I'm NOT an artist....

For whatever reason, some people don't see themselves as artists.  

*Maybe because they think their drawings don't look "real" enough.  

*Or maybe because they make mistakes.  

*Perhaps they like to work messy and think an artist should be exact and perfect.  

*Maybe their idea didn't turn out how they envisioned (how they saw it in their mind).  

*Possibly it's because they don't like drawing and only like sewing or clay.

"I'm NOT an artist!" 

however....

Let's look at artistic behaviors, we call them, The Studio Habits of Mind.  Being an artist is more than just drawing really well.  Most of you know you are an artist and if you don't believe that, maybe this lesson will change your mind.

Do you DEVELOP your CRAFT?

Artists improve art skills through practice?  Do you practice?

Artists learn more about their ideas?  

Artists organize and care for art materials, tools and art making space.  Do you take care of your art space?

Do you ENGAGE and PERSIST?

Artists focus on their work?  Do you stick with it even when your art gets difficult?  Artists Engage and Persist.

Do you try again if your art doesn't work out? What helps you stay focused and solve art problems?

Do you ENVISION?

Artists imagine new artworks and the steps to bring them to life.  Artists Envision.

When you ENVISION,  you are using your imagination to develop an idea, project, or creation.  You picture something clearly in your mind. You think through the final project and the steps needed to achieve what you have in mind.

Thinking ahead and beyond.

Do you EXPRESS?

Artists show emotions and feelings in art.  You can have an emotional connection to your art.  If you are feeling happy or joyful, you might use yellow, red or orange.  If you are calm or sad you might use blue, purple or green.  Colors can show the mood of artists.  So can lines.  Thick jagged lines or soft curling lines can give your work different feelings.

What are these artists trying to Express?  Artists make art that communicates ideas, beliefs and feelings in a visual language. 

Do you OBSERVE?

Artists see the world?  Artists take time to look closely and notice details?  Artists look at the world and interpret or create meaning and understanding with art materials.  

As an artist, you tell your own story.  We all view the world in our own unique way.  

Look at the variety of ways artists created a rainbow.   

Do you REFLECT?

Artists look at their art and think about what they like, what went well, what they'd do differently?

Do you share your art and get feedback from others?  Artists reflect.

Do you Stretch and Explore?

when you STRETCH and explore you are trying things that might be difficult.  When you EXPLORE you are discovering new ideas and ways of working. Artists experiment!  Artists test out new materials to see how they will work.  Artists discover the possibilities.  Artists look to see what will happen.  Artists take risks. 

Playing, trying new things, making mistakes, and learning from them, you are brave and willing to try new things. 

Embracing mistakes: Turning an accidental paint blob, an ink smudge, or a ripped paper edge into a funny monster, a cloud, or a brand-new part of the design.  If you make a "beautiful oops" you are stretching yourself as an artist.

Do you SEE THE ART WORLD?

Artists learn about the history of art.  When and why artists make art now and in the past.  You are an artist as part of the Meramec community but also part of a global community of artists.  

When you talk and connect with an artist about their work and yours, you are understanding the art world.  Do you go to the museum or gallery, if so, you are understanding the art world? 

As we look at these Studio Habits of Mind, I see all of these happening in our Choice Art/TAB Studio and hope that you recognize these creative behaviors in yourself.

YOU ARE AN ARTIST!

Do you research?

When you research, you examine, investigate and study art materials, lines, shapes and forms...how a paint brush makes marks on your paper.  You might mix colors of paint together and see what color you get.  Exploring what happens when you put salt on watercolor or put watercolors on top of an oil pastel line drawing.  Learning more about an artist and how they make their art or take notice which blue is the best for coloring the sky in your artwork are ways artists research.

Unlocking the Sculpture Studio

 Let's Discover the Sculpture Studio

Sculpture is a type of artwork that is three dimensional. It can be seen from all sides. Sculptures can be made out of many things like clay, wood, metal, glass...you name it!

An artist who makes sculptures in called a sculptor.

We can see a sculpture in a museum...

Sometimes an artist can sculpt from unusual materials...

Sometimes artists create sculptures for the outdoors. Have you seen this sculpture in Forest Park?

 In sculpture you can add

some of the ways you add to your sculpture are by using slits, hot glue, tape, paper tape, brass fasteners and staples; these are attachments.

In Sculpture you can subtract

When you remove material such as carving, cutting or scraping, you are creating a subtractive sculpture.

In SCULPTURE we TRANSFORM materials

We change the appearance of the materials by cutting, gluing, wrapping in paper, coloring with markers or Kwik sticks to transform them from their original look.

We keep our materials organized... 

Containers have labels with pictures and words.  We put like items together.

  In this studio we use tools in a safe way...

All Tools are a choice. 

    Safety Goggle tools:                         Gloves:

Drill                                                 Hot Glue gun

Saw                                                

Wire cutters 

 

To Saw you must use a vice and safety goggles.  Two artists may saw at a time.  ONLY wood and corks may be sawed. 

*NO jabbing, stabbing or poking through sculpture materials.  use a drill to make a hole!  Drill in the vice or over your book.  

Today we will do a checklist to show that we are ready to work in the sculpture studio.

You will make a cylinder...

You will flange the cylinder...

Spiral and accordion fold

You will create tabs or braces...

After you flange a cylinder and show that you know how to make tabs, you may explore other ways to connect papers for sculptures...