The End of School

Art 3 & 4 Last Lunch Birthday Party
Senior Going Away Party Celebration

It's been awhile since I posted last! The end of the school year is always busy, but this year was especially busy! After the District Art School, there were papers to send home, Seniors to get wrapped up (they finish a couple of weeks earlier than the rest of the 'underclassmen').  So, the usual end of school activities is very hectic...but a week before school was out, I made the decision to retire from teaching!  So 'The End of School' really means the end of school for me.  I had a lot of packing and cleaning out to do...especially after 25 years in the same room!  I feel like I was moving out of my home away from home, but that I was finally graduating to the next part of my career.  I taught Art for 29 years and it was time for me to retire.  I have been thinking about it all year, but I was afraid to make that change!  But because of a lot of changes going on around me at school, I just decided that it was time for me to move on too.  I am excited about the future.  I plan to be the full time artist that I have been trying to be while teaching, but that just doesn't work very well.  So, although this is a new path for me, it is an exciting one.  I am already busy at work creating new art and learning about the business side of art.

In this photo are the students that I had in Art 3 and 4 this year.  This was a great group of students to work with! All girls except for one boy! Javon enjoyed being the only boy in a class room full of girls, but he did get kidded a lot and had to listen to some really 'interesting' conversations! But he was a very good sport about it all! All but 2 of the students in this group graduated this year and I will miss seeing the other two in class next year. I loved this class because they were all eager to come in and create every day! They loved being in the Art room!  We also enjoyed the birthday parties. Periodically we would celebrate the birthdays and bring food items for lunch to the art room and celebrate the birthdays! This photo was from our last party of the year. I think they had a great time!

As for this blog, I will post more project ideas from this year and some from in the past. In the future, I may be teaching some other art classes privately, so I plan to use this blog for that. This blog is not going to go away. I may eventually change directions, but for now, I hope to continue to get and to give advice and ideas to/from other art teachers.

Mrs. Macre♥Art 

Tips for working with Plastercraft

Creations with Plastercraft

Another 3 day weekend is over and we are in the last stretch of school until summer break! Seven more weeks!
The end of the year goes by so fast!
By the second semester of the year, my students begin to get bored with all of our usual supplies. We are all tired by this time of year, so it is a great time to pull out the plastercraft.

JimmyBob the Giraffe
Meet one of the 3D Plaster Sculptures that is currently decorating the Art Room. JimmyBob the Giraffe was created by Sam (Samantha). JimmyBob was formed out of a lot of rolled up newspaper. You can see in the second photo how Samantha is adding layers of Plastercraft to the legs of her sculpture.

Preparation Tips for Teachers

1. Size of class matters. 
I teach this lesson to my Art 3 students. Mainly because it is always a smaller class than my Art 1 and Art 2 classes. It is easier to manage the mess and these supplies can get expensive with a large class.

2. Collect Recyclables.

Start a collection of paper towel and toilet paper tubes, newspaper, empty containers made of cardboard. These items can be used to form the foundation of your student's sculptures.

Empty plastic ice cream containers are great for carrying water to student work spaces. I may or may not have eaten lots of ice cream to contribute to this collection.

Let other teachers know what supplies you need. Maybe they can save you from over indulging in ice cream. ;) 

3. Keep a sketchbook.

Have students keep a sketchbook to sketch out their ideas for projects. They should use those sketches to plan the shapes that are needed to put together their sculpture. 

4. Buy masking tape in bulk.

Have plenty of masking tape to tape the shapes together as they are formed. I always purchased masking tape in bulk. It will be used for many projects. 

5. Buy Plastercraft in a large package. 

One small roll does not go very far. I purchase a large box similar to this photo. Whatever you do not use can be used next year. This is a picture of the type I purchased.


For more tips and techniques for using the Plastercraft., visit this post here:
   Up to Our Elbows in Newspaper, tape, and plaster

Now start collecting those paper towel rolls and ice cream buckets!



Mrs. Macre♥Art     

Finished Plastercraft Sculpture Update

Finishing Projects

Spring Break is almost over and we are into the last quarter of the school year...already! This year is going by very quickly and the last quarter always goes by even more quickly because of the end of year testing and graduation activities and getting ready for our district Art Show!

My trusty computer suddenly died recently. It had my photoshop program on it, so I haven't updated the blog because I feel lost on this borrowed computer without my photoshop.  I downloaded a preview of a newer version of photoshop so I can do some editing and posting.  I'm still trying to post the results of our plaster sculptures.

Here is the owl and Pink Dog that I created for the project samples and demonstration.

The Turtle, Giraffe, and Penguin are all created this year by some of my students in Art 3.

