Reflecting on the challenges of the day… how are you doing?

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/01/bc-poet-shane-koyczan-win_n_2790292.html – Read the Article HERE!

Shane Koyczan – TED Talk “To This Day”... for the Bullied and Beautiful… “If you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there’s something inside you that makes you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit.”

Join Mr. Korb’s Remind 101 Texting Service for the following classes for:

Art Foundations: 2 Point Drawings of Microbiological images…

Can you see the microscopic in the sculpture? http://malcolmmacdougall.com/wp-content/gallery/sculpture/scupture9_0.jpg

Goals:

  1. 6.1 compare aspects of your drawing with aspects of the scientific images you began with.

6.1 compare aspects of your drawing with aspects of the scientific images you began with. What are two similarities? What are two differences?  

Drawing: Mid Crit!

Kandinsky and his circles! http://www.kimberleyjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/K3-Wassily-Kandinsky-Concentric-Circles.jpg

Goals:

  1. 2.4 compare Kandinsky’s points of view and your theory regarding composition and meaning in artwork

As this develops, how are your ideas and Kandinsky’s similar and how are they different? What might you take away from this experience? How can you share that idea with the world? WRITE this out from the beginning of the hour. Has it Changed?

AP Studio Art: Concentration Time!

Concentrate! RUN! Or Draw! http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/57/b5/9b/57b59be7908a7ed80fe78a0994573c7c.jpg

Goals:

  1. The past two days have been about REFLECTION… How are you 1.3 communicating your ideas clearly

What is the OBVIOUS connection your works have with one another? What is the NOT SO  OBVIOUS connection?

OOOps… I failed to title for today!

Shane Koyczan – TED Talk “To This Day”... for the Bullied and Beautiful… “If you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there’s something inside you that makes you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit.”

Join Mr. Korb’s Remind 101 Texting Service for the following classes for:

Art Foundations: 2 Point Drawings of Microbiological images…

Where are you gathering your ideas from? How has Malcolm MacDougal gathered his ideas? http://malcolmmacdougall.com/wp-content/gallery/sculpture/scupture6.jpg

Goals:

  1. 5.1 identify the reason(s) you are using perspective and microscopic images to making art – how else can you use these ideas beyond the classroom?

How are you using linear perspective? How are you using NON-LINEAR perspective? Share with a friend.

Drawing: KANDINSKY – What is your understanding of the BIG PICTURE?

GEOMETRY!!! How are you using it in your artwork? Are you? Make sure your theories are matching your art work and the MUSIC you have been inspired by. http://uploads8.wikipaintings.org/images/wassily-kandinsky/yellow-red-blue-1925.jpg

Goals:

  1. Apply GEOMETRIC subjects, symbols, and KANDINSKY / BAUHAUS based ideas in art and use skill to solve visual challenges

Biggest struggle / success for today? Write it out and the WHY!

AP Studio Art: Concentration Works – Keep Going – Crit on Monday!

Colored Pencil – Your Body Of Work. How are you CHALLENGING YOURSELF? What point did you find the challenge begin? When did you have an A-HA moment? https://artwithkorb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/f97a9-girlonswing.jpg

Goals

  1. 4.2 describe the purpose and meaning of your art objects within your cultures, times, and places

How does this tie in? How – SPECIFICALLY – have you seen growth and development in the CONCENTRATION of work?

Break Rules and Make Good Art!

“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good. Art.” ~ Neil Gaiman

It’s Ok…

Art Foundations 2D

“The Incredibles” in 2 Point Perspective. Thanks DISNEY animators for being so AWESOME in designing and representing the possibilities.

Goals

  1. (1.2.2 and 3) Create 2 point perspective drawings that demonstrate an understanding of how your ideas relate to technique and process

Review with neighbors the progress of the chiaroscuro and the proper use of 2 point perspective. What are the big challenges you are facing with the buildings?

Advanced Drawing

Goals

  1. 2.1 Form criticism about artworks that work to accomplish personal meanings.
  2. 5.3 Describe meanings of artworks by analyzing 5.3.1 techniques

Self – evaluation of the writing for the day – What did you find NEW in your work that you forgot you did well or struggled with?

AP Studio Art

Goals

  1. 2.6 create multiple solutions to visual challenges that show understanding in relationships between composition and meaning of artwork.
  2. NETS: use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively

What skills are you lacking in the creation of art? Is your OBSERVATION strong? Is your use of SPACE strong? Is your VALUE strong? Materials? Mediums? Where do you need work?

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” ― Winston Churchill

“Power will accomplish much, but perseverance more.”  — William Scott Downey

Perseverance is as strong a tool as the ropes holding you up…

Art Foundations: Last day to Construct your Architecture

Disney’s LA Philharmonic Concert Hall. When do WE get to go? Want to visit VIRTUALLY? Click HERE.

Goals

  1. 6.3 use the principles and techniques of art as you might if you were an architect or urban designer.
  2. 3.1 reflect on how art differs and describe how it relates to history and cultures (how does YOUR building relate to today?)

