Little Papier Mache Pumpkins

So I know it's early to think about Halloween but I have a whole series planned.

First up these little pumpkins.











MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- a few paper towels, make sure they are the cushiony ones not those industrial ones
- white glue
- a recycled container for your glue mix
- water
- little plastic pumpkins from the Dollar Store (optional)
- paint, either acrylic or tempera
- wire
- a few beads

Now you could use a balloon, just inflate it a little and mache up to where the top section is gone but I just use these little pumpkins.  They are super cheap (6 or 8 for a $1.00), and because it's a firm base this works well for little kids.

Remove the plastic handle.

Tear or cut your paper towel into small strips.
Combine your glue and water at a 1 to 1 ratio and start wetting your strips.  Apply in a criss cross way.  You'll only need 1 to 2 coats here because you have a base.  Build up some features onto the face.  I used little balls for the eyes and a carrot shape for the nose.  Stick onto face and add some strips overlapping both the feature you've added and part of the face to adhere.  There are lots of options here, you can add lips, eyebrows, ears, etc.  Let dry overnight and then turn upside down to let the bottom dry out for a few hours.

Once this is dry you can trim out any excess paper at the top if needed with scissors.


Now I wanted a kinda of distressed look so I painted them black first.  You can only do this with acrylic paint if you are using tempera just start with the final colors you want.

Paint your face.  If you have some really fine details you can have the kids add these with fine sharpies after the paint has dried.  I find young kids have more control with the sharpie than a fine paintbrush.




Let dry.

Now with the little pumpkins you should still be able to see or feel the hole on the inside.  Insert an awl, knitting needle, or a piece of really strong wire to open up that hole pushing to the outside.

I'm keeping these as little baskets so I added a wire handle and a few beads. 

If you want you can give these a quick coat of glossy Mod Podge and that's it.

I have a few more projects coming up that are based on these little plastic pumpkins so if you're at the Dollar store I would definitely pick up a bunch!

.....and if you are tree trimming for Fall keep a large branch as I can already visualize a Halloween tree on display at school with each child's very individual pumpkin.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the DVD set of "Art of the Western World", the draw is Friday!  See previous post for all the info.


We'll see you soon!

Art of the Western World: Review and Giveaway

Art of the Western World is a DVD set of the complete 9 episode series as it was shown on PBS.

I was excited about this review and have spent the last few days watching every single of the 513 minutes of this series.

It is geared towards an adult audience but would be applicable to a high school or mature junior high population. My 13 yr old daughter watched the series with me.

First off you need to know that it was filmed in 1989, has been available on VHS and is now being released on DVD.  If you have an older copy there have been no changes.

PROS:
Content wise it is excellent.  It provides a good overview of the history and significance of western art and architecture, from the Classical Ideal to Post Modernism.  It also strives to give you the overall feel of society at different periods of time so you can
connect the dots between what is going on in everyday life and how that relates back to the artist.  The addition of architecture is terrific as this is often a neglected area in other overviews of art history.

CONS:                                                                       My only issue with this DVD collection is the picture/film quality.  I don't know if it's due to our high expectations in this age of digital but I found the quality making me feel I was watching something much older than 1989.  This is unfortunate as most of us can only experience these great works of art in reproduction.  If you are looking to give yourself or your students a closer look at specific works I would advise you to seek additional resources.

Some episodes were truly winners though.  After a few minutes of "this looks really bad" in the very first episode both my daughter and I were quite enthralled by the "The Classical Ideal", we also enjoyed episodes 3 and 4 on the Renaissance, as well as the final 2 episodes on "Into the 20th Century". Especially the Picasso material and the conflict between the Bohemian lifestyle and the need for Bourgeois support, something that is relevant in today's art world.

There was also a preview for "Every Picture Tells a Story" which looks amazing, so much so my daughter is requesting a copy for her birthday.

On to the giveaway.  If you are interested in winning your own DVD copy of "Art in the Western World"  a $59.99 value, please leave me a comment on this post or email me at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca

I will make the random draw on Friday so you have until Thursday(11:59pm).  This giveaway is open to everyone, so all of you over in the UK, Australia, etc. please feel free to enter!

