Communal Collage Making and Class Legacy

Working with kids never ceases to amaze me.  I am continually impressed by their creativity, their insights and their talent.
A while back I spent an artist residency at Claysburg Kimmel High School, working with a group of seniors on a mural that will be their legacy to the school after they graduate.
We had a ton of fun and despite the serious senior-itis they were all experiencing (it was their final project before graduation), we got a lot done.

We started our process by talking about their class and what message they wanted to leave behind as they moved on.
They talked about how they were all individuals, coming from different backgrounds before starting school together.  Being a small rural community, most of these kids have known each other for most of their lives, but school has been their rock keeping them together.  They are now ready to move on and off into different directions.

From this conversation we talked about the metaphor of the tree, and how the roots were their individual identities, the trunk was their time together in school and the branches were their future paths as they take what they have learrned and move on.
They loved this idea and we ran with it in the creation of our work.

They really wanted to incorporate all the members of their senior class in the symbolism, so they decided to include things like their class flower and articles from the newspaper. They also decided to include the names of the entire senior class in the grass around the roots of the tree.  They invited every member of the senior class to add to the tree top, and we created circles for them to fill in with oil pastels and watercolor paint. 

We explored the concept of mixed media and they did everything from designing the work to creating painted papers to finding newspaper images to drawing to painting to collaging.  They worked collaboratively and regularly engaged in critical conversations to make sure that the work was progressing the way they wanted it to.  they were able to self-evaluate and to change course when things went awry. 
I was so impressed with their dedication to the project and their ability to work together to make something amazing.
I loved working with this group and am so excited by their final piece.

Paint Like a Preschooler

For the past few years I have been doing a decent side business making communal and collaborative pieces of art with large groups.  Every group makes something totally unique and the end result is a mash up of what they create and what we talk about as a group, combined into a mixed media mural.  It is a totally collaborative process.  I have only worked a few times with preschoolers, because it completely turns my process on its head, and I've generally believed that the deep thinking and conversation that older participants engage in is necessary to make a meaningful final piece.
However, when I recently did a project with a local preschool I was reminded that preschoolers really do make the best artists.

It was Picasso who said:
"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child".

And wow, is that true. Preschoolers are not worried about making "good" art.  They are too busy actually making art.  And, frankly, they were pretty good at the conversation and deep thinking part as well.  I didn't have to work very hard at all to complete fun and whimsical final pieces out of their work.

For our project we talked about what we might want to put into a Peace Garden (talking about what peace looks like, feels like, tastes like and smells like), and then the kiddies drew and painted one thing they would like to add to our garden. They wanted to add lots of things including: butterflies, dragon flies, ice cream (lots of ice cream!), pizza, a harp, musical notes, mountains, oceans, ladybugs, birds, bees, flowers, trees, balloons, a kite, boats, rainbows, some bugs, a bat, a horse, a dog, and a lion.

 I made one final collage/painting per class, by combining their work and their ideas.  I added outlines and sometimes clarified shapes, and I used their scribblier work to add detail to the sky, the grass, the water, flowers, trees, etc.

Take a look at the final pieces. I think I should work with preschoolers more often---they can make anything look good!

Using Art to Build Community in St. Pete's

I spent last Sunday with the amzing community at Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I found the visit exhilarating, and not just because of the amazing weather--though that didn't hurt.  Together with the 85 students and their teachers in the religious school, we began work on a community mural based on the notion that we are all made in God's image.  We studied texts from the Torah, Talmud and Pirkei Avot. Each of these helped us to expand our notion of what it means to be made in God's image, and what that means in terms of our human obligations to our world and each other.  The kids and their teachers were really willing to think deeply and then created self portraits representing their notions of being made in God's Image.  I took their artwork home with me and I am now working on putting all of their ideas and work together into one large piece of art for their social hall.

 One thing I really appreciate about this congregation is the way in which they use art as a community building tool.  With the help of a generous donor they have an annual artist in residence program.This year they brought me in, but in other years they have used clay, created mosaics, and used fabric and fiber arts.  In each case the visiting artist helps the community work together to create something beautiful to line the walls of the congregation.  They use the communally generated work made during these programs to create a warm and vibrant building with art lining every wall from the entry way, to the social hall to the sanctuary, bringing their building to life in a way that makes everyone feel invested and included.  It is a wonderful example of how the arts can be used to engage communities and make meaning.

Warm and Cool "Pop Hearts" for Valentine's Day

I just love making art with kids.  This past week we held an art day at my children's elementary school.  I spent the day making art with the whole school and we had a lot of fun.
For the younger grades (kindergarten through third grade) project we made "Pop Art Hearts" by using warm colors (reds, oranges, pinks) and cool colors (blues, greens, purples).


I taught the kids about warm and cool colors and then had them create two pop masterpieces using oil pastels on white construction paper.  For their first piece, they created a heart and used at least three warm colors inside it.  Then they used at least three cool colors on the outside.  If they had time, they made a  second piece, using the same techniques, but by flipping the colors  (cool on the inside and warm on the outside).

When they were done, some of them used a dark color (dark blue, purple or black works well), to outline their heart, making it "pop" even more.  

As you can see, they each made something totally unique.  Each heart looks great on its own but they look even better together.  The school now has a bunch of colorful pop hearts lining the walls, getting everyone in the spirt for Valentine's Day.

