This blog traces my influences, studio practice, learning, and teaching of art.
The children designed their signs by using one initial from their name, one organic shape, and one geometric shape. They were instucted to choose colors based on cool and warm hues.
Anna and I are showing our best (unsold) art work from throughout our careers. I never thought our work would look so good together. There is a total contrast in stylistic approach, but a total harmony in spirit. Someday I would like to organize a proper retrospective, borrowing art work from various collections.
In preparation for the exhibition post card, I thought I should add more gray hair, and touch up the bags. I'm nearing the end of my studies at CWRU. Anna Arnold and I are having an exhibition.
For the first 2 weeks of student teaching, K-8, I observed my "cooperating teacher": Mrs. A. Heiman. She is adept at teaching with the Adobe Smart Board. I am learning so much from her. The class is quietly attentive as she teaches a color wheel collage lesson.
This silkscreen print was made a long time ago. I was in the summer program at the Lake Placid Art School in upstate New York. The image is about participating in culture. Most people feel that they can not sit in the Cultural Chair. As a teacher I feel it is important to change this attitude. Everyone should feel the joy of making a cultural contribution. Art making is an avenue available to all.
Angie put a lot of work into this kinetic scuplture, she is considering her options after her senior year: graduate school for medical illustration or art education.
Angie described her creative process as if one had eaten a mythology book. I like the way the 3D expressionistic images are flattened in the video.
She told me that her mother read Greek myths to her when she was falling asleep as a child.
This project is about expressing three related concepts in a tryptich format using die cuts to show different views.
The assigned project was to use security envelope textures to create a collage. Jonathan K. came up with a riveting combination of image and medium that resonates. For the project's essay he explains, "The image is a screenshot from a popular war video game. How to deal with the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the tie between government funding and the military are alluded to with security billing envelopes."
Martha Kriley excelled at this most difficult project: Two complimentary colors are mixed to produce a nuetral gray background. Strofoam shapes are designed, cut, and painted. The use of atmospheric perspective results in a convincing illusion of deep space.
I presented a power point titled "The Figure in Geometry, How I Became a Neoclassic Artist" at the Ohio Art Education Assoc. Convention. This etching done in 1975 reigns supreme in my understanding of dynamic shapes. Buckminster Fuller's ideas about the square being a shape connoting contraction affected me deeply.
Recieving the Ohio Art Education Association scholarship award for graduate students was a little surreal. I never looked at that man behind the curatain, but that is Mary Cassat, holding a baby, behind the podium. I'm working on a Masters degree in Art Education at CWRU. Dr. Karen Hutzel, OSU, is tying a black apron on me. The label on the apron reads: "Mr. Boyle Art Teacher". The Award means so much to me, giving the term "Life Long Learning" concrete validity. The help with tuition is also much appreciated.
An exemplar for a lesson plan on Chiaroscuro. The idea is to have the students photograph each other with dramatic-spooky lighting from a flashlight. The photo reference is traced. The shadows and highlights contrast with the medium gray background.
Painting in the summer of 2007 was an adventure, just finding the right spot to set up took half a day. Now I want to go back to that little hill, every year.
I returned to that "Meadow on the Cove" in Orleans, MA. There is a path cut through a wonderful native wildflower meadow. I painted for about 2 hours and shot lots of close up photos of the vegetation. Details will be added later in the studio. Can you imagine a world with less unnecessary cancer causing pesticides? I like weeds: weeds are flowers!