Good Luck everyone!

DISCLOSURE: Review and giveaway copies provided to me by Acorn Media Group

How to Draw: The Pieces Make Up the Whole

Well school starts up tomorrow so I thought I'd start the year with a basic drawing exercise.  Art is all about observation and then how we interpret what we see around us.

When you approach a drawing activity with kids (adults too) they often have difficulty making their work go past the simple cartoon like image. 

One of the ways we can address this is to get the student to really look at the pieces that make up the larger subject we are trying to draw. 


This activity is applicable for all ages

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- reference material, or model
- scrap paper in odd sizes
- pencil and eraser
- fine markers or sharpies
- paint, colored pencil, pastel or whatever you have to apply some color
- glue
- background paper for mounting

PROCEDURE:

Gather your reference material.  Find some good books from the library, some photographs, or set up a model.

I like to use birds or animals, you could also do plants.  Use whatever is applicable to your situation.

If you are able to observe a real life example go for it!  Birds and animals may not always be cooperative though.

Find a good spot to work in with good light.

Variation:  If you want to add a writing component to this activity try this,
- get the kids to write down the main descriptive components of their subject
- maybe they are describing it to an alien or someone who has never seen an animal or bird
- or a shopping list like "If I was going to make a........I would need...."

Now I save all my scraps, especially leftover pieces of watercolor paper.  For this exercise you need at least
 3-5 pieces of paper in different sizes.

On the largest piece of paper have the kids draw out the main shape or at least part of that main shape.


Here I am focusing on that head, the ears, and that sway back as i really like that curve the tiger has.

Add some color to your sketch and you can even add extra lines to emphasize that shape if you want.

 Now take a smaller piece of paper and focus on a dominant part.  With animals I want them to focus on that eye. How does it look, what expression does it give off, what color, size, shape is it.

Now this is a cropped drawing so make sure the students fill in the entire background.

With the rest of the papers focus on other details that make this subject distinctive.  If you did the writing prep at the beginning have the students pull ideas from that.

Here I am focusing on the pattern of the fur, the shape of the nose, and the wonderful luxurious tail.


Add color.

Now glue all your drawings onto a background paper.

I'm sure by the end of this exercise your students will be looking more closely to the parts/details of any future subject matter.

A short variation of this exercise can also be done in their sketchbooks, little 2"X2" studies to help them prepare for a larger composition.

"Osprey"
Jeff, age 8

Practice your drawing and observation skills and we'll see you next time.

and the Winner is.....

So it's time to announce the winner of  "Starting Your Career As An Artist" by Angie Wojak and Stacy Miller.

I'd like to thank Allworth Press and Skyhorse Publishing for making this giveaway possible.

I received 26 comments and 23 emails for a total of 49 entries and the winner selected by RANDOM INTEGER is:


Here are your random numbers:

33

Timestamp: 2011-08-27 17:51:21 UTC



That means the lucky entry by time and date is

Calmil2 who wrote:

 Would LOVE a copy!!! I am struggling with so many of those topics right now...Sounds like a great book!!  Harmony  August 24, 2011 1:28pm

If you could contact me at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca with your shipping address and I'll get your winning copy off to you right away.

Thanks everyone for entering and don't despair if you didn't win. I have an upcoming giveaway that is fantastic so stayed tuned.

See you next week with some new art projects in time for "Back to School".

later,

Book Review and Giveaway

"Starting Your Career as an Artist: A Guide for Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, and Other Visual Artists" is a brand new book by Angie Wojak and Stacy Miller.

I was lucky enough to score a review copy this summer and spent quite a few afternoons by the lake in serious reading mode.

This book is no lightweight. Just reviewing the table of contents had me wondering about new strategies to deal with exhibiting, funding, mentoring, etc.

The authors look at the whole picture and examine the viewpoints of all the stakeholders in the art scene, not just the artist.  It's filled with interviews with gallery owners, art directors, educators, emerging and established artists, and funders (to name a few).

