natural objects

recording observations

sensory looking

character and setting

perspective and landscape

With one eye closed, we measured by spreading our fingers to pinch the top and the bottom of shapes. Do you have to adjust your fingers between close up and far away? We first practiced with each other, noticing how the head of a person close to me barely fits between my fingers, while a head across the room fits easily.

line to shape in fabric

landscapes etc.

Hi Katrine,
How about shape collage? It lends itself to teaching background and foreground because shapes of diminishing size suggest perspective and the picture plane is flexible. Pictures can be arranged and rearranged until the problem is satisfied. It is also a good setting for a story.

We'd need black felt or burlap background fabric, and a variety of coloured felt and other fabrics for cutting. Good cutting scissors and some volunteers to precut a variety of natural and geometric shapes of all sizes and colours. But 1. avoid fabric prints, 2. avoid cutting shapes that are also symbols like a heart or cloud, flower etc.
Ewa

shape party

fabric picture party

garry oaks

experiences in the classroom

Drawing from collections was the first exercise in observation. Each class went through the same process. Slowing down and noticing edges and details was essential in discovering and recording the objects.

Using mark making as a means of describing our experience. Notations on paper - evidence of careful looking.

The line is bold and fluid. And permanent. Enlargements encourage detailed descriptions. Practicing noticing before taking our notebooks into the field.

fairy tales contiued

Our second illustration was planned in the sketchbook a little more deliberately. The story was still the artists' choice: a fairy tale that we invent, or a fairy tale that we've heard.

Inspiration can be found in other artists' pictures in favorite storybooks. A collection of vividly illustrated fairy tales is a joy to read and to study.

In this piece, we focused on exploring a scene in the story that included the setting, (the where), the character, (the who that drives...), the action. Each of us chose to focus on those elements to differing degrees in their collage stories.

Setting is the most common content. Where do the visual referents for castles come from? When you are 6 or 7 years old, where have you seen castles before? In the landscape? In cartoons and Disney movies? Or maybe heard read aloud. Or read through illustrations.
The sketchbook drawing becomes a plan of the particular scene in the story. Setting, character and action have been considered. Notice the translation between the line of the drawing and the physicality of fabric.

working with artifacts

In Grade 2, students study the Canadian North. We've been exploring artifacts from the Glenbow Museo Kit, "Inuit: A Living People". We discussed materials, construction and function as an introduction to the objects. Artifact handling was discussesd and each of us had an opportunity to have the object in our hands, look at it up close and imagine its purpose, feel its weight and design... Imagine the person that used it last...

Later, we drew the objects.

fairy tales