Mrs. Buss created these Masks, she chose to represent envy and justice. In many tribal cultures of Africa, masks are made to represent emotion, morals, or an event. In this project think about what emotion you might like to represent, happiness, joy, peace, etc... Think about what shapes or colors might represent those emotions. More geometric, squares, triangles might represent something different from curvilinear or curvy lines. Masks can represent some thing about ourselves, something we want to be, or they can disguise. You can also represent characteristics such as beauty, strength, wisdom, or knowledge. Often masks represent what is desirable or they represent something to avoid. In my examples I chose envy (undesirable) and justice. Have fun with creating your mask. Instructions
![]() Inspiration Traits representing moral values in tribal masks are found in many cultures. Masks from the Senufo people of Ivory Coast, for example, have their eyes half closed, symbolizing a peaceful attitude, self-control, and patience. In Sierra Leone and elsewhere, small eyes and mouth represent humility, and a wide, protruding forehead represents wisdom. In Gabon, large chins and mouths represent authority and strength. The Grebo of the Ivory Coast carve masks with round eyes to represent alertness and anger, with the straight nose representing an unwillingness to retreat.
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![]() Andy Goldsworthy, Rowan Leaves and Hole, 1987. One of my favorite artists that I first learned about from my early college years is Andy Goldsworthy, a born in 1956 in England. I love his impressive use of nature within nature. He uses the brilliance of nature to create a new experience. In many of his works he uses a circular placement of sticks, stones, leaves. In combination with the concept of a mandala we can all embrace what nature has to offer. In gathering things that surround us and rearranging them gives us a sense of beauty and importance. Mandalas have long since been a part of the human experience. From the ancient Minoan labyrinths, navajo mandalas, Tibetan monks, rosette windows of medieval cathedrals, and many other cultures, the placement and design in the round is as old as humankind.
A lot has been written on the subject of mandalas. Search for yourself! These are a few links I found informative:
https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-a-mandala/ http://www.mandalaproject.org/What/Main.html https://artfulparent.com/mandalas-in-nature-mandala-art/ Students learned about Harriet Tubman. She led slaves out of slavery during the Underground Railroad in the South before 1865. Harriet was called the “Moses of her time” because she led slaves to freedom. When guiding slaves to freedom, she used the North Star to lead the way much like the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to Jesus. There were a lot of big ideas, but three main points I led the student to express- -Quilts were commonly made in the 1800s and the star pattern was very popular. Students used the geometric shapes (we discussed squares, rectangles, and triangles in my antique quilt example). Students used parallelograms (diamonds) to make their stars -Students learned about constellations and drew a big and little dipper to locate the North Star -They included an Image of Harriet; students used a provided image or drew her themselves. There were a lot of big ideas and I was honored to lead a discussion about civil rights, inclusiveness, diversity, and adversity. The students were kind and thoughtful in their understanding of these monumental and historical figures during black history month at St. Paul’s. I look forward to more opportunities to make firm connections from our American past to our futures.
After creating a drawing of a mythical creature using at least three characteristics of living creatures, let's create a fabric story of this creature. Using felt squares and fabric scraps collage a picture of your creature to tell a fabric story.
Inspiration We look to two examples of how stories can be told through fabric. The Unicorn Tapestries (1495-1505), Metropolitan Museum of art. In tapestry threads are woven to make the structure and picture. Faith Ringgold 1930- Ringgold is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor and performance artist, best known for her narrative quilts. Her artistic practice is extremely varied – from painting to quilts, from sculptures and performance art to children's books. As an educator, she taught in both the New York City Public school system and at college level. In 1973, she quit teaching public school to devote herself to creating art full-time. In her work of the story quilts we see that fabric is sewn together to make the structure. This week students in the upper grades, 6-8th grade, worked with linoleum and lino-cut printing. We learned about safety and using sharp tools. A few finished their carving and printed their work on paper with ink. In the lower grades we learned about the artist, Piet Mondrian. He was an abstract artist and titled many of his works “Composition”(s). Students learned that a composition is the arrangement of objects or shapes in a picture and that abstract art represents an idea or feeling. In kindergarten-1st grade, students made “stained glass” with contact paper and tissue paper inspired by Mondrian in primary colors, red, blue, and yellow. In our drawings students learned about secondary, orange, green, and purple, and primary colors. Students chose one set of colors to use in designing a drawing in the style of Mondrian. Check out the display of the “stained glass” in the church entrance and see how the work of the students, inspired by Mondrian, illuminates the space!
Probably one of my favorite switch-em-up projects. I collect all the broken bits, discarded trinkets, junk drawer items. I also send a call out to have such items donated. I also ask for boxes, wooden, cigar, jewelry... We look to the artist, another favorite, Joseph Cornell. Students will glean from a collection of "junk" or are encouraged to bring their own. The narratives that the students may come up with might be as simple as similar shapes or colors, or the items they choose can tell a story. Students use glue to make these box sculptures. Issac Nielsen, 5th Grade Materials Boxes, wooden, cigar, jewelry Trinkets, game pieces, broken items, etc Glue, Hot/Tacky Joseph Cornell 1903-1972
was an American artist and filmmaker, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde experimental filmmaker. He was largely self-taught in his artistic efforts, and improvised his own original style incorporating cast-off and discarded artifacts. He lived most of his life in relative physical isolation, caring for his mother and his disabled brother at home, but remained aware of and in contact with other contemporary artists. The students were introduced to Pablo Picasso and looked at his constructions and collages. In the lesson students were instructed on the basic anatomy of a guitar, neck, sound hole, head stock, body, strings. Students were given a template and cardboard shapes, to construct a guitar form and special papers to decorate the constructed cardboard guitar. String added for strings. Materials Sketchbook Pencil Cardboard Scissors Tape Glue String Inspiration
Sometime between October and December 1912, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) made a guitar. Cobbled together from cardboard, paper, string, and wire, materials that he cut, folded, threaded, and glued, Picasso’s silent instrument resembled no sculpture ever seen before. In 1914 the artist reiterated his fragile papery construction in a more fixed and durable sheet metal form. These two Guitars, both gifts from the artist to MoMA, bracket an incandescent period of material and structural experimentation in Picasso’s work. Picasso: Guitars 1912–1914 explores this breakthrough moment in 20th-century art, and the Guitars’ place within it. Bringing together some 70 closely connected collages, constructions, drawings, mixed-media paintings, and photographs assembled from over 30 public and private collections worldwide, this exhibition offers fresh insight into Picasso’s cross-disciplinary process in the years immediately preceding World War I. https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1088 |
AuthorI have a passion for the visual arts and love sharing it with others. I have enjoyed teaching all ages and love to incorporate art history and traditional disciplines as well as innovative ideas. Art is vital to who I am as a creator and educator. Archives
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