Bridge

Metaphoric Self-Portrait

Statement

Bridges serve many purposes; one in particular, is to connect people and places. Bridges promote integration and interaction among people. Educators function in a similar way: to connect students’ daily lives to the process of teaching and learning that takes place in the classroom. When educators authentically integrate students’ experiences into the classroom, it automatically gives students a voice. Students are empowered through the acknowledgement of their knowledge gained from their lived experiences. The benefit of respecting and incorporating students’ knowledge into the classroom is that it builds community and trust. In addition, the inclusion of students’ knowledge and experiences brings life to the curriculum.

Similar to the role of a bridge, to connect people from one place to the other, connections should be made both to and from the classroom. Connections should be made between students’ lives outside of school and the classroom, and between the classroom and the outside world. In order to effectively connect the classroom to the outside world, students need to understand all types of knowledge. Essentially, while incorporating the students’ personal knowledge and experiences in the classroom, teachers should help students reach beyond their own cultural boundaries.

Brainstorm 1

Brainstorm 2

Sketch 1

Sketch 2

Space Designer

Art Teacher as a Space

When looking at a work of art, for a moment you are able to experience another type of space: a new range of colors, different shapes, or an inspiring line of thought. These spaces become experiences that can ask us to question, provoke curiosity, and tell a story. As an art educator we become a sort of space ourselves. When students walk into the classroom they are being exposed to a wide range of not just visual images, but to thoughts, feelings, and different ways of seeing. Although we often attribute these individual experiences to the artists, artworks, readings, or other students: ultimately it is the teacher providing the experience as a whole. The teacher chooses where to take his or her students, what to expose them to, how to present material, and how to link it all together. A classroom is not just a physical space, but a metal space and an experience built by the teacher. A teacher can be like stunning room where students are drawn into and inspired to explore.

Brainstorming and Sketches:

Conductor

Metaphoric Self-Portrait

Artist Statement

Art education is like a composition being played by a symphony orchestra. All the sounds of an orchestra come together at the direction of a conductor, who is like a teacher. The musicians practice and learn to play their instruments in the same way art students practice and learn techniques. With practice comes the ability to intrinsically develop a style of playing an instrument that conveys the emotion of the sound. The same intrinsic values can be found when art students can demonstrate the aesthetics of their work and the message it conveys.

This collage uses instruments to represent the orchestra. The energy of the piece is found at the center with the sense of movement given by the conductor. From that energy is an explosion of art that is expressed in the swirling of notes through Picasso’s Guernica and continuing up through the composition. The flowing of the musical staffs can be followed through some artworks that were considered both revolutionary and sometimes abrasive in their unveiling. However, art students and musicians alike can find through the process of practice and learning aesthetics, a thoughtful composition can be made.

KidSpiration Brainstorming Idea




KidPix Sketch

Alternative Ideas from KidSpiration and KidPix

Dreams

"Dreams"

A Metaphoric Self Portrait

Art is Like a Dream

Dreams offer great insight to the events and issues of our everyday lives. The dream is a direct product of our subconscious self. They allow us to step out of everyday reality and tap into the underlying issues. Through analogies and symbols, our imaginations paint a picture of a world where anything can happen. If interpreted, dreams provide us with a different perspective on what is going on around us.

Art is very similar. It is documentation of the world around us, whether it be directly recreated or hidden through subject matter and technique. Art allows us to gain a feeling of how people viewed the world through out history. We can step out of our skin, and view the world through the eyes of the artist.

Imagery is universal; the spoken word can be literally translated into many types of languages, however to convey feelings imagery allows the viewer to make their own personal connections. Symbols are based off of how things are observed in this world, and do not need a system such as language to convey their meanings. Art allows us to shake off our everyday reality and see the world from a different perspective, which will in turn help in development of our global community.

Brainstorming

Sketches

Glass Blower

Metaphoric Self Portrait

While practicing glassblowing and gathering experiences in the practice of teaching, I am able to draw many parallels between these two disciplines. In glassblowing, you begin with a molten wad of glass. It could become anything, and your imagination soars with possibilities. This is similar to the way teachers set high expectations for their students. They do their best to guide them to achieving these goals, but there may be unforeseen bumps along the way.

As the flexible, malleable medium is continuously heated and formed with tools, the control that the artist has over the results is limited. Colors could blow out at different rates or your assistant might bump your piece on the glory hole door. For a teacher, these factors may be under-funding or the difficult home lives or poor attendance of students. A glassblower and a teacher must react spontaneously, drawing on their experience and skill to solve problems in the moment. They learn from their successes and failures, always looking to improve the next time. Knowing that these challenges exist, they still attempt to reach their highest aspirations and overcome the many obstacles. The reward is a well formed glass vessel or a more informed student.

Brainstorming

Kidspiration Brainstorming

Brainstorming Notes:

molten glass=formable & malleable
tools=personal power, resources
color=interest, a personal connection & freedom of expression
transparency=truth, honesty & clarity
heat=time restraints, energy
breath=personality & the human touch
pipe=communication
furnace=the environment that makes it all possible
remaking a form=a second chance, learn from your mistakes
cooperation=community learning & sharing
shattering=obstacles & failures

Sketches

Kid Pix Sketch

Other Sketches

Network of Connetions

Metaphoric Self-Portrait

(click on the image to see an enlarged view)

Statement

All aspects of art involve making new connections and using ones that already exist. These connections can be represented as neurons. With art, the neurons are not only contained within the body and brain, but expand outward to facilitate new experiences and make real world connections. These connections have a job of communicating with other neurons and this is when networks are created. More connections and networks are made with every art experience. This web of connections and communication makes a strong and continuously expanding knowledge base.

