#1 “The arts teach children to make good judgements...” by Elliot Eisner

“The arts teach children to make good judgements about qualitative relationships.” “Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgement rather than rules that prevail.” Elliot Eisner

What does this mean to me?  Art teachers make “judgements” for students about rules in classroom management; and decisions about the focus defining limitations for an art project. The art teacher gives assignments with specific goals or parameters for students to work within certain materials, techniques, themes and ideas. From these starting points, students can be show what other artists chose to express based on there own decisions for what was meaningful or interesting to them. Success in the visual arts, or any endeavor, needs a total investment in pursuing something meaningful enough to want to spend time in the hope of some personal growth. 

Personal growth involves gaining knowledge about other subjects as well as learning the process of researching information. Knowledge about a variety of subjects enable one to relate various interests and provide meaningful themes and ideas for self expression in the arts. The arts express ideas about our culture, politics, religion, the environment, and etc. 

Qualifying connections between your personal interests expresses a personal creativity no one else can express. Monet spent six years creating his Giverny garden landscape for inspiration for his paintings. Images of elements from my garden landscape are expressed in my jewelry work with found objects. 

My definition of creativity involves my personal selection, arrangement, or organization of any chosen elements and materials already in existence. This is how I make something new that never before existed.  “Qualitative relationships” involve how things fit together. One senses or believes a particular juxtaposition of differing objects, materials or techniques take on new meaning compelling enough to raise new thoughts and questions about an old idea. JA

 Claude Monet's Paintings at Giverny

From “The Builders” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Adaptation by John Anderson

All are student artists of commitment,

Working on their portfolio deadline;

Some with design element,

Some with narrative spine.

Anything useful is, or great;

Each thing in its place is best;

And what seems but idle decorate

Strengthens and supports the rest.

For the structure we create,

Time is with materials filled;

Our present and past fate

Are the blocks with which we build.

Correctly shape and fit these forms;

Leave no awkward gaps between;

Think not, because few will alarm,

Such things will remain unseen.

In the elder days of art,

Builders wrought with greatest care

Each minute and unseen part;

For the Gods see everywhere.

Let us do our work without moan,

Both the unseen and the seen;

Make the thing, where Gods eyes roam,

Beautiful, finished, and clean.

Else our lives are incomplete,

Arriving at our portfolio deadline,

Collapsed sculpture, where the feet

Fall off as they support the line.

Create to-day, then, strong and sure,

With a firm and ample base;

And timeless and secure

Shall to-morrow find its place.

Thus alone we can aspire

Toward balance and movement to please the eye

And see the world as one vast sphere,

And one boundless reach of sky.  

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/hwlongfellow/bl-hwl-builders.htm

Impressive and Sweet in the Art Class

In the previous posting “1st and 3rd Quarter Requirements Checklist” I spoke about dealing with inquiries about student progress and grades from parents.

The parents of your students should be viewed as your most important asset. I enjoyed great support from parents for my program and for the education of their child. This did not occur automatically in every case. Over the years, I continued working to maintain a reputation for being consistent and fair in my approach.

The art teachers role as a professional, is to be prepared each day with well thought out, appropriate to each level, assignments for students. The art room needs to be organized for their safe use; and for immediate access to them and materials. The art studio should be designed to teach. A “safe haven” is a comfortable environment, with high quality music, where students can experience some freedom to be themselves. Teachers order and protect tools and supplies within a budget. They provide for individual and group needs; and they have to continually rephrase, remind, and sell short term and long term goals for their students. The art teacher provides for student work during lunch, open periods, before and after school. Students sign in for extra credit. 

Students need to listen when someone addresses the class; use class time wisely; and get along with each other. They also must do their own work in class, appropriate to their level. Small jewelry projects are mounted on a uniform black matt board w/label (provided), for grading and display in the hall. Some students sign up for elective classes during their lunch hour. They should be able to leave class for food, water, or bathroom, for five minutes. It is difficult to limit this, so those abusing their freedom could be denied.

Many parents are involved with their child’s education which is what you want. You want them to support your program, like you and know what your plans are for students; and your teaching strategy for moving them forward. Parent and teacher focus is all about what is good for students. Communication with as many people as possible can provide much comfort to everyone and give you more time to accomplish your goals.

Even with all the above expectations in place, a teacher cannot always please everyone. You will sometimes receive complaints involving your professional duties; grades; conflicts with students; and student responsibilities.

In dealing with these legitimate concerns, the teacher should alway remain professional and interested in resolving issues to everyone’s satisfaction. Obviously, this is not always possible. Sometimes teachers get defensive when our policies are challenged by unreasonable people. Good record keeping and a conviction that you know how to motivate student improvement instills their confidence in you.

Weekly photo documentation of student’s progress on visual arts projects is essential to explaining to parents their child’s position in the process. Parents compare that with your written expectations posted in the class room.

Protect yourself with as much written information as possible about your requirements given to students. Repeat, remind, and review often. Students are involved in many other classes and activities, which makes remembering everything is a challenge. I always informed students that jewelry class was the most important class they will ever take; not only is it an opportunity to learn much about yourself, but it would be embarrassing  to do poorly in jewelry class. Many people believe art class is just easy and fun. I have had many students tell me my class was very difficult and challenging for them; at that always pleased me.

