Arts Explorer #3: Fine Art Critique

This week my class took a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum. We were there to look do a fine art critique but also to get some better ideas of how to get children to develop and interest in art and how to help them with analyzing it. You can ask them how they think the artist felt when they made the artwork, how the child feels when they look at it or why the artist chose to draw/paint/sculpt what they did. There are various questions that you can ask all children across different age groups. I initially wasn't too excited about the trip because I had always thought that I wasn't a museum person. But to my surprise I really enjoyed my time and hope to go back soon. Below is the picture that I found and chose to write about.
 

Photo Retrieved From: http://www.canadianart.ca/online/reviews/2008/07/31/kim-ondaatje/

The above artwork is a painting by Kim Ondaatge known as Hearn Plant, Toronto Harbour. Kim was born in Toronto, ON in 1928 and this painting was done in 1974. She created this painting using acrylic paint, masking tape, and canvas. When I first walked into the room where this picture was hung I was immediately drawn to it. I wouldn’t say that it is one of my favourite paintings but it really grasped my attention. I’m not sure if it was how large it was in comparison to the other artwork or if it was the simplicity of it. The painting consists of a few colours with the majority if it being white and the boat having a bold colour. 

Before reading the title of the painting, I was able to recognize it as the Toronto harbour front. When I saw the boat in the water I thought of driving down the Gardiner Expressway and seeing all the boats at port. The overall look of the picture made it really easy for me to imagine the cold winter scene. I could imagine that if I was standing there it would be freezing, with a strong cold wind and no one being around because they are in their warm homes. The scene in the picture also brought me to realize how different the lakeshore was. In this picture there is one smokestack and industry with one docked boat. When you think of the lakeshore now, it has about 10 times the boats and industries. I found that Kim Ondaatge’s picture transported me to this exact place where I would be surrounded by simplicity and a cold Canadian winter.

For more information about the ROM here is a link

http://www.rom.on.ca/

Definition of the week: Space
When it comes it art, space is determined by the size of the canvas (Schimmacher & Fox, 2009). Space can be either positive or negative. In a positive space you would expect to see it filled with lines, colours, shapes and form(Schimmacher & Fox, 2009). With a negative space there is room between or surrounding subject matter, symbols or shapes(Schimmacher & Fox, 2009).

References:
Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children, sixth edition. Belmont, CA: Delmar

Arts Explorer #2: Instant Sculpture with Found Objects

So this week I had the task of creating an instant sculpture. My sculpture made out of unused materials turned into a tree. I started off this project focusing on the product. It took a while for me to decide what I was going to create but the trees just outside my bedroom window sparked some interest. I decided on the wire, which I got from my dad, because I though it would be easy to manipulate and form. And the base of my tree was actually a piece from my Christmas tree from the holidays. The whole tree was created from wrapping the wire around the base and then adding more and strings of wire that I continuously wrapped around one another to eventually form branches.

As I mentioned previously, my main focus was on the product. I think as you grow older, and more often as an adult, your concern is on what your final creation looks like rather than the effort and fun you spent making it. Where as, a child would probably be more interested in the process and of the feel or manipulation of the materials, being active and hands on, but also having the overall sensory stimulation. The one thing that an adult or child may do similarly is trial and error. Children would likely do it for the exploration aspect but adults do it to reach perfection. Creating this sculpture made me realize where I put my focus and that I should perhaps try being less concerned of the product and enjoy and the overall process.

Weekly Definition: Texture
 Schirrmacher and Fox (2009) define texture as "the surface quality of a work of art". Texture is used when describing the feeling on a surface or a material. Some words for describing texture are rough, smooth, bumpy, carved, soft, scratchy or rough.

References:
Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children, sixth edition. Belmont, CA: Delmar

Arts Explorer #1: My Creative Inspiration

 Photos retrieved from http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

So today is the beginning of my first blog. It's starting off as part of an assignment for one of my classes but we'll see where it goes from there. It is for a creative arts course and so the focus of the blog will be on art, creativity and how it relates to early childhood education.

My first entry will start with what is Creativity? Creativity can be seen as being creative with the objects or materials surrounding a person. Whether it be painting a picture, taking a picture, knitting a scarf or fixing the piece of furniture that's falling apart, it in some way involves being creative. It can involve creating something entirely new or revamping the objects you already have. I think that creativity involves having the ability to look at everyday things in a different way. It can be used as a technique for expressing the ideas that someone has or communicating feelings. The interesting thing about creativity is that every person has the ability to captivate and display it. I think that the expression of creativity is most prevalent in the younger children. They are experimenting and discovering the use of different skills and materials while forming their art but also their learning.

In my family I definitely see each one of us as having the ability to be creative. My mom uses her knitting talents to make us some warm, and stylish, hat scarves and gloves. My dad is creative with his ability to recreate or fix things for the better, Whenever something breaks or needs a repair we always know to visit him first. Then there is my sister who was the child that received the art gene. She is always painting or drawing and has gone through many sketch books. I on the other hand enjoy to make crafts. Every Christmas family and friends receive a new tree ornament to add to their collection. This difference in creativity goes to show that everyone has a different way of viewing and creating things.