Frank Gehry On TEAMWORK: Liquid architecture. It’s like jazz – you improvise, you work together, you play off each other, you make something, they make something. And I think it’s a way of – for me, it’s a way of trying to understand the city, and what might happen in the city.

How are the buildings you are creating DIFFERENT than the ones you live in and that exist around you? What is the PURPOSE of the architecture you are designing? What is successful? What needs change?

Advanced Drawing: Out into the Hallways with your LARGE PAPER and OIL PASTELS

Is your drawing going to have the same dynamic feel this one does?

Goals

  1. 3.2 apply ideas of perspective and oil pastel techniques use skill to solve visual challenges

What relationships have you been looking at in the drawing ? Tomorrow, what are you doing to cover the space and BE AWARE of the materials you are using? How are you struggling?

AP Studio Art: Adventures and Concentration #3

What is your plan for accomplishing the work in front of you? What was the challenge you had in the past week? What struggled? What soared? What will you have to do to adjust your working schedule? How’s Art and Fear coming along? I am beginning plans on the NEXT book – and this will be even MORE collaborative… Get into the BLOGGING if you haven’t already.

HELL HOLE? Click HERE for the NPR Station

Goals

  1. 1.2 How do your ideas relate to the 1.2.1 materials 1.2.2 techniques 1.2.3 and processes you use?
  2. 2.6 create multiple solutions to visual challenges that show understanding in relationships between composition and meaning of artwork.

What is the strength of your narrative (adventure) work? What is the strength behind the concentration work and how does it fit into the larger body of work? SHARE with your neighbor of 2 or 3.

A new year at WUHS, a reflection on the summer, and a new look at GOALS

Wow, the summer has flown by! What was the highlight of YOUR summer? Mine? I am glad you asked. The highlight of my summer came just as it was ending at the Burlington Fly-In on Sunday, August 25. We had worked from 6:30 – 1:30 (or so) helping the B*Jazzled group from BHS raise money for the upcoming Show Choir year and I met the son of my favorite author Richard Bach (Illusions, Johnathon Livingston Seagull, One, Stranger to the Ground… among others) Rob Bach.  In addition to being related to the author of life changing books, he himself was a fantastic new friend to have made. We had great conversations throughout the afternoon and I hope to make some artistic plans later on down the road with him and his family.

“Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” Richard Bach.

After that wonderful meeting, Abby and I took an opportunity that doesn’t happen too often in life (although, in Burlington, WI it DOES happen once a year…) and we went up in an open seated Biplane with the Gypsy Air Tours (1930 Waco Taperwing). What an experience. The air, the wind, the sights, the smell… almost too much to remember. It was truly the end (almost) to a great day with my family. We ended with a great dinner of Gino’s Pizza, a bit of back to school shopping, and great tasting frozen yogurt as we enjoyed the final summer days of Lake Geneva, WI.

Abby and Me in the Open to the Sky Cockpit! Ready for Takeoff!
A view of Lake Geneva, WI – it was BEAUTIFUL!
The 1930 Waco Taperwing Biplane of Gypsy Air Tours

The school year begins for me today and my students next week. While I am always a bit sad that summer ends quickly, I am also happy to be back to the best job in the world – Art Teacher at Waterford Union High School. A lot of changes are coming our way this year – an old face back in  a new administration seat – welcome back Dan Foster, an old and familiar face gone on to new adventures south of the boarder (Illinois, not Mexico…) – good bye Eric Blake. Technology initiatives, character development initiatives, new gallery fundraising initiatives… so much to do in such a short amount of time… and a new approach to GOALS in my classroom. While I will still be focusing on the National Visual Arts Standards and the National Educational Technology Standards – no kid gets excited about standards and goals… not in the classroom at least. I will be focusing my efforts in the first 3 minutes of class on breaking these goals down into ones that are understood by the kids – so that they REALLY process the meaning and ideas behind them… TEAMWORK and COLLABORATION!

Until next week –

Frank

Why do the Arts Matter?

