It Was A Great Year!

It was a great year at a beautiful little school!

Art Teacher Flashback

One of our students could not attend graduation because she was at SkillsUSA Nationals.  I also went to VICA Nationals in HS but not senior year, just exploring a Graphic Art Program.

So I dug out these little keepsakes from States which was held at The Concord Hotel on Kiamesha Lake in the Catskills, NY.

It was a glorious place that has since been demolished and replaced by a golf course.

The photos came out of these little key chain souvenirs.  

Amy Drew and I at States. 
I moved onto Nationals in Louisville Kentucky which is where they are still holding states 20 years (or so) later.

Paint Pouring

Paint Pouring - This year the results are so beautiful.  Not a drop was spilled out anywhere but the canvas. I even made one of my own.

 Tip* Use a cardboard tray under each canvas.  Students could tip the canvas without getting paint on them.  When done they could carry the tray to a safe place to dry without dripping.  After a couple of hours (or overnight) lift the canvas away from the cardboard.  The paint is dry enough so that it is not moving anymore but still wet enough to release the cardboard.

Decorated Graduation Caps

I was thrilled that students were allowed to decorate their Graduation Caps this year.  I understand the potential for trouble allowing it too.  Here are just a few of the caps from last nights graduation.  Congratulations to the class of 2016.  You will be missed!

5 Minute Drawing of the Day

Only one week of school remains and a student asks:  "What have you been drawing lately?" Uh Oh!  I haven't been drawing lately!

Here is a 5 Minute Drawing for Saturday & Sunday

One for the Peony flowers I have been obsessed with recently and the other for the the Mother Cardinal I have been stalking in the backyard!

The Photo Book - A Historical Walking Tour of Fort Ann Village

The Photo Book

A Historical Walking Tour of Fort Ann Village 

A book created by students of Fort Ann Central School's Drawing, Painting & Digital Photography Class with assistance House Library Staff:  Mrs. Carolyn Oderkirk, Mrs. Joan Degener and Ms. Mary Lutz

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2ActmbVm3YtXUg

Art History to Life 2016

Art History to Life 2016

Cora chose Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers

She painted a glass vase.  You can see each brush stroke.  She also painted every flower and leaf in several different shades of yellow, orange, brown, green and blue

Danika chose Monet Sunset in Venice

The photo doesn't show the subtle changes in color that she made by using 100's of torn pieces of tissue paper on a canvas board

Alex chose to make 3 parody drawings.  My favorite is the spoof on Nighthawks by Hopper 

Chrissy fused Rousseau Landscapes

Madelyn recreated a Degas Ballerina in a photograph

Painting with Coffee

Painting with coffee!  Students prepared their palettes starting with the darkest which was 2 heaping spoons of instant decaf in hot water from the sink tap (equal parts water in 5 styrofaom cups).  The lesson presentation was about Value & Sepia:  How it is used in film (Wizard of Oz), photography & art.
It smells wonderful and produces dramatic changes as it dries.  While the watercolor paper was wet it looked as if the coffee was all one value.  When it dried you could clearly see dark to light.  Some students left the art room disappointed and returned to find beautiful value paintings.  In fact this project left so fast I didn't even get photos.  Students came during lunch and before dismissal to take them home. 
Just the scale below I used as an example of setting up the palette.

Some 9th Grade Examples

Pendulum Painting with HS Drawing & Painting

Pendulum Painting with High School Drawing & Painting Class.  Madelyn came up with a genius idea for storing the paint and making clean up easier.  We set up three tripods and ended up using one.  They just switched out the paint when they wanted to change colors.

5th Grade Model Magic Water Lilies

5th Grade Model Magic Water Lilies