What's Going on in the Classroom: Hand Coloring Photographs

I'm hopeful that everyone's Thanksgiving was amazing and the break was a much-needed breather from the joys of teaching. My photography students just finished experimenting with hand coloring their photographs. We used fiber-based paper instead of RC paper and students used a rigorous washing process to make sure the chemicals completely left the fiber based paper.

After the print was developed and washed students put it in a blotting book for 24 hours and then used the hot press to remove any remaining moisture. Then they were ready to color! We practiced using water colors and colored pencils and I encouraged students to chose one area that would complement their idea or concepts with the photo that they took. Here are a couple of examples, these are black and white film prints that have been hand colored:

What's Going on in the Classroom: Jewelry Making!

So my little foundations kids are all grown up and making jewelry! They are making a metal pendent where they are required to practice their skills in sawing with a jeweler's saw, solder with an acetylene torch, use files, and polishing using tripoli and rouge! We started with paper models that students rubber cemented onto the metal of their choice. Now we've been doing lots and lots of sawing and filing. I pretty much have a continual headache from all the noise. But we should be done soon, my hope is the first group of students will be ready to solder tomorrow or Thursday! For now take a look at some of our projects as we start...

Also, students in my foundations class turn in two sketchbook assignments a quarter. This last one, had some particularly cool results. Their assignment was to illustrate their favorite (school-appropriate) song lyrics. Below are some awesome examples of the interesting work students completed.

A Peak Inside my Portfolio: Flight Series

My students are currently working on an assessment drawing of a still life and photo students are in the film developing stages. Although I was tempted to post some still life pictures, I know we all know how to lead a project like that and it's not a terribly new idea. So for times like this, I decided to have posts either about project I'm working on or artwork I'm creating. Hence the last post about my home decor and now this post about my current work!

I'm taking some graduate level courses and right now and I'm in the thick of a studio painting class. We are working very large scale which is awesome and sometimes intimidating. For these paintings, I wanted my inspiration to come from flight. If I haven't shared this yet, my husband is a pilot and we are currently building a plane in our garage. So flying and flight have a huge impact on my life right now.

When I began thinking about flight however, I wanted to stay away from the idea of clouds and wind and blue etc... I didn't want the theme to be immediately obvious or cliche. Then I started thinking about the plane, the only way that humans can fly. The only way that we can experience flight is through a metal box and metal wings, hard and unyielding, which is totally at odds with the open and and wind currents and clouds.

To that end, I chose to do a series of paintings of plane parts that my husband has been working on. Primarily in monochromatic color schemes. To keep the idea of flight apparent, since these pieces don't appear to be plane-like yet, I made the background very airy and cloud-ish.

I haven't actually finished any of them, but they're all awesome works in progress and I'm excited about this series.

Just finishing the background area of the first painting.

Here's my sketch of the basic shapes.

Blocking in darks and lights.

Refining...

And more... it's almost done, this is how far I am :)

Number 2, same process.

Pretty much finished I think...

Third piece, this is the only one that is for sure finished.

DIY- New Home Makeover!

So we moved into a house! Woohoo! And the unpacking/decorating has gone slowly. However, I think a couple of rooms are ready for before and after pictures. Not to say they're completely done, but they are looking more or less how I'd like them. First of all, I apologize for the before pictures, my husband took them with a phone when we were signing the final papers, so they might be a touch blurry.

Here's the front of our cute little red-doored house!

This is the main floor living room with me!

And after....

Now for the main bedroom before...

And after...

This dresser has it's own before picture as well!

Last room to share, pardon the picture-heavy post! The downstairs family room before...

And after...

Thank you for taking a look see! Hopefully the bathroom, kitchen and office will be ready for viewing soon!