To see the project from the beginning, check it out here:
Up to Our Elbows in Newspaper and Tape

 

                               

                Mrs. Macre♥Art 

3D Plaster Sculptures Complete

Sculpture in the Art Room

The Sculptures from my Art 3 and 4 class are finished and I've been taking photos and editing the photos. I will include a few examples of the finished pieces in this post and a few more in the next post.  Both the students and I enjoyed this project.  They all come up with a variety of ideas and must come up with their own technique for creating their idea from the form to the final painting.  The students are good about sharing suggestions, so they work well together as a class.  The students in my Art 2, 3 and 4 classes are made up of students who REALLY want to create and try new things.  They make my day!

To see the work in project pictures, check them out here:
Creating the Forms
Plastering
More Finished Projects

Hayley's Peace Sign

Bridgette's Pink Guitar - back side

Mrs. Macre♥Art 

Plastercraft Sculptures...Update from the Art Room

 So we have a Giraffe, an elephant, a duck, a penguin, a guitar, a peace sign, a glitter high heel shoe, a very unique cat, a purse...some of the sculptures are finished and decorating the art room.  But you can't see the finished projects yet...

So in my last post, I posted about the plaster sculptures that my students in my Art 3 and 4 classes were just starting. They were taping forms to get ready for plastering.  In this post, I  post pictures of the plastering process. I buy the plaster craft rolls by the large box. 

Like this: https://amzn.to/36qFZe9

 We use old buckets for warm water, old scissors to cut the plaster with (it's very messy work), and place newspaper on the tables and we are ready to go to work.

In my next post, I will post pictures of the sculptures in the painting stage. They are looking 'awesomely' cute! *I know that is not correct grammar, but it just doesn't come across the same with just 'so cute!'*

There are a few that are still getting some painted details, including mine!   One of the cool things about my job is that I get to play with the supplies too, especially in my Art 3 and 4 class! When I demonstrate how to use supplies and techniques, I try to work in some time, while they are working, to finish the demo project.  So I will post pictures of my demo when it gets its finishing touches.

*Update: Finished Project Update

I hope you enjoy your visit!

 

Mrs. Macre♥Art 

Up to our Elbows in newspaper, tape, and Plaster.

Plastercraft Sculptures

After the Christmas break, we came back and jumped right into making lots of creative messes.  Art 1 students are drawing portraits, Art 2 students are painting textured abstracts on canvas, and Art 3 and 4 students are creating 3-dimensional sculptures using newspaper and masking tape forms, covered with plaster and then paint. So my classroom has been quite a mess! But that's a good sign that good things are happening, right?  Yeah, well that is what I tell myself, after apologizing to my custodian!

My Art 3 and 4 students love to experiment with new materials and try new techniques. Which is great.  They love the hands on projects!  They started these sculptures right after New Years, and they are doing very well.  I will post the start of some of their projects in this post and update them along the way.

Supplies needed:
Masking tape
Plastercraft Rolls
Buckets for warm water
Scissors
Acrylic Paint


For more tips to use in the classroom to teach this project, check out this post:
Tips for Working with Plastercraft

Here are some of the projects after creating the forms and wrapping areas in newspaper and masking tape. My next post will show the plastering process and then painting. Be ready for some awesome cuteness! **Update:  Adding Plastercraft 

Mrs. Macre♥Art    

One Point Perspective Drawing

Colored Pencil Version by Madison
1 point perspective assignment

Teaching 1 Point Perspective
High School Art

This lesson is a refresher lesson for my 2nd year Art students. I teach 2 point linear perspective in beginning Art. It seems backwards, but I found that teaching 2 point perspective step by step in Art 1, teaches them the basics of perspective with good results. In the fall of 2nd year Art I use this Room Project with my Art 2 students using 1 point perspective. This project shows the students how perspective can be applied to drawing everyday objects.

Supplies Needed: (+ a few tips)
Drawing Pencils
Erasers
Sketchbook
Clear T-square
+Tip: I like the clear, so they can see their
previously drawn lines.
Colored Pencil Classpack:
+Tip: I like to use the classpack because it becomes the student's responsibility to return their colored pencils back to the correct spot in the box, which helped eliminate the misplaced colors. When using individual boxes, all of the colors did not seem to stay in each box.

Drawing Assignment
Their assignment is to include:
-At least one door
-At least one window
-2 pieces of furniture
-A wall decoration
-A floor decoration (tile, rug, wood floor, etc)
-A ceiling fixture (lighting, etc).

Step 1: They were introduced to 1 and 2 pt. perspective in Art 1, so they have some experience with the linear perspective techniques.  But even with that experience, they must have a little refresher assignment. I demonstrate to them how to change 9 squares into 9 cubes to by using 1 vanishing point in the center of the page. This can be done any way you choose to teach one point perspective.


Step 2: After they practice that assignment, where I also teach them to use a T-square, they start drawing their rooms.  I show them samples of rooms drawn by former students, to get ideas for types of rooms, furnishings, and other ideas that they could create.

Step 3: Students use their sketchbook to sketch ideas and to practice drawing difficult details.

Step 4: Students transfer their ideas onto the final drawing paper, being careful to draw with a light touch. Many lines will be erased, so drawing lightly is important. Heavy lines are difficult, if not impossible, to erase. Check perspective before proceeding to Step 5.

