Soda Can Flowers

Recycled Art continues to explore beauty in "garbage". Soda cans were turned into a beautiful garden of flowers by the front desk. Each student was supposed to create 1-3 flowers and dedicate each to a special person in their life. This is a spin on a lesson that was introduced to me during my student teaching last year from my cooperating teacher. I had the students learn about the poppy installation at the Tower of London in 2014 (google it if you don't know what that is. It's super cool). Instead of making clay flowers, since we lack that material, we made aluminum.

Selfie Half-zies Portraits

Here I wanted the students to learn both pencil shading and color pencil mixing for skin tones while understanding face proportions. It all started with a selfie (or regular picture if they didn't want to selfie). They folded the image in half and symmetrically drew each side of their face, one in pencil and the other in color pencil. I'd say they turned out pretty fun looking.

Found Object Collage

One of my favorite projects so far in recycled art. The final product is an awesome collaboration of found objects. Each students got one square board to create a meaningful collage of random found objects. First we discussed a few artists such as Louise Nevelson and Brian Petro, then we dove right in. Spray paint... that was a bit of a difficult accomplishment (weather probs).  

Non-Objective Cardboard

To explore cardboard, the recycled art class began with some nonobjective sculptures just to familiarize themselves with the material. It's harder than it looks to make something with no representation. Sculptures always tend to look like something, but each person may see something different. 

 

Intro Art Beginnings

Unit 1 in the intro class begins with non-objective art and exploring mediums and techniques based on the elements of art. Here we have some charcoal form still lives, collagraph textured prints, and color wheel mandalas. Just a few of many. They are all doing so awesome. 

Cerealism

Recycled Art class began with some abstract "Cerealism" art. Reconstruction of old cereal boxes. Kinda like stained glass, eh? Turned out pretty cool. 

Welcome To Your New Art Room

Greetings! First post to say hello. It is Fall of 2015 and I am in the throws of being a first year art teacher at the East Range Academy of Technology and Science up in the Iron Range of Minnesota. This semester I have begun with teaching two Intro Art classes,  Recycled Art, and Yearbook. I am also one part of a duo to head the drama club. In my upcoming posts, I hope to show off the awesome art we are making and the cool things the students are doing. As a first year teacher, I must say life is hectic, but I learn so much more every single day.

I was lucky enough to be hired here as I was finishing up my student teaching last Spring. That means I had ALL Summer to plan and prepare. Did I do that? Sort of, kind of, not really, but it's difficult when you don't know exactly what to expect. I'm still making things up as a go. Sweat, blood, tears and all.

The first accomplishment this school year was the classroom set up. The room is small. No, you don't understand, it is small. Like elementary classroom small meant for high school students with very little storage. I drove the 4.5 hours a couple times from Fargo before moving permanantly just to paint and rearrange. Check out the difference!

Pure chaos. What is going on? What is with that half pepto bismal wall? The room needed a little makeover.

Ta-da! It's so cheerful and pretty. There's more and more student art covering the walls every day. I lack some storage space, but we have managed so far.