Literacy Activity!

Tomorrow is Literacy Day.  Our challenge in the Arts department is to engage our learners in the understanding of "dialogue".  So, here is our task (I will distribute paper copies in class):

AVI3M - Drawing Unit Continued: An Analysis of M. C. Escher

For today's class, we will move out of the studio an into the seminar room.  We will view the following documentary on M.C. Escher:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4VAxilTRGs

Your task in this class will be to create questions for your peers about the information contained in this documentary.  Your questions cannot be yes/no questions as you are seeking to actively engage your classmates and test their understanding of this unique individual, a pioneer of mathematical art.

Some of you might find his work particularly engaging, especially if you have an inclination toward mathematics, geometry in particular.  Others, who find Op Art interesting, will see how Escher would weave optical illusions into his work.  Some students will see how his early desire to sketch insects and forms from nature built into masterly work involving these themes and shapes.

Regardless, his work was genius and we will all be richer for having investigated it!

AVI3M - Take Me Outside!

For the Grade 11 portion of Take Me Outside day (takemeoutside.ca), there were three tasks that the students could choose from:

1) From our curriculum, "How might you combine alternative and traditional media to create a collage?"

2) From our Elements of Design, what examples of Texture could you find/create using conté and an 18 x 24 piece of paper?

3) Using your device, compose and capture photographs outside that you will manipulate using imaging software (Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, etc.)

Here are the students in action!

AVI1O - Take Me Outside!

Continuing with our Take Me Outside day (takemeoutside.ca)....our Grade 9 class was given a project that explains how Positive and Negative Space can be replicated.

Our task was to find items from nature that have a very specific Shape.  You may remember that Shape is one of our Elements of Design from our word wall.

The students then traced or drew the different items on one sheet....

When then cut out these shapes from one side....

And then inverted them into the negative space on the other side.....

Thus, we created both positive and negative space.....

AVI20 - Take Me Outside!

Did you know that Canadian youth are spending in excess of 8 hours a day in front of screens!  I invite you to check out www.takemeoutside.ca.  It is a website that encourages students and educators of students to spend more time in Canada's beautiful outdoors.  In support of Take Me Outside...I wore my t-shirt today...

From the site:

The message on this shirt originated in a teacher's college class at Queen's University in the 2008 cohort. While out on a trip one day, the class ran into an elementary student and after a brief conversation, a teacher candidate responded to the student, saying"You should just ask your teacher to take you outside!"

So guess what we did today!  We went outside.  We gathered leaves to practice replicating three-dimensional forms in two-dimensions.  This is phase one of a three-phase project:  Summer/Autumn/Winter leaves.  It is a symbolic progression that appears in art and literature...a progression of time that is a metaphor for our lives.

Here are some examples from phase one!

For now, here is a real life extension of this project: The TMO challenge!!

http://www.takemeoutside.ca/challenge

AVI2O - Peer feedback

Today, we will take a pause and have our fellow classmates offer their insight on each other's art work.  For this exercise, refer to the word wall.  These elements of design are critical to the success of our creations.  Try to identify these elements in each other's work: note where it was effective and the effect it created.  Note where various elements might have been employed and what the result might have been.  If you are unsure of what some of the elements mean, refer to the glossary in Arttalk, our text for this course.

As you progress, as yourself these questions:

Was the feedback given to you by your fellow classmates helpful?  Why or why not?  Did this feedback effect the final outcome of your project.

A final thought:

Check out this example of Vasilis Magoulis' work entitled "Love Tree".

Ask yourself what the artist did to create Balance in such a dynamic piece...

AVI3M - Curricular Spotlight: Communicating Specific Emotion to an Audience

As a homework assignment, google images from "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi.  Then consider the following question:
"How did Marjane Satrapi use black and white drawings to enhance the emotional aspects of her autobiographical graphic novel?

We will continue this discussion on Monday.  To ensure success, I offer the following excerpt from Satrapi's work:

Literacy Day Activity - Visual Journal

For today's literacy activity, we will begin a new project...a visual journal entry.

