mr. cecil First, I have started to update the website with galleries for our art and photo courses. You can find these galleries linked on the front page of the Visual Arts section of this site. These will be updated with more classes and projects added throughout the year.
This week Art 1 students submitted their in progress Remember When artworks on a personal memory. We then used the week to work in class, meeting individually with students in a Google Meet breakout room to offer feedback. Photo 2 students participated in a critique of the Imagined Stories project – a series of photos that were quick responses to imaginary ideas. We then used the week to develop the ideas and gather inspirations for their AP Sustained Investigation. Students created a sketchbook exploration of their obsessions, developed a guiding question that will direct their photographic explorations, and then made a mind map that drew out their ideas and inspirations. Photo 3 students also planned their Humble Epic through an obsessions assignment, guiding question, and mind map. Photo Studio students began to make and share work towards their first "quarter" of work. They shared contact sheets and a single image towards their out of class theme of "Light in the Dark" in a critique. mr. cecil
With just 3 days of classes this week we were still able to do a lot. Art 1 planned compositions for their Remember When artwork by using small drawings called thumbnail sketches, then experimented with how objects connected to their memories could actually be used to make art, and then for Monday the 5th we will take an in-progress look at those artworks.
Photo 2 had an introduction to Photoshop and Photopea (an online alternative to Photoshop) to edit their photos about Memory. Students then considered how to sequence and arrange those photographs into a series that will be critiqued on Monday the 5th. Photo 3 students completed their Voyages project and critiqued those photographs while also editing and sequencing quick responses to Imagined Stories they photographed. Next week will be a lot of critiques and check-ins on artworks in progress. Art 1 will move onto observational drawing for the next project. Photo 2 students will get an intro to the AP Portfolio and the Sustained Investigation portion that has students identify a Guiding Question to direct their inquiry based photography. Photo 3 students will begin planning for their Humble Epic – a semester long narrative photo project. Ms. smith
This past week, Art 1 students were able to finalize plans and production of their very first official artwork for the class, a piece reflecting on the past 6 months while living through a pandemic. This piece, titled "Art in the Time of Social Distancing" yielded some impressive results and I cannot wait to see how inventive these students will be with future units!
Within the Advanced Art classes (Art 3, 4, & New Forms in Art) students also worked towards completing the very first piece. Each student's work is specifically geared towards a self-determined theme that will continue to inspire what they make throughout the semester. Through small groups, peer feedback, and regular teacher check-ins, we are slowly but surely establishing routines in our little virtual art community! ms. appel
Over the past few weeks, Art 2 GT students have been developing their independent GT projects, giving each other feedback about their ideas, and getting started! All Art 2 students have also been working in our sketchbooks and learning about appropriate use of reference imagery without copyright infringement. Art 2 students carefully used materials and their observational skills to mimic an environment by camouflaging "moths!" You can see some of their final results above in a separate slideshow! (Please check back - more moths will be added as we have the chance to find them with each other during class!)
