Learning about shapes at Grace Place

Work in progress: a sunflower grows tall under the Florida sun.

I'm working with the summer camp arts program at Grace Place for a few weeks, and I wanted to share some of the creative things we're doing. I meet with 1st and 2nd graders one afternoon a week, exploring the art elements with an underlying nature theme.

Last week we learned about shapes, and how Matisse cut out shapes from colored paper to create collage-like artwork.  One work we looked at in particular was "The Snail,"  composed of multi-colored geometric shapes in a spiral design - not a way one would ordinarily think of depicting a snail.  We compared it to a real apple snail shell, noticing how they were alike and how they were different.

I can't wait to see what these will turn into!

Then we got out colored paper and started tearing and cutting our shapes.  There's something very satisfying about tearing paper into shapes, and the outfalls of negative shapes are often more interesting than the intentional shapes.  I love working with these age groups as they are open to experimenting and are non-judgmental about their own work.  Oh, the lessons I learn from them!

I created a slideshow of their works in progress (below), if you'd like to take  look. 

Grace Place Summer Camp 7-05-12, Shapes - Slideshow Creator

Background music from the Creative Commons by A.K.1974, Dolphins in my Bathroom.

If you'd like to do this with your class, homeschoolers or with the kids at home on a rainy afternoon, here are some resources:


Materials:

• Construction paper in assorted colors, with a white page as a base. 
  We used a 9x12 inch size of white paper, with 6x9 inch pieces of rainbow colors for each person.
• Glue sticks  (easier than glue bottles)
• Busy and creative hands and minds!
• Scissors (optional)
• Another possibility is to paint the paper first in gouache as Matisse did (letting it dry thoroughly).  We opted for construction paper to save time, but any bright, flat colored papers will do.

References:

        Micklethwait, Lucy. "I Spy Shapes in Art." (2004) Greenwillow Books (Harper Collins).

Finding shapes in famous paintings, great for elementary ages.  Has a nice sized reproduction of The Snail by Henri Matisse.

        Mason, Anthony. "Famous Artists: Matisse."  (1995) Aladdin Books: London.

A history of the artist and his life: a smaller reproduction of The Snail is on page 28, but it shows the relative size of the piece to a person - it's huge!  Parental alert:  book contains paintings of nudes.

Process:

1. Talk about shapes and how they are found everywhere.  We found shapes hiding around the classroom; the kids were wonderful at finding even obscure rectangles and triangles!
2. Look at how other artists from the past used shapes.  We briefly looked at works by Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keefe, and Pablo Picasso.  
3. Think about the artist's original inspiration.  In our case, we looked at a real snail shell.  I wanted the kids to think about how the artist decided to depict this: some parts followed reality (the spiral), where others did  not (the brightly colored rectangles).  
4. Pick something that will be your subject or inspiration for your collage.  With your white paper in front of you, start tearing out shapes that tell the story in your mind.  You might want to move your shapes around before gluing them down.  Look at your scraps - can you use them in any way?
5. If we had time, we would talk about our artwork: the whats, whys, and thoughts we had as we worked.  I loved hearing some of the stories as the kids worked on their pieces, but for right now, I'd like them to have the time to create!  But you can use the time during or afterwards to ask questions or make comments - most kids love to tell us about their artwork.  It helps to broaden  perspectives if you have created something alongside them, and model your own reflections.
   Consider these as starting points:
   
   • Why did you choose your subject?
   • Does it have a story behind it?
   • I really like how you used/tore/chose _______, tell me about that?
   • What did you like most about what you made?  Least?  Why?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Art enables us to find ourselves
   and lose ourselves
   at the same time.
   -Thomas Merton
   
   
   
   
   Thanks for visiting!
   

More nature sketching at Grace Place

A nature journal entry from our first field trip to Freedom Park.

In early August I worked with the summer campers at Grace Place a second time. We met at Freedom Park, so I could share with them one of my outdoor “studios.” After a short show-and-tell of my past nature journals, we took a short stroll down the boardwalk towards the wetland area.



Using our five senses to experience nature - our second field trip (Freedom Park).



