciting to witness and be a part of this thing called art.

​Here are some images of students as they started working through their plans and applying their learning today: 

Next week we will be starting out with a Photoshop Challenge to get kids acquainted to the power that is digital art and students will also get a chance to do their first Artist of the Week. 

Next week will be a time where students will get their first real chance to use the whole class time to dedicate to their work - I am super excited to see where they go with it!