Photo 1 has been learning about the Principles of Photographic Composition (abbreviated POC) and shooting examples of each of them. Photo 1 has also begun to learn about the history of photography and built their own camera obscuras! Photo 2 has been working with the idea of Memory, and had an introduction to Photoshop and Photopea (an online alternative to Photoshop) to edit their photos about Memory. Students then considered how to sequence and arrange those photographs into a series that will be critiqued on Tuesday the 6th. Photo Studio continues to work collaboratively online to plan and pursue their long-term self-directed projects. This past week was full of art making at all levels and to help with that we distributed over 200 bags of art and photo supplies (I have the mask tan to prove it). It was great seeing some students masked face to masked face for the first time and to reconnect with others. Did you get yours? There are still some students' supplies at River Hill. Please email [email protected] to schedule a time to pick yours up, weekdays from 8:30am - 2:30pm. mr. cecilThis week we started to see the first artworks from students across art and photo. Art 1 reflected on the past 6 months for their Art in the Time of Social Distancing project, Photo 2 completed a short weekend exercise on transforming the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, and Photo 3 shot and began to present their Voyages project (a photo essay about a place). Photo Studio students presented their proposals for collaborative work that they will complete over the first 5 weeks of the semester. What we are working on next: Art 1 is learning the process of art making from idea generation, brainstorming, compositional ideas, material exploration, to get to the final artwork – all for a project on memory. Photo 2 is also exploring memory and how photographers work in series, this is in anticipation for beginning their Sustained Investigation that is part of their AP Portfolio. Photo 3 completed the layout of their Voyages photographs and brainstormed a long list of quick imagined stories, choosing one to explore over the weekend. These quick explorations and responses are leading towards their semester long project called the Humble Epic – an epic idea, presented in a humble way. ms. smithLike Mr. Cecil's Art 1, my Art 1 spent the week experimenting with materials and refining their ideas for their final "Art in the Time of Social Distancing" pieces. Some of those ideas an be seen above! Next week we will look at what everyone made, reflect on it, and begin a new unit on memory. Advanced Art students are immersed in making their first piece of their series, spending classes on studio time and peer feedback. Next week we will have group critiques, individual reflections, and evaluating how to move forward with the next piece of their series! Some of their planning for these pieces can be seen above! ms. appelPhoto 2 completed a short weekend exercise exploring how to transform the Ordinary into the Extraordinary through their photography! Well, we have finished week 2 of the 2020-2021 school year virtually! I wanted to start this (hopefully) weekly blog as a way to connect with the families and students outside of our virtual classroom to close at least some of the gaps by not being in person. I would like to use it to show you what we are doing in our classes and highlight the work of our students. Please know the greatest part of our job is seeing and being with your students – and that is why this time is especially hard for us as it is for many. Please take some time to look over this Fine Arts website – check out our Teachers page to learn a bit about us. You can also follow the links to our Instagram to check out some of what we are up to. I am Jacob Cecil and teach alongside Caro Appel and Jen Smith – they’re amazing humans, artists, Mamas, and rockstar teachers! So, what have we been up to? We started last week getting to know student, asking all students to introduce themselves through online surveys as well as digital “Hello I Am” nametags as a way for students to tell us and show us about themselves. We had students introduce themselves, their studio space at home, and the materials they have access to. art 1 - Mr. Cecil & ms. smithMs. Smith and I continued the conversation about introducing ourselves through art by moving into how art can be put into different genres or categories and what makes “good” art. We then learned about how artists develop ideas through brainstorming and mind mapping. We created our own planning maps for our artwork due this week – that artwork is a students’ very open-ended reflection to life over the past 6 months. We can’t wait to see them! art 2 - ms. appelI also started the school year with a Virtual Escape Room in all classes - students helped me “escape” by finding and researching the clues! One of my favorite outcomes of this experience was the way that students helped each other! If you have an Art 2 student, perhaps you have noticed a new “pet” around the house? Don’t worry, it's made of paper! Students are practicing their artistic skills of close observation and mimicking to camouflage a moth somewhere in their workspace or home! Stay tuned for the results! I asked my students to share their hopes and goals for the class, including materials they love to use, concepts they want to address, and projects they want to do. We have also been exploring the importance of sketchbooks, and have been spending some class time this week working in their sketchbooks and gaining some strategies for overcoming “artists’ block.” We are also beginning some observational practice drawings from life so that I can help students with this skill We have also been discussing the GT project, and what makes the two levels (Art 2 and Art 2 GT) different from each other so that students and families can decide what is the right placement for