I'm back - with a little rant about dial-up, and new postings...

I'm on Vancouver Island. A lot of interesting things have happened at school this spring but I have not had access to high speed internet at home, so I've not been posting ongoing experiences. Blogging on dial-up seems impossible. However, thanks to friends, internet cafes, the school server and free floating wireless signals, we can continue...

I came out in February to do a workshop with the staff. We all began to work in our sketchbook, using it as a place to explore and record sensory experiences. Drawing from collections, from obsevation, with a watersoluable black pilot fineliner in a hardbound 5 x 7 sketchbook. I came back in April ito begin working with the students and parents as well. Recording, experimenting, remembering and documenting our experiences. Visual field notes. Our project involved the whole school in creative research, production and reflection as part of grade specific, collaborative inquiry projects based on authentic experiences in the natural environments. Sketchbook journals became tools for observation, documentation and reflection, both in the classroom/studio and in the field.

what teachers say

"It was great to see that all students knew they were artists. I liked that it encouraged students to really look at art and allowed freedom of choice. All children rose to the challenge and felt good about themselves. The residency was very beneficial and well received by students and staff. It was timed greatly to coincide with class curriculum and schedule. Ewa was fun, relaxed and comfortable with all grade levels."

"I loved Ewa’s commitment to the children and their art!"

"Doing visual journals helped K students become more comfortable with drawing as a way of communicating. Using fabric as other medium with Ewa guiding us was wonderful. Lots of “hands on” moving of the fabric pieces to make a story collage really helped even the speech and language IPP students express themselves. Ewa motivated us to do a follow-up project of a Leo Lionni torn paper collage – the kindergarten quality of work was so high and extraordinary that it inspired us to make torn paper art trading cards as our final project with Ewa."

"The kids had lots of fun and really loved the project – it was not an idea I would have thought of doing otherwise."

"Program strengths were that it was easily managed and fit directly into our plans for the curriculum. The activities planned did not feel like an “add on” at any point in the process. Ewa provided great direction and a plan that could easily be managed and organized. It did not take a great deal of added work to collect materials for the project, have the materials sorted, the burlap cut or to have the finished product created."

"My future art projects with children will now include fabric art as it was a fun, doable and creative activity. It was a new way of looking at fairy tales. Working with creating setting out of fabric was more concrete than looking at pictures or even drawing them. Looking at characters through fabric creations also gave a clear understanding of what the children had learned and how much they had gleaned from discussions."

"Personally, I loved this residency. It was one of the best ones I have ever participated in and the comments from parents about the art and the learning that took place during our celebration of learning night made it even more worthwhile. Ewa was easy to work with, flexible and made learning a new form of art fun. I looked forward to her time in the classroom and learned a great deal myself about how to teach art, do unique projects with the children, and experienced a new appreciation for art education. Ewa fit in so well and the connections to the curriculum made this residency meaningful and positive for me and the students."

what students say

March 11, 2008

Dear Ewa,

I would like to thank you for educating me on how to do gesture drawings and learn about the shape of our bodies. I did not like art very much before and thought it was very hard but your talent and kindness inspired me to do more art and see how easy it was…The sculpture process was really cool. My favorite part about it was painting the sculpture. At that part we got to think outside the box about what role we wanted our sculpture to play. I really liked it when you showed your process and tricks to drawing because most artists just show their work. You taught me a lot and inspired me, so I hope to see you again,

Sincerely,
Liam


…My favorite part was you modeling. That really caught my eye.
- Emily

…doing contour drawings. it was fun and funny how they turned out.
- Lexi

…At first I thought art was really boring and not that exciting, but now I know that art is funner than I thought. What motivates you to go to other schools and share all your work with people?
- Spencer

…Thank you for teaching me that when you’re working on art it doesn’t have to be perfect. I enjoyed the time we worked together…Modeling, I always thought, was just about walking down a hallway and looking good. But I learned that modeling can be used in art in so many ways. And blind contour, who knew that drawing without looking could be so fun…
- Emily Z

…We had a wonderful time. People around the school such as the students and teachers are commenting on the beautiful sculptures you helped with. You are a great artist and you should never give it up. Thank you for walking through my classroom door!
- Kylie

…I loved to do the wire sculptures with you. My favorite subject in school has always been art but I don’t think I have ever had so much fun. You inspired me to do more art and take more time to be better at my art. I think the other kids will love to have you in their classroom.
- Christal

the figure in plaster

the print

I did the inking 4-5 people at a time. We shared the process of ink transfer - from the slab to the brayer; to the block; to the paper. Our first prints - our proofs - helped us deterine if we needed to alter the block.
Many of the blocks needed fine tuning - trimming edges or regluing - before coming back for another print. We used water soluble block ink and a retarder that slowed the drying time.

Each participant has two or three prints each. Because these blocks are small and can be used as stamps, it would be interesting to put them all together in one large class print.

printmaking: the block

Printmaking was undertaken in conjunction with the study of the Canadian Arctic and the Inuit. We examined Inuit artifacts from a museo-kit and researched arctic animals and stories. In the sketchbooks we recorded our explorations and began to work out a design for our relief print. Over the two week period, each class also participated in a school program at the Glenbow Museum.

I asked for several drawings of arctic animals. I also encouraged other subjects that reflected their learning about the north. One drawing was chosen and reworked as a design using simple shapes within a traced rectangle. It was then redrawn directly on foam rubber and cut out.


First the general shape was cut out. Then other parts were cut away to produce positive and negative shapes in the design. The pieces were puzzled back together, glued onto a cardboard cereal box and tightly trimmed.

school projects

Alena does a lot of work with clay in her classroom. These vessels were made in response to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They are bowls for oatmeal.

Children glaze bowls with the help of an aide, student teacher or parent volunteer. Groups of 5 are taken out of the classroom to finish the project. Importance of glazing technique stressed in a class discussion of eating cereal out of the bowls.

I noticed these in the grade 2 hallway. Group of Seven images translated in acrylic. Careful looking and analysis visible in the paintings. The text reveals sensory writing - walking into the work of art and commenting on what one experiences through the senses, one by one.