Art & Language Arts Online

K-5 Teachers Discover Strategies for Helping Students to Draw

July 31st, 2012 Theresa Sotto 6 comments

During the second day of the Art & Language Arts seminar, we were drawn to drawings! We explored different drawing tools, experienced a special VIP talk by a curator in our drawings department, and tried an activity that made us feel comfortable drawing—even those who were most skeptical of their artistic abilities.

For those who participated in today’s program, please share a strategy for helping students to overcome the fear of creating a drawing that doesn’t meet their expectations. How do we help students move past the idea that their pictures need to “look right”?

: Today’s media exploration encouraged teachers to build their own drawing vocabulary using different drawing tools and then create a collaborative work of art.

: Even at 8:30 AM in the morning, teachers are all smiles. Is it because of the art activity…or the delicious breakfast burritos? (Note: There’s no trace of the breakfast burrito on the plate!)

: Teachers are armed with cups of coffee and Art Stix—a winning combination!

: A painting by John Everett Millais sparked a lively discussion about what is going on in the picture. What IS going on in the picture anyway?

: Teachers spend time analyzing the clues in a painting.

: We look closely and admiringly at Joseph Mallord William Turner’s depiction of turbulent waters.

: In partners, teachers share what they see in a painting and then describe their partners’ observations.

: After discussing what they see, teachers share what the painting makes them wonder about. Then they think about possible responses to their wonderings. It’s an adaptation of the See-Think-Wonder thinking routine.

: Teachers view animals in our collection and select one to draw.

: It’s not so intimidating to draw an elephant when you break it down into different shapes.

: Two teachers successfully took on the challenge of choosing one shape and varying its size in order to create fantastic turkeys.

: A cow made up of a combination of triangles!

: Teachers discuss possible directions for their arts-integrated language arts lesson plans.

: We’re hunched over not because it’s the end of the day, but because we are imitating the pose of the figure in Jean-Francois Millet’s Man with a Hoe.

Categories: Art-making activities, Getty programs, Reflections on Getty workshops

Tags: drawing, Getty programs, lesson ideas, painting, summer seminar

Storytelling, Still Lifes, and Celebrations: Day 1 of the Art & Language Arts Program

July 30th, 2012 Theresa Sotto 11 comments

We are so excited to work with teachers from Jaime Escalante Elementary School, 42nd Street Elementary, Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School, Carlos Santana Arts Academy, and Woodlake Ave Elementary! We spent the day roaming the galleries while they were closed to the public and creating works of art bursting with color.

To the teachers who participated today, what is a specific strategy or activity that you will take back to your classroom?

: Every day begins with art! This morning teachers played with a variety of paints and techniques to create different textures.

: Teachers explore the vibrant colors produced by Alphacolor Biggie Cakes.

: Try lightly blowing on wet paint through a straw to create interesting effects.

: Teacher Rosa Bogarin holds up her colorful work of art.

: Participants received a site tour of the Getty Center on a beautiful sunny day.

: Since the galleries are not open to the public, four teachers were able to write about Van Gogh’s Irises without having to push through the crowds.

: On a curator-led tour, teachers discover how artists use the tools of their trade to help them tell stories in their paintings.

: A teacher looks closely at the thin coats of paint applied by the artist Titian. Thankfully we can still see the thin layer centuries after the painting was made!