While I could go on and on about the arts and why they matter… I will let the American for the Arts Action Fund do it in their own words. This is straight from their website: http://www.artsactionfund.org/pages/why

~~~

But first: #BeTheARTbeat on twitter and social media present a quick little video by artists from around the country (me included – see if you can find me)…  TWEET AND RT – SHARE ON FACEBOOK, WHEREVER YOU SOCIALIZE… LET’S MAKE SURE THE ARTS ARE SUPPORTED WHEN THE WE NEED THEM THE MOST!

 Simply put, the arts are essential to the proper functioning of our society.  The arts continue to demonstrate their ability to provide categorical evidence of their impact on social issues that concern virtually every facet of American society.  The arts are especially important for our children.  Students with an arts rich education:
  • Have better grade point averages
  • Score better on standardized tests in reading and math
  • Have lower dropout rates

Funding for arts education programs in schools is being cut back or eliminated.  Many arts organizations have had to make drastic reductions in hours, and offer fewer productions each season.

The work of the Arts Action Fund helps reverse these trends.  The Arts Action Fund is the only national organization that mobilizes Americans in the fight for arts funding and arts education. We’re building a nationwide army of citizen activists who will help guarantee that arts-friendly public policies are adopted at the federal, state, and local levels.  Add your voice!

Donate to the Arts Action Fund
Help the Arts Action Fund advance the arts and arts education in your community and across the country.

Become a Member
Annual membership is free.  Join the movement to advance the arts and arts education in your community and across the country.

Support Pro-Arts Representatives
Review the Congressional Arts Report Card which grades all current Members of Congress on their support for the arts.

Tell a friend
Spread the word and share what you’ve found with your friends. You can even customize the message, if you’d like.

Contact Your Legislator
Two minutes!  That’s all it takes to tell Congress to support the arts and arts education.

Are you running in the Full Moon Four Miler Race in Waterford?

Saturday, August 3 the Waterford Chamber of Commerce is running the Full Moon Four Miler race in Waterford. I remember YEARS ago – 10+ years maybe, sitting at the top of the hill, back near the Waterford Water Tower, ringing a cow bell saying to my family “I’ll do that next year!” That didn’t happen for a number of years – but I remember it well. Now, a few marathons behind me, I still enjoy the run. Today was a 17 miler in training for a fall marathon, I think that I will NOT be able to make the Full Moon on Saturday, but… Brett Roberts and I managed to pull together the awards for the first place finishers. All the best of running to all of the runners – big kids and little kids alike. Thanks to the Waterford Chamber of Commerce for trusting the Waterford Union High School Art Department for making the awards again.

Run Well Runners, Run Well…

My lunch (and art) at Cafe LuLu with my family in Bay View, Milwaukee

Once again, but with a moving twist, I offer a brief glimpse of the works currently on display (and for sale) at Cafe LuLu in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI. When you happen to be in the neighborhood – please stop in and take a look. My family and I had a great lunch there and this is a short video of the works. Please, stop in and check out the works, have a GREAT MEAL, and contact me when you are interested in the works. Also… mark your calendars for September 27 when the ENTIRE BAY VIEW Neighborhood opens their artistic doors to celebrate the artwork, artists, art galleries, and art spaces that Bay View, Milwaukee has to offer. I will be at Café LuLu to talk and chat… I hope to see you, and all your friends, there!

34 works of art in 50 seconds… Thanks Southampton Art Fair and Blouin Art Info for the Inspiration

It seems like I have been on a two week sabbatical… it has been busy and I am glad to be back.

Thanks to the Inspiration of Blouin Art Info‘s Southampton Art Fair (the Third and LARGEST art fair in Southampton), and the 60 works in 60 seconds video produced to publicize the show (Link Here). I present to you 34 Works of Art in 50 seconds. The video of my works (with music presented by YouTube – Thanks) I offer a brief glimpse of the works currently on display (and for sale) at Cafe LuLu in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI. If you happen to be in the neighborhood – please stop in and take a look. If you are in Southampton, do the same for their show!

It’s Not Just Content Anymore…

In a great video by Dr. Tony Wagner (Twitter: @DrTonyWagner), he describes the Seven Skills that are essential to the graduates of today. The unfortunate thing is… most courses do not offer these skills because, so it seems, most classes are so content driven, there is no room for the other skills that need to be taught.

Thanks to Edudemic.Com’s Post “The 7 Skills Students Must Have For The Future”, the seven skills that ARE needed include:

  1. Critical thinking and problem-solving
  2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
  3. Agility and adaptability
  4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism
  5. Effective oral and written communication
  6. Accessing and analyzing information
  7. Curiosity and imagination

As I consider the Arts Curriculum that I teach, with Goals and Objectives based on the National Visual Arts Standards, the Seven Skills that are “Must Have’s” are touched on and dealt with on a regular basis. Maybe not each skill every day, but as I look at particular assignments / artworks, one may see the connections that are dealt with to emphasize the seven skills (and one may look at Marzano’s Instructional Strategies [my notes on the book: Classroom Instruction that Works] to see if and how they all tie together). I am in a fortunate position where the elements and principles of art are simply a foundation for the creation of artwork and tie together and build upon one another from the very first class to the highest level of an AP course. Line is Line is Line… Value is Value is Value… Balance is Balance is Balance… and the artists just get more adept at using them throughout the years.

Skills and tools like Critical Thinking: looking at the assignment, challenge at hand and coming up with multiple successful solutions to the same challenge; Collaboration: sharing ideas and critiques – both through writing and orally; Being Agile and Adaptable: enough to solve problems with resources at hand; Taking Initiative: to be self driven artists (some struggle with this – some are pro’s); Effective Oral and Written Communication: Critiquing, again the written and oral – both self, teacher based, and peer to peer – soon parent to child to teacher; Accessing and Analyzing Information: taking the historical and contemporary ideas and tying the artistic challenge into their own artwork. Making sure that the artwork they create speaks about their important place in history; and finally Curiosity and Imagination: Making successful and challenging art – Duh? These are ALL parts of each and every artwork (sans the Art Foundations on EACH of the projects – there are the elements and principles one has to get through… but give it time).

Above is Dr. Tony Wagner’s Video and Below is his Power Point Presentation… Definitely worth the look. Thank you Edutopia and Dr. Tony Wagner.