I spoke to the kids briefly about my process, and how I become a nature detective in order to sharpen my observation skills for my drawings. Then I created a journal page with their input about the different things we saw, heard, and felt.

On our first field trip, we were enthralled at the sight of a large black snake climbing and sliding through a low shrub. On the second, we observed squirrels scampering up and down a laurel oak. Both times, we saw several types of plants, insects, berries, and nuts. The kids had sharp eyes!

Drawing and painting nature objects.



The following week I visited Grace Place with various nature objects and plant cuttings, and the kids had their opportunity to spend time creating their own nature art! The following day, each group shared their artwork in a group critique.

Busy at the art table testing our materials.



If you’d like to see photos and read a more detailed description of what we did, please visit my July post for a report on the process.

If you’d like to give your kids or students a simple way to create a nature journal page, I’ve created a free template that you can download and print. It has questions to spark observations and a space to draw. Use it to learn about the natural areas in nearby parks, schoolyards, and even your own backyard!



Making a study of a sea grape leaf with watercolor pencils.







Sometimes it's fun to research!



Thanks for visiting!

Nature art fun at Grace Place

A serene spot at Grace Place.

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a visiting artist program at Grace Place, a local community center.  Right now they are having summer camp, but they serve children and families throughout the year.  My participation was solicited and assisted by Kerri Meehan, president of Expression of Art, LLC, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience!

During the previous week the kids came to visit me at Freedom Park, one of my "outdoor studios."  I showed them my nature sketchbooks and sketching kit, and talked to them a bit about what I did and why.  I gave them a quick demonstration of how simple art can be, using watercolor and just a few quick strokes of the aquabrush.  They also received a quick introduction to watercolor pencils, which were a great hit!

When I visited Grace Place, I set up a specimen table with various plants, cones, seedpods, shells, fossil shells, and a piece of an opposum jawbone (complete with teeth!).   A magnifying glass was provided for those who wanted to take a closer view.  I  made sure that the plants I selected were benign, in case of skin reactions.  Once upon a time I broke out into full body hives after weeding a flower bed - yikes!  We didn't want anyone to have a similar reaction.  I also tried to choose things that they might find in nearby woods, parks, or even in theirown  back yard.


Selecting a specimen to draw.



Sharing my thoughts.



To start, I shared my approach to nature journaling.  I discussed drawing as a process - where we enjoy the drawing part and try not to worry about the end result.  Next we talked about observation, and how to be a nature detective.  Using the words who, what, where, when, and how, we explored ways these questions could direct our observations and our drawing process.  Then we added information we could get from our five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

The next step was to select a subject - either a specimen from the table, or something from memory or the imagination.  Then, the best part: drawing and painting!   In addition to the pencils and watercolor paints provided by Grace Place staff, Kerri contributed colored pencils, and I offered my Kimberly watercolor pencils.  All of the media were popular, and the kids mixed them for some really interesting results.

I was impressed with the process as well as the results!  I saw thoughtful drawing and writing; I saw young artists taking care of their supplies and sharing the popular colors.  Some artists drew habitats after asking questions about their subject; some artists emphasized the colors they saw in the stems and shells which made for wonderful interpretations.  One girl drew various views of the oppossum jawbone, and journalled interesting facts from the field guide I brought along. 

Drawing an apple snail and its habitat.



The next day, we shared our drawings and  participated in a group critique.  At the beginning of the session, I explained how artists often share and comment on each others work, and we set some guidelines: be respectful, be positive, and be thoughtful.  Each sudent took the artist's chair at the head of a semicircle and introduced themselves, then told us why they drew that particular picture.  The artist-of-the-moment then selected from the hands raised to either answer a question or to hear a comment.  We structured comments in this format:   What I like is ______, because _______. They were encouraged to use art words such as color, shape, line, and  value. 

There were four groups of students that day, and each group came up with insightful comments and interesting questions.  I could tell that getting this immediate feedback from staff and peers made our child artists feel supported and valued.  I could also see some of them reconsidering the way they initally viewed their own work.  They certainly made me think, and expanded my own boundaries where art and observation are concerned! 

I'd like to say thank you to Kerri and to the staff and kids at Grace Place for contributing to a wonderful experience!




A proud artist!