From "Psychology Today", :

"Visual journals are essentially "art diaries." They often contain both images [usually drawings] and words. Like an actual diary, their contents may be rough drafts that may later become finished artworks. And like an actual diary, they are meant to document day-to-day experiences, activities, and emotions and are often autobiographical in nature. Although they are defined as an art form, visual journals have been used for centuries as records of ideas and imagination. Da Vinci's drawing journals of flying machines and physicist Stephen Hawking's diagrams of the space-time continuum are just a couple of well-known examples.

Most art therapists recommend visual journaling as a way of exploring feelings and experiences over time. In fact, the importance of noting how artistic expressions change from week to week and month to month is one of the basic tenets of art therapy; a single image or art work is, in reality, just a snapshot of the moment. As you continue to create via a journal, your own visual language naturally emerges and evolves over time. There are some indications that drawing in a visual journal, even for a few minutes a day, has some health benefits, too. According to Elizabeth Warson, professor at George Washington University’s art therapy program, the regular practice of creating via an art journal can reduce your heart rate, increase serotonin flow and immune cells, and decrease stressresponses. These findings complement previous well-known studies byJames Pennebaker on the benefits of writing about distressful experiences and the physiological changes that journaling can bring about in the long term."

Given the importance of recording your thoughts and feelings in a visual medium, we will build visual journaling into literacy activities.  I want to start with a theme, and then expand upon it.  When trying to come up with a theme, think of something someone has said to you that you thought was important.  Or picture a motivational expression that stuck with you.  For the example I created for you, I pictured the Smokejumper's Creed: "Will do today what others won't; will do tomorrow what others can't".  I then created the following Visual Journal entry:

AVI1O - Question to ponder today...

Here is the question that served as the basis for our classroom discussion today:

"What evidence will I find in your portfolio that shows that experimentation and/or revision changed your original idea?"

Here are some of the solutions we came up with:

- evidence of eraser marks
- evidence of experimenting with different materials and media
- rough drafts and sketches
- written evidence of ideas
- any accompanying evidence that shows revision or experimentation
- a journal/sketchbook accompanies completed work

Great discussion!

AVI1O - Assignment #2 "Contour Line Drawing"

Our second assignment focuses on Contour Lines.

"A contour is the line which defines a form or edge - an outline. Contour drawing is the place where most beginners start, following the visible edges of a shape. The contour describes the outermost edges of a form, as well as dramatic changes of plane within the form.

'Blind contour drawing' is when contour drawing is done without looking at the paper.

Contours in map making track across a surface linking points of the same height, so are very different in appearance and purpose to the contours referred to in visual art. This type of cartographic contour has more in common with an artist's 'cross contours', which are drawn to describe imaginary lines that cut across the form."

- Source: http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawingglossary/g/contour.htm

In the following example, a captivating rendering of my boot, I focused my lines on the contours of the boot, the stitch work, and various leather components that comprise the boot's structure.  I chose not to focus on my eye's perception of the reflection of light and values, instead reproducing the lines that I saw.

Here is another example from the internet:

Using a familiar item, such as your shoes or some object from the classroom, attempt to create your own contour line drawing!

AVI1O Discussion Question

Today's discussion question was: What considerations might lead you to modify your original plan when you are developing you art work?

We brainstormed and discussed possible answers to this question.  They were:

- new ideas and inspirations
- disapproval of original ideas before or after seeing them put into artistic form
- running out of space on the page
- mistakes made
- available or unavailable materials
- internal factors such as mood
- external factors such as classroom dynamic and music

AVI2O - Discussion Question

Today's curricular discussion question was: "How can we demonstrate originality in generating ideas?"

