LOCAL: My front porch!

     We ALL know the world is changing so very much due to technology and the advent of globalization. Artists and art teachers the world over see the benefits of using technology in what we do and many are on the front lines of creating some of that technology, but likewise, we as artists and art teachers love that tactile, gooey, messy, manipulative, molding, shaping, and spreading of media to achieve artistic greatness! (Well, ok, at least greatness to us! Everyone may not think it is greatness!) The real challenge that awaits artists and art teachers is how technology is going to change what we do and I just really don't think we have even touched the tip of the iceberg on that! But, again, Michelangelo created The David with his bare hands, a piece of stone, a chisel and some water. Artists are amazing people who can do amazing things because it comes out of their hearts!
     One of my favorite quotes addresses this quandary that exists between art and technology. "The hand of the artist. That's one of the things that may keep us alive spiritually, before the computer and the machine do us in entirely." -Allan Stone  There is a photo of this quote on the slide show on this post. I did the quote as part of a college calligraphy class about 30 years ago and keep it near me, actually in my classroom. Another thing that continually amazes me is how easily artists can use technology and software applications; it just came pretty naturally for me. I think partly that is because it had to have been designed by some creative people somewhere along the line, but also because as artists we get systems and sequence and logical order and we are experts at putting things together. I really truly enjoy using desktop publishing programs, Photoshop, the many fun apps that let you change and alter images, and so on. Yes, I'm an artist that is intrigued with technology and how I can use it in my art classes and am very excited about some iPad apps and so on. But, I'm also an artist that will never quit using that gooey paint and moving it around the paper or canvas or will never quit molding and shaping something with my hands. That's the heart of art and I hope it never changes.
     This morning I was sitting out on my front porch having a cup of coffee and recovering from knee replacement surgery. My front porch is always a "canvas" for me, waiting to be reborn in the spring after a long winter and in the fall once the summer flowers have faded. We have a large backyard and big patio out back, but my front porch is my little Garden of Eden. It's where I go to relax, just breath, think, and let my eyes be comforted by the color and beauty that surrounds me on the porch. Thinking is a big part of being an artist as well....and an art teacher.
     Another one of my favorite quotes is, "The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep." -Paul Strand  THIS IS SO TRUE!

GLOBAL: Santa Fe International Folk Art Market

     There is some kind of magic that happens when art teachers travel together. You could write a book on the interpersonal relationships that develop...or you could just sum it up by saying that art teachers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet! They are creative and caring people! Two summers ago I went on School Arts Magazine and Crizmac's Folk Art Extravaganza Trip to Santa Fe (One of my favorite places on the planet earth and I go there quite often!) and spent a week immersed in ART, ARTISANRY, HANDICRAFTS, and meeting friends from literally all over the world . . . from Afghanistan to China to Pakistan to Kenya to Nepal to Oman! I met some wonderful people, some of whom I still stay in touch with.The conference was led by Nancy Walkup of School Arts Magazine and Stevie Mack of Crizmac.  Both are gifted teachers and both have won numerous teacher of the year awards.  They are so personable and really pour their knowledge into attendees, but you feel like you have known them your whole life. I truly believe that if art teachers were given the opportunity, they could change the world for the BETTER! I think one of the things I like the BEST about traveling with art teachers is that we are all from the same school profession and there is such an incredible respect that is evident for each other. Sometimes on the school campus fine arts classes can find themselves at the "bottom of the food chain," as I like to say, but we all know that the fine arts courses (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) so greatly enhance the school and local community! And when art teachers from all over the world gather for a week in Santa Fe and immerse themselves in the artisanry and handicrafts of some of the world's most talented crafters, there is an art explosion that happens and camaraderie is taken back to every corner of the earth! It's amazing!  I'm looking forward to going again this year!  (I'm just a little bit to the left of the green sign in the above photo.)