Creating in Community

Our Baker Elementary School Art Mural is Complete!
I had so much fun working on this community art mural at my son's elementary school.  It was the first time I took on such a large project (5 feet tall and 12 feet long!), and at times it was overwhelming, but I have to say the results made it all worthwhile.

I am most proud of this project because of the many ways we were able to make this a work by and for the students.

There were many steps in the process.

First, I got my partners on board.  The school principal was with me from the beginning.  She helped me get a grant from the Altoona Area School District and allowed me to partner with the art teacher, even giving her a regularly scheduled spot in her day for working with me and the Art Club.

Once we made our plan, we set a theme: Making Our Community a Better Place.

I was able to meet twice with each grade in the school--first to learn and brainstorm together, and second to create our images.
Each student painted a picture using watercolor resist, and created something specific based on a piece of our theme---some kids focused on taking care of our physical environment, some focused on using their talents and abilities to improve community, and others focused on STEAM: using Science Technology Engineering Arts or Mathematics to improve our community.


As a result, you will find in our mural beautiful nature, homes and communities, recycling bins, animals, solar panels, windmills, waterwheels, athletes, artists, playgrounds, ambulances, firetrucks, and of course many children working and playing together to make their community better.

You'll also find Altoona specific images: Baker Elementary School, the Curve, Mansion Park, Altoona Fire, Altoona Ambulance, sports teams, and the Altoona Public Library are all featured.









Once every image was created, we met with the Art Club, a dedicated group of 5th and 6th graders to plan our larger mural.

The Art Club helped find find images to use.
They cut out all of the pieces from the very large pile of paintings created by the more than 370 Baker students.  They divided the images into categories (people, animals, nature, buildings, technology) and colors.

The Art Club then helped plan out our mural by sketching out design options.  Once we had a design in mind, the art club painted our panels into a simple landscape.

We took the cut images and laid them out over the panels attempting to tell a story.
we moved them around until we had a working image, and then used mod podge to decoupage each piece down.

When we finished, we put down an epoxy resin seal coating so the mural will be beautiful and protected for many years to come!  

I think the most amazing part of this mural is the way that everyone was able to come together, that every student in the school has a something of theirs in this mural, and the way the whole can be so much greater than the sum of its parts.  It is truly a communal work of art!

The Evolution of a Painting

The Evolution of a Painting

As a creative person and a problem solver, I am often surprised by the notion that a problem may have only one right answer or way of doing things (this is probably why I was such a hopeless math student). I know that when I work, problems arise, and problem solving is an essential part of my creative process. This is true in my school, it is true in my home, and it is certainly true with my art creation.

 I like to document my creative process when I can (when I remember), because it is a tangible reminder when presented with a final piece, that this was not the only possible final piece or outcome. This piece (any piece) represents the outcome of a series of choices, each dependant upon the one before.

I don't always remember to take pictures of my art as it develops, but I did take a few for my most recent piece that I'd like to share with you.

My Process: 

 I start with a blank canvas.  In this case, the canvas is 3 feet by four feet.  I usually begin with sketches on paper, but they always change when I bring them to the canvas.  In this case, based on the conversation with my client, I knew I was creating a tablescape, and that the theme would be Shabbat.  I started with my layout, knowing that I would be layering Shabbat images in and around the big central vase. on the rounded table.

I added the shapes and images as they related to the table and vase, and adjusted sizes as needed.  At this point I set up my paint palette, deciding on warm, vibrant colors and bright blues.  I block out the color and fill my canvas fairly quickly.  This is only the first stage and I don't worry so much about muddy or flat colors.  I am mostly looking to make decisions about object placement, color and shape.  I'm looking to see what my main colors will be, and  I change some colors based on their proximity to each other and the overall design.  

Later, I adjust the colors, and add highlights.  When I am almost finished, I outline the whole piece--usually with a mix of dioxane purple and ultramarine blue, and continue to adjust colors as I go. By doing my outline at this stage, I can clearly see where I need to continue to deepen or adjust my colors.  sometimes I find my shapes are not working, and I change them.   Here I changed the background and deepened the shadows, and added color highlights.  

Communicating with my client...

By now, I know there is still more to do, but I am happy enough to send a picture of the painting to my client to hear what she has to say.  Incidentally, at this stage, I am very nervous to hear her response.  This is a large painting and the color palette might be a bit too much for her.  I don't know her personally, and am relying on phone calls and digital communications to ensure that she gets what she wants.  

She writes back that she is thrilled--loves the bright colors and joyful shapes.  Whew! what I relief.  She suggests a change to the top of the wine bottle, which I will happily make, while I brighten up certain spots and add  a few more small details.  

And Finally...

I added a few more details than I anticipated.  This piece has certainly taken on a life of its own.  It has a lot of vibrant color and shape that I am very excited about.  Here are some close ups:  

 And here (below) is the final! I shipped it out last week and was holding my breath to hear what my client thinks. It is very nerve wracking to send out a commissioned piece, because they are such a leap of faith, both for the client and for me.  (imagine spending a lot of money on something that doesn't even exist yet, based only on  faith and prior works---It is an honor for me whenever someone does it, and I get nervous each time wondering if I am up to the task).

 She called me as soon as it arrived to tell me that she loves it!  She got a little teary telling me what it meant to her, and I got VERY teary hearing her emotional response.  I am so grateful to be able to share this painting with her.

Shabbat Dinner Table with Flowers...For Yvonne