21st Century Ideas for Art Lessons, Art Journal Entries and Risk Pods

Artist/Educator: Emily Brewer

Week 3

ADAPTIVE ART
Decoration
Distortion
Drawing Language
Emotive Objective
Expression in Abstract

Formal Innovation
Form Rendered
Gender
Harmony
Installation

LESSONS
1) Principle: Expression in the Abstract
(Written Lesson Idea)
Lesson Artists/Examples: Pollock, Richter, Rothko, Brewer (own work)
Rock N Roll Using rollers, sponges, scrapers, spoons, pouring cups, spray/squeeze bottles, etc.,
student artists will create a nonobjective painting inspired by a song of their choice. While
listening to music on their headphones, students will choose marks and colors that help them
express what they feel when listening to that song. They will then add in a QR code in the piece
that will let viewers listen to the same song while viewing the artwork.
Hearing Impairments: At this point most of these students will already have assistive technology
that can help them with this project. If not, there is a smartphone app called VibeTunes that may
work always looking for new apps.

2) Principle: Emotive Objective

Lesson Artists/Examples: Kirchner, Picasso, Brewer (own work)
Self-Emotion Triptychs Student artists will each have 3 ~8 x10 black and white printed photos of
themselves from the shoulders up with 3 different facial expressions they want to work with.
These photos could either be laminated or sealed onto a board using mod podge. Students will
then be able to use colors (color cellophane, tissue paper, permanent markers etc.) and text (torn,
cut out or written) to express what makes them happy, sad, frustrated, silly etc. Students may
also crop their photos to have a different composition.
Visual Impairments: If the student artist would like, you can trace the lines of the portrait with
Elmers glue this will dry with a raised surface so that the student artist can feel where to place
things. Using twine, ribbon, plastic wrap, sand, tape and other tactile materials could make the
experience more exciting and meaningful these materials can be used with many 2D projects.

3) Principle: Installation
Lesson Artists/Examples:
Teamwork and Collaboration through ArtThe idea behind this project is to collaborate and work
as a team to create one cohesive art piece. Have a few ideas on hand for what you students are
capable of completing successfully. Then have the class vote on a theme that interests them. You
could have a list of important, meaningful jobs for all student artists to sign up for. This way you
can see what they interested in and no one is left out.
Things to keep in mind: Wheelchair bound students may not be able to reach the floor or access
things up high; keep the art piece at a level where all your students can interact with it. Think
about incorporating sounds and/or projections.

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21st Century Ideas for Art Lessons, Art Journal Entries and Risk Pods
4) Principle: Distortion
Lesson Artists/Examples:
Water Distortions Have student artists experiment to see what different materials look like
under water. Fill plastic tubs with water and have a box loaded with different materials like color
cellophane, strip of silk, laminated images, small plastic toys/objects, etc. and have students
create a composition in the tub using their hands or dowel rods. You could also have lamps nears
by and they can play this the lighting. When they get it where they want it, either you or the
student will take a photo of it. A black and white photograph will be the end product.
Another idea would be to have the students arrange their materials into a composition, hot glue it
to the bottom of the tub and then fill the tub with water.

5) Principle: Decoration
Lesson Artists/Examples:
Tribal Tattoos Look up different tribal tattoos for each student (if you can find that many). Have
students choose which one they want to recreate and give each student a mirror (large enough to
draw on). The student artists will recreate their tribal tattoo on their reflection. Talk about where
each come from and what they mean. When everyone is finished, have each student go around
and look in all the different mirrors to see what they would look like with that tribal tattoo. Video
or photo document the process and reactions.
Visual Impairments: Student artists with visual impairments may benefit from decoration a plastic
mask (from a craft store) to glue materials like beads, feathers, fabric, sand etc. To share in the
experience, students at this station can either put the mask on their face and look in the mirror or
that can close their eyes and gently feel the decoration on the mask.

ART JOURNAL PROMPTS

6) Principle: Beauty
Art Journal/Digital/PECS Reflection (Students who have difficulty writing may use a digital art journal to type
their responses or their *PECS book/talker to communicate their ideas document responses)

Different levels of prompts/questions: Know your students.

5 Write about an aesthetic experience you had.
4 What does the word beauty mean to you?
3 What do you think is beautiful? People? Feelings? Places?
2 What are your favorite things?
1 What do you love/like?

7) Principle: Texture
Art Journal/Digital Reflection/PECS Reflection
5 What is the difference between simulated and physical texture? Give examples of each using
vocab terms associated with texture.
4 Where would you find simulated texture? Where would you find physical texture?
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21st Century Ideas for Art Lessons, Art Journal Entries and Risk Pods
3 Describe to me how this feels.
2 What do you like to touch? What do you not like to touch?
1 What feels soft? What feels hard/rough?

8) Principle: Movement
Art Journal/Digital Reflection
5 In what ways does Kandinsky use the idea of movement in his art?
4 How do you use movement when making your work?
3 What could these marks mean? (Have examples that can go in their journal)
2 Have students show you happy and mad marks.
1 Demo happy, sad, and mad marks and say happy, sad or mad with the appropriate facial
expression while making the marks. Then have them try.

RISK POD EXPLORATION

9) Principle: Harmony
Risk Pod Exploration
Color Sound Talk about what harmony means and play with the idea of harmony of colors and
harmony in sound. Use the app called Color Sound and listen to different paintings, objects,
friends faces etc. Have fun!

10) Principle: Formal Innovation

Risk Pod Exploration
Material Play Explore new ways of using formal media. Challenge your students to try using it a
new way or mixing different media together. What would happen if you spray water on a
charcoal drawing? Try it out and see what happens. Then talk about their experiences what
worked? What didnt work? What was surprising to you?

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LESSON CRITIQUES
Critique of Lesson
Survival of the Artist
The most compelling thing(s)...
I really like the idea of first learning the elements and principles as they were designed and then
having students break those boundaries to see what art can be. Love it.
One thing I might change...
VTS Day I like the idea of VTSing the work they made, but 90 mins of VTS is a lot for students
to sit through.

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21st Century Ideas for Art Lessons, Art Journal Entries and Risk Pods
Critique of Lesson
Be the Change
The most compelling thing(s)...
Social justice issues = Relevant and interdisciplinary! I think its a good idea for student to be able
to create art about issues that are important to them on a personal level.
One thing I might change...
I would recommend that students research multiple points of view on social issue they choose.
This way they can create their work with more knowledge about who they want their audience to
be and they can make better aesthetic choices.
Critique of Lesson
Creating the Subconscious
The most compelling thing(s)...
Oooh, a dream diary! Ive wanted to try that myself. I think students will love this.
One thing I might change...
What if their dreams are too personal and dont want to share? What if students cant remember
their dreams? What is a subconscious experience?
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*ADAPTIVE ART VOCAB:

PECS - Picture Exchange Communication System

- book or talker

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