As a class, we discussed an upcoming project where you will be asked to demonstrate an original idea for a visual art project and then complete it.  Remember how important creativity is to this course, where you will develop "a product, process or idea integrating original thinking with existing knowledge".  Here are some of the ways to do this:

- brainstorm (by yourself and collaborating with others)
- research (use critical thinking to narrow many different options to your final idea)
- concept webs (laying out your options on paper, linked to your topic or theme)
- draw from personal experience (pick topics that you are a "student expert" in)

AVI3M - Sources in the Creative Process

Today we discussed sources that me might consult to elaborate on our ideas.  As a class, we came up with the following examples:

• the environment, both natural and man-made
• online sources and imagery
• the work of the masters
• music
• television
• personal experience

We had a great discussion about the value of each of these sources for elaboration.  

Let's take a moment to consider the first step of the creative process: Inspiration.  In his article entitled, "The Innate Quest for Order and Design", Marvin Bartel offers the following for your consideration:

Four Sources of Inspiration for Creating Art - 

Ordinary Experience
Most of children's spontaneous drawing fall in this category, often including some aspects of #3 below.

Natural and Constructed Environment
Observational work falls in this category

Inner Feelings and Imagination
Expressive and imaginative work is in this category

Quest for Order
Careful and deliberate designs, patterns, and so on fit this category.
Order is generally found in all art work, whether it is figurative, narrative, or totally abstract in nature. Even chaos when it has been produced intentionally, might be interpreted as a form of order.

AVI1O Question to ponder today.....

How does your everyday experience influence what you decide to create?


As we are working through our introductory assignment, the name design, you are asked to give a visual example of your interests and important components of your life.

Now that we have been working at this for a couple of days, ask yourself the aforementioned question. Is your piece a reflection of your experiences at your home, at school, and in your extracurricular activities?

Think of a famous artwork.  Can you imagine how the artist used art as a form of communication to convey an experience from his or her life?

Consider this pastel drawing by Edvard Munch, entitled "The Scream of Nature", one of a series of drawings popularly referred to as "The  Scream".

Edvard Munch described his experience that served as inspiration for this work in the following way:

"One evening I was walking along a path, the city was on one side and the fjord below. I felt tired and ill. I stopped and looked out over the fjord—the sun was setting, and the clouds turning blood red. I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The color shrieked. This became The Scream."

AVI3M Course Outline

AVI3M Course Outline

Visual Arts, Grade 11, University College (AVI3M)

This course provides students with opportunities to further develop their skills and knowledge in visual arts. Students will explore art works that explore a wide range of subject matter, and will evaluate art works, providing grounds for their aesthetic judgments.  They will also examine historical and cultural contexts of Western art (including Canadian art) and art from various world cultures to support their study of specific media.

Grade Distribution:

As per ministry requirements the final grade for this course will be broken down as follows:

•  Summative activities conducted throughout the course 70%
•  Final culminating activity 30%

These two areas will be broken down as follows:

• Knowledge/Understanding 20%
• Thinking/Inquiry  20%
• Communication 20%
• Application 40%

Students will also be assessed as per ministry requirements on learning skills, which include independent work, teamwork, organization, work habits/homework and initiative.  These skills will be assessed separately based on the expectations outlined on the performance wall rubric.

The course will use technology in two primary ways.  It will be used as a tool for teaching art history.  The students will also be able to optionally use technology as an artistic tool of self-expression.

Assessment and Evaluation

All work submitted in this course will be assessed and evaluated using the standards set by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Provincial Standards of Achievement Chart:

- Summative assessments form the basis of your mid-term mark and 70% of your

final mark.

- Only those summative tasks which have been successfully completed will be included in the calculation

- Summative tasks submitted after their assigned deadline WILL NOT be included in the calculation

UNLESS PRIOR CONSULTATION WITH THE TEACHER HAS OCCURRED WITH APPROVAL

- The number of summative assessments included in the calculation will determine the maximum level of achievement

Formative Assessment: Within each unit students will be assigned a number of tasks where they will receive direct feedback on their progress and learning.  These tasks and the resulting feedback are designed to improve student learning and to provide a foundation for the successful completion of the summative tasks assigned in each unit.

Summative Assessment: Within each unit there will be at least one summative assessment task that incorporates the knowledge and skills learned throughout the unit. These summative assessments form the basis of your mid-term mark and 70% of the final mark.   Summative tasks are evaluated using one or more of the achievement chart categories.

