Art Teacher Talk Introduction

Art Teacher Talk - What's it all about?  I am fortunate this semester to be teaching an Alternative Sites seminar course for Art Education students at the University of Vermont, in Burlington. In this course the students do field placements in sites throughout the community in order to learn about all that goes on in the arts outside of regular public school art programs. The students are putting in several hours per week at a site or combination of sites. This class blog is one of the assignments, in place of a research paper.  The assignment was as follows: Take an art work or art activity that you saw either in a teaching situation, in a gallery, another art class, or out in the world somewhere. Using this art work or activity as a jumping off point create art work of your own that somehow references the original work or activity. Write about your experiences, and take photos of your work in progress, and or your finished piece. If possible, also take photos of the original art work or activity that was the impetus for the creative exploration. The point of the assignment is to examine the transformation from the original seed or stimulus to the personal creative endeavor and to reflect on this process. I have been a teaching artist for most of my professional career and I am interested in how the teaching of art and the making of art are intertwined, and how each can enhance the other. I am also interested in the teacher narrative.

Thanks for reading. We all look forward to comments.

Jude Bond

Sculpture by Heather Daigle

            Although I have only lived in Burlington, Vermont for three years, I feel that I can safely say that it is not known for it’s continuous sunny days.  Encountering a sunny day in the midst of a Burlington winter is like finding a needle in a haystack, yet much more pleasant. Waking up to see yet another dismal overcast does not exactly make me jump out of bed to confront the day. The bone-chilling winds and the gloomy skies are enough to keep me inside the quarters of my apartment unless class or other responsibilities beckon.  How can I add a little color to this seemingly endless gray?

            While attending Kate Donnelly’s After School Arts Program, I was inspired by the way she uses recyclable materials from her home and creates something beautiful, interesting, and often geometric.  I fell in love with one of these pieces the first day I entered her home.  The best way I can describe it is a series of translucent-like sized boxes open at one end.  They are made of papers and plastics that keep their form with transparent tape.  The boxes are connected to tall thin pieces of wood with tacks and remind me of columns of cubbies, although they are much more fragile.   They are kept in front of a sliding glass door in her home and are illuminated by the daylight, even on a dull day.  I did not learn about the meaning behind her work until quite recently, but they had enthralled me since the first day I came to her house. 

            Her work motivated me to experiment with the unfamiliar materials from my recycling bin and play with lighting from the window.   I used segments of toilet paper and paper towel rolls and colored plastic shopping bags to create my first ever window installation.  I connected the rolls with hot glue and challenged myself to only glue a new piece in the crease created by two others.  In other words, a new piece could only touch two other rolls.  Only once the piece as a whole became somewhat unstable did I break my rule and glue one floppy segment of the work to another section to make it sturdier.  I hot glued different colored plastic circles, cut to size, to one side of the piece.   I challenged myself to not have one plastic circle be adjacent to the same colored plastic circle. 

            The piece is in progress and is continuing to grow in both size and in color as I encounter the materials.  During the day, my window glows with different hues and casts an interesting shadow onto my floor that moves with the rise and fall of the sun.  Each little segment of the toilet paper roll glows with the color of its plastic backing.  Now, just as in Kate’s house, I have a little touch of color in a space that otherwise looks out to an all too often gray and dismal winter sky.   On a bright and sunny day, the colors are even more vibrant, but every day I enjoy the construction of recycled materials reminiscent of stained glass. 

Altered Books by Wendy Tucker

On the very first day of class with Jude, she discussed the concept of Altered Books. I hadn’t ever heard about this before and it got my mind moving around and around to all the things this could encompass. I was so excited about the possibility of making an altered book that I knew I had to make one ( ? )RIGHT NOW. I have trouble putting off good ideas (and bad ideas) and this time it has been a blessing.
    I have been collecting odds and ends of craft supplies and other useful objects for a long time. I began thinking about all the ways I could use these things and about all the new things I wanted to get. I visited my parents a few weekends ago and their house is a goldmine of junk. I went around the house collecting Barbie clothes, puzzle pieces, comic books, and maps. I filled up an entire garbage bag. My mom became invested in this odd cause of mine and she went around the house also, digging through her many boxes of give away things that have never been given away. Every time I come home, there is some kind of object or art supply that I want; my mom told me with content frustration, every time you come, you want something else and that’s why I never throw anything away!? After I left, my family went to Florida where my mom and little brother collected shells and sand to send me. They also brought my grandmother in and she sent me a box of discarded fabric, ribbons, buttons, and lace.
    I decided that I wanted to work on this altered book and I wanted to spend all my time on it. There must be some way for me to justify this. So I incorporated it into my studio art independent study, I am using it for this project, and I plan to teach it at my alternative site. This proved to me something else. If I have enough drive to do something, I will be able to fit it into my busy schedule.
    After making a trip to the library for free books, I started my altered book. For the past month, I have worked on this project for about four hours a few times a week. I love it. I finally have a chance to use all the junk I have amassed and my hot glue gun has been working overtime.  This book will not be finished for a long time, and like reading a good book, I want the joy to keep lasting. I usually spend this late night hours painting on canvases that will be later hung on my walls, at art openings, or shoved in my closet. Working on this book feels totally different. I’m not going to hang it on the wall and I don’t see it being incorporated into an art show. I’m making it only because I want to and only for myself. This feels more rewarding than art has felt in a long time.