They also break down all the major areas with practical advice i.e.  Eight Steps for Simple Record Keeping and Tax Filing,  Common Artist's Statement Mistakes to Avoid, Dangerous Materials and Equipment in the Studio, Lifelong Learning for Artists, and on and on!

Before long my copy was filled with notes to myself, underlined areas, and a plan was emerging in my mind on putting my "artist" house in order.

256 pages and unlike most art books I read and review, no pictures.  Just lots of hard won advice, strategy, and relevant content for both the emerging artist and the "established" veteran, cause let's face it "It's not easy out there!".

If you are interested in winning your own copy please leave me a comment or send me an email (thatartistwoman@shaw.ca) before midnight on Friday.  I will hold a random draw on Saturday.

Good Luck everyone!

Early Autumn Window Scene

So here is that project I was working on. Trying to combine another writing project with the visual arts.     ( As always you can click on any picture for a larger view and I apologize in advance for some of the darker images as I am having lighting issues in the studio.)

It's based on that realization that Autumn is coming.  The curtain has a poem written on it that the student has composed about that moment.

The viewer that gently lifts back the curtain to reveal.....

 The view that has inspired the poem.


Now you don't necessarily have to have a poem, could be just words around change or transition or for very young learners just the word "FALL".

(writing is not my strong point so my poem is just to give you the idea)





So lets get started:




MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- corrugated cardboard
- wc paper or thick sketch paper for the background
- paint
- assorted papers
- legal size cartridge paper
- stick or dowel (to be the curtain rod)
- wire
- glue

Paint a background scene.  You will be adding the foreground trees to this scene so it can be fairly simple. 

While your paints are out make some painted papers to use for your trees.

Use a variety.  Here I'm using newspaper, book pages, and parts of an old map.



Add some texture using whatever tools you have around.  Old gift cards for spreading and scraping on paint, ends of brushes to make dots, caps from bottles to imprint circles, etc....

While your papers are drying make your frame.  Using cardboard that is a bit larger than your background cut out a frame.

If you want some texture detail draw on some designs with white glue and then let dry.

When your frame is dry, paint it.  To bring out the texture of the glue design you can dry brush on another color.

While the frame is drying complete your scene.  Using your painted papers add your trees.  Here I cut out leaf shapes, other shapes to represent a mass of leaves, and connect them all with painted branches or add these details with pencil crayons or sharpies.

Using your legal sized paper cut a curtain shape.

Write out your poem, words, sentences, whatever is to be added.

Pencil it in first and then go over with marker so it will stand out.

Take that paper and scrunch it up a few times.

Flatten it out and then paint it.  All your crinkles will show up making it look more like fabric.

When dry attach to your stick or dowel with some glue.

While the glue is still wet scrunch it up a little on the stick to make it look like pleats in the curtain.  Just make sure you can still read the writing.

Glue the frame to the background scene.

Attach the stick (curtain rod) to the front of your picture with wire.

And that's it.  I'll probably attach a sign asking the kids to be gentle with the curtains when these are on display.

Hope this provides you with the inspiration for other projects using a curtain to hide or reveal.


Check back later this week for a new book review and giveaway!


Try to enjoy these last days of summer vacation and I'll see you soon.

Moving On

So we move forward.....

I greatly appreciate all your emails, opinions, and comments.  This is definitely not how I expected this week to go.  I'm sure I'll be having a few more of those conversations with myself until I can fully put it aside.

....but I need to keep going. Nothing like a little bit of controversy to get that creative juice flowing!

This is just a peek in the sketchbook of the new project I'm working through.

Looking at how to use a drape within a piece that will either close off a view or reveal.

Of course I think my personal work will have different connotations....but on a more neutral level I was thinking of  a school project that corresponds with the changing of the seasons.

Maybe it's the cool weather the last few days here in Calgary but I can already sense that moment coming.....

.......when you see that first tree starting to change and it hits you like a ton of bricks......

(please excuse the hasty sketch) This is where it usually occurs to me as I'm driving by a nearby park.

So I'm just putting on the final touches on the school version and hope to show you the complete tutorial shortly.

Thanks again for all support and kind words that you passed along I was overwhelmed to say the least!