Recycled Magazine Bowls

Julia Nov 24, 2012 11 Comments

Our most recent crafty Art project was to make a bowl out of folded magazine pages secured with white glue. This project introduced students to creative ways to re-use and recycle old magazines and create something 3-dimensional, functional and beautiful!

While the original objective was to create a bowl, several students stretched their imaginations and invented creative forms and unique containers!

As an introduction to the layering and 3-D construction process, I shared the contemporary artwork of Japanese artist Haroshi. Haroshi’s skateboard sculptures are similar to the magazine bowl project because they are made from recycled materials (skateboard decks), display colorful layers, and often have a functional purpose.

” I can make what I want, I can skate where I want- that’s being free. But at the same time there are risks. That’s what I think art and skate are.” -Haroshi

Complement A Master

Julia Nov 14, 2012 0 Comments

Students “complemented” a master painter by choosing to reproduce one of her/his most famous paintings using colors that are complementary (opposite on the color wheel) to the original. Advanced Art students were required to apply skills in a new context while learning to paint with acrylic on canvas. The original painting can be seen in the bottom left corner of each image, with the student’s complementary version behind.

Students followed several steps in a lengthy process before achieving their final results. They began with research, preliminary sketches, color wheel painting, and measuring a proportionate grid. They worked closely with their sketchbooks throughout the painting process, referring to their notes, sketches, and color wheel.

Once the paintings were complete, students wrote an Artist Statement reflecting on the process, and comparing their final complementary painting with the original “master.” View a sample here!

I’m so proud of my students for their hard work and great effort! More samples of Complement A Master paintings are currently on view in the KMS office and G-101 Art Room display cases!

Collaborative Circle Paintings

Julia Nov 3, 2012 1 Comments

Beginning Art students at Kapaa Middle School worked with Acrylic Paints as they investigated color-mixing, layering, radial design , and a collaborative work environment. Once each student had established a background wash and a few circle designs, they were instructed to move about the room to music. Every time the song changed, they would move to a new location and another painting!

Students created colorful circles on one-another’s paintings while also forming a “circle of trust” and a foundation for a supportive and respectful classroom environment. In the end, each student completed the final touches and details on her/his own painting.