I can't believe how fast this semester is flying by.. it's already going to be November and time for me to register for a new round of classes. I can't handle it.
 |
| On the ferry! |
But in other news I attended my first Michigan Art Education Association conference this past weekend on Mackinac Island and ohhh my gosh. So cool!
The first session I went to was with UP artist Ritch Branstrom. I have been admiring his work and researching it for a while so it was really exciting to be able to meet him and learn about his process!
I created a piece a few years back that I [kind of] showed off to him after his session..
 |
| Leaping Fish, 2011 |
 |
| Leaping Fish, 2011 (lit up) |
|
He was really impressed and wanted to know where I got all my materials - luckily I have very helpful and generous relatives that have always advocated my art making. AND taught me how to weld :)
 |
| The fish market - ha! |
 |
| It was so cool to see these in person! I was totally geeking out.. |
 |
| cooler of can fish |
 |
| chimney head man |
 |
| duck |
 |
| deer with table and chair legs as antlers |
 |
| cardboard chair concept |
 |
| Dog |
 |
| I love the movement implied in this piece - it's actually a lamp! Like my fish.. |
 |
| Oh, well, we all know how I feel about dinosaurs |
 |
| it's a lady |
 |
| ArtPrize dog sculpture - HUGE |
 |
| ArtPrize dog - there was a house that you could stay in attached as well. Very cool concept |
 |
| GEEKING OUT. So cool. Such a great and approachable artist :) |
 |
| So.. here's the parlor level of the Grand Hotel. It was like being in a dollhouse |
 |
| Some of my classmates making hats - too funny |
 |
| Need to make a call? Get in the tiny room and DO IT |
I was able to speak to many retired art teachers about effective lesson planning, curriculum planning, and classroom management. SO much valuable information, insight, and smiling :) There were a lot of new, or 'old-timer' ideas that I gained inspiration from and it reinforced my passion for teaching. Win-win!
 |
| It's a treeeee |
 |
eraser stamps: Washable markers, classroom erasers, paper, print!
|
 |
cut paper/magazine collage
|
 |
| tissue mummies in sarcophagi (Awesome word) |
 |
| letterforms |
 |
| type and letterforms! I want to do so much with typography in my classroom ahhhh! |
 |
| illuminated type |
 |
| illuminated type, pattern typography.. so good.. SO GOOD |
 |
anthropomorphic text - I just wrote a lesson about Wes Wilson and poster art
Can you say.. awesome timing!? |
 |
expressive text - draw what the word communicates
draw in the style of the word meaning |
 |
| Man at work - he helped his students create screen printing designs that were 'environmentally conscious' |
 |
tri-fold visual board about masks - I got all the masks when she was packing up!
yay free teacher samples! |
 |
This was a cool idea: found watercolor drawings.
Students draw shapes into pre-existing watercolor-stained or painted paper.
They have to find images in the existing color and imagery. |
 |
Close-up collage paintings. Students/teacher finds a large image for students to cut down into sections and reproduce!
Students learn about viewfinders and the grid transfer system. |
 |
| Beadwork - seems crazy ambitious for the classroom! Maybe at camp.. we do have all those seed beads! |
 |
| Exercise in perspective, proportions, and placement. Good practice! |
 |
| Some more visual boards outside one of the conference rooms |
 |
| Teacher's gotta wet her whistle ;) |
 |
| The Grand.. at night.. spooky. |
 |
| even the light fixtures are fancy! |
I went to a session for creating handmade books. While the session was valuable for brainstorming and talking about the process, I really just wanted more time to MAKE! It was kind of funny because the presenters were getting so into teaching the lesson and techniques that they kind of forgot to let us work!
 |
| Umm... so.. Learning? |
Teacher problems...
 |
| We were able to experiment with alcohol inks to create transparent paintings |
 |
| Handmade, hand-sewn book with found paper |
 |
| book binding practice! |
 |
| love this idea for camp |
 |
| tiny matchbook sketchbook |
 |
| embroidered design on a sketchbook |
 |
| notepad - hand-sewn and bound |
 |
| I made a book similar to this... |
 |
| one of the more ambitious teacher samples.. |
 |
| filled with watercolor paper and lesson exercises! |
 |
| NAEA President Dennis Inhulsen - he's so serious but he can DANCE |
 |
| I thought this was a cool TPS activity for teachers :) |
 |
| seriously.... fancy lights |
 |
| Steampunk Gala! |
 |
| I made a hairpiece to go along with my costume - pretty snazzy! |
 |
| Decked out |
 |
| Dance time! |
 |
| Never have I seen so many teachers in awesome costumes ahha |
 |
The lovely ladies of AD302 all dressed to the nines for the Steampunk Gala.
With fearless leader. |
The last day of the conference (Sunday) was pretty slow-going. The teachers were all 'recovering' from the night before and gathering their things to get on the ferries. I had one session after breakfast (at which I dined with my professor and the president of the NAEA, no big) and I was super excited for that! I learned about batik :)
 |
| Super nice, informative, and PATIENT teacher :) |
 |
| some different fabrics and batik patterns |
We learned a little bit about the traditional methods of batiking and then it was time to work! We received a handkerchief and a long piece of silk for a scarf. I made my handkerchief first.
 |
| We learned the basic process and then we were given the option to dye our fabric with any colors we wanted :) |
 |
| My design for my scarf- |
 |
| close up |
 |
| shapes are fun, guys... |
 |
| to give some scale to the project - twas big! |
 |
| one of the other teacher's designs |
After I finished my session and cleaned up it was time to board the ferry.. in the rain.. and hail. No room in the bottom deck so my classmates and I had to brave the weather! Totally worth it for some Clyde's across the bridge :)
 |
| Fried pickles.... amazing. |
The conference was an awesome experience for me. I was able to talk - I mean, REALLY talk, to working and retired teachers about the profession, expectations, and just pretty much anything else that came up! Everyone was very helpful and informative and I have so many resources to access for my teaching and lesson planning. I felt like most of my practices and lessons were effective and my passions for teaching and learning in the arts have definitely been reinforced! It was so great to finally be able to attend a PD conference that fit my major and interests - I am really glad I went. I was also approached by three different active teachers for student teaching placement and visits! Sounds like I have a busy couple of pre-teaching semesters ahead... All for the best. I met amazing teachers and learned a lot - so worth it.
 |
| And of course it's always good to have my snake fella to come home to ;) |
Time to paint for all the hours of forever....
Ms. K
