Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September Project: Courtyard Art Installation inspired by Andy Goldsworthy

Example of an installation by Andy Goldsworthy

Project title: Andy Goldsworthy Installation

Description: A K-5 collaborative project inspired by the natural art installations of Andy Goldsworthy.  Students learned about installation art and incorporating the environment into their work.  Nature objects were collected: pinecones, shells, stones, etc. and assembled collaboratively as a whole school event.

Vocabulary:
  • Installation - Art that is constructed on a site where it is exhibited and incorates materials or physical features of the site.
Resources:
  • Powerpoint Presentation Youtube - Andy Goldsworthy Installation,
  • Book - Wall At Storm King by Kenneth Baker
Materials: Shells, stones, pinecones, pineneedles, sticks

Photos of installation at work in the SES courtyard:







Friday, September 11, 2015

Back to School: The Dot

The SES Art room kicked off the year with a "Dot" project based on the popular book, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.

The Dot is the first in a trilogy of books dedicated to creativity. In this story, we meet a girl named Vashti who has convinced herself she can not draw. Her teacher dares her to make a mark. Vashti makes one little dot on her sheet of paper... which turns out to be the beginning of her creative journey!

Teachers around the world have used this book as inspiration for teaching children about expressing themselves through art.  As a result, September 15th has become International Dot Day, when students make their "own mark and see where it goes".  

K-1 students made their own dots and explored the use of expressive lines.  See examples below.