Art Tasks

Looking for a new Task?

Check out this resource sent to me by Jamie, Ashley, and Andrea. It's chock full of fun ideas! Thank you Jamie & Ashley, and I hope you continue creating and exploring and sharing ideas!

https://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/art-design-learning-at-home/

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Come join me for a video chat via Google Meet! We'll chat while we make stuff.
Tuesdays @ 1pm - Grade 5 & 6 Open Studio
Wednesdays @ 1pm - K-4 Open Studio
Thursdays @ 1pm - LEGO Club, open to all grades
Look in your remote learning template or Class Dojo for the Google meet link. For safety reasons, I can't post it here on a public website. Hope to see you there! - Ms. Stewart

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Creative Exercises for Everyone

Hello Erving artists and families! If you've been following my posts every week, you may have figured out by now that I favor the development of creative thinking over the creation of polished finished artwork. I think that art is a great tool to teach lifelong skills such as reflecting, persisting, exploring, observing, envisioning, and expressing. After all, the product of an art class should not be a display-ready artwork created by following step-by-step directions, but a growth in thinking capabilities and an increased trust in oneself.

With that in mind, here are some creative exercises that involve combining common objects and drawing that just might get you to think in a different way. Most are courtesy of an artist named Jon Burgerman, from his book, "It's Great to Create: 101 Fun Creative Exercises for Everyone", which I randomly had checked out of the Jones Library right before we were all sent home. Anyways, give one or more a try! And as always, I'd love to see what you make. Send me a picture at [email protected]

Stick Figure Fun. Pick and object and see how your figure can interact with it.	Share a smile. See something in need of a smile? Add a smile. Wait for someone to see the smile. Smile.
Household Portrait. Find objects that are lying around and arrange them into a self-portrait. What do your belongings say about you?	Rock Buddies. Draw on rocks. Stack the rocks. Rock on.

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Build a Fort!

Hi EES artists! In the spirit of taking full advantage of the creative tasks we can't do together in art class, but that are a lot of fun at home, your task this week is to go build a fort. You could build it inside, or outside, it's totally up to you. Materials could include furniture, pillows, blankets, tape, cardboard, trees, sticks, tarps, rope ... you name it! Build it and tell everybody proudly that you're doing your art homework.

Hey parents, as a side note, here's a few skills
that students may be practicing as they build their fort -
creative and imaginative thinking, problem solving, persistence,
observation, reflection, collaboration & communication.
Those are pretty worthwhile, aren't they?

Below are some references if you're interested. One is an set of instructions that IKEA put together to build forts out of furniture. Another picture links to a blog about kids & nature with some fort building ideas. You may also find this recent article interesting, on why kids enjoy building forts and might need them now more than ever. And lastly, a video to inspire you from artist Patrick Dougherty, below.

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Surrealist Magazine Collage

Do you have magazines at home? Magazines are filled with fun pictures, colors, and patterns. Cut out things that you like, and then play around with new arrangements! See the examples below.

Collages like these below have a surrealist element to them. That means that something in them is bizarre, distorted, or a mix of fact and fantasy. Surrealism was an art movement that started in the 1920's in Europe when artists were very interested in dreams and other imagery from the subconscious mind.

collage

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Photography

Hello fabulous EES artists! I miss you and spending time in the studio together. Here's a fun photography project idea you could try this week. Find a camera of any sort (phone or tablet is great), set up a little scene, and photograph it! Pay attention to your composition, or how everything is arranged within your frame. You may need to remove items, or move the camera closer to what you're photographing.

Here is the work of two artists to inspire you.

The first is travel photographer Erin Sullivan, who, just like you, is stuck at home. She's been recreating some of her favorite landscapes using household items and then photographing them. See if you can guess where in her home she took these pictures.

The second is a French artist who calls himself Samosfy. He sets up LEGO minifigures in real life situations and seems to have a good sense of humor! Do you have any small toys at home? What adventures could they have at your house?

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Introducing: Online Art Clubs!

Want to join Ms. Stewart and other EES students to talk and make art together?

This will be our weekly schedule - choose one to join!

Open Studio
for grades 5 & 6

Tuesdays @ 1pm
starting 5/5

Bring paper and something to draw with, and any other art supplies you want to use.

Open Studio
for grades K-4

Wednesdays @ 1pm
starting 5/6

Bring paper and something to draw with, and any other art supplies you want to use.

Lego Studio
for grades K-6

Thursdays @ 1pm
starting 5/7

Bring LEGOs! Be ready to share something you've built and try out some challenges.

All videochats will take place at meet.google.com.
The code/link to join meetings is in your remote learning template, and will also be messaged to you via Class Dojo (I'm hesitant to publish it here, publicly). If you can't find a link, please email me at [email protected]
Hope to see you online!

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Task 9: Try some Stop Motion Animation!

I usually introduce Stop Motion Animation around this time of year. It's fun for kids of all ages to make staplers and scissors appear to move on their own simply by taking photos of them and playing them in quick succession, much like a flip book. Once you understand the technique, the options are endless. Check out YouTube for many fascinating examples!

Below are some steps to getting started on making your own animations. You will need a phone, tablet, or Chromebook.

1. What is Stop Motion Animation? This 2 minute video explains a little history of stop motion and shows examples of movies made using stop motion techniques.
2. Download an app There are many stop motion animation apps. I recommend this free one --->
3. Prep your Materials: Find an object to animate - pen, toy, apple? Prop your device on a table. It cannot move while you take pictures. Here is an easy way to make a cardboard stand --->
4. Start! Take a picture. Move your object about an inch. Repeat. This 4 minute video provides excellent tips for using this app --->
5. If you need more help - Try the app's online help guides: https://www.cateater.com/support.html - Send me an email: [email protected]

Posted 4/26/202
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Task 8: Delight Someone!