Here's a link to join the group! I think there are still spaces for this year!
http://www.crizmac.com/professional_development/events.cfm?step=display&eventid=349

ITALY: Art Inspired by Italy Slide Show

Some pictures of my Kinder-4th Grade students' art work from our Art Inspired by Italy Unit! Students really enjoyed digging into the Italian culture and learning about the country while they completed 2-3 art projects per grade for the unit! Towards the end of the slide show you can see some of my paintings I did while in Italy. I brought them up to school for one day so the students could see them! They were really excited about that. And, there are some pics of the staff open house I held at the end of the unit! Enjoy! Ciao!

ITALY: 3rd Grade Giotto di Bondone Inspired Time Lines

Giotto di Bondone is said to be the father of Renaissance painting. He was discovered as a young boy drawing from a bridge near Borgo San Lorenzo where I went to school in Italy this past summer. A revered Master artist named Cimabue discovered him on the bridge and realized his talent. Giotto became one of the most important artists of the early Renaissance and his work is in churches all over the Florence area of Italy. He painted scenes from the Bible, telling the stories of the life of Christ, and other stories from the Bible, on the walls of the churches. They give the appearance of pages in a picture book.

My students first used a worksheet to sketch 8 significant "things" from their life. They were asked to choose a theme such as "Flowers of My Life" or "My Sports Teams", etc., etc., etc. Their projects just blew me away. The themes were so varied and they were given free choice to choose their theme. I had to help a few students who were stumped. Students were encouraged to think of something that was MEANINGFUL to them, and think of their earliest memory, the next memory, the next, and so on. Some of the amazing choices my students made were a chronological series of their video game technology, houses they had lived in, favorite toys, blankets, hairstyles, favorite restaurants, theme parks visited and roller coasters they had ridden, best friends, lots of sports themes, and so on. One special needs student even did his enemies and I let him because being in the art room is very therapeutic for him and I thought it was a good way for him to express some of the things going on inside of him. Interestingly enough, his enemies weren't all people, some were things or tragic events in his life.  Another student did the most beautiful rendition of four of her favorite Christmas'. A couple of my favorites were two very artistic students depicted four of their favorite artworks since I had been their art teacher. They were just flat out cool! It was incredible to see the "stories they told." After sketching their 8 ideas they chose four to do on their timeline. They were given 6"x6" pieces of quality white paper and they drew each scene and then painted them with tempera paint and did the larger areas and background with oil pastels. We then glued them on long sheets of butcher paper, which folded into a four-page booklet.  They wrote sentences at the bottom of each picture, which I, of course, had them write first on notebook paper and I edited their writing. They wrote their sentences with pencil and traced with a thin marker at the bottom of each picture. They also made a cover. It was a lengthy project! It took them about seven class periods to finish and that was really pushing them and rushing them. My classes are only 30 minutes long so that should give you an idea of how long your students would need. A couple classes even had to come in at recess once or twice to get finished up before the end of the year. You know, some groupings of students just don't move as fast as others! Students were really PROUD of their projects!

Above: Student completes the two page worksheet with eight sketches. 

Above: This is one of my favorites. This student did the baseball teams he had been on. 

Below: The cover. 

Above: The walls of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy are lined with Giotto's frescos which tell stories from the Bible. 

ITALY: 2nd Grade Byzantine Inspired Self Portraits

While in Italy, of course, we toured many incredibly beautiful churches. All so ornate and beautiful, but all so different in so many ways. It was a feast for the eyes...the beautiful stones of many colors, sculptures, frescos, candles, ironwork, and woodwork. The churches just took my breath away. In the older Byzantine era churches or pre-Renaissance churches were frescos of people from the Bible with  what we would call a halo around their head to designate them as holy. We put a new spin on this Byzantine style of painting and did Byzantine inspired self portraits. This project was a bit tough for the 2nd graders who participated, but we made it through it! They drew their self portrait first. Then they drew their halo and added some embellishment on one side of the halo that depicted something they were interested in.  Examples are palm trees from a vacation, the tail of a cat or dog, really just anything that personalized it. They painted the self portrait with water color. We used bronze or gold tempera paint to paint the halo and embellishment. They had a little free choice on the backgrounds, but we wanted the faces stand out so they were encouraged to keep the backgrounds simple. Then, for balance, most painted a rectangular shape with the metallic paint on the opposite side of where the halo embellishments were.  This project really held their interest and they enjoyed seeing my photo slide show of Byzantine art before they started.

