On Display @ MHA! TeenyTiny Art

Artist’s Trading Cards are miniature works of art that come from all artistic disciplines and are created and traded by everyone from quilters to crafters to painters to jewelry designers. The only way you can get an ATC is by giving one of your own.  From as early as the fifteenth century, artists have made miniatures of their work for sale or promotion. But modern day Artist Trading Cards are not about sales at all – they are art for art’s sake. They also include the social aspect of trading (kinda like trading Olympic pins or baseball cards). But in the case of today’s ATCs they were inspired by, of all things, hockey.

Swiss performance artist m. vanci stirnemann is credited as the originator of the Artist Trading Card movement. He got the idea after watching enthusiastic fans trade hockey cards. He was inspired by the social interaction that resulted from the act of trading, and wanted to create a similar experience with handmade art. There are few but important rules about ATCs.  They MUST be 2-1/2” by 3-1/2”, They are never sold, only traded, They usually have your name and contact information on the back.  We made some ATCs and they are currently on display in the MHA Gallery just outside the library.  Stop by and have a look!

Our Impression

Our trip to the Brooks Museum of art was fantastic!   We were taken through the Impressionist exhibit in three different groups so that our Docents could give us our tour in small groups.  The Impressionists changed the way the world saw art.  At a time when the Salon was dictating what was and was not acceptable works of art, these pioneers dared to think outside the box in a very literal sense.  Taking their paints and brushes to the outdoors they captured how sunlight and weather can affect and change the colors that we see.  Here are a few photos from our trip.  Enjoy!

Seize The Clay Comes To MHA!!!

Today the kindergarten and first graders were treated to a visit from the staff at Seize The Clay.  They had a wonderful time learning the basics of building with clay as they created bud vases out of leaf shapes.  They cut the shapes out of large slabs of clay and then engraved them using tooth picks.  They learned how to score two pieces of clay and attach them together with slip “mud” as they glued their tube to their base and then decorated the tube using the remaining three shapes.   These adorable vases will be on display at the Fall Festival.  Enjoy the pics!

Did you know that you can take a virtual tour of many world famouse museums at http://www.googleartproject.com/.  So take a virtual vacation and enjoy.

Artist in Training

I often like to refer to my preliminary art students as my artists in training.  The Kindergarten and first graders visit the art room each week to embark on a new adventure.   

Each lesson introduces the children to a different artist.  We begin by playing Art Detective as we explore a new painting and try to determine the type of work, the subject and the colors that the artist may have had on his pallet.  Then we begin the project at hand, discussing the supplies and process and how it relates to the artist of the week. 

The students work on the projects at their own pace.  Those that finish before the session in over are encouraged to visit the other centers in the art room.  Our Museum Center features books and ARTifacts related to the project of the week and art related games and toys.  The Drawing Center has markers, plain white paper and coloring sheets related to the current topic.  The Architect table hosts a rotation building toys every week for our students to design the cities of our future.  Visiting the centers allows the students to integrate what they have just learned into projects that they create for themselves with the materials provided for them.

As they go through this two year process of training, they becoming comfortable with the layout of the art room, they learn to master the use of the various supplies, and gain an understanding of the basic concepts of art.  They begin to think for themselvesand start to creatively interpret directions when given a project to produce.   They come to view the art room as an idea center, where they can become the artists of our future.

The Eye Journal

 

In the MHA art room, where everyone is an artist, the Art Journal is an important tool for each student to rely on.  It is the go to book for notes on class discussions, ideas and plans for projects and a testing ground for new ideas.

Being that each journal is a personal tool, every student begins the year decorating their journal to his or her personal taste.  They dig in to the store of countless old books and magazines seeking images that speak to them and inspire creativity.  Then they plunder through the collage collections adding, buttons. Stones, jewels, feathers or whatever catches their imagination.  When the journals are done each one is a work of art ready to collect a year of artistic adventures.