Art has many purposes. It could be used as a commentary, to commemorate or persuade, as a ritual, for personal expression, or simply to delight the viewer. This last purpose, to make something to delight, is your assignment for this week.
Go make something that delights someone!

Here's some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Try one, or come up with your own.

Paint rocks and leave them for others to find. Maybe it'll make their day! Painted Rock Treasure Hunt	Write a letter to someone. Decorate the back of the envelope. Letters of Love
Add eyeballs to something. We painted black dots on paper plates and tied them to a tree. Other neighbors came by and added nose, mouth, and face mask, much to our own delight!	Organize a stuffed animal safari. Hide stuffies all over your yard and ask neighbors how many they can find. Stuffed Animal Safari in FL
Make an artwork for someone and give it to them!	Surprise and delight a fellow hiker with a balanced stone sculpture. Check out artist Adrian Grey

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Task 7: Be a Re-Arranger

Here are two artists who use their powers of observation to look at everyday objects and see shapes and patterns that are otherwise missed. Browse through their work, and then try your own hand at being a master re-arranger of items around your own home or yard.

Adam Hillman (Indoor option!)

Andy Goldsworthy (Outdoor option!)

leaves

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Task 6: Missing the clay studio? Try one of these recipes!

Type	Notes	Recipe Link
DIY Air Dry Clay	dries hard, can paint, will keep for years	link
Playdough	lots of recipes online	link
Allergy Free Playdough	mostly baking soda & corn starch	link
Cloud Dough	hand cream & corn starch is so soft!	link
Moon Dough	baby oil & flour is so soft!	link
Bread Dough	yogurt & flour, you can bake it and eat it!	link
Oobleck	corn starch & water is a non-Newtonian fluid that has properties of liquid and solids	link
Mud	a great outdoor options!	link

Play Pictionary with Playdough! You can make your own clue cards, or use a word generator website: https://randomwordgenerator.com/pictionary.php

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Task 5: Mystery Box Sculpture

Step 1: Ask somebody (parent, sibling, neighbor) to fill a bag or box with debris from the house: things like paper clips, string, egg cartons, bottlecaps, old CDs, paper scraps, cardboard, sticks and rocks, whatever you can find. Don’t look at what they’re putting in it! It’s a surprise!

sculpture pic

Step 2: Find some attachment methods: hot glue, white

glue, tape, or stapler, and also some of the non-sticky attachment techniques we learned, like slots, tabs, inserts, or cutting feet.

Step 3: Make something out of all or some of the materials in the box.

Step 4: Share with Ms. Stewart! [email protected]

If you want a visual explanation, check out this link about a similar project: https://tinkerlab.com/recycled-art-sculpture-mystery-box-challenge/

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Task 4: Recreate a famous artwork

Over the weekend, the Getty Museum posted this on twitter: We challenge you to recreate a work of art with objects (and people) in your home.

Choose your favorite artwork

Find things lying around your house⠀

Recreate the artwork with those items And share with us! And share with me! I'd love to post it here to our gallery. You can see what other people have done here: https://twitter.com/GettyMuseum/status/1242845952974544896

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Task 3: Play a drawing game

Thank you Blake, Chase, Jacob, Annika, Lorelai, Ryan, Kendall, Max, Grace, and Jude for sending images of your artwork! It's so fun to see what you're up to.
the exquisite corpse – This Playground

Okay, so, this drawing game is called Exquisite Corpse. You may remember it from Art Night last year. It was a game invented in the 1920's by the Surrealists, who were trying to figure out if you could make art by chance.

Steps:
1. Fold a piece of paper into thirds-ish.
2. The first person draws a head at the top of the paper, then folds it to hide their drawing, and passes it to the next person.
3. The second person draws a body in the middle of the paper, then folds it to hide it.
4. The third (or first) person draws legs and feet at the bottom of the paper.
5. Open & enjoy!

Here are instructions in video form:
https://safeYouTube.net/w/ssf3

You can read more about Surrealist games here:
https://artclasscurator.com/surrealist-games/
posted March 26, 2020

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Task 2: Try out a drawing club
Happy Monday Erving artists! I'm going to start posting ideas here 2-3 times a week. I'll start with drawing, and then move into ideas for working in other studios, like sculpture or fibers. You may have your own ideas of what to make, and that's cool too. Send me pictures of any art you make, and I'll post them to our gallery!

Okay, so first up - drawing! Drawing is a great way to relax and enjoy time with family. Several artists are offering daily drawing lessons online. Choose a video, grab a scrap of paper and a pen/pencil/marker, and give it a try.

1. Beloved author/illustrator Mo Willems is holding a "Lunch Doodles" drawing session every weekday at 1pm. He'll teach you how to draw some of his characters and give tours of his Northampton studio.

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems

2. Another local author/illustrator, Jarret Krosoczka, is holding daily drawing sessions that include pretty great drawing tips and fun drawing games too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8yhH7AHty8

3. A very silly and masterful illustrator named Wendy Mac is posting daily prompts on her Instagram feed. Check out #drawtogether on Twitter, and https://www.instagram.com/wendymac/

4. Author/illustrator Carson Ellis posts prompts for her "Quarantine Art Club" daily.

https://www.carsonellis.com/blog

posted March 23, 2020 __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Task 1: Go on a chalk walk.
A lot of people are feeling pretty down right about now. Your task is to cheer them up with drawings! Go on a walk with a family member with chalk or washable markers. Draw on a sidewalk, rock, leaf, and leave it for others to discover. Enjoy, be safe, and remember to stay a safe distance from other people.

Image result for child chalk drawing on a sidewalk

posted March 18, 2020
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