Introduction to Portraits in Art History

Last week, in Art class, I finished teaching a unit on Still Life and began a Portrait unit, starting with some of the most famous portraits in Art History. We discussed everyone from Rembrant to Picasso, Valesquez to VanGogh.  

Rembrandt, Margritte, and Vermeer paintings came to life in my Art Class

My students picked a favorite painting to personify, and dressed up as the subject. It was a lot of fun tryinig to scavenge for beads, black t-shirts, gauze, crepe paper, wigs, hats, fabric, and flowers. I brought Halloween make up and scarves from home Monday morning and between that, the box of prom table runners, and another teacher's supplies, I was able to get the students what they needed to put a quick costume together. By Tuesday, almost everyone had been photographed. 

We had no shortage of Frida Kahlos and Mona Lisas. Lichtenstein style portraits were also popular. But I was impressed by students who took initiative like the girl who brought a short dress and long skirt to dress as Sargent's Madam X.

These students pose as Lichtenstein, Warhol, and Munch paintings

The Makin Macon Art Project

Ocmulgee River runs through the park on the edge of Macon on our giant community made map

California artist, Kiel Johnson, who has made art projects all over the world including projects for Disney, Vans, and TedTalks. His latest project is called Makin' Macon. He painted a giant, almost accurate map of Macon on wood and brought it to the Wesleyan College's Leadership Lab, where the entire community was invited to help make iconic Macon buildings and houses to add. Sky lifts, dog parks, ferris wheels, and enormous cat towers were added as locals used their imagination.

Our totem poles stand in the sensory garden near a flagpole, bird bath and a couple pavilions

GAB Art students were invited by the director of the Leadership Lab to participate in this community project, and so we did! We made GAB's Admin building, Hendricks Building, Green House, Cottage Six, Sensory garden totem poles, a bus, and the gym. Some students used their imagination to make towers. One student made the twin towers on 9/11, while another made a chocolate palace. The project will be featured at the Leadership Lab on Cherry Street, Macon through October, so bring your family and add to the fun!

One of our dorms, the greenhouse, and the gym

Original building designs from boxes & blocks

It's fun to place for my students to show their work starting the very week that their show came down at GA College and State Universiity. And there's more to come because just as the Makin' Macon project comes to an end, my Art students will decorate a tree at the Museum of Art and Science. I'm so proud of these young people for being a positive part of our community! 

 

Value Still Life Drawing with Graphite Middleground

Using gray paper as a middle ground is a great idea, if you have gray paper and white colored pencils or pastels, but you can accomplish the same goal with a white sheet of paper and a pencil and eraser. I taught my students a technique using graphite as a middle ground in this drawing assignment of a highly reflective still life.

The trick is to learn to use soft pencils (4B-8B work well) and control the amount of pressure to get various values. For the middle ground, hold the pencil almost horizontally, I even hold it like I'm picking up a pencil off the floor so that I can get the side of the pencil point. Then I draw lots of lines close together going one direction, then another, on top of that, and then maybe even a 3rd and fourth, until it looks like overlapping patches of woven fabric. Rubbing a crumpled paper towel in circular motions can blend fill in any patchy spots. 

The drawing can be done on top, with any mistakes being erased, and then grayed back into the flat starter surface. Lines are hopefully turned to edges and planes as value is onto an object or surface by shading with a pencil. Highlights and lighter areas are created by using an eraser as a drawing material. I like the white plastic erasers like Mars for this task.

value drawing by a totally blind student

Because my students are visually impaired, we stuck to two or three objects per student. This allowed them to have a personal still life that they could see or feel right in front of them. My students who were completely blind actually traced their objects with Wiki Stix. They barely stuck to the graphite long enough for me to trace their "drawings" in hote glue and then they followed instructions as to where to shade and where to erase.

At the end of the day my students were able to tell me that artists create the illusion of space through use of value, vertical placement on the page, objects overlapping, by making closer objects larger, and through the use of perspective. I think this drawing assignment helped reinforce these concepts, and gave them another technique in their "value drawing" toolbelt.

 

GAB Student Mini Exhibit at Georgia College and State University

My students from last school year were able to start school year off with a resumé line thanks to Art Professor Forrest. He hung a min-show of their work in Ennis Hall at GCSU. It is always nice when you can get a little mileage out of student art. Below is the statement by Mr. Forrest describing the work.

The Georgia College & State University (GCSU) Art Department, in collaboration with Kristen Applebee, the Art Teacher at the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB), is proud to present an exhibition showcasing the creative works of by over 10 students from GAB. This exhibition features cyanotypes and soft sculptures that uniquely integrate Braille script machines to add texture and depth, allowing the artwork to be experienced through both sight and touch. The cyanotypes, created using traditional photographic processes, capture the delicate interplay of light and shadow, while the soft sculptures are enhanced by the tactile patterns produced by Braille. This collaboration reflects a commitment to accessibility and the belief that art should be a multisensory experience, opening new avenues of creativity for all artists and viewers.

-Matt Forrest

It's nice to start the new year with a resumé line for last year's art students (most of which I still teach