Creative moments

 The other day, while my kids were cleaning up after painting, I saw a group congregating by the sink. They were making all sorts of noises, and in my experience a crowd of 12 year olds by a sink can't be good news. As I went over, prepared to reprimand them, I saw this:

Probably the coolest thing I have ever seen....and a testament to the fact that they were surely learning to appreciate aesthetics and experiment with a variety of media. I declare a teaching victory!

eye see you.....

 Painting is my favorite. Teaching painting puts a twinkle in my eye. It is special to be able to share your passion with anyone, let alone, 100+ pre-teens. The biggest issue with teaching painting to 12 year old children, is having them create something that can hold their interest for the duration (3-5 weeks) of the project. In the past I had taught pop art, pointillism, portraits, symbols, graffiti, and I was at a loss for something fresh and new. I started goggling images, looking at trees, and flowers and all the "norm" for painting projects. Then I stumbled upon a close up of a lizard's eye. Perfect! Simple geometric and organic shapes, and a dynamic composition. I gave the project a twist, asking the children to creat "fantastic" animals. We talked about what "fantastic" meant....not great, but from a fantasy. We looked at creatures from dragons to Harry Potter and Narnia. We discussed "fiction" and "surrealism". The kid's were hooked! "Mrs. Rummenie, can I make a dragon?" "NO!", I replied. Not quite fantastic in my opinion. I offered the children books, and web searches and packets I photocopied of all different animals....geckos, zebras, humans, fish, cheetah. I asked that the kids create a new "species" of animal or beast for their work. Something that lived only in their imaginations. The end sketches and paintings were truly fantastic....as in great:

We used tempera paint, and the kids got to choose from 7 color schemes....analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, warm, cool, or monochromatic. They were allowed to add neutrals as well. I listed the color schemes with a description of each on the board, and a few color wheels. The children were constantly referring to them, which strengthened their ability to pull information from a chart. They were able to pick a painterly or tight style, and because of the choice, felt really good about painting. One of the things I always set as a goal for myself, is to help each student feel good about what they can create. I think that at the middle school, offering choices and chances for individuality accomplish this in ways nothing else can. The kids who have issues with fine motor skills might be really successful at a loose style of painting, while meticulous students thrive with hard-edged work. I love hearing the kid's talk about the differences in their peers work. Inevitably, they love the opposite of what they had made. It is awe inspiring to see them offer each other complements and praise. Some of the children had difficulty delving into the realm of fantasy. I never forced them to comply with my imagination, and I am glad that I bent on the issue. Some of the more realistic work was extremely strong, and allowing the lieniency in subject matter definately helped with keeping each child on task. We finished them with Mod Podge for a glossy, oil-like finish. My seventh graders were thrilled. I am certain they had no idea they were capable of such FANTASTIC work ;)

Spring is here! Wet your plants...

As the end of the year approaches, I, along with my colleague and friend, Lynn are charged with decorating the stage for the spring music performances. This year we've taken a traditional approach, but the kids in concert decoration club were intent on blasting out of the realm of two dimensional painting and into the three dimensional world of sculpture. This was extremely convenient, since the five canvas panels we usually paint had cracked with layered paint to the point of no return. We brainstormed with the children, mostly about practicality. How would we make 3D decorations? What problems might arise? What will we make them out of?

I particularly enjoy advising concert decoration club. I get to watch kids think. Really think. They think about creation, not just what color comes next, or what step they are up to, like in the classroom. We decided together, that these flowers needed to be light, so the kids took a club period to research ideas for paper sculpture on Pinterest. They printed several ideas from various blogs and project based sites. They decided on a rolled paper sculpture. The site they originally visited had the instructions for a small wreath. Challenge accepted!

Students began by rolling a myriad of paper cones of all different sizes. We decided to back these on heavy corrugated cardboard in order to provide stability. We walked to CVS and asked for some old hanging signs, to use as this material and they were more than happy to oblige. Students then hot glued each of the cones in a circular, random pattern. We wanted an organic look, so the random pattern worked well. Flowers made with a more regular pattern came out mechanical looking.

 After creating a variety of flowers (and running out of room to store them) we began to think about color. The logical answer was spray paint. We sprayed each flower with two or three colors, at a great distance, which created a tie dye effect.

For the centers, we added crumbled tissue. Next, we had to hang them....We tried wire, and they fell. We tried more wire, and they fell once again. Finally we added some t-pins to the mix and were successful! We got an awful lot of complements on these, and the kids felt super successful. There is something to be said for making artwork intended for community enjoyment.