November 23

I missed this class, and received notes from Clare Hilger, which were very helpful,

as I was able to finish my melted plastic book cover at home (see bottom). The following is my notes on her notes, my notes are in purple:

We began with talking about our blogs:

• We are supposed to look at our blogs, really refine them, make them
• meaningful—a meaningful piece of studio work, take your blog to a “new
• place.”
• Our last blog entry will be a reflection
• You can talk about your final project as a jumping –off point

I regret that I do not have, or have not made sufficient time with my blog over the course of the past couple of weeks. I really have felt that this blog journaling can be most helpful in a classroom situation while I am teaching as a place of reflection and review and collaboration.

Mentioned artist

Visited this link, would be interested in knowing what the discussion on it was.

Mathew Barney & “Restrained Drawing”

Part of the Art of Teaching:

• The luxury of changing your mind at the last minute for a different or better idea

What is that expression about the best laid plans? I think that  teaching is subject to an ever-evolving formation of ideas that is constantly influenced by the pace and attitudes of both the teacher and students. When I student taught, my lessons had evovlved away from their original intent, and the students carved out the new avenue that he projects took.

We then had a critique on sketchbooks that was intended to be a discussion
about what you are planning on doing for your final project.  We looked at
each person’s sketchbook and talked about his/her idea.
Some of the things people are thinking of for final projects include:

• book of prints & collages
• monoprint & drawing on fabric
• Installation based on black and white drawing
• painting combined with some embroidery
• casting or 3-D relief with paper mache
• “rain machine”
• large accordion book with stencil paintings
• book that might be a pattern for model (as in a children’s toy model)of
• a certain place
•  stop-animation drawing with charcoal

 As I discussed with Aileen, I think my final project is going to jump off from a sketchbook entry that I made, that involved a collage and painting technique. It was dependent on some vintage black and white line art. I may combine this idea with our monster unit, to create some fantastical creatures and their environments.

Some artists mentioned during the critique included:

Arturo Herrera

This  artist is actually a great reference for some style and painting techniques for my final project, particularly with the layering and collage.

• Tim Hawkins....
• Tim Knowles

There is something so magical about this artists work. I have never heard of him before and so I looked up this reference, when I read the following paragraph about how this piece was created, I thought it had a very enchanting quality about it.

  "Drawings produced by pens attached to the tips of tree branches, as the branches move in the wind the tree draws on to a panel or drawing board on an easel. Like signatures the trees drawings tell of the tree's character."  

Ana Mendieta
I am wondering if these artists were brought up in discussion for some of the ideas for final projects...I loved this quote about Ana Mediata's earth-body art pieces. 
  “I have been carrying on a dialogue between the landscape and the female body (based on my own silhouette)… I am overwhelmed by the feeling of having been cast from the womb (nature). Through my earth/body sculptures I become one with the earth… I become an extension of nature and nature becomes an extension of my body…”  

Then we worked in small groups on creating one of 3 kinds of structures.
Aileen quickly talked about the different ways to make structures.
Mentioned artist Buskminster Fuller and his repetition of shape and
geodesic domes

Buskminster Fuller—"invention often occurs when individuals, frustrated by circumstances, try to transform their environment rather than to reform human nature."

I wish I could have been there for the introduction to the sculpture unit....
I very much wanted to so the stop-motion, since Ive never done it before. I like the simplicity of moving the straws, and not generating content for the students, I think the results are so immediate.

There were 3 “stations”:

• Lashing—out of long cardboard strips, tape staples and bamboo to make a
• large sphere shape
• Reverse take casting—using clear packing tape, different sizes of balls
• (basketball, soccer ball, etc.) were wrapped once with sticky side of tape
• facing up, then wrapped several times with the sticky side down.  Ball is
• then carefully removed from wrapping
• Clay stop-animation—given a hunk a clay, some black paper, digital
• camera, tripod.  Told to make a ball and have it come apart somehow and
• then back together again

We do have some homework:
To bring to our next class, the beginnings of a final book form,
specifically made out of plastic shopping bags.
Aileen did a quick demonstration, I took notes, hopefully they are clear.
Materials needed:

• 3 plastic shopping bags (the kind you get at the grocery store)
• wax paper
• iron
• newspaper
• scissors

Heat iron to coolest setting (sometimes the "silk" setting)
With scissors chop the top (handles) and bottom off of each bag so that
you are left with a rectangular-ish shape.
Fold each bag 3 times, stack the 3 folded bags
Put newspaper down first on a table, then the folded bags, then wax
paper--iron.
The layers will start to melt together.  Flip bags over and iron other
side--always have a layer of wax paper on top of the bags.  Ironing the
bags without wax paper will destroy your iron. Repeat process until the
bags have all melded together.

After ruining the first three that I did because the waxpaper melted right onto the plastic, I went into the kitchen to get my parchment paper, and that did the trick. 

Also, bring in paper for the pages of the book.
12 pieces of drawing paper (not too heavy weight), sized 7" x 12 3/4"