Above: Byzantine art, about 1050  A.D. 

Above: Contemporary example of Byzantine inspired self portrait. 

ITALY: Alice Gori Inspired 1st Grade Clay Slab Tea Light Holders

This project is PERFECT for teaching YOUNG students the fundamentals of rolling out a slab and adding some embellishment. I did this project with my first graders and it was a great way to introduce them to clay. Next year they will do a more advanced project involving slipping and scoring and pinch pot technique, but they were so proud of their tea light holders! Alice Gori was a ceramist who gave us a tour of her studio and also taught us a couple days of ceramics lessons while I was in Italy last summer. She is revered in the Italian architectural world and is the go to person to restore ages old ceramics in churches, historical buildings, museums, etc.

Above: Students tea light holder on display in the school library. 

 Above: Alice Gori tea light holder that I ferociously guarded in my carry on bag while returning from Italy.  Below: A piece of Alice's work before firing that I also brought home with me. 

Above: The very talented Alice Gori in her studio outside of Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy. 

MY CAMPUS: Peacocks and Rainbows Art Room

Just thought I'd share are few pictures of my elementary art room. I think it has a "bit" more "stuff" in it than when these pictures were taken, but at least you can see the color and creativity that surrounds the students when they come in the room. I really believe artists are inspired by their surroundings and I also truly believe that an inspiring art room helps students become inspired. My art classes are extremely short, they are only 30 minutes, and so, believe me, my students need to get inspired fast! A well organized, creative, colorful art room helps provide that inspiration! I painted the two big canvas peacocks in about 30 minutes each. They are pretty big and my students marvel that I did the paintings in only 30 minutes each. Trust me, I often use those two acrylic paintings for inspiration to help my students get set up, their artwork done, and cleaned up in 30 minutes!

ECUADOR: A fun visit from my "daughter" from Ecuador!

     Each December we are fortunate enough to have a visit from Katty Aguirre, my "adopted daughter" from Quito, Ecuador. She is a very special young woman with an amazing and harrowing story. She dedicates her life to helping those less fortunate in Ecuador.  While she lost her own mamma when she was very young, she now has several mammas all over the United States. I've enjoyed going to Ecuador on two mission trips and spending time with her and the Quechua Indians up high in the Andes Mountains. Really high! I also enjoyed teaching school short term at an orphanage in Quito. Katty is a real inspiration to me and so many! Can't wait to see her again. A Fine Arts Camp is in the work for my spring break next year in Ecuador.  I'm trying to plan a camp, take a few art teachers with me, stay with her in the house I was able to help her move into a couple of years ago, and share art, music, and drama with the children in the area she works in. The love and acceptance that so freely flows from the children you work with, whether here in the U.S., or in other countries is so motivating to an art teacher!

ITALY: Kindergarten Capitignano Geraniums

     As a part of my Art Inspired by Italy Unit my Kindergarten students made these adorable and beautiful geranium collages.  They colored the background with crayons, then painted sheets of paper in brown, greens, and reds. Then they cut out a rectangle for the flower pot, round circles for the flowers, and long strips for the stems and curvy shapes for the leaves. There were geraniums all over Capitignano where I stayed this past summer in Italy and they just made me happy. It was a fun project to do with my Kinders and a bit challenging, too.

A Word about Globally-Inspired Art and Globalization

During the last year and a half I've been obtaining my Master's in Art Education Degree at Boston University.  My natural interests and my artistic interests easily merge into the area of globally inspired art and I have a bent toward exploring globalization in the art room, even the elementary art room.  The following are some of my thoughts on this subject which is very important to me, but should be important to all of us in a shrinking, changing world.  I recently wrote this short expose on globalization and globally inspired art.  It is my basic philosophy on the importance of teaching students about the world at large:


Photo: The photo below is of Nakateete School in Uganda where I had the privilege of teaching short-term a couple of years ago. It is still near and dear to my heart. I'll post soon about the exciting details of my school raising money to put a water well at the school this year!

