Choice Based Art

BASA Art Class Week 6

While reflecting on the work that has been created the past five weeks, I realized the students had not spent much time in the collage center.  I decided to focus on collage for the "idea of the week" and shared a variety of images with the class.  We talked about what the word "collage" means and how Pablo Picasso is credited with making the first modern collage.

We also discussed the surrealists and the ways that they used collage.  I read part of a document from the Dali Museum that can be found here: http://thedali.org/education/docz/LessonPlan3-CollageCollege.pdf

Two other artists we looked at were Henri Matisse and his paper cut-outs and Jen Stark and her paper sculptures.

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Henri Matisse-  The Horse, The Rider, and the Clown

Jen Stark - Microscopic Entrance

Choice Based Art

BASA Art Class Week 5

Choice Based Art

This week we continued our conversation about color.  I brought in two books to share with the class about the artist Niki de Saint Phalle - Niki de Saint Phalle: My Art, My Dreams and Niki's World.

We looked at Niki's use of bright colors and the child-like quality of her art.  Another reason I chose to explore her work with the class is that as an artist she worked in several different mediums.  Niki created drawings, paintings, sculptures, mosaics and more.

Choice Based Art

BASA Class Week 4

In the movie I have included photos of the work centers.  Because I am teaching in a cafeteria one afternoon a week, everything needs to be portable.  All items are labeled and placed inside a copy paper box.  The lid of each box displays the contents.  Each box also holds a binder that includes how-to information for that particular work center as well as ideas of what to do with the given materials.

Van Gogh "Night Cafe"

Van Gogh "The Cafe Terrace at Night"

This week we talked about color.  Specifically, we looked the color wheel and the relationship between colors.  We also talked about color schemes and how color can effect your mood.  The class seemed surprised when I pointed out that most fast food restaurants use a warm color scheme to make you feel excited and to make you eat faster.

We talked about Van Gogh's "Night Cafe" with its warm colors and compared it to how we feel looking at Van Gogh"s cool night-blue sky and warmly lit cafe in "The Cafe Terrace at Night".

I am impressed each week with the energy and creativity that the kids bring to the class.  I will work toward putting photo examples of their work in the corresponding binders for future classes to see.