Note: Several "real life" tasks have been added to this course and are delivered to the students at regular intervals.  These tasks speak directly to curricular requirements.  An example might be, "In what ways did the invention of the camera change the course of painting?"

UNITS OF STUDY

Unit 1: Drawing

- Elements and Principles of Art Review

- Reinforcement of drawing techniques:  e.g. value, perspective, line, balance

Assignments Include:

• Two major drawings with encouragement to experiment with different drawing materials, such as  conte, charcoal, soft and oil pastel, etc.
• Negative Scratch Board (with emphasis on use of positive and negative space)

Unit 2:  Painting

Assignment:

• Study of Acrylic on Canvas
• Mixed-media Creation

Unit 3:  Printmaking

- Review of the printmaking design process

- Instruction on carving tool and Dremel tool use

- Review of Printing Press use

Assignment:

• Woodcut Print

Unit 4 Sculpture

- Design Process

-Review steps of Creative Process

Assignment:

• Self-Hardening Clay Sculpture (with tempera paint cover)

Unit 5: ISU (final summative 30 % of total mark)

During the ISU process, there are multiple items that need to be handed in, both over the course of the project, and on the final deadline (which for this year will be in the beginning of June.)  These are the items required for a Visual Arts ISU:

Over the course of the project: 

1. ISU Concepts: This, as the title suggests, is a listing of concepts. Its purpose is to quickly sum up a list of possible ISU topics, and for grade 11, a minimum of five different topics are required. Thumbnails (small sketches) are highly recommended. (Meeting with the teacher will be ten times smoother with thumbnails.)

Teacher: “Begin by thinking of 5-7 ideas / concepts you’d like to explore for you ISU. Conduct research on each of these concepts, with a particular focus on artists who have done similar work before. Also begin thinking about how to “personalize” these concepts, so that they are meaningful to you. You will meet with the teacher to discuss your ideas, so be prepared to show thumbnail sketches and research images. It is important that you be able to justify why you want to do something, and how the work will be meaningful and original.”

2. Proposal: After a topic is chosen from the ISU Concepts, students are expected to expand on the topic. Though you may think “Oh, it’s only a proposal,” it’s a very important part of the ISU (and worth quite a bit of your final mark), so make sure to spend some good time on it. The Proposalmust be written according to the following guidelines:

A. Concept

1. Rationale: What do you want to do for your ISU and why do you feel this is an important and worthwhile task to take on? What will this piece of work “add” to your portfolio?

2. Theme: What are some possible subjects/themes/concepts that you wish to address in your series of work? How did these subjects/themes/concepts come up in your “brainstorming” session? Which questions prompted you to come up with your idea?

3. Subject Matter: Explain how you will explore your subject/theme/concept in your series of work. What is the artistic problem/concerns you wish to address (content: ideas related to theme, sub-topics, different ways it can be explored. stylistic: elements/principles, composition, approaches [controlled vs. painterly, etc], and artists or artistic movements that will serve as inspiration.technical: media and techniques)

B. Media/Materials/Dimensions: What is the media (area of traditional or non-traditional arts) that you would like to work in? What are the materials that you require? Where can these materials be accessed and what are any additional costs required? What are the dimensions of your piece?

C. Timeline: How long will the work take to complete? When are your projected completion dates? Include a calendar outlining your specific daily goals.

D. Research/Mentor: 

Research: Include images with names of artists/explanations of work that you may use as inspiration. You must cite all sources, so include a bibliography. 

Mentor: Who can serve as a mentor to you during this process?

E. Thumbnails: Include at least 10 thumbnail sketches to illustrate your ideas.

3. ISU Process Check: This is the Visual Art’s equivalent of a Mid Point Proposal.   Essentially it’s a short meeting with the teacher in the middle of the ISU timeline. The teacher will record what’s been done (or what hasn’t been done), give suggestions, and either tell you that “You’re too slow, you need learn to work faster,” or “This is good, you’re making progress. Keep it up.” Obviously, the latter feedback is preferable.

