Differing Between Art and Craft

     According to Clements and Wachawiak "art education fulfills many important functions of schooling.  Learning about--and producing--art is a critical part of what our children need to be doing as they develop their awareness of the world around them."

     I feel like what Clements and Wachawiak have stated is a good measure on what is art in education and what is a craft.  That being said, what is the difference between the to and do they go hand 

-in-hand?  

     Referring to answers.com, a craft is an application of a technique.  Crafts commonly result in a useful object.  I know all the crafts I've made were useful as a decoration.  So that would make art "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experience that can be shared with others--rather than what it is"according to Britannica Online.

     I feel as though crafts are more of a semblance of materials and art is more of a creation though use of materials.  

     To bring it back to fulfilling art education as Clements and Wachawiak define, I feel as though it is more important to have art, rather than a craft in the elementary curriculum.  Sure, the application of techniques can prove to most vital to a child.  If anything a craft teaches proper craftsmanship which will help a student to succeed in their masterpieces to come.  But teaching art and the different art genes we have today is too valuable not be a part of curriculum.  To refer to my favorite authors Clements and Wachawiak, art provides: cultural understanding, national needs, making the ordinary important and special, personal communication and expression, a different way of learning and communicating in school...just to name a few of there vital functions.  A craft just cannot provide the depth that an art piece can.  Crafts do have there time and place.  Crafts can even aid in the development of art.  But art trumps a craft when it comes down to curriculum.  

Van Gogh Painting

    Inspired by Van Gogh's "stary night" this was an excellent use of watercolor and pastel to create a resist.  Of course this isn't a replica (I know, I had you fooled) it's the night view from my window.

     Of course this isn't the literal view from my window-like I said, Van Gogh inspired.  And I still have my ear.  Influence yourself and your students to be imaginative with this assignment.  Throw in a little surrealism with this one folks. 

The Color Wheel

Food for Thought: Watercolor

     These eight wonderful squares all represent a different food and I painted how they tasted.  I feel I captured each accurately.  This was an exercise to work on watercolor techniques and to experiment.  In one square I used salt, another I used wax, another alcohol...can you tell which is which?

     This is a great way to have an excuse for food in the classroom and to involve visual texture into watercolor.

Motivation

     What motivates me as a learner?
There are many motivaters for me as a learner.  Requirements and deadlines, as elementary as they sound the have honeslty motivated me to get in there and get things done.  Maybe this isn't the most profound way to motivate someone to learn something, but I have to admit, it's effective. 
Another motivator for me as a learner would most certainly have to be if I love it.  Throughout my years in education I never really had that amazing history teacher that made the difference.  But I loved learning about history.  Day to day things would spark my interest and I would be in the encyclopedia, on the internet.  I loved learning about it and just a want to know about it was motivation for me.
Of course, I can't deny the amazing motivation that comes from teachers.  They really do make all the difference in a learning experience.  I have two favorite teachers.  Not because they were the coolest, or the youngest, but because they cared for all their students equally.  They were energetic about their subjects.  Would never give up on you.  And yet, were ridget about the way their class was run.  They were consistant and tough but also sympathetic to who their students were as individuals as well as rewarding.  They made me want to strive for more.  Do even better on the next project.  They challenged me to make a postivie difference in the world.  Their love for teaching and their students went beyong the classroom.  If that doesn't motivate you...I fear nothing would.

     What do I think will motivate my future students?
My future students, I hope, will be motivated by me.  I decided to go into education because we need great teachers.  I want to make a difference.  I want children to love to learn and understand that it's ok to not be perfectly genius in all their subjects.  I think I can help my students to feel this motivation by never giving up them.  Creating a safe and postivite learning enviorment were respect for everyone is high prised in my classroom.  I feel like this was created a motivating factor for learning.  A fostering classroom environment would have to motivate. 