Empowering Students to Learn: My Confession

Josh Stumpenhorst wrote the article “I resign from teaching” for his blog (stumpteacher.blogspot.com). He has been chosen for the “Illinois Teacher of the Year” award; and he has inspired me to recall my own experiences in teaching high school art for 35 years. 

In his article, Mr. S is really not resigning from teaching, but refraining from “telling [students] what to do.” Students “might do well on the test, but cannot talk about what they learned.” “It is clear to me that the less I teach, the more my students are learning.”

At the start of my teaching career, I was a “control freak.” I was in charge and new my subject well. We spent much time designing, sawing, removing scratches, and polishing a metal jewelry project. They had to approach my level of excellence; and the students worked very hard to please me. 

Upon completion and after my critique of their work, I was very excited and pleased with their successes. The students left for the summer and I wished them well. Much to my surprise, they also left their projects on the table. I realized immediately they did not own the designs. They worked for me, produced my work and learned little about making choices.

I thought about this elective class and if they gave me another chance, I would change things next year. My new goal was for them to achieve their goals. A basic foundation achieved in a reasonable time was required for their independence; a series of simple projects or “chain” of events leading to a personally chosen final project. I spoke about the necessity of these building blocks of skills needed to express their own ideas. They bought it and raced through the main course to have their desert.

In jewelry class, there are many unfamiliar and challenging technical processes to learn. The most difficult is silver soldering. Even after a demonstration, each student needs to be lead through the many steps because the torch is scary, dangerous and complicated. It was impossible for me to do this by myself for 22 to 27 students in time. Luckily, 5 to 7 students were advanced and willing to help teach.

I learned much from teaching; and so did these advanced students. Not only did strangers become friends and mentors, but beginners left class on the first day of school with a soldered and polished ring on their finger. They were fired up. They showed their ring to friends in school; and guess what happened when asked by mom or dad “How was your first day of school?” JA

My Collage Art Part II Continued

The following is a collection of brooches involving bright colors with shiny, reflective found objects, which are the initial ideas to be inserted (but did not work) in the tetrahedrons (“Architectural Structure) for the Neckpieces and Vessels produced for my MFA show in January, 1997.

“Leaf and Blossom” (Sun light filtered through dense leaves casting complex shades of green) Brooch, 1996 (6 1/4in X 3 1/2in X 1 1/4in) by John Anderson; Mokume Gane/wood grain; natural broken branch; painted plastic rod; fold formed copper leaf.

“Sun and Shade” (Reflector shards found in the street, change patterns with movement; as cars transform their shapes, and the lives that drive them into each other) Brooch, 1996 (6 3/4in X 4in X 3/4in) by John Anderson; 

Mokume Gane/wood grain; natural broken branch; carved plexiglas (dark red shade/late evening Sun). The Sun shifts to a pencil, w/Hologram cover design, and moves from dark to light as the pencil writes.

“Sun and Shade” (Sunset falls on bird on branch in water) Brooch, 1996 

(5in X 4in X 1/2in) by John Anderson; 

Mokume Gane/wood grain; natural broken branch; carved plexiglas.

“Rock and Water” (Water wraps around branch tied to the traveling Sun, high to low.) Brooch, 1996 (5in X 4in X 3/4in) by John Anderson; 

Mokume Gane/wood grain; natural broken branch; carved plexiglas.

“Sun and Shade” (Floating, clinging, surrounding, piercing, shading, reflecting, absorbing, fogging, measuring, radiating, revealing; but not shining) Brooch, 1996 (5 5/8in X 2 1/4in X 1 1/2in) by John Anderson; painted wood triangle segment; found objects and plastic; purchased fishing float. 

My Collage Art Part II

     My next collection of collages involved bright colors with shiny, reflective objects influenced by the “Sun and Shade” Brooches, Neckpieces and Vessels produced for my MFA show in January, 1997. 

     The Genesis series of shadow boxes encompass the research for my show. 

They include copies of sketchbook designs used for wallpaper, found objects and hand made elements never used in my series for the show. 

     The five elements of the garden are mixed up abstractly in this series of twelve collages and assemblages produced during the mid to late 90’s and the year 2000.

     This is the first work to combine my love of collage and assemblage with my 

love of metalsmithing and jewelry. 

     I also seem to be the most productive around the turn of each decade. 

     More photos to follow shortly. JA 

“Genesis I”    1996

“Genesis II”    1996

“Genesis III”    1996

“Sun and Shade” Brooch, 1996 

“Rock and Water” Brooch, 1996

“Sun and Shade” Brooch, 1996

“Leaf and Blossom” Brooch, 1996

“Sun and Shade” Brooch, 1996

“Offal I” 1999

“Offal II” 1999

“Abfall I” 1999

“Abfall II” 1999 

“Genesis 1” 1996 (17in X 22in X 4in) by John Anderson; hydraulic press copper Hosta Leaf; fabricated triangle pendant model in nickel silver.

“Genesis II” 1996 (17in X 22in X 4in) by John Anderson; hydraulic press steel triangle; fabricated copper/brass tetrahedron frame model; natural Hosta leaf painted white.

“Genesis III” 1996 (17in X 22in X 4in) by John Anderson; natural Chestnut leaf; California Poppy flowers; and thorned Rose branches.