Teacher: “The unit will be marked in its preparatory stages as well as when the work the work is completed. If the work is being carried out in a way that cannot be evaluated, you must give detailed sketches and notes regarding its process. Select materials to suit style, technique and budget. Have all materials ready for use, work should not be delayed because of unavailable materials.”

On the final deadline:

*The funky thing with Visual Arts is that there’s no single final deadline. Each of the final deadline items have individual deadlines, which is nice because it helps you organize and see when each item is priority. 

4. Final Product: This is the most important part of the ISU: the end product, the thing that’s been made as a result of the ISU learning process. The form of the final product will depend on the ISU topic.

5. Process Binder: The process binder is a comprehesive booklet of the ISU, summarizing the step-by-step process culminating to the final product. It usually includes the following, give or take a few headings: Concept (as seen in the ISU Proposal), Inspiration, Resources/Mentors, Thumbnails, Materials/Scale, Process, Final Product, Conclusion, and Works Cited. Sometimes creating the process binder can be as challenging as the actual ISU; it’s not something to be ignored until the last minute. 

6. Formal Presentation: This is a 10-15 minute presentation, made in front of the teacher and class.  The Visual Arts Formal Presentation is  an overview of the ISU.

Visual Arts Grade 9 AVI10 Unit One Preview

Visual Arts Grade 9 AVI10

Unit 1: Creating and Presenting

Ice Breaker Activity – "Name Design"

The Creative Process

Inspiring

Imagining

Planning

Experimenting

Producing

Revising

Presenting

Reflecting

• Generate ideas by utilizing various strategies (research, brainstorming, thumbnail sketches, mind mapping).  Reflect on creative ideas and select most suitable to serve as a basis for a plan.  Revise plan based on self- and peer-assessments and feedback.  Determine and articulate a focus.  Choose appropriate art form.

• In the areas of: drawing, sculptures, painting, and printmaking explore and experiment with a variety of media and/or techniques.  Reflect on peer feedback and refine the art work and artistic choices based on this feedback.

• Create an individual portfolio to document the creative process. Include thumbnail sketches, ideas, plans, and notes on the results of various experimenting of a variety of media and techniques.  Also include copies of preliminary and final works to show evidence of revision and artistic growth.  Portfolio will be used to reflect on how effectively the creative process was used and understood.

Elements and Principles of Design

Space

Line

Balance

Colour

Harmony

Proportion

Value

Shape

Unity

Rhythm

Form

Movement

Emphasis

Texture

(Refer to Word Wall)

• Explore elements and principles of design and apply them to create art works that express personal feelings and/or communicate emotions to an audience. (Personal Interest Project)
• Apply the elements and principles of design to create art works that communicate ideas and information (advertising poster, communicating social issues-anti-bullying, drinking and driving, etc.) (Poster assignment)

Productions and Presentation

• Explore and experiment with a variety of materials/media and traditional and/or emerging technology, tools, and techniques.  Apply these to create art work.  (Sculptris assignment)
• Utilize appropriate practices to prepare art works for presentation.  This includes, signing, dating, and or numbering their works, preparing labels with name, title, etc., and mounting/framing when appropriate. (Research activity in CCLab)
• Demonstrate an understanding of the various ways art works can be displayed and presented to reach an audience.  For example, would anything be done differently if art work were in a public gallery vs private office? 

AVI20 Course Outline

AVI20 Course Outline


Visual Arts, Grade 10, Open (AVI2O) This course emphasizes learning through practice; building on what students know and introducing them to new ideas, materials, and processes for artistic thinking and experimentation. Student learning will include the refined application of the elements and principles of design, while incorporating the creative and design processes. Students will also learn about the connections between works of art and their historical contexts. Course objectives will be achieved through a comprehensive program.

Grade Distribution:As per ministry requirements the final grade for this course will be broken down as follows:

Summative activities conducted throughout the course 70%
Final culminating activity 30%
These two areas will be broken down as follows:

Knowledge/Understanding 20%
Thinking/Inquiry 20%
Communication 20%
Application 40%

Students will also be assessed as per ministry requirements on learning skills, which include independent work, teamwork, organization, work habits/homework and initiative. These skills will be assessed separately based on the expectations outlined on the performance wall rubric.

