Ordinary to Extraordinary....

The Evolution of a Styrofoam Cup

About a month ago, I came across a Pinterest post (I think) of the DC Sketchers, with the related image of a group of people, gathered around a small table, 

sketching a still life of styrofoam cups.  

I thought, "Oh how fun"!

I then proceeded to think about my students perceptions of common objects and their inherent nature to "know things", just by having some sort of experience with them.  Take the simple styrofoam cup for example.  This simple vessel is used everyday, from the coffee cups at school functions to quenching the thirst of miniature soccer players, to 'pots' that will soon grow beans in our classrooms.  

They are everywhere and by being everywhere, these familiar objects become common and common leads to inattentiveness.

And then I thought, again, "Oh this WILL be fun"!

In preparation for this art unit, I reflected on the numerous art installations I found on Pinterest and Scholastic Art Magazine, created by this very simple object.  With a little 'Googling', I came across Styrogami.  Yes, it's an actual thing and it is AMAZING (Check it out Here)

But my focus was not just to make a really cool sculpture, my focus was to encourage my students to pay attention to details and 'see' how a simple curve can transform something flat into something with volume.  I wanted my students to analyze materials and evaluate their effectiveness when using them.  I wanted my students to see how even simple shapes can be transformed into something bigger and magical.  

I wanted my students to see how something ordinary can become extraordinary, and how something seemingly simple is, in reality, complex.

Throughout this school year, I have been focusing on creating art units that 'test' my students' skills but also demonstrate their growth to them, fostering an understanding for process over product.  After all, how much can we possibly do with a styrofoam cup?  
My overall focus was for students to understand the 'process' of making art, is as important, if not more important than the product.  To illustrate this idea, I referred to the artist Richard Serra.

My speculations were pretty accurate.  To begin the unit, I simply passed out some manilla paper, asked the students to fold it in half, write their name and "Perceptions of Space" on the cover and then draw a styrofoam cup.

With cups already on the table, my confident students took the challenge with full force and began to vigorously draw a styrofoam cup.  I heard, "This is easy" and "I'm done" very often, all the while taking note that the majority of these, very confident, students were not even looking at the cups.  

After stopping them, we took a little gallery walk around the room and evaluated our peers' efforts.  There were a lot of groans.....

My first question was "Does it look like a styrofoam cup?"

The majority offered their responses with a "eeehh...."

Then I asked, "Did you look at the cup?"

The majority offered a "eeeehhhh..."

Then I asked, "Why not?"

"Because it's just a styrofoam cup".

I offered, "Aaaah".

Let's try this again.

The entire instructional sequence spanned 8 weeks (probably more) but you never would have thought it, with all the interest and sheer will to master drawing a cup.  We started with simple line drawings and progressed to larger abstract paintings...to styrofoam cup sculptures...to photography...and back to a simple cup.
All the while building our observational drawings skills, visualization skills, problem solving skills and reflective skills.  
Pretty amazing stuff.




Check out the rest of the snapshots
and the entire Art Unit with "I Can" statements, rubric and discussion sequence!

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xoxo, Smock Room

Process Art....

Value in the Making...


A lot of big ideas have been spinning around in my brain these past couple of months.  As I am trying to sort them out, I find myself reflecting on what I do everyday in my classroom.  One of these daily activities is creating art units and lessons that are engaging, interesting and fun.
(we can't skip fun...after all, we are working with children)

Lesson ideas are easy to come up with, yet I pause with slight hesitation with every component of the lesson, to ask myself, "Is this ok?"  I ask myself this question because I am not the art teacher who cranks out pretty projects or mattes all student work to look good.  And although that should not concern me, there is always the little voice in my head asking, "Is this ok?"

This week, I have been busy developing new 4th, 5th, and 6th grade units.  In doing so, I have covered my composition book (where I "write" all my lesson...ideas), my computer screen and my desk with sticky  notes.  A bit like a game of Tetris, I keep moving them around to make sure they fit into idea.  
A week, or so, ago, my one of my 5th grade classes asked me "What are we doing next?".  I always seem to respond with, "I don't know, what do you want to do?"  Little do they know, I know exactly-ish, what is next.  But in this instant, one young lady asked if the class could offer ideas.  After taking  a vote, from numerous suggestions, we landed on "Perceptions of Space"... my idea.:)

In my process of connecting the sticky notes, I began researching contemporary artist Richard Serra.  His monolithic, steel sculptures are amazing.  I had the pleasure of walking through one, a few years ago.  It made me feel really small.  As I was clicking away, looking at his drawings, I thought back to my college years, as a BFA student.  One assignment that I remember is choosing various artists and re-creating one of their artworks, simply by knowing measurements and materials.  I remember being down in my parents basement, with a few oil sticks, trying to figure out Richard Serra's process for one of his drawings.
And then I read...."involved in the Process Art Movement".

Hmmmm....This sparked my curiosity because even as a Art History major, 15 years ago, this movement was not entirely mentioned in my books.  But, there it was...on Wikipedia.

Process art is an artistic movement as well as a creative sentiment where the end product of art and craft, the objet d’art, is not the principal focus. The 'process' in process art refers to the process of the formation of art: the gathering, sorting, collating, associating, patterning, and moreover the initiation of actions and proceedings. Process Art is concerned with the actual doing and how actions can be defined as an actual work of art; seeing the art as pure human expression. Process art often entails an inherent motivation, rationale, and intentionality. Therefore, art is viewed as a creative journey or process, rather than as a deliverable or end product.

And, aside from developing a process oriented lesson, I thought back to what my students do everyday and how we get to the end.  



We:
investigate
study
explore
mess up
try again
fix
step away
create
think
re-think
question
...

and we go through a process.

Sometimes we come up with something great....sometimes we do our best ;-), but it is within the process that my students grow.  It is within the process that my students build all those 'real world' skills that are necessary....
But who sees that from an art work on a wall?

Now, as I Tetris the sticky notes together and the little voice asks, "Is this ok?", I can respond...
"I think so." 

Now, all I need is a balloon animal artist.

xoxo, SMocK you.