Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Happy New Year!

So much awesome happening in the art rooms!  Plaster, drawing, printmaking, cardboard challenges...  Here is a link to the NEWSLETTER to catch you up.

In the meantime, conferences are coming up!  Please email me at carinlilly@cvsdvt.org if you would like to set up a time to meet, or come to the cardboard challenge this Friday from 4-5:30!

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Field trip for 8th grade to Shelburne Museum

A lot has been going on here in Middle School art these last two months--field trips, art shows, clay and large in depth projects... which is why the blog got left behind a bit.  Catch up time.

First up, the 8th grade field trip!  We walked to the Shelburne Museum to engage with the two shows:  Johnny Swing and Birds Eye View... a local artist making funky furniture and an exploration of process, and old fashioned maps of VT.  Students had stations that focused on the artist's process and taking fun "selfies"  and "artsy photos" with the furniture upstairs.  Downstairs, we focused on really looking and talking about the details, engaging in visual thinking strategies to think about the work.

These two shows are a catalyst for projects for the rest of the 8th graders time here in Shelburne--making individual lamps, and mapping out their time and memories here at SCS--I'll post about those as we go along making them...

Place based learning at it's finest.  I want to thank the teams for donating money, team time, and individual time to help make this field trip happen, and to the PTO for funding the follow up lamp project!

Here is a mixture of photos the students took and photodocumentation by me.  And the very last photo--photobombed by Johnny Swing himself :)























Thursday, March 21, 2019

Abstract Expressionism with 6th graders

6th graders explored color theory, mark-making and creating their own styles through a study of abstract expressionists.  I shared a bit with them about the art history of how all the "famous" abstract expressionists got famous--as in, the art gallery SYSTEM and people in power... and then I gave them a list of artists to choose from to explore and get ideas--widening the list a bit, without completely leaving out the "famous guys."   Even art for art's sake has more to it than meets the eye.  Here's a list of the artists:  Alma Thomas, Anni Albers, Elspeth Pratt, Franz Kline, the quilters of Gees Bend, Hans Hofman, Hilma Klint, Joseph Albers, Judith Godwin, Lola Donoghue, Mark Rothko...

I then showed them mark making tools, we played with india ink and we explored acrylic paint and color mixing. And the ideas of BIG and small. These were the pieces the students put up for our schoolwide art show. Below are some fun works, both process and product. It's worth noting this was done in late January into February--when we all need a little color in our lives!













Endangered Species clay heads: 7th grade

I'm locked into doing this for 7th grade forever, and fine by me!  I'm not fully sure why this project is so successful, but if there is anything that I do in teaching that sparks more joy in myself, the students and anyone who sees these pieces, I truly am not sure what it is.  It's the sweet spot of enjoying an amazing process, of having an incredible final product, and taking on a real world issue.  It's why I teach.  Thanks, students, and all, for being so awesome!












Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Conferencing!

Two options:  Drop me an email at clilly@cvsdvt.org to set up a time!

OR

Join the art teachers this Friday, March 22 at 10-11:30 am at Burlington City Arts on Church Street!  Look at some art and make something!  Cost is 5$ a person.  Drop me a line if you want/need more info!

Thanks!

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

8th grade art show!!!


8th graders have spent the last trimester in art preparing for a show based on different themes:  Holden 8a: Heroes, Holden 8b: Water, Alpha 8: Time, and Winton 8: Space.  This show is a culmination of all the work they have put in building creativity and skills in the visual arts over the years at SCS, and is completely theirs for the artist's process--from brainstorming themes to the hanging of it.  Join us for the opening at 6:15, March 12, before the band concert.  Or, if you cannot make it, stop by during or after school, sign in at the office and check out their hard work!

Friday, February 1, 2019

6th grade: graphic design using ADOBE SPARK

Before beginning, I put out into the SCS world the question:  what needs are there in terms of signage in our school?!  I got a lot of feedback and kept a list, and students were then given the choice from that list to work create an artwork that incorporates design elements such as font, color theory, proximity, placement. etc.  They met with their "clients" to get specifics about what their signs needed to say, they gave eachother feedback, and ultimately created some really great work to help out around the school with.  As an another option:  students could create some social justice signage they felt strongly about.

They used Adobe Spark to create with.
Below are a few great examples: