Lesson Archive
Lessons: Ages 13 - 19
"It is essential to provide students with lessons that can be grasped by all levels of skill and understanding. Each student has their own individual story and own being.
Each student learns and navigates the world differently.
My Narrative
Students develop their own personal concepts to portray a personal emotion or feeling to the world, while considering the connections between composition, color scheme, and narrative. **Click through photos to read student chosen themes**
Process: find inspiration through artist research, develop concepts/themes, take reference photos of one another with color gel lights, figure out light source & viewpoint direction, make thumbnail sketches, plan eye pleasing composition and focal point, choose color scheme to connect with emotional theme, make color studies, transfer final sketch to 18x24in watercolor paper, color block/value block, work from general shapes to details, refinement details, and texture, write an artist statement, photograph artwork, work together to hang collective works for final art show in eye pleasing arrangement, present lesson, artworks, and process to family & friends viewing the art show
Charcoal Self Portrait
Students use various charcoal techniques in a wide range of contrasting value to create a representation of their reference photo of themselves interacting with a chosen object.
Process: photoshoot with one person as model, one as photographer, and one holding a flashlight (rotate tasks through all students), choose reference photo looking at different interactions with the object and various directional light options, tape paper on all sides to board using painters tape, tone paper with vine charcoal, use erasers to "sketch" portrait and object, value block while looking at shadow and highlight shapes, start with vine end with compressed charcoals, work from large shapes to small details, spray fix piece, photograph artwork, work together to hang collective works for final art show in eye pleasing arrangement, present lesson, artworks, and process to family & friends viewing the art show
Inner Eye
Students plan and create an original artwork using acrylic paint featuring at least one eye using color and chosen color schemes to evoke emotion and tell a story.
Mirror Self Portrait: Charcoal
Age 13-19 artists dive into observational art.
Lesson Goal: Observe yourself in a mirror with a spotlight to capture the wide scale of contrasting values while portraying your likeness.
Process: set up mirror and directional spotlight in darker room setting, tape paper on all sides to board using painters tape, tone paper with vine charcoal, use erasers to "sketch" portrait and object, value block while looking at shadow and highlight shapes, start with vine end with compressed charcoals, work from large shapes to small details, spray fix piece, photograph artwork
Growth & Decay
Students use ink and watercolor to develop an original artwork that represents the phrase "Growth and Decay" while focusing on color, composition, mark making, and texture.
Capture the Class
Students observe the room and subjects around them and capture their environment using chalk pastels to create artwork that represents strong sense of depth while focusing on all aspects of atmospheric perspective.
Wood burning
10th, 11th, 12th Grades
Paper Mache Masks
9th Grade
Sculpture
10th, 11th, 12th grades
Cardboard and Clay