Visual Culture Prints

     The assignment here was to find an image of our own personal visual culture, create drawings, then create a total of four prints.  I found the above two were the best of my four.  Can you tell my visual culture?  Old Main, at Utah State.  I see not only the actual bell tower every day, but also the multiple images of it a thousand times in a week.  As a student, this has definitely become a huge part of my visual culture.  I created these prints by converting my drawing into a print making piece.  The white or blue is what I subtracted from my styrofoam board.  I used cross-hatching to make a more pleasing background and the stipple texture in the "A" to give it that famous aggie victory glow.

Teaching Artist Statements

 
     Creating an Artist Statement can be as simple as one word or as complex as multiple paragraphs. Artist statements range as far and as wide as art itself. Something that would helpful when teaching children what an artist statements is and how to create one would be showing them multiple examples of statements from artists and their works. Don't limit them to one or two examples, use a wide variety.

     Molly Gordon, master certified coach has some excellent template type questions that could help your students get the ball rolling on how to write a successful statement.

• What is your favorite tool? Why?
• What is your favorite material? Why?
• What do you like best about what you do?
• What do you mean when you say that a piece has turned out really well?
• What patterns emerge in your work? Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?
• What do you do differently from the way you were taught? Why?
• What is your favorite color? List three qualities of the color. Consider that these qualities apply to your work.

     I would recommend actually making Molly Gordon's questions into a questionnaire for students and have them fill it as part of an assignment. Something else to keep in mind when helping your little artists come up with their statement is the main objective is "to understand what you believe to be the most important aspects of your art and the techniques you use to make it" according to Nita Leland, a working artist. Leland also some great questions that can help make up an artist statement. They are as follows:

• Why do you like to make art?
• What subjects do you prefer? Why?
• What processes and techniques do you use? Why?
• How is your work different from others?
• What do you see in your artwork?
• What do other people say they see?
• What are your goals and aspirations as an artist?
• Who or what inspires you?

     Both Leland and Gordon's questions are excellent. Mixing these into a questionnaire would surly provide the ground work for a very effective artist statement. Squidoo.com paraphrased the photographer, Paul Turournet on simply what an artist statement should accomplish. "An artist's statement explains your work and how you approach it when you're not there to speak about your work. Organising your thoughts in an artist's statement can give you the confidence to engage others effectively when you meet them and present your work in a meaningful way."

Collograph Prints

     The insect rubbing and print.  This is also something that was totally foreign to me.  Using cut up paper to fit my desired shapes and then positioning them on the page to create my insect was really all that was done here.  

     I wanted the head to be my focal point, but not necessarily the center of attention.  I was thrilled with the outcome and how the layers of the insect were portrayed though the rubbing and print.  I did two other rubbings and I liked the green, blue and yellow of the last one and how they really put out that "lazy summer in the grass" feel.  That was by far my favorite color combination.

Chinese Brush Painting with Chop

     How cool is this?  I used water color, Chinese bamboo brush, rice paper, and Chinese painting techniques with practice and this is what I came up with.  In all of my years of taking art in high school and college I've never done anything like this.  What an incredible art from I've just skimmed the surface of.  

     What I was most pleased with was the contrasts I was able to display though amount of water, paint, and brush pressures.  Compositionally, I really love to use the rule of thirds and usually end up smashing things into that left corner because my eye finds it very pleasing to look at and I'm American.  So I tried to do something a little different and I went for the right corner to set up this composition.  I like the look of it.  But the contrast is definitely what I'm most pleased with.

Through My Viewfinder: 3 Contour Line Drawings

     I really enjoyed making these drawing because I have a lot experience with photography.  So drawing though my homemade viewfinder was a natural view for me.  What I feel helped made me successful at this project was just going for it.  When drawing I always want to re draw, re shape and erase things.  I 've gave up on that with these drawings and just went with the flow.  Stop thinking and keep moving your arm to what you see in from of you.  That was my attitude.  I really like how each of these drawings turned out.  They are simple, clean, and confident.  Mission accomplished I feel.