Class #1: Making Art Buddies
Project Description:
In this lesson our students explored how they could transform everyday objects into art. Each student began the project with a plain rock and through adding different media such as paint, pastels, pipe cleaners, fabric, and googly eyes, they transformed their rocks into art buddies. In today's art exploration, students used multiple art materials and techniques to recreate a rock into a work of art.
Essential Understanding:
Artists invent and discover to create using materials and processes in unique and inventive ways.
Objectives/Outcomes:
Students will be able to...
-
Reimagine an everyday object into something new
-
Use several art techniques and multimedia materials to create a work of art
Skills:
-
Manipulate a variety of materials
-
Reimagine non-traditional objects as art materials
-
Combine 2-D and 3-D materials/techniques
During our first Community Connections class, students experimented with many 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional materials and techniques to create a work of art. They chose from a variety of plain rocks, on which they made their own artistic decisions about which materials and techniques to apply to them. Each student explored materials like paint, pastels, markers, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to transform their rock into an art buddy of their liking.
The collection of rocks included a myriad of sizes and colors, so that students could make their own decisions and envision their artistic process.
They were also able to select materials from a diverse collection at their own table stations. Some students immediately gravitated toward the paints, while other experimented with markers to color and design their rocks.
To begin the process, we prompted students with questions about what type of creature they were imagining or what kind of materials they would like to begin with. After asking one student about his vision for his rock buddy, he showed me two of his action figures he brought along with him to class. The student explained how he would like to make his rock buddy into Flash or Captain America. Using his action figures as visual reference, he imitated the blue color of Captain America's helmet and transferred it to his rock.
There was quite a difference between the approaches of each student's art making. Many students worked quickly, covering several rocks in paint simultaneously, while other students focused meticulously on one rock for the duration of the period.
Students delved into many artistic processes, such as gluing, appliqué, cutting, drawing, and painting. Several students practiced color mixing with their paints to alter the primary colors provided. While mixing, they observed the new colors they created in the process. After seeing one student using this technique, Sami asked, "What color are you mixing there? Is that purple?" The student further described the color as "dark purple" and explained how he used red combined with blue to create it.
At the end of the class period, the class went around the room to share details about their rock buddy. The rock buddy ideation was framed around the type of creature, superpowers, likes/dislikes, and name of the students' creations. Students interpreted these ideas and made decisions about the features of their rock buddies. One student reflected on his pair of rock buddies before giving them names, which he based on the names of characters from the show "Blues Clues." "Steve and Joe do Blues Clues together," he explained when Sami asked about the superpowers of his rocks.
(hover over photos for caption)
"Ahhhcho" their rock's superpower is to sneeze. At first they were hesitant to paint their rock but once Alison gave him them a paintbrush they experimented with the material to create this artwork.
"Cory! Cory! Cody! Cody! MAAANGOOOO!" This student was so excited to introduce his rock buddies, he sang their names! During the process of creating one of their rocks, one of the google eyes fell off and paint dripped over it. They showed problem solving skills by cleaning the paint off of the eye and waiting for the paint to dry so that the google eye could be glued back on in the right place.
This student displays a combination of materials and a unique way of using pipe cleaner and a bead.
This student's rock was named "Lulu." They combined materials to create her own personalized rock.
This student showed an exploration of materials by combining a purple flower, tissue paper and his rock.
This student shows understanding of form by combing materials to create a symmetrical artwork.
"Steve from Blues Clues and Joe." This student also experimented with mixing colors red and blue to make a dark purple which is thier favorite color.
This student combined a variety of paints to create a "marbled pet."
"We are personifying to the insane here!!" The rock's superpower is x-ray vision! This student mixed blue and yellow to create green. During the process of creating they questioned how to make ears for their rock, saying that the tissue provided would be too flimsy and not strong enough. After completing the rock they were hesitant to give it a superpower. They explained that if the power was to fly then he would have to make it fly so they came up with the very cool power: x-ray vision!
Reimagine an everyday object into something new:
"We are personifying to the insane here."
"Steve and Joe do blues clues together."
"X-ray vision is it's power."
Use several art techniques and multimedia materials to create a work of art:
Student mixes combination of blue and yellow to create green.
Student uses a scrunched up piece of netting to create hair.
Student uses pipe cleaner to fasten a bead to their rock.
