My Five Year Growth Plan - Government Legislation

Grade Nine Weekly Sketch "In the Kitchen"
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The new arts document is a chimera; long awaited, tantalizing, and PROMISED for September 2010.



I was fortunate enough to be invited to a session with ministry officials three years ago. The purpose was to gain feedback from teachers, and to show off parts of the documents that were ready to go at that time.



It was a good learning experience for me, in terms of process and seeing the language of the document itself.



If the document appears in September, the plan at my school is to implement any changes starting immediately, in consultation with our sister schools in the board. Quite often, we are given PD time as a department, and work with the other schools. As far as I am aware, there is no deadline and the process of full implementation may take years.

Other Work Continued

Other Work Continued

Other Work

Goals for the future

In terms of teaching, I would like my high school to offer two new courses: Photography (Grade 11, then grade 12), and an Arts and Crafts course.

I am of two minds about the arts and crafts. Would it be better to offer this course with no pre-requisite? It would catch those students who can't see themselves in a traditional art course, but who would like to take an art course instead of drama or music for the OSSGD diploma requirement.

Or, would it be better to offer this course with the understanding that students have already taken grade nine art, and have some training with basic design and colour theory?

Right now, photography is only offered as one unit in AVI3M1.

Personally, I am very satisfied with my craft and mixed media work. It gives me tremendous satisfaction, and it is very manageable, in terms of time. I might not have time to work on an oil painting, but I can manage a small collage in a day or two, and not neglect my marking!

I have set a goal to have my work published in a magazine.

I want to continue to improve my photoshop skills, and learn more about this amazing piece of software.

I would like to take a quilting course, but every time I register, the course is cancelled because there are not enough students.

When I retire, the sky is the limit. My husband and I will be retiring to a small village just south of North Bay called Restoule. We have acquired the land, and are dreaming and planning our dream home. An integral part of that plan is a studio for me. The property has a lovely view of Restoule Lake, and my studio will most likely be in a walk-out facing that view.

I will most likely continue my craft work, and have time to work on larger projects including painting. I enjoy painting, but right now it is so daunting, because we have a small home, and no dedicated space for my work. My studio is really just the kitchen, and storage is downstairs in the basement.

Wearable Art (Mixed Media Jewelry)

I also enjoy making one of a kind pieces of wearable art for friends. Since I give most of these pieces away, I only have a pic of one example.

This is a bottle cap, vintage image, crystal effects, paint, charm, beads and jewelry findings. It is a lapel pin.

Artist Trading Cards (ATC)

These are a way of connecting with other artists. They are small pieces (2.5x3.5), and are traded freely with artists from other countries.

Usually, you join a 'swap', through an online source, and trade these tiny art works, working with a particular theme.

I have traded with artists from Germany, England, Ireland, Canada, and the United States.

Art Journal

An art Journal is the perfect way to combine my interest in mixing visual images with the written word.

These pages concentrate on found objects, and female imagery.

Art journals are a great way to expand your skills and techniques, because they usually remain private, and so, more experimentation is possible.

Some more mixed media.

These examples all use found materials, including paper napkins, wallpaper samples, paint chips, and an Altoid tin.

Altered/ Mixed Media

A new area that I have just recently been exploring is mixed media work. I am working through the ideas of family, friendship and the past.

Mixed media is a great way to explore creativity and different imagery. I find that I often explore very feminine, vintage images.

The mermaid won an online contest. She is made from a "Laughing Cow" cheese tin, a vintage stamp, wallpaper samples, shells, buttons, shaped confetti, and patterned paper. There are a few ink techniques, including the use of alcohol inks.

Scrapbooking/ Cardmaking

I am addicted to this craft, and I love the materials. Stamps, paper, card stock, paint, ink. I LOVE IT ALL!

I like making paper dolls, and they quite often show up in my work, with my own head attached! People really tend to get a kick out of these; they like the sense of humour.

Painting

I completed this painting when my son was about two years old. I hadn't done any painting since second year university.

I am emotionally attached to this painting, because it captures a moment that was special to us. However there are so many technical mistakes, I am actually loathe to post it here.

I have found that having to teach tempera painting to grade nines, and oil painting to my grade eleven students has actually made me a better painter, but I still want to learn and practice.

University Work

One of our projects in second year was to mimic another artist, but to work in a different medium. I chose Robert Bateman's "Canada Geese Nesting", and worked in graphite pencil on paper.

This second piece is an engraving of the Lorne Bridge in Brantford. I think it is from first year.

Early Sketches

These are some of my early sketches at the start of high school. I found them when I started teaching art back at my high school. I use them to demonstrate that the only thing separating what my students can do right now, and what I have trained to do, is practice, practice, practice. Sometimes students get frustrated with their skill acquirement because I can come along, and seemingly, show them quickly what went wrong. They say, "You make it look so easy!" I tell them only because I have thirty years extra practice on them!

Indeed, when I show them my high school work, we all have a good laugh, because they know what my comment as an evaluator, to myself as a student would be:"more contrast required"