Drawing Intensive students recently completed their “Passing of Time” drawings and participated in a group critique. Students utilized layers and a medium of their choice to create drawings that show motion and/or change.
What a fun week! Firstly, Ms. Jorgensen brought Portfolio students Sam and Ashley to my studio to discuss altered books, which are works of art that are created from books already in existence. And since Ms. Gloede has a plethora of these books for kids and faculty to use, it was a perfect match!
I also took time out of my creating to see Rafael Salas, art professor at Ripon College. He was here at North to talk to Mr. J’s 6th hour students. So many great and varied artists have visited the SNHS Art Department this semester, and I count myself lucky that I’ve been able to see some of them!
The week before Thanksgiving is always a short one, so what better time to do some updates? While Ms. Jorgensen was teaching, I helped Mr. J hang a new display created by Dr. Michels’ and Mr. Johnson’s Social Studies students – these are their “cave paintings”. Even better? The students were able to put their own spin on these drawings, including in the drawings things that are important to them. They even wrote an artist’s statement on the back. What a fantastic way to incorporate art into the curriculum!
The Artist Lecture Series is an in-school program at Sheboygan North High School that invites local and regional visual artists to share their journey as artists with the beginning, intermediate, and advanced art classes. Visiting artists present and expose art students to such as but not limited to: a digital portfolio, actual artworks, talk about about careers, and the opportunity to interact with the artists. This program is organized by the Sheboygan North High Art Department.
This semester we invited the following artists to participate in our Artist Lecture Series: Sara Willadsen (Sheboygan Falls), Molly Sampson (Green Bay), Amy Jarvis (Fond du Lac), Marty Carney (Sheboygan Falls), and Patty Aker (Cleveland). This series is offered in the Fall Semester of each school year.
If you would like to be considered for this in-school program contact Frank Juarez, art department chair, at fjuarez(at)gmail.com.
Growing up in England in the Swing’ 60’s exposed Patty Aker to the glamour of that era. At the beginning of the Millennium, she returned to college to pursue her passion for art and fiber. She attended class at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and the University of Wisconsin Sheboygan.
Her current work started when asked to create a baptismal banner for her church. She endeavored to paint the banner on silk. The project took many months of trial and error. The experience was so wonderful and addictive that it has spurned a cottage business venture, Gaelic Sands.
Painting and sharing art experiences, learning new techniques and teaching silk painting workshops are a crucial part of her world.
Photos from her artist talk & demonstration. Courtesy of the NHS Art Department.
A drawing typically captures a moment in time; a still, motionless instant. For their current project, Drawing Intensive students are creating drawings that show change or transformation. By utilizing layers of tracing paper and a drawing medium(s) of their choice, the students are being challenged to create works of art that illustrate “The Passing of Time.”
Juxtaposition is defined as the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. This was the basis for the Drawing Intensive students’ current project. What started as a sketchbook assignment ended up as a project. Having discussions with students about their purpose behind their work was so engaging and the outcome turned out great.
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WOW! What a great couple of weeks in the AIR program! You may remember Mel Kolstad, resident artist, talking about visiting with Mr. Soik’s Honors Humanities class for their first unit – well, he asked her back to consult with the students about their second unit, which deals with ancient Sumerian and Egyptian culture, The Epic of Gilgamesh and the samples of Egyptian literature. What they created was incredible, as you can see!
Mel also met with Mrs. Reinemann’s Chemistry Club, which was SO much fun! The club made Solarfast prints and tie-dyed t-shirts! The students had a great time making these, and the project will be implemented in a future chemistry class. What a fun way to learn about photoreactive dyes!
What a great week! Artist in Residence Mel Kolstad was able to hang out with Amy Jarvis, who came to visit before her talk with the Art Foundations kids next week in Mr J’s class, and they were invited back to Dr. Michels’ class for a potlatch, where the students celebrated their successes with food, singing and magic!
Mel also spent some time in the IMC, where Ms. Gloede so generously invited her to take some of the discarded books from the library. She says she had a wonderful time looking through all the books, and took some for future projects! One of the pieces that she created includes some old cellophane tape that had yellowed, and she used that as the foundation for this piece. There is beauty in the mundane!
Mel also used her backpack press to create this 3-color letterpress print. In a true letterpress studio, the printer would use what’s called a lock-up to secure his or her blocks and cuts. It’s amazing what rubber bands can do in a pinch!
Another big week of happenings with the AIR program! This week Artist in Residence Mel Kolstad was able to see Dr. Michels’ students’ “Mind Maps” that were created in the African/Asian Studies classes during 1st, 2nd and 4th hours! As you can see, the students put a LOT of work into these pieces, and they turned out wonderfully! Thanks again so much to Dr. Michels for allowing Mel to visit his classes – what an enriching experiece.
Mel also got to meet Sara Willadsen, a painter from Sheboygan, who will be the 3rd quarter Artist in Residence! She gave a talk in Mr. J’s classes, and then she and Mel hung out in the studio for a while. What a great addition to the North High Art Department!
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