The course will use technology in two primary ways. It will be used as a tool for teaching art history. The students will also be able to optionally use technology as an artistic tool of self-expression.

Assessment and EvaluationAll work submitted in this course will be assessed and evaluated using the standards set by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Provincial Standards of Achievement Chart:- Summative assessments form the basis of your mid-term mark and 70% of your
final mark.
- Only those summative tasks which have been successfully completed will be included in the calculation
- Summative tasks submitted after their assigned deadline WILL NOT be included in the calculation
UNLESS PRIOR CONSULTATION WITH THE TEACHER HAS OCCURRED WITH APPROVAL
- The number of summative assessments included in the calculation will determine the maximum level of achievement
Formative Assessment: Within each unit students will be assigned a number of tasks where they will receive direct feedback on their progress and learning. These tasks and the resulting feedback are designed to improve student learning and to provide a foundation for the successful completion of the summative tasks assigned in each unit.
Summative Assessment: Within each unit there will be at least one summative assessment task that incorporates the knowledge and skills learned throughout the unit. These summative assessments form the basis of your mid-term mark and 70% of the final mark. Summative tasks are evaluated using one or more of the achievement chart categories.


UNITS OF STUDY

Unit 1: Drawing- Elements and Principles of Art Review
- Reinforcement of drawing techniques: e.g. value, perspective, line, balance
Assignments Include:

Major Grid Drawing
Blues and The Visual Arts
Hand Drawing

Unit 2: PaintingAssignments Include:

Study of Watercolour on Paper (incorporating silhouette)
Study of Acrylic (including vinyl painting, pointillism painting)
Study of Tempera (including colour wheel, and colour wheel application)

Unit 3: PrintmakingIntroduction to linocut printmaking
- Design Process
- Analysis of historic printmakers

Assignment:

Linocut Print

Unit 4 Sculpture- Design Process
Assignment:

Foam Block Sculpture (with tempera paint cover)

Unit 5: ISU (final summative 30 % of total mark)

For the ISU project you will be assigned a movement, or period, of art history. The ISU will consist of a two part project. The first part is a five paragraph essay and the second part is creating a piece of artwork.


Part One - The Essay

In a well-constructed essay that follows the attached rubric, please explain what you have learned about the movement that you were assigned. This will involve researching the movement, and explaining many factors such as:

• the events or artistic styles that helped bring this movement into being
• the major artists involved 
• the style of the movement
• what types of materials were involved (ie. oil painting, fresco, bronze, etc.)
• and any information you found that you think is worth mentioning in your essay.

As a target audience for your essay, I want you to explain what you have learned as though the person you are addressing is completely new to the art world and your essay will be a concise reference (like a wikipedia entry). Speaking of wikipedia, it will not suffice to simply cut and paste from internet sources without giving proper citations. Failure to properly cite constitutes plagiarism, so please avoid this sort of academic dishonesty. Research your movement and understand it - then convey your understanding in your essay.


Part Two - As the overall goal of this project is to build a timeline on the wall of art history, you will be given a 12" x 12" piece of masonite board that you will use to create an example of art that might have come from the movement you studied. This project will be marked according to the performance wall system of evaluation. Be sure not to rush this project, but rather attempt to achieve a high degree of accuracy and relevance to the period that you have been assigned. You project will hang on the wall in the art room as a reference to future students!


You will be given time in the computer lab to work on your research and essay.


Essay Rubric:


Course Level/Grade Achievement
Level 4
80-100%
Very high to outstanding level of achievement. Above provincial standards.

Level 3
70-79%
High level of achievement. At the provincial level.

Level 2
60-69%
Moderate level of achievement. Below, but approaching, the provincial standard

Level 1
50-59%
Passable level of achievement. Below the provincial standard

Below
50%
Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. Credit will not be granted.