Loving Art with Math

The math-art class was yesterday and all went well. Thank goodness we have block-scheduling which gives us an hour and half and we finished in one class period. It’s always great when the timing works out. That is the hardest part of these collaborative lessons.

With examples from weeks of preparations, and the cart loaded with materials- including bags already filled with sets of magazine pages in groups according to color, patterns, or theme. This cuts down on prep time for students.

This lesson connects not only math and art, but also to our Appalachian Studies focus (quilting arts), and a Christmas Ornament-Making Contest on the theme of Appalachian culture or recycling.

First students find the image or text areas they wish to include and trace using a jar lid. I prefer these over the compass because it is easier to see the full image area and less likely to slip while making their circles. When you have to cut out 20, you don't want to redraw.

Here’s a look at my many scribblings of teaching the math in the lesson- including finding the equilateral triangle inside the circle. Dr. G. taught the formulas, I only work with the parts I understand. I do the art, he does the math.

Students find the equilateral triangle, make a template and use it to make the folds which will be flaps for gluing the parts together to make a sphere.

A string is added so these can be used as ornaments.

Success! Now students can use what they learned and create these from recycling Christmas cards and enter them into the contest. Not to mention the benefits of having a hands-on lesson in the connections between the arts and math.

Today. I am working in the studio. Collage!!!

Recycled Art

Hello friends,
I know you think I forgot all about my blog, but this lady has been very busy. A math teacher asked about thinking on an arts connection lesson. Being a multi-hat-wearing person on the job, my efforts have to have multiple purposes. I was launching a Christmas Ornament making contest, so why not link the two? The theme of the contest is Appalachian Culture and/or Recycling. These ornaments with a math connection is based on recycling.

Out of one magazine, I cut out enough circles for over 30 ornaments which take 20 circles each. That is over 600 circles- each having visual appeal and connections in groups of 20.

I used a jar ring to trace the circles so that I could frame out the visual portion I wished to have for each circle. Some having details I wanted to capture.

Other circles were grouped more in the color family or theme such as gardens, wood, flowers.

Some ornaments would include novelty, patterns, or whatever popped for me.

The process is simple. The time put into making these was layered into other areas of my normal day. All the tracing, cutting, grouping, and much of the assembling was done during the evenings and weekends during my rest time watching TV with hubby. The rest was during lunch at school (since I drink a diet shake and can sip while working with my hands). We have a 45 minute open lunch allowing students to take their meal to eat in the hall or in classrooms and sometimes in the garden. My office usually has at least six students eating and talking, so I can visit while working, and they love to see what I'm working on.

I taught two of the library assistants how to make these ornaments after they finished their morning duties. One of these boys is in the class I will be teaching this in. He will be an assistant.

The string for hanging was added before attaching the last part.

After all the ornaments were assembled I had my student art assistant help find the right beads or buttons to finish off the holiday look.

Some of these ornaments have homespun charm, while others have a sense of elegance.

Pattern and color play a large role in how well the small portions affect the overall design.

So how does all the matching, cutting, connecting, and designing connect with math?

These were built from an equilateral triangle fitting perfectly into the circle, leaving "tabs" for gluing. The basic principles of using triangles to build a geodesic dome have some interesting roots in an American story. Look up Buckminster Fuller to learn about his contributions to the fields of architecture, engineering, and design.

Although my contest theme connection is more about recycling, it also relates to the cultural art of quilt making- very necessary in the Appalachia as a functional art form.

The Artist Block is Gone

Hello to any silent followers I may have. I sure hope someone is there.

I have been through an artist block. I think it is finally passing. The last week, at school, I have been making geometric balls out of 20 circles with equilateral triangles in the center of each for the fold lines. Sorry I didn’t take photos yet, but the instructions can be found here: http://www.squidoo.com/paperballornaments

The reason for making these came from a need of a math connection lesson. However, I got started and could not stop until I had made one from text (cut out of a discarded book); and four from maps (also from the discarded book); and one from recycled Christmas cards. This helped to break the block I was in. All of this seemingly non-purposeful work has objectives.

• I will be leading a math class in making ornaments, while the math teacher leads the math part of the lesson.
• Secondly, my after school Arts & Crafts club will make ornaments from recycled materials and this is just one example, with more to come.
• We will be having a contest at school for the most creative or beautiful ornament which connects to Appalachian Culture or the art of Recycling.

I will attempt to make a mobile from my examples to hang in my office. Pictures will follow if I am successful.  

I never teach a lesson unless I have tried the process out myself. This is one of those worthy designs found in a book I ordered from www.amazon.com titled, Playing with Books: The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book  by Jason Thompson. I simply LOVE this book! There will be more lessons taken from this book!!! Go to Amazon to see what’s inside.

Now I am off for a week and will be using my creativity to do some much needed home improvements. Stand by for reports. Lots of creative ideas are now flowing. FINALLY- Yes!!!

