Washington DC Trip May 2013

It's that time of year again, hoping and wishing we get enough students enrolled in the Ellis Tech/Grasso Tech Annual Washington DC Field Trip. Right now, I am sad to say, we are shy about a dozen students. Yes, I realize money is tight for everyone and field trips aren't a priority when you are worried about paying for heating oil, gas to get to work and food for the family.

Field Trips aren't just for fun, well ok, they are a lot of fun! They are also suppose to be educational and make a lasting impression on everyone involved. Traveling to our nation's capital and viewing things we see so often in the news makes everything come together.


Did you know there was a law that prohibits any building to rise above the Statue of Freedom?

Here is some quick info on her.. from wikipedia....
The Statue of Freedom—also known as Armed Freedom or simply Freedom—is a bronze statue designed by Thomas Crawford (1814-1857) that, since 1863, has crowned the dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Originally named Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace, official U.S. government publications now state that the statue "is officially known as the Statue of Freedom".

Let me share a few photographic highlights...

At the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden..

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.... I love planes!..

At the Newseum...

They have some of the most amazing artifacts from our history....I've been a few times and I still haven't seen everything!

They have a piece of the Berlin Wall!

Their display artifacts from September 11th is very moving....
learn more at...
http://www.newseum.org/


The deadline for sign-ups for this trip has been extended for the last time.. until January 11th. I hope between the two schools we can get the forty students needed to make this trip happen. If not we'll try again next year!!   We use CTA Field Trips as our preferred trip provider. They are amazing, provide overnight security and have the best guides! We've been lucky enough to get Mr. Foxx (aka. The Hat), in fact we request him. He knows his history and keeps the kids interested.

For more information as always, please feel free to contact me at:
paula.roswell@ct.gov

 

Drawing I Class......

Meanwhile in Drawing I class..... we have used several different types of media so far this year....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new year dawns in art class....

Wow!!
I can't believe we are welcoming another new year! Where has the time gone??

My students and I have been very busy so far this school year. I thought I would share some of their artwork.....Enjoy!

3D Design Class   And Studio Art....

 

 

 

Hallmark Institute of Photography

As an Art Educator, I like to develop conceptual projects for my students. I also like to challenge them to think differently. And I try to expose them to different educational institutions and options for their life after high school.

Today, I had the pleasure of having Derrick Zellmann from the Hallmark Institute of Photography, visit with my classes and tells us a little bit about their school. Although I will not include their website with this posting, I will include Derrick's. 
http://derrickzellmann.com/

He will be coming back in the spring when the weather is much nicer and he will present a Photography workshop or two to my students. What an amazing opportunity!  

Latest Information for School this week...

Due to Hurricane Sandy.. we will be closed again on Wednesday October 31st. Enjoy the day and don't eat too much Halloween Candy!!

Please Note: the Cycle change has been postponed until Monday. That means, Seniors and Freshman you are still in shop for the rest of the week, providing we have school.

Sophomores and Juniors... two more days of Academics...gives us a chance to finish our classwork. Will Thursday run on Monday's or Thursday's schedule?  Don't know yet.

But on a good note....Gives you Digital Photography students even more time to take photographs especially of Halloween!!

Be safe. Be smart and don't eat any unwrapped candy from someone you don't know.

Trick or Treat....

Let the clean up begin....

I hope that everyone made it through the storm safely!!

With the cycle change scheduled for tomorrow...Seniors will be back in Academics...

Digital Photography Class~
We will be working on a series of 36 photographs of varying view points.....it's not just about tilting your camera to the side...

for example.....

 

It means looking at something in a new way....take this sunflower..most people look at it from the front..but focusing an alternate view makes the photograph more interesting. You also need to think about compositional elements such as the rule of thirds, fill the frame, framing along with the Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Color, Form, Texture, and Space.

 

 

Although 36 photographs seem like a lot, it in essence is a single roll of film. In a traditional photography class, you would be required to shoot several rolls of film for each assignment. Digitally we are doing a lot less work. Your 36 photographs can be several different angles of the same subject.

 

Studio Art Class~

Your theme this cyle is "Connection to Nature". And after Hurricane Sandy, I think we all feel a little more connected to nature. However, this cycle you will explore your own feelings about nature, what it means to you to appreciate and be out and about in nature, along with if you want, any environmental issues you feel strongly about. Having a conceptual theme like "Connection to Nature" allows you to explore and investigate many options in the creation of your art work. I will be showing you a few examples via a Power Point, plus I might show you the Video, "Rivers and Tides", it's about the artwork of one of my favorite artists, Andy Goldsworthy. I have shown it many times in my classes and each time I see it, I learn something new.

 

Drawing II~

Please bring your sketchbooks to class, as we will be spending some quality time working in our sketchbooks this cycle. I am contemplating several different types of projects to work on this cycle and think we need some media exploration time before we decide on a final option. I might even give everyone several options to choose from as the last project was very technical and precise, this time we should be a little more loose and free in our designs.  More details to follow.

 

Be safe.. and see you in class!



Ohhh Sandy....

Well... with school closed for the next few days due to Sandy....B cycle quickly comes to an end.

Elements of Art~ everyone should have gotten a chance to finish their color wheel project, their Color Theory painting along with their Monochromatic painting.
Why so much painting you ask? Understanding how to mix and use color be it in drawing or painting is something that really requires some "hands-on" time. The more my students experiment with color mixing, the greater their knowledge of color grows. At this point in their experiences, I find it is better to give them free choice in the content of their work, albeit school appropriate of course.

Drawing I~ It sure has been an experience using India Ink and Crow Quill pens to draw with! It has turned out to be a slow process, so we will continue to work on them next cycle.


Be Safe everyone!