The Dusty Art Room

During Session Two, our collaborative project was to create a "crowd" scene using stencil spray paint. Each student helped to create the layering of faces on the board. Stencils were cut from student's drawings. We talked a little bit about graffiti art and how to use stencils. Students also learned about stencils through making their two layer silkscreen projects. Click here to return to Artapalooza

As young illustrators, we looked at some claymation artists such as Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit and another lesser known artist, Ryan, who has recreated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows in claymation. You can check out his animation by clicking on the link below. Harry Potter Claymation After watching some video clips, we set out on a mission to create our own characters out of clay. Unlike claymation, we fired our clay pieces and will be painting them Thursday and Friday. We came up with some crazy characters as well as some recognizable figures. Click here to return to Artapalooza

During Artapalooza students were able to try their hand at silkscreening. Silkscreening involves pressing ink through a fine weave screen using some kind of blockout to control the patterning of the print you are making. We used clear acetate that we designed and then cut out as our blockout. Other methods involve using drawing fluid with screen filler or photo emulsion blockout. The prints came out great, and looked even better once they were mounted! Click here to return to Artapalooza

Modern Artapalooza 2009 is in session. On Monday, we were able to go outside and collaborate making our own action painting. We worked in the style of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings and dripped, flung and splattered paint all over the canvas. Before going outside we discussed the importance of Jackson Pollock on Modern Art, and how his way of working was revolutionary. After letting the painting dry overnight, we continued collaborating on Tuesday. Students were challenged to work together to create one cohesive piece and had to constantly communicate and discuss with each other in order to arrive at a stopping point they all agreed with. (We have agreed we will add more blue on Wednesday). Click here to return to Artapalooza

Art is everywhere! Look around, you will find art in lots of places, and some even unexpected. Art can take place on the street... in a gallery or museum... or anywhere in between. Want to see what some of today's important artists are up to? Click here to view Art21's trailer for Season 5. Art21 is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 with the mission to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite discussion, and inspire creative thinking by presenting artists at work and in their own words. Art21 produces the Peabody award-winning, Emmy-nominated public television series, "Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century", as well as books, multimedia resources, and public programs featuring a diverse selection of visual artists working in the United States today. Want to know more? Visit art21's website. Click here to return to Artapalooza

During Artapalooza, students will have the opportunity to create their own fused glass magnets. Pictured here are some magnets that I have created influenced by Modern Art and geometric designs. Students will be able to cut the glass to their desired shape, layer the glass pieces and load their final pieces into the kiln themselves. We will be firing the glass during class time, but it will need to cool, or anneal, slowly overnight. Annealing makes the glass stronger and more durable. If you cool glass too quickly it would become brittle and essentially useless. Click here to return to Artapalooza

Monoprints are fun prints to make and you don’t have to worry about pulling an identical edition of prints because they are an edition of only one. There are lots of ways to make monoprints, but here is a fun way to make them at home: Materials: Brushes, tempera paints, craft foam sheets, drawing paper, and a spray bottle for water. Step One: Paint your design using several colors of paint onto a sheet of craft foam. You will have to experiment with thickness of paint, but most times you want a moderate amount of paint. Keep your paper size in mind. The paints will dry rather quickly, but don’t worry. Step Two: Using the spray bottle of water, evenly wet the paper. (If you have a shallow tray you could dip the paper in the water instead) Let any drips run off the paper. Step Three: Lay the wet paper on top of the craft foam. Using your hands, a brayer or a rolling pin rub the back of the paper to help it pick up the paint. Be gentle so you don’t tear the paper. Step Four: Time f...

Welcome to my Artapalooza Blog! Here I will be posting images and projects from the different sessions. Check back often!