Life Interrupted

Interrupt

(from dictionary.com)
1. to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).
2. to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something: He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
3. to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, especially by an interjected remark: May I interrupt you to comment on your last remark?
4. to cause a break or discontinuance; interfere with action or speech, especially by interjecting a remark: Please don't interrupt.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English interrupten < Latin interruptus past participle of interrumpere to break apart, equivalent to inter- inter- + rup-, variant stem of rumpere to burst + -tus past participle suffix; see rupture
 Synonyms
1, 3. intermit. Interrupt, discontinue, suspend imply breaking off something temporarily or permanently.

The mind wonders at this immobility that stagnates my flow. Where did it begin? What will it take to unblock my path again? All the unfinished journals, unfinished artworks, unfinished thoughts…. Where did “it” go? I try to stay positive. I know “it” will come back. Or do I?

There have been so many interruptions… just when I get the “flow” started. I am stopped. Crushed right up against the face of a concrete dam… the pressure against me is fierce. I want to be free. I only know that whatever I do, another interruption will come. The creative process calls out to me. “Come. Do. Move. What do you fear?” I can’t find the way back. I just said my forbidden word, “can’t”. My students would remind me of my reprimands against using it.

I am a soul divided against itself in a state of flux- as in “continuous change; instability”. There is another meaning to the word flux. It also means “to make or become fluid”; it is also “an obsolete word for purge”.

So maybe there is yet hope for finding my flow again?

Atlanta with Angelia- Exploring the Arts Together

My granddaughter, Angelia and I went to see "Into the Woods" at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta yesterday.

She tried out my new camera and took some amazing photos about town. I love this one:

She especially wanted to get a photo of this Calder work, in front of the High Museum of Art. She didn't know he was one of my all time favorite artists. I was happy she was drawn to his art!

A Sample from a Week at Work

My Office

We had a productive week at school. I partnered with a teacher to reinforce her lessons on personality types (a vocational course for job readiness) by showing a slide show of artworks by famous artists. The students were to view a number of works by each artist and determine the personality type according to the True Colors theory. Of course this was speculative but the neat thing is that most students came to the same conclusions. It helped that I chose artists which I was familiar with so I could add some insight, but most could put it together from looking at the art.

I also worked on getting my room reorganized. This is the most wonderful addition to my arts program. It is an amazing cart/cabinet that holds a ton of supplies in an organized way!!! Why haven’t I found such a cart years ago?

The Other Side

The little drawers on each side hold a LOT of essentials!

 With a cart like this, I almost don't mind teaching off a cart. But ooooohhhhhh what would life be like with a real arts center? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The best thing that happened this week is the quilt donation. This is a quilt made from lap quilts of the Red Hills Club Ladies and finished by a dear friend and community minded quilter, who finished the quilt (and many others) as a promise to a dedicated member of the Red Hills Club who passed away last winter at age 100 years. These ladies built their lives around homemaking and serving their community. On a regular basis they would get together for charitable projects to raise funds for scholarships; donate monies from their crafts and bake sales to the needy; and have quilts ready if a home burned down to warm a family in heart and body. This quilt was donated to our Learning Center in Trust to keep with the Red Hills Club history book collection they donated to us about four years ago. As part of the on-going appreciation for the work these homemakers did for the Copper Basin community over the years, one of the things I try to do is develop programs to involve students in learning from their examples. More on our next project will be shared when the details are finalized.

Of course I also did other work but these were the fun parts- at least some of them. Next week, we have a garden project volunteer day (after school); and I have to get everything ready for our after school program starting the first week in October. Lots to do.... lots more fun!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Atlanta with my oldest Granddaughter, Angelia to see the play: Into the Woods at the Woodruff Arts Center.

A Day to Chill Out

Sunday, Nadine (4 yrs.) and Jesse (9 yrs.) discovered the joy of chilling out in Grandmama's new porch hammock, which Papa hung for her on Saturday. I did have some hammock time before and after their discovery of it.

The turtle discovered the hole under a stump in our yard.

He even looked like he was smiling when he turned to pose for the camera.

Turtles aren't the only ones that like to be inside a "shell".... the girls said they were caterpillars.

Paintings

My new camera came in this week and today I finally took my first photos with it. Some will go in the right side panel, but here I will show my two latest works in acrylic and mixed media.

detail

sitting in the natural environment- feeling at home

many layers make up the final look I was after

The painting above was painted in June of 2011 while "teaching" a summer camp. You can ask the kids- I was up and down, seeing to their needs but somehow finally after a little over a week, got it finished.


detail

also sitting in the natural environment

As you can see, much of my work involves layering. This is a mixed media. I started it during a Saturday workshop for the kids at the high school but it took weeks to finish. The Pileated Woodpecker has a special meaning for me. We always called them Indian Hen's. One time when I needed and extraordinary boost of faith and encouragement, not one, not two, but three appeared in our yard at one time. This is something we have never seen before or since. I don't know if that is usual or not, but for me it was a gift.