Step 5:  Add color or value to the drawing.
Sometimes I give them a choice between using colored pencils or just to use pencils to add shading to their drawings to create a value study with their graphite pencils. Some students are better with pencils and some are better with color. One thing we need to work on is adding values with the colored pencils.  That is a little difficult to do with student grade colored pencils.  

So here are some of the results from the assignment with both the value studies and colored pencils.

Colored Pencil

Graphite Pencils

Mrs. Macre♥Art    

National Contest Winners

The DAR organization sponsors an art contest, called the JAC contest, each year with a patriotic theme.  My Advanced Art classes just completed their projects for this year and will be delivered this weekend.  So I thought I would share a photo of my students who had projects from last year that won 1st, 2nd or 3rd place,  all the way up to the District and National level.  They are very proud of their achievement.  They had to win 1st place to get to the National competition.
This patriotic theme based assignment really challenges my students to think about historical and social issues in a creative way.  The students really work hard at coming up with their idea and how to tie their idea into the theme.  Its a challenge, but I think its a really good experience for the students.

There was another national winner, but she graduated and is away at college.

Mrs. Macre♥Art    

Color on the Walls!

Positive/Negative Space Design

After a full quarter of the year, my walls are full of color again. My Art 1 students are mostly 9th and 10th graders with some 11th and 12th graders too. The project I'm sharing this week is an Art 1 project from the first quarter.

This project teaches students about Positive and Negative Space and how to create a good composition. It is a good way to teach my beginners to pay attention to both the negative space (background) and the positive space (the subject).

Supplies Needed:
Drawing Paper - We used 12 x 18 inch
Colored Pencils or Markers
Pencil
Tag board or thick cardstock for patterns
Scissors

The students are asked to choose one simple shape, with interesting edges, to repeat all over the page to create a pattern. Some students chose to use 2 shapes or variations of one. They could draw their shape onto a piece of cardstock or tag board and cut it out to trace onto their page. After drawing the Positive shapes onto the page, they were to color the Negative Space (background).

Steps for design project:
1. Draw and cut out the shape out of cardstock or tagboard.
2. Trace the shapes onto the drawing paper.
    Overlap the shapes to create interesting positive and negative spaces.
2. Erase the lines where the shapes overlap.
3. Add color to the background with colored pencils or markers. (We used colored pencils)
    The background could be one color or they could choose the colors and patterns to enhance their design.
Tip: When adding color using colored pencils, make sure you use medium to heavy pressure with the pencils, to cover the white of the paper. This will get a good contrast between the white of the positive space and the color of the negative spaces. The design will stand out much better with strong color.
Option 2: Another option is to use markers to get a strong color contrast. 

I always get some nice designs from this project; this year was no exception.  This photo is only half of the artwork that I chose to display.

Mrs. Macre♥Art     

Art 1 Line Designs Lesson

LINE - Designs 

Bulletin Board with Examples

Art 1 at the High School Level is set up for students who have had little, if any, art background.  Some students have had some classes in art along the way, but many do not.  So my class starts out studying about the elements of design (art).  The first one that we study is Line.  So we start out drawing creative line designs.  This project is like giving a student permission to doodle! But it sad to say that many students cannot even doodle! Some have lost their ability to think creatively.  But I am also happy to say that many students are wonderfully creative.
Elements of Design
I start out the lesson showing the students the bulletin board, shown above, and discuss the different kinds and variations of lines.  We also talk about how to get started, in case you are completely blank with no ideas at all.  They also are required to included some color.  When I first started doing this projects, I only required black and white. But now we add some color to go with the black pen.  We use the new black sharpie pens to draw/doodle with.  Then they go back and add some color.  The others are examples of the project before we added color.

2017 UPDATE: This project is very similar to Adult Coloring Pages that are so popular today. Teachers can teach their students how to create their own coloring pages. Go a step further and have your students scan them into a computer and print copies for other students to decorate and color.

Small group of line designs as displayed in the classroom. 

Mrs. Macre♥Art    

Update on Abstract Letter Designs

After this past week of Homecoming and dress up days, I'll be happy to get back to the business of classwork. It was very limited in some classes due to sign painting and the excitement of the dress up activities. Our door did not win the competition, but its okay.  The students were a little upset, but they were proud of our door decoration.
So here are some of the results of the Abstract letter designs that I showed works in progress a couple of weeks ago. They were to choose a theme and take words that are related to that theme and create an abstract/semi abstract composition that illustrates that theme.

Hayley and Hannah's artwork

Samantha and Courtney's artwork

Ta'chun and Brooke's artwork

Example of Themed Abstract Art
(partially incomplete bottom left corner)

Close up of Example

This project is done in my advance art class. Next I will be posting Art 1 and Art 2 projects.  Thanks for looking. I hope you enjoy the students artwork.

Mrs. Macre♥Art