Saturday, February 28, 2015

March 5

I sure loved listening to Audrey Rindlesbacher talk about true principles and how following them brings freedom. As artists, as we learn and apply true artistic principles to our art and writing, we will then be FREE to truly express ourselves in a way that sends the message that we really want to say without being held back by inability. I loved our discussion about Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Here are this week's assignments for Literary Arts Class:

Personal Narratives:
For those of you who have your rough draft done and have received comments from others on what you could do to improve, now is the time to refine and write your final draft of your personal narrative and get it on your blog by next Wednesday, March 4. Yay for you!

For those of you who haven't yet finished your rough draft we still encourage you to do so!!! I would be glad to read and give comments on your story if you would like, and there may be others in the class who would be willing to do so as well.  So keep going and get it done this week so you can then get your final draft done, too!


Drawing: (There are 4 items for drawing assignments - be sure to scroll all the way down to see them all!)
1. I hope you have been thinking about what you'd like to do for your Special Features Article. Choose something that is interesting to you for this project!  Here is some more information and some ideas. This Thursday you will hand in your topic - please write it on a piece of paper to hand in. 

Special Features: choose topic to study, create, research, and present that would include visuals with the intention that this project will go in your literary arts magazine as a Special Feature Article.

Choose one of the following topics (or come up with one of your own) for your Special Feature in your magazine:

  • Research an artist, his or her work, and write about why their work is important to you. If artist is living, you could interview them and request permission to use images in your magazine. If not living preferably choose an artists whose work is in the public domain so you could include their work in your magazine. In any case, you’ll want to  find some kind of visual to illustrate your writing to go in your magazine.
  • Choose some aspect of color theory to study and write about. Create art or take photos to illustrate your writing.
  • Choose a favorite poet, study his or her work, and write about why their work is important to you. If the poet is living, you could interview them and request permission to include some of their poetry in you magazine to go along with the interview. If they are not living, you choose someone whose work is in the public domain to include in your magazine. Find some kind of visual to illustrate your writing.
  • Practice and really focus on creating art in any of the following mediums: watercolor, oil, pastel, acrylic, sculpting, collage, pen and ink, or pencil drawing (above and beyond the work we do in class in this medium). Include your art in your magazine.
  • Study about different typography. Include samples of fonts/ type that fascinate you. Create art using typography. Include this information and art in your feature story.
  • Choose any topic based on art and literature that you want! Consider: people, places, history, current events, collections, architecture, art mediums.  
2. Time to start thinking about Artist Trading cards (yippee!) You need to bring 6 cards each week for 3 weeks starting on March 19 to trade with your friends in class. Be careful if you google for ideas - as with anything, there is garbage out there. You can do 6 of the same image (each an original piece of artwork, not a photocopy) or 6 completely different images each week. 

A couple weeks ago I sent you home with your big piece of card stock paper for you to trace and cut out your cards. If you don't have that, just cut paper the size of playing cards from card stock for your artist trading cards canvas. (They should be 2 1/2" x 3 1/2 ") Have fun with this! I'm excited to see what you all come up with :)


Here are some examples:


-- 















Trees ATCs




Art Projects for Kids: Snowflake Art Trading Cards














3. Practice drawing using the picture plane (plastic page with black cross-hairs) to help you see like an artist. If you haven't already done these assignments, do Exercise 11, 12, or 13 in your drawing workbook. Remember, seeing like an artist and drawing realistically like an artist takes PRACTICE! The work we do in class is just a spring board for the practice you'll need to do at home to learn these true artistic principles. 


4. Post your final draft of your Personal Narrative on your blog by Wed. morning, March 4th. Read each other's personal narratives and leave comments on each other's blogs. If you don't have a blog because you joined us this semester, send your final version of your narrative in an email to our class list (look in past emails for the list). Good job on your writing!




Friday, February 20, 2015

February 26

Drawing:
It was so nice to simply draw with everyone in class this last week! You are all doing so well!  Your homework this week is to do more drawings, 2-3 hours worth. You can do more hand drawings while holding things or without, or you can do some still life drawings.. whatever you'd like to do. Just keep practicing the skills we've talked about and work on improving your skills!


Personal Narratives:
High fives to those of you who got your rough drafts done! Congratulations! It will be so fun to read through them! If you haven't yet finished your rough draft we highly encourage you to do so!!! If you can get it typed in the next couple of days you can email it to the group and still get comments from everyone. Your assignment for this week is to:
  • Read through your friend's rough drafts and give helpful comments, things that will not only encourage them but also really help them make their papers better.  Be sure to finish commenting on all the stories and bring them back next week and return them to their owners. 
  • Remember that after you get comments from everyone next week, you will have one week to write your final draft and then get it on your blog - it will then be magazine ready!
Also, our book discussion on Leonardo daVinci is next week, Feb. 26. Make sure to have it read by then so we can have a great discussion! 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

February 19

Drawing:
1. Finish your drawing of your hand from the picture plane to paper. The instructions for review are on page 36 of your drawing workbook.

