In an effort to expand our artist's perceptions of what art is, I have introduced a new permanent center called "Temporary Art." We discussed how sometimes artists make art that doesn't last forever, that it may disappear with time, nature or they just have to take it apart after a while. In order to practice this type of art and work with materials we may not always consider to be "artistic" in the traditional sense, this center is open! In this area, next to the rug, we have some building blocks, pattern blocks and a couple of Etch-A-Sketches. The artists have really enjoyed exploring with these new materials and have been doing an excellent job taking turns and taking care of the space. I can't wait to add more new materials to this center!
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This week and last week, I've been showing artists some techniques to use with oil pastels and chalk, two materials that are the messiest of our drawing supplies. Many artists decided to try out these materials during open studio time.
Open Studio is one of my most favorite parts of TAB and my job. Of course, I love the studio being set up in centers with color coded labels because I really love when things are organized. But what I truly enjoy more than that and more than creating art, is watching kids make art that comes from their hearts, minds and hands. I love to watch artists struggle a little but then come up with a creative solution. Listening to artists talk about their art with their peers and hearing those "woah did you see what this ____ can do?!" are truly some of my favorite moments in the studio.
Open Studio refers to the time where artists are making all of the decisions about their artwork. We have a poster on the wall that tells them which centers are open and they use that information to decide what materials they would like to use. They decide what the subject of their artwork is going to be and how they will use the materials they've chosen. There are 4 different types of artwork that artists can create during Open Studio. They are:
There have been some truly incredible artwork to come out of the Open Studio time at BES and I can't wait to see what else is made as we continue to open up new centers! Check out the pictures below. Many of the younger artists were introduced to a magical material this week and last week. I really believe that there is some magic involved with this and I think the artists feel the same way!
We talked about these colored pencils that are a part of our drawing center. They look and draw like typical colored pencils aside from the outside design. Here's the trick though - when you add water THEY TURN INTO PAINT!! It's a totally amazing and incredible experience for everyone. Basically, you draw with these pencils and when you're finished, you get a water cup and a paint brush. Simply brush your wet paintbrush over the areas you colored with the watercolor pencils, and it magically becomes paint instead of pencil! As usual, artists could choose to use these watercolor pencils or they could work on something else. Many artists chose to try these pencils out, now that they have a new way to use them. Check out the magic in the photos below! By now, most artists have been introduced to the many types of color pencils we have in our Drawing Center. We had a short demo on the 3 types of colored pencils we have and I encouraged artists to test them out and see what they can can do. The 3 types are: regular colored pencils (sorted by color for ease), metallic colored pencils (shiny ones) and art stix (woodless colored pencils). As a group we talked about how to create darker and lighter colors with all three by pushing hard or soft on the pencils as well as how different but still awesome the art stix are. Check out the pictures below to see the artists working with these different materials in action!
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