Abstract Time Line

Helen Frankenthaler, Mountains and Sea. 1952. Abstract Expressionism. The painters who came to be called "Abstract Expressionists" shared a similarity of outlook rather than of style-- an outlook characterized by a spirit of revolt and a belief in freedom of expression, and freedom from realism.

For the next week (or so) students will be creating a time line of their lives that will use abstract symbols to represent their 10 most important life events. The finished work will be 2 x 28 inches long and will use ink, colored pencils, glue, collage, paint and anything else we can find around here.

Objectives:
utilizing life experiences as subject matter
communicating in an abstract way Day 1: fold a sheet of paper in 1/2 and number from 1 - 10 on one side. Here you'll list (in order) the important events in your life. When your done listing these, keep it folded and put it away.

Welcome back!

Today all of my students will fill out this visual form, so that I can get to know them better and therefore, better serve them. We will also go over the syllabus, class expectations, and also the course outline. Fun, fun, fun!

Animate this!

I'm so crazy for the work of Dain Fagerholm. There are many, many animated gifs online, and I think his hand-drawn look is really exciting to look at. Today I want you to take one of your characters and practice "scribble-shading" with a ballpoint pen. Please fill either a full sheet of paper or a 1/2 sheet. Do not work on the background yet.

Thaumatropes

“Thauma” is Greek for magic, and “trope” means something that turns. So a thaumatrope is a magical turning object. Thaumatropes were Victorian-era toys whose magic lies in a visual illusion known as the persistence of vision. The most common thaumatrope features an illustration of a bird on one side and a cage on the other.

Here is another style of thaumatrope. Directions: You will need 2 notecards. Design on the side without lines. On the first card, draw your image on the left. On the second card, draw your image on the right. Tape the sides neatly, with one drawing on each side. Punch a hole through the tape in the middle and attach a rubber band on both sides. Twist up the rubber band and give it a whirl. Tips n' tricks: Words don't show up very well. Boldly inked images work best. You can add color if you'd like. Due tomorrow.

Radial Symmetry

Radial symmetry balances itself around a central point. Here is a quick slideshow about radial symmetry. You will be making 3-4 medalions with radial symmetry and assembling them according to the directions in this video

.

Photoshop Faces

Seniors have been working in Photoshop lately, with much direction from our new student teacher, Ms. Hitchcock. So far, we've worked on a paintbrush assignment, and also an assignment working with Mr. Fink. Our final assignment will be to create a playing card with personal meaning.

Wishing Flags

Inspired by the traditional Tibetan Prayer Flag, we will create a positive wishing flag, which will be carved,printed, and hung by the students.
Here are some traditional flags being flown. A common misconception is that these prayers are being sent to the gods. Instead they are positive wishes that are being shared with the community. We will also be creating positive messages to be shared in much the same way.

First, students will brainstorm ideas for images that communicate a positive wish for either themselves or the world. Students will design a central image for their own flag that represents their wish. Finally they will design a border or frame that surrounds the central image. Students can choose to use all images, but could also add text.

Students will transfer their drawings to linoleum and cut it out based on the safety instructions given in class.

Students will use the printing press to make multiple copies of their wishing flags. (The image that students carve will be reversed when it's printed)