them. Students who want to switch levels can contact their guidance counselors. Advanced Art – Ms. SmithIn Art 3, 4, and New Forms, Ms. Smith’s students did some deep digging in learning how artists work in a series. We explored a number of different genres of art and the concepts that drive them. From group brainstorming sessions to learning about artists and themes presented within their work, students began generating ideas about specific concepts they want to use as a focal point for their own body of work this semester. Students then researched artists who could serve as a source of inspiration for their body of work and developed some truly beautiful sketchbook pages about them. Moving into next week, students will begin providing peer feedback to one another to assist one another in finalizing plans for the first artwork within their series. AP students will decide which portfolio they feel is the best fit for themselves and also move into crafting their first pieces of artwork. One of my favorite observations from working with these students is how eager they are to begin making art again, and the true sense of community that is felt among them as a group of artists. Much of this sense of community was realized during our first week together as we discussed how to better understand and respect one another, both as individuals and artists. photo 1 - ms. appelWe have begun to learn about the different purposes of photography, and talked about the characteristics of photographs we want to take in our class. We have begun to learn strategies called “Principles of Photography” - and for the past few days during class, students have been challenged to go take the best photograph they can within the time (10 minutes!) and space (their home) limitations to represent that principle. I asked my students to share their hopes and goals for the class, including what they love about photography, what they want to learn, concepts they want to address, and projects they want to do. We have also been discussing the GT project, and what makes the two levels (Photo 1 and Photo 1 GT) different from each other so that students and families can decide what is the right placement for them. Students who want to switch levels can contact their guidance counselors photo 2 - mr. cecil & ms. appelWe started the first day with some Virtual Escape Rooms – we were trapped in artworks that students had to find clues in and research the solution to help us escape. We reviewed the Principles of Composition and this weekend students will be transforming something ordinary into something extraordinary through their composition and point of view. Students have been sharing and engaging with the photographs they took over the summer that they are most proud of. I asked my students to share their hopes and goals for the class, including what they love about photography, what they want to learn, concepts they want to address, and projects they want to do. In Photo 2 we have also begun discussing the AP Portfolio, and the exciting ways that choosing and exploring a “Sustained Investigation” can inspire our photography at the AP level. More information about AP will be coming very soon to help students and families decide what is the right placement for them. photo 3 - mr. cecilIn Photo 3 I dove right into our first project with students – something I call Voyages, where students capture a photo essay of a place over the weekend. We analyzed artist examples collaboratively, brainstormed our own projects, and presented those ideas for discussion in and out of class. This project is inspired by a yearly NY Times Magazine project where photographers explore places around the world – your student can share the links I posted in Canvas. This is a great start to begin our semester long narrative project that each student will develop photo studio - Mr. cecil & ms. appelIn Photo Studio, a class comprised of Photo 2 and 3 level students, Ms. Appel and I had students start planning the first collaborative projects they will complete over the semester. For 5 weeks, 3 times this semester, those students will choose an “out of class” theme, and “in class” theme, and a personal project to present. The “out of class” theme is chosen by the group and will be explored individually and presented all together. The “in class” theme is chosen by the group and all the work is planned collaboratively to create a cohesive final product, also presented to the class. The final component is a personal presentation either about a technique they will demo or an artist’s work to be presented to the class. We are really excited about the Photo Studio group – it’s the largest we’ve had and they have some great ideas and a wonderfully collaborative spirit. one more thing. . .This coming Wednesday, September 23rd from 10am-2pm all students in Art 1 through Art 4/New Forms as well as all Photo 1 and a select number of Photo 2, 3, and Studio students will be getting bags of art supplies and/or photo equipment at River Hill’s materials distribution. An announcement went out on Canvas with more details and exactly which Advanced Photo students will be getting equipment.
Thanks for listening and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns, my email is [email protected]. If there is something you could do for us it would be to remind your student that we love nothing more than seeing a face and hearing a voice on the other side of the screen – it can get a little lonely staring at a bunch of circles in Google Meet all day long. We got into this profession for the kids! Spend some time checking out our new Fine Arts website and all the content available on the Visual Arts page! Come back for regular updates about student work, class activities, and other great things we are going to accomplish this fall semester. Make sure to reach out via email or Canvas for any questions.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |