Teacher's Pre Visit Information
IMAGINED TEXTS: Exploring Community
February 3 – March 3, 2010
Pre and Post Activities
Printmakers and Bookbinders worked together for pieces in this show. Teachers – have your students produce a simple print using the CRAYON TRANSFER technique seen in the classroom banner. These can be done on cotton fabric and then backed with cardboard or cardstock. Have each child write a story for their print. Topics could be “My Community” or “The Leighton Centre”. These can be put together into a simple book by hole punching and tying with wool.
- Community – many of the participants in IMAGINED TEXTS came from the same community – an inner city in Calgary called Ramsay. Have students look at a piece of art (either in this show or otherwise) to uncover information about their community.
- Is this a rural or urban community? How can you tell? Is Leighton an urban or rural community?
- Who lives in this community? Who lives in the Leighton community?
- What kinds of plants, buildings or landmarks do they have in their community? What ones are in the Leighton community?
- How is the community in the painting different that your community? How is it the same?
Community is more than just a place you live. What are other examples of communities you are part of? For example, people belong to sports teams, hobby groups, churches, etc. How could you do a picture of a community you belong to and combine some interesting text with it?
- Check out the Cybermuse link to view demonstrations of various printmaking techniques.
http://cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermuse/home_e.jsp
Here are some other simple printmaking activities to try:
Printmaking is the process of transferring an image from one surface to another.
Print making is a fun way to introduce children to working with patterns and shapes.
Supplies needed:
For all printmaking activities, you will need a few basic supplies. We use tempera and water color paints for our printmaking activities, sheets of construction paper, white craft paper, a paint bush with a 1/4" bristle width, several small microwave dinner trays to use as a palette, scissors, and paper towels for blotting. Ink pads in an assortment of colors is also nice for creating more detailed prints.
Vegetable and fruit prints
Remember making potato stamps as a child? A simple stamp can be made by slicing a potato in half, and inserting a cookie cutter into the cut side to a depth of 1/4 inch. Use a knife to slice away the potato from the outside of the cutter to create a stamp. Don't have cookie cutters? A stamp can also be created using a paring knife and carving a simple design.
For something just a little different, make a stamp from a sliced fruit or vegetable. Vegetables such as mushrooms, celery, and green peppers make interesting prints when sliced across the center. Sliced oranges and limes also make terrific stamps, especially when sliced cross wise to reveal the sliced "sections."
Vegetable and fruits stamps work best if cut 24 hours before this activity and allowed to air dry.
Making a stamp from cardboard
Use the flaps from a corrugated cardboard box to create some more interesting stamps. Cut interesting shapes from these small pieces of cardboard. To make a handle for a cardboard stamp, hot glue a small wooden block to the back of the stamp. Hot glue is reversible and can be peeled away from the blocks when your child is finished stamping.
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TEACHERS PRE-VISIT GUIDE TO LEIGHTON EDUCATION PROGRAMS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS for discussion: many of the following concepts will be covered during the Leighton day.
Abstract – a type of art done in lines, shapes and colors with reference to the appearance of natural objects: subject matter reduced to essential aspects.
Adjacent Color – Colors that appear next to each other on the color wheel. Harmonizing colors often work well together but if too close in color they can appear washed out or not have enough contrast.
Collage – a composition made by pasting together various materials such as newspaper, cloth, natural objects, printed text, illustrations or photos.
Color – an element of art with three properties: 1) hue or tint – the color name such as red, yellow, blue, etc. 2) intensity – the purity and strength of a color such as bright red or dull red 3) value – the lightness or darkness of a color.
Composition – in a painting, generally refers to how the parts of the image relate to each other to create a whole. This includes the placement of objects on the picture plane, the relationship of these objects to each other and the proportion – everything that makes up the work of art – comes together to produce a coherent whole.
Complementary Colors – are separated by another color on the color wheel. Complementary colors printed side by side can cause visual vibration making them a less desirable combination. However, separate them on the page with other colors and they can work together.
Conservation – cleaning, preserving and occasionally repairing works of art is known as conservation. People who work in this specialized area are called conservators.
Contour line drawing – drawing in which contour lines are used to represent subject matter. A contour drawing has a three dimensional quality, indicating thickness as well as height and width.
Contrast – a large difference between two things: for example, hot and cold , green and red, light and shadow.
Fresco – a method of painting on plaster, either dry (fresco secco) or wet (true fresco).
Gesso – a gypsum materials mixed with animal hide glue and used as a ground for painting. It is usually applied to the surface of a wood panel or sculpture to become the surface on which the artist paints.
Gesture – the act of making a sketch with relatively loose arm movements favoring the large muscles of the art rather than the small muscles of the hand. The act of gesture drawing trains the simultaneous workings of the brain, hand and eyes especially in the practice off drawing from life ie) observation of a subject.
Horizon Line – in perspective drawing a horizontal line across the picture. It is always at eye level – its placement determines where we seem to be looking from – a high place or closer to the ground.
Hieroglyphic – a system of writing using pictures or symbols developed by ancient Egyptians.
Installation – Art that is or has been installed – arranged in place – either by the artist or as specified by the artist.
Interpretation - to find meaning in writing, artwork or exhibition.
Juxtaposition – the state of being placed close together so as to permit contrast.
Line – the most basic building block of art. Line can be used to create more complex shapes or to lead your eye from one area in the composition to another.
Medium – the material an artist uses.
Monochromatic – a single color or hue, may include its tints or shades.
Natural Objects – items found in nature, not made by humans.
Negative Space – the space around and between the subject of an image.
Pigment – finely powdered color material which produces the color of any medium.
Positive Space – space in an artwork that is filled with something such as lines, designs, color or shapes. Opposite of negative space.
Shapes – created when lines are combined. Shapes can be organic (irregular shapes found in nature) or geometric (shapes with strong lines and angles such as circles, triangles and squares).
Space – the area between and around objects. Increasing or decreasing the amount of space around an object affects the way we view that object. It can be described as two dimensional or three dimensional, as flat, shallow or deep: as open or closed: as positive or negative: and as actual or illusory.
Symbol – a form, image or subject representing a meaning other than the one with which it is usually associated.
Texture – the surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or smooth, soft or hard. Textures are often implied through techniques the artist uses.
Translucent – allowing some light to pass through, but greatly obscuring the image of objects on the other side.
Value – the degree of light and dark in a design. The contrast between black and white and all the tones in between.
Wash – a thin, translucent layer of pigment, usually watercolor or Indian ink. Often it is the background of a picture prepared using watery paint applied quickly using large, sweeping brushstrokes. A wet area of wash can be made lighter by blotting.
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/
Contact for further information:
Karen Freeman
Education Director
karenf@leightoncentre.org
(403) 931-3636