GLOBALLY INSPIRED ART AND GLOBALIZATION

              Education will always be surrounded with timely events and issues. Curriculum choices, state and national standards and testing, the 21st century purpose of testing, budgeting and facilities, and student needs are relevant issues in education. For many years multiculturalism has also been an important focus of education. No longer on the distant horizon, however, globalization, a relatively new term, is here to stay and must be investigated.

            Communities used to exist in the United States and in other countries where most of the people in that community looked alike and had similar cultural backgrounds and characteristics. One can almost definitively say those days are over for the planet Earth. Through technology, mankind has learned to travel and communicate with a speed that former generations would have never imagined. Quechua children who live high in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador stand outside their thatched grass hut with no electricity or plumbing, but talk on their parent’s cell phone and inquisitively view images of a world they have never seen.  Simultaneously, some American children are busy playing games on their own cell phones, texting friends, and watching videos. I have witnessed both. I believe it is vital for INQUISITIVE American educators to begin teaching their students about more realistic aspects of the greater world, not just the geography and history of that world.   I also believe it is vital for this education to start at the elementary level.  If we care about our students’ futures I believe we, as educators, must prepare them for globalization.  I feel there is a sense of urgency in this area as the world is changing rapidly.

            Globalization refers to the interconnectedness of markets, communication, and human migrations.  Technology has forever shrunk the world; at least as long as current and future technologies continue to exist.  Borders and boundaries are no longer as fixed as they once were.  Our students and their families are living in a complex, technologically advancing, ever changing, diverse, and interconnected world.  Our students go to school in this world and they will one day work in the marketplace; quite possibly a global marketplace.  A globally informed pedagogy is needed not only because the world is changing and for assimilation, but to keep our students competitive, to keep America competitive, and to keep education relevant in a changing world.

            Students should be taught within the emerging globalized context. When students are engaged in concepts and cognitive processes involving critical inquiry and reflection, it will generate within the student the desire and ability to ask questions about relationships observed in society.  Micro-level thinking must give way to macro-level thinking.  American students must learn about the world before graduation and before it is their time to go out into it.  When education is presented with a globalization framework, there are several positive results including more deeply engaged students in the process of critical inquiry, incorporating the use of information technology as a tool for learning, emphasizing higher order thinking skills, offering a more cross-disciplinary and holistic view of practices, developing ethical leadership, and being inclusive of the growing diversity in society.  

            Additionally, if teachers reexamine developmental theory and merge it with globalization concepts, students will be the benefactors. Jean Piaget, one of the most prominent child development psychologists of all times, conducted all of his research before the Internet existed during the first half of the 20th century.  Piaget’s research concluded that children between the ages of 7-11 are in the concrete operational phase of development. He proposed that their thought processing was concrete and focused on the actual and factual aspects of subjects and topics. He believed abstract thinking, which allows students to think about the why and how and what for, came at an older age. Therein lies the current quandary. The Internet isn’t just reshaping the speed of communication and information; in some ways, it might be reshaping our future by redefining what we know about ourselves. It might be requiring students to think abstractly sooner as they travel the Internet community.

            Today’s young students have access to a wide variety of images and information via the Internet before they have the cognitive development to understand what they see. One could say that children are being forced into abstract thinking before they have developed the proper and normal sequence for that broader type of thinking. This must be a serious concern for educators and parents and viable options for teaching students about the greater world must be creatively explored.  Schools must be pro-active in not just monitoring Internet use, but in deciphering it.

            Globally inspired curriculum units have the ability to stir new knowledge in the minds of young students while promoting student growth that will transfer into all areas of their academic and personal life.  This kind of teaching constructs bridges to their future in the global marketplace.  Innovative units, such as The Crazy, Colorful Colorwheel Project that I have developed, partner school students in differing countries through art and technology. The Cuban Heart Project that my students did before my trip to Cuba with the National Art Education Association was a simple project that taught my elementary students about developing nations and different types of governments.  Globally inspired curriculum broadens our students sense of who they are and our world.

            The local community will always be important, but educators must act locally while thinking globally.  Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist, believed “what distinguishes human groups one from another is not inborn; it is the way in which each has organized and perpetuated experience and the access each has had to other living traditions.” By teaching our students about the global community, we strengthen the local one.