2. Do one or more of the following drawings using the same steps we used in class:
    
We will share these drawings with each other in class next week. I can't wait to see your great work! 
  • drawing your hand holding an object (p. 39)
  • drawing a flower, leaf, or other object from nature (p. 43)
  • drawing  a peeled orange (or any other fruit or vegetable with  complex parts) (p. 46)
Steps we used in class: 
1) create a format using the card stock frame in your folio 
2) set a ground using your graphite stick and paper towels 
3) draw the cross-hairs on your format 
4) draw the object on the plastic picture plane tool from your workbook 
5) transfer the drawing of the object from the plastic picture plane onto your prepared paper.

Personal Narratives:
Keep working on writing your personal narrative! Your rough draft is due in class next week, February 19.  Please make and bring 16 printed copies of your story to class next week for each of us to take home and read and comment on. We are so excited to read these!

And just as a reminder, please remember to get the book Leonardo daVinci by Diane Stanley and read it. We will have a discussion on it on February 26. Be sure to have it read by then so we can have an engaging discussion!
 
We have updated the schedule for this semester, you can refer to it below, and I will also give you a printed copy of it in class next week. The differences are highlighted in blue below. (Artist trading cards have just been moved back a couple of weeks...)

Week
Date


1
01/22/15
Blurb – how to use, See samples of Lit Arts magazines
Intro Artist Trading Cards
Special Features (Due in magazine by Apr 23, present also on Apr 23)
2
01/29/15
Personal Narrative
Visual Arts - drawing
3
02/05/15
Personal Narrative
Visual Arts - drawing
4
02/12/15
Personal Narrative
Visual Arts - drawing
Art Appreciation
5
02/19/15
Personal Narrative (Rough Draft due, copies to pass out)
Visual Arts - drawing
Art Appreciation
6
02/26/15
(Return rough drafts with comments on them)
Discuss Special Feature Articles
Special Guest Speaker
Art appreciation – Book Discussion on Leonodo daVinci
7
03/05/15
(Personal Narratives Final Draft DUE on blog by WED Mar 4)
Hand in topic/idea for your Special Features Article 
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
Art appreciation
8
03/12/15
Artist Trading Cards
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
Art appreciation
9
03/19/15
Artist Trading Cards
Magazine Design and Editing
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
10
03/26/15
Artist Trading Cards
Magazine Design and Editing
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
11
04/02/15
Magazine Design and Editing
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
12
04/16/15
Magazine Design and Editing
Visual Arts - drawing, color theory, and other mediums
13
04/23/15
Art Appreciation
Special Features presentations DUE both for mag and to present in class
(ORDER Magazines so they will arrive by May 7)
14
04/30/15
Art Appreciation
Guest Artist/Writer
15
05/07/15
Magazine Presentations in class, showcase
Guest Artist/Writer
05/15/15
ASA End of Year Awards Night – We will have a special showcase of all the art you've created this year! You can include whatever you'd like to display! It doesn't have to just be art you created in our class, and it can include your photography, drawing, and your magazines!!!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

February 12

Thanks to everyone for making this class so great! We appreciate each of you so much!

As you fully engage in these assignments this week you will reap the rewards! 

Drawing: 
Have fun shifting to the right side of your brain as you do the following assignments! Try to notice when and what it feels like when the shift happens.

1. Complete the upside down drawing we did in class if you haven't yet. (p.18 of the drawing workbook).
2. Complete at least one or more or the upside down drawing exercises on pages 20-24.
3. Read the "Post-exercise remarks" and "The Five-Perceptual Skills of Drawing" on pg. 26 of your workbook.



Personal Narratives: 
It's time to write your story! Go through the list of "troubles" you made the first day in class, as well as the prompts in your packet, if you wrote down ideas there. Think through them and choose one of them that you think will be fun or interesting to write about.  You have two weeks to write the rough draft of your narrative.  Remember to give enough details about the people and the places to help others 'see' your story!  Have fun making it good and detailed!

On February 19, bring 17 copies of your personal narrative rough draft and be sure to have your name on them, as well as a title.  We will each take these narratives home and read through them and comment on them, with encouraging, helpful remarks, and then bring them back the next week.