Tis the Season

After school art lessons:
Tori, Alexis and Jace made clay snowmen in assorted fashion colors. Jace was just a little hesitant to get right up there between the girls. That'll change in a few years won't it?

Autobiographical drawings

Real experiences are great fun. Took Andrea to the airport in a horrendous blizzard one year. Spent the rest of the day holed up in a hotel. Everything in the city was shut down. My sketches made good reference material for the perspective piece. Note the polka dots on the curtains. The buildings across the street have now been cleared away for redevelopment projects.

From Another Perspective - the Common Element

I know the suspense must be killing you (kidding). The common element in the perspectives is orange balls. I love the shape, texture and flavor of oranges. Most of these pieces were done during winters. I must have been craving vitamin C. It started with orange trees, then orange balls in the neighborhood piece, morphed itself into Chihuly glass works in the Seattle piece, then showed up as polka dots on curtains, etc. On the newest piece it's the balls atop the brick wall. It keeps the viewer discovering.

Latest Project for High School kids

The area's Coalition of Churches asked if we'd be interested in helping with a Nativity scene they plan to put up this year. It's been a great project because we've taken it from the idea stage through completion. Kids have learned about design (we combined several nativity ideas) proportion, overlapping, color theory and all the stuff in between. It took about 3 weeks, and three bags of candybars. Congratulations on a job well done girls!

FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE #2

That is a good guess Brit', but there's another common element I have in mind. Here are two more perspectives. Hint: it has to do with color.

For you west coasters, perhaps you'll recognize all the fun spots in Seattle rolled into one on the top perspective.

The bottom is based on memories from the Wasatch front neighborhood I grew up in during grade school. I was trying to depict that 45 minutes or so around sunset when some kids are called home, but others are still out playing.

FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE...

From another perspective, featuring other projects demonstrating how to employ the horizon line and vanishing points. They're a little warped because of my camera angle, but you get the idea. Spot the common element yet?

The top was the first I ever did as a teacher. The Hamblin Hotel reflects the situation at home with several teenagers. And the second was after moving over to LHS and the kids were in various stages of leaving home so it's a bit autobiographical.

Day 6 - Perspective Revisited

Well, we're finished. Most kids made the deadline too! I decided to add rain on the cobblestones and then... perhaps I thought too much and went for the raindrops against the clouds. I sort of painted myself into a corner and had to finish it even if it didn't turn out too great. Another time I would leave the raindrops off. Tried to make the yellow glow in the windows. I may go back in and push the blue a bit more to make that happen. Have you guessed the repeating element?

Day 4 - Perspective Revisited

Trying to decide the color of cobble - what would it look like in the rain? Decided to be symbolic and make the little girl red headed. (Yes, that was my original color) Now on a symbolic genealogical level I am exploring my "past" much as this little girl is exploring the street she's walking down. Whew, that's a lot of abstract thought. So forget the deeper thinking.
On a lighter note, those of you who have seen my other perspective pieces know that one ingredient is common to most of them. See if you can predict where it'll be. I'll show some others after I finish this one and you can spot the ingredient.

Day 3- 2 Perspective Revisited

Slightly different views of the piece as the color is added. That's the fun part- visualizing how the light and shadow might play together on buildings and through trees etc.

The students are working right along - some with more visiting that others. The deadline is 4 days away, but to some it's in another lifetime in a universe far, far, away.

Day 2 Perspective Review

We have all the blue/purple shadows in and now start on the yellow highlights - I believe the sun is just starting to peek out as the clouds roll by.

2 Point Perspective Revisited

Reviewing 2 point perspective is always fun. I try to do the project with the kids in order to demo the process.
The assignment is to demonstrate knowledge of perspective by working with buildings, cars and people, foreground, middle ground and back ground. Students can go anywhere and any time in their imagination. Ideas can spark from a good book, movie, trip, dream, etc. I tell the kids they can use the opportunity to crawl around in their heads. That seems to be a bizarre idea to some....
Here is mine in process. I settled on a little scene of an English village based on some genealogical research I've been doing and then spiced it a bit with experiences from some trips to London.
After it's done from memory, I then like to compare the actual snapshot at the end of the project. My memory always embellishes the scene. That's the halo effect I believe.
And yes, some of the kids seem to work better with a little competition from me. Our rule is that they get another day after I pull in with mine finished. They're always praying I'll loose my pencils or break my fingers.... We'll see...

Our Tribute to Andy Goldsworthy

Jackson Arts Festival

SAMPLING OF THE STUDENT WORK

LHS PIECES

More of the kid's work.

State Art in the Events Center at Casper

Yes, it's the floor of an arena filled with about 4000 pieces of art work from all over the state!

Twelve Lyman students attended and did a great job. They brought back 7 ribbons and a Purchase Award.

The banquet was delicious and a great finish to the trip.

Thanks to all who went. You made it wonderful and fun for your advisors.

And the unofficial group portrait -"do something Chihuly-ish"