Neurons are like students in a classroom. They are making connections in the classroom not only within their own brains but also to the outside world and with each other while learning and relating ideas. The web of networks that these experiences create becomes complex. This complexity is what helps students to connect different thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and think imaginatively. There are always opportunities and bits of knew knowledge waiting for a connection with other networks, represented by the red, organic shapes. These can be new experiences or information waiting to be learned by the students. I will, as an art educator, ensure that the classroom and experiences within the classroom encourage the use of not only previous networks but also newly created networks. I will make sure there will always be opportunities for students to gain knowledge and form new connections.

Brainstorm

1 - The five senses:

Vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch: All are important to art, making art, and learning about art. Different people experience art in different ways.

2 - Lenses: Looking at and perceiving art in different ways and through different "lenses".

3D glasses, goggles, magnifying glass (close up, in detail) , camera lens (out of focus, in focus), contacts or glasses, eye patch, etc.

3 - Journey: Map, key, door. Exploring.

4 - Neurons: Creating networks, communication in and out of the brain. Making real world connections. Electricity - Wires, plug, outlet, electric wires, etc.

Sketches

Music Jam

Metaphoric Self Portrait

(click on the image to see an enlarged view)

Statement

Much like art, music is a form of expression that has been used for thousands of years. Its messages oftentimes influence people more than parents, teachers, or any figure of authority. For some music is primarily about learning a skill, but for others it is an outlet, a way to connect and communicate with others, and a passion that is life.
When musicians join together to play much of what happens is like that of a student and teacher because each person is there not only to produce music, but to learn and listen to each other. Respect must be established between individuals as to not play over each other, but create harmony. Music is not easy. It takes practice, time, knowledge, and a willingness to learn, and is ever changing and growing.
Developing these skills gives the musician a voice and ownership of something unique and personally created. Music has a rich and varied history that can be used, like the arts to represent people, movements, time, and progress.

Brainstorming



Sketches

Welcome

Welcome to Art Blogmentary!

Digital technology and Web 2.0 have impacted many aspects of art education including creative process, curriculum planning, instruction, assessment, professional development, collaborative learning and inquiry, advocacy, and more. The visual arts education graduate and undergraduate programs at Eastern Michigan University prepare pre-service and in-service art teachers to integrate technology into their K-12 teaching. This Art Blogmentary is set up for visual arts education students and the interested individuals to explore an application of blogs, one of the Web 2.0 social web technologies, in art education.

For this Metaphoric Self-portrait Project, EMU visual arts education students are asked to create a metaphoric self-portrait to represent her/his concept of an art teacher or his/her art teaching philosophy using a visual metaphor as well as a 150~200 word statement. Before creating the metaphoric self-portrait using Photoshop, the students brainstorm and sketch their ideas using traditional drawing tools (or the combination of Kispiratoin and Kidpix software to earn extra credits). On the assignment due day, the visual arts education students/the artists post their brainstorming pairs, sketches, metaphoric self-portrait, and written statement here. If desired the artist can write additional statements to explain her/his creative process and reflect on his/her own work. They then invite people from the following groups to view their work and provide constructive comments: two from family and friends, two from K-12 art teachers, and two from K-12 students. Also, they comment on each other’s work.

Dear Artists,

To post your metaphoric self-portrait, brainstorming, sketches, and statement, first, you need to be invited to contribute to the blog, accept the invitation (if you don't have a Google account, you need to create one first), and then click on New Post at the upper-right (to create a new blog post). Type the name of your self-portrait metaphor in the Title text field. When inserting images, use Large for the self-portrait, brainstorm ideas, and sketches. Under each image, please type "Click on the image to see an enlarged view." Label your post with your first name so that the people you invite to comment on your work can find it easily. You may include additional statements to explain your creative process and reflect on your own work. All images need to be saved as JPG or GIF format and in RGB color mode. You need to resize your metaphoric self-portrait for posting. If your self-portrait is in portrait orientation, its height should be 800 pixels. If your self-portrait is in landscape orientation, its width should be 800 pixels.

Please make sure that the people you invite to comment on your work do so by the specified due day. It is your responsibility to provide technical assistance to those who you invite to comment on your work.

Dear Art Critics,

Thanks for accepting the invitation and visiting Art Blogmentary. Please provide constructive suggestions and comments to the work of the artist who invited you. Your comments should help improve the artist’s work technically, formally, and conceptually. At the beginning of your comment, please indicate which group (family and friends, art teachers, or K-12 students) you are representing. You do not need to have a Google account to comment on any work. Feel free to comment on other artists’ work as well. We greatly appreciate your participation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Guey-Meei Yang
Associate Professor of Visual Arts Education
Art Department, Eastern Michigan University

P.S.: The instructor and artists will monitor the blog posts and comments. Any post or comment contains unprofessional or disrespectful language will be taken down and the person will be banned from participation. Thanks for your cooperation.