What's Going on in the Classroom- Mixed Media Paintings

Have I mentioned that I love our painting unit? Not only are students sitting quietly and working hard, but they are producing some amazing images! After creating a watercolor composition, we moved into mixed media pieces. For this piece I limited the subject matter a little bit. Each student had to incorporate hand into their mixed media composition. That hand had to be interacting with an object or item. So it was somewhat limited, but the object or item and how the hand interacts with it is up to the student to decide. We spent some time taking our own reference pictures of hands with objects and then we practiced how to draw a hand. I made up a little worksheet to get them started, it looks something like this...

After this basic intro to figure drawing, we talked about how to draw the different hand positions that each student wanted to use. This was mostly done individually between myself and each student. The steps after this were to draw the hand and object lightly with pencil on illustration board and then do light watercolor washes of basic colors to fill in the image. Then student could the choose to use oil pastels, chalk pastels, and/or colored pencils to had shading (depth) and details to their image. Here is what we have so far... we're spending the rest of the week on it as well so these aren't quite done yet.

Practice drawings and sketching out the final image

Finally starting to do some painting!

DIY- Ukranian Eggs

Each year, my art teacher friends and I do some egg dying. This year we dove in a little early due to scheduling. We use the traditional Ukrainian egg dying method of a wax-resist or batik, which is called pysanka. So for each egg, you start with the lightest color and then block out what we would like to remain that color using wax to cover it and protect it from the next color in which the egg will be dipped. This process takes forever, however after finger cramps, strained eyes, and an aching back, they look amazing! Check it out!

All the dyes with tongs set up and ready for the eggs.

Here's Rachel prepping her egg with a vinegar wipedown!

Dipping those eggs!

Chloe using a tea light candle to melt off the wax resist she put on her egg.

My egg in the process of having waxed placed on it

The same egg with all the wax on it and all the layers of dye done. 

The wax is ready to come off!

The same egg after the ax had been melted off and wiped away!

Another egg that I completed!

All my eggs I've done over the years.

What's Going on in the Classroom: Photography Portrait Assignment

Photo One students have a common assessment between our high schools in the district. This is to take a portrait (head and shoulders and at least 3/4 of the face) that they believe represents their best work. Students had to dry mount these and write an accompanying one page defense or explanation of their photo. I have to say, after I hung everyone's up, I was very proud of my Photo One students. Check them out!

What's Going on in the Classroom: Watercolor Painting Project

I'm soooo glad we have moved back into a two-dimensional media! This quarter students will be exploring painting and some 2-D mixed media as well as printmaking and computer graphics. We've started off with watercolor painting. As we enter the second half of the year, students are really striking out with their own voice and ideas. So for this painting, instead of telling students what their subject matter should be, we are focusing on their composition or how they arrange that subject matter. But before we got into any of that, we practice and played around with different watercolor techniques. Students learned how to do a watercolor wash and some different textures with salt and straws, etc.. then they tried their hand at painting realistically with some fruit as their inspiration.

Now students are beginning their compositions. The chose any subject matter they wanted, however they had to include one distinct focal point. Students had to place that focal point on their paper according to the Rule of Thirds. Then they were required to incorporate a watercolor wash and a texture technique somewhere in their work. Here are a few that are just getting starting. More finished pieces to come!

A Peak Inside My Portfolio: Black Bear Painting

I received my first painting commission! Here's the story. I am always painting pictures of animals for my brother Peter. You can see some previous ones here, here and here. So anyway, he decided to brag on me on some zoo keeper and animal enthusiasts Facebook pages. He posted pictures and got a ton of hits and a lot of people interested in my information. So now we're business partners and I have received multiple requests for animal paintings! The first one that I completed was a black bear that was commissioned my a bear biologist in Florida. Below is a peak into my process and a look at the finished product.

Under painting and blocking in the basic shapes.

Filling in a bit more detail.

Adding more detail and texture.

Finished piece!