Self Portrait by Sara Hawes

So I’ve just moved to Burlington, Vermont and I’m happy to say I enjoyed my first Friday Art Walk, just this February.  I was blessed with meeting Muffin Ray, whose artwork has been on display at Salaam, on Church Street.  Her assemblage paintings inspired me to take a different direction in my own work.

Back in January I decided now was as good a time as ever to delve deeper into self-reflection.  I have finally moved out on my own and I’m not planning on adopting any more strays, or friends in need of a place to crash.  I’m single for the first time in a long time and I’m experiencing the quiet and solitude I’ve wanted for a while.  As a huge fan of Alberto Vargas’s Fleurs du Mal,  I wanted to recreate the solace, decadence and eroticism I’ve so admired, since first seeing a lithograph at a Scottsdale art gallery in 2004. 

I have chosen to embody this “Flower of Evil” in the form of a self-portrait.  I am using oil paints, mixed with linseed oil, and my inspiration from Muffin Ray has given me the courage to turn my painting into a sculpture.  I’ve been building up the surface of my painting with old t-shirts, to show depth and texture in my robe.  

This self portrait is for me. I never want to forget the pleasant aloneness I am feeling these days, and like a great song or smell, this painting will help bring me back to these very moments, where I feel free and alive.

Mask Making by Katherine Field McDavitt

           

Growing up some of my favorite activities to do with my mom were art projects. My mom always had great new ideas to share with me. One project that I really enjoyed was making animal masks. I was in elementary school at the time and loved any sort of hands-on activity. These masks was not only enjoyable to make, they were also fun to play with. Mask making allows a child’s mind to wander and their imagination to grow. While making an animal mask children can imagine what type of environment their animal would be found, what their animal looks like, and maybe even how their animal feels. Does it live in the jungle or on a farm? Does the animal have big ears or short legs? Does it have fur or scales? It is these questions that get a child thinking critically about their project.

The masks that I made during my childhood can be made from grades two to six, ages six to twelve. However by altering parts of the project, mask making can be done at all ages. This is why it is so great for a child to learn the skill at a young age. Because the process is extremely hands-on children tend to stay engaged and interested throughout the project. Animal mask making allows children to learn about other cultures and new species.

In order to make these masks you will need balloons, masking tape, newspaper cut into strips, white glue, water, acrylic paint (several colors), paint brushes, large containers for mixture, small containers for paint and a craft knife or scissors. By including yarn and rocks and other tactile supplies children can create textures on their masks, making the project that much more exciting and hands on.

The project takes a little bit of preparation before the activity can begin. A glue mixture of half glue and half water needs to be mixed and newspaper strips need to be cut before the children can begin. The masks are formed from the shape of a balloon, however for older students the form can be molded out of clay and then covered with a plastic bag. You may want to blow the balloons up ahead of time to make the lesson run smoothly. Once everyone has a balloon students can begin dipping newspaper strips, one at a time, in the glue mixture. After any excess glue is wiped off of the strip the piece can be laid onto the balloon. This process continues until the entire balloon has been covered. Then the balloon must dry. Once dry the balloon needs to be covered one more time. Once the balloon is completely dry the teach needs to cut each balloon in half with an exacto knife. Each student gets a half a balloon. Next students use additional newspaper and masking tape to build up their animal’s facial features. The mask then needs to be covered with another layer of strips with the glue mixture. Once dry the students can paint their masks, first with a base color and then adding the details. Once paint is dry students can add other materials to the mask to add texture and depth. Finally the mask is done and ready to be worn. By punching two holes on both sides a string can be tied to the mask to secure it to the child’s head.