Project # 5 Hidden Safari

In this project, I experienced a new way of drawing, upside down, along with a unique way of using cool and warm colors. I began by practicing small parts of sketches of various objects. I then chose a large "safari" animal, an elephant, to sketch. I turned my visual example upside down. Using contour lines, I drew the elephant on my blank sheet of paper using a cool colored, light blue, drawing pencil. I think that drawing it upside down helped me focus more closely on the lines I needed to replicate. In the next step, I used the warm colors red, orange, and yellow to make patterns which would "hide" my elephant. I learned that layeriing various geometric patterns worked best to "hide" my elephant. Using the "magic ruby red glasses" I had made earlier from red cellophane paper and red construction paper, I could actually see the elephant that I had drawn hidden behind the warm colored camouflage.

I could make a project like this an extension project for almost any elementary age student. I would have the subject to be drawn related to the topic currently being studied; for example, for lower elementary we could craw a leaf to hide if we were studying trees or a fish if we were involved in a thematic unit featuring the ocean. It would also be fairly easy to adapt this project to older students who draw with more detail. Again, this project could be incorporated into almost any unit of study.

Project #4 Collage Illustration

In this project, I created an illustration in the style of Eric Carle who uses painting, cutting, and gluing in collage making. I painted sheets of paper using colors and textures that I expected to use to complete my illustration. As the colored sheets of paper dried, I sketched my idea on another sheet of paper. I then cut out patterns and used them to construct the colored pieces of my illustration, layering by pasting appropriate shapes and colors to complete the illustration.

I could make this an extension activity for students in my classroom by first reading a book authored and illustrated by Eric Carle to expose students to his style of illustrating. I would create interest in the illustrations and ask students to try the style of collage making as they would compose their own illustrations for a make believe children’s book. The goal would be not only to help students be aware of different styles of illustrating, but also allow and encourage them to practice the art of collage making. Using supplies of paints, paper, sponges, brushes, etc. students would utilize materials and painting techniques in order to create original material to use in their collages. Students could personalize their creation by making up a 2 page layout of a scene from a children’s story they fabricate or from a story they already know. There would be no “right” or “wrong” way to illustrate so all children would experience a degree of success to further encourage them. Such a project would give them practice in using many different painting techniques as well as practice in cutting and gluing.

Project #3 Fingerpainting

I call my project #3 “Pasture from the Porch.” It is my attempt to paint a landscape using several of Van Gogh’s techniques. Van Gogh’s is known for his vivid colors, use of lines, and presence of emotional impact. His art gained popularity after he died. He did many paintings, drawings and sketches many of which were self portraits and landscapes. In my painting, “Pasture from the Porch,” I used the element of lines, one of Van Gogh’s techniques. I used my fingers to make lines which gave shape to the clouds and the sky in which I used lines to try to represent wind. I also used my fingers to make lines which composed the branches of the pine tree and horizontal lines on the lower part of the barn to represent siding. I also used lines and varied tints to shape the grassy hills behind the barn. I created depth making the black cows on the far hill represented by small black dots while the cows on the hill closer to the viewer are images that are larger than but not as big as they would be if they were next to the barn.

I would use this as an example if I were to have my students do a painting that is done exhibiting some of Van Gogh’s technique(s). We would first spend some time studying Van Gogh, including his techniques and his impact as an artist. Then I would instruct the students that they paint a landscape scene using one of more of Van Gogh’s techniques. They could pretend they are painting a scence viewed from a window in a car or from a house or just a scence from their imagination. I would have them do the painting with their fingers because not only do you get to experience the various paint textures, it’s a unique way to experiment by blending colors and forming lines.