Media Art: Improv Comedy Warm-ups

In Media Art this week we will learn some Improv Comedy Warm-ups such as Zoom which is demonstrated in the video above as well as Zip Zap Zoop and Free Association.  We'll work together as a class and in small groups and next week we will develop longer form works and short films based on what we learned.

Studio Art: Final Exams

Today we will start the first section of our Studio Art Final Exam with the multiple choice test and tomorrow we will complete the rest of the test.  Make sure you study from our class quizlet!

Art and Media Art Honor Society- 2015 Induction

Today the Smithtown East chapter of the Art Honor Society and the Media Art Honor Society will hold their 2015 induction ceremony today in the little theater at 3:15 pm and we will also be presenting some of the senior art awards along with an pizza after party and gallery opening in room 161.

We had a great time on our field trip to the galleries in Chelsea last week so we'll also be putting together some of the photographs and video from the trip into our archives and talk about our favorite works..

Media Art: Final Exam

In Media Art & Advanced Media Art we will have our Final Exam on Friday so make sure to study via our quizlet.  It's a review of everything we did this year from the zoetrope (like PIXAR's shown above) to digital animation. We will review in class today and the test will include almost all the terms of Friday.

Studio Art: The Sketchbook Project

This week we are doing a drawing project in Studio Art class inspired by artist Heather Sinclair's meditative, free-association “what does that look like” and "Newton's Ghosts" sketchbook drawings from The Sketchbook Project.  Each student should complete a full page drawing based on things and people in class and free-association to those things and people.  The link above show's the artists full sketchbook and you can see part of the process by looking through the drawings.  Try to have at least 10 faces in you work and use pen or pencil for the drawing then you can add color if you choose using any media.  Above is the cover of the sketchbook we looked at in class and the drawing below is the begining of the in-class demonstration Mr. Needles did in the Studio Art classes today.  The assignment will be due at the end of class on Tuesday.

Looking into Smithtown's Past reception

This weekend is the opening for the Looking into Smithtown's Past exhibit at Mills Pond House and 8 students from Mr. Needles classes have work in the show.  The reception is Saturday from 2-4pm so best of luck to all my students in the judging!

Art Honor Society: Chelsea Gallery walk Spring Field Trip

The Art and Media Art Honor Society will have it's Spring Field Trip Friday and we will walk the High Line and do a Chelsea Gallery walk, visiting the following galleries:

• Pace to see Lucas Samaras
• Lennon Weinberg to see Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning, & Raoul Hague
• Bryce Wolkowitz to see Airan Kang
• David Z Wirner to see Yayoi Kusama

We will also stop at the Chelsea Market and we'll return home around 3pm for the holiday weekend!

Studio Art: Review for the Final

In Studio Art we will be finishing our review for the final exam this week and the actual exam is next week on May 28 and 29.  The link on the quizlet here: studio art review covers most of what will be on the test and is a great place to study.  Wednesday will be our practice exam that will count as a quiz so make sure you prepare!

AP Art: The Art of Frida Kahlo

In AP Art we will finish watching the Frida, the film on artist Frida Kahlo and begin to discuss her life, process, art and most importantly what we learned from her.  Below is a quote which gives some insight into her true character:

"I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you." 
-Frida Kahlo

                                                 Suicide of Dorothy Hale

We will also discuss the film Frida and artist and director Julie Taymor's creative interpretation of Frida's life.  Finally I'll assign a short reflective essay which will be due on Thursday May 21st.

Extra Credit: iDrive No Texting While Drive contest

This month's extra credit assignment is to create a video pitch for the iDrive "No Texting While Drive" public service announcement contest.  The prizes are serious for this contest, last years winner won $10,000. Below are the basic rules and if you have questions I saved the complete rules as a PDF in the Mr. Needles extra credit folder in the school assignment drive.

The extra credit is due by May 31, 2015 and we'll be posting the best of them in September to compete for the school.  Below are some useful images and data that you might want to incorperate into you PSA pitch.

Media Art Honor Society: Matt and Kim Music Video

The Media Art Honor Society and Media Art classes have been working on filming scenes for the Matt and Kim "Can You Blame Me" music video this week which we will be finishing up today and we'll create a "Smithtown East HS - Needles AV club version" of the music video for the band.  Here are some of the best shots from this week!

AP Art Senior Shows: Troy

Troy's AP Art Senior Show opened yesterday and his unique approach and creative, crisp black and white portraits have drawn a number of visitors to admire his hard work.  Be sure to stop down and see the images which have been hung from twine draped from the ceiling and collages on the walls before it over on Friday!

Art Honor Society: Doodles for Charity

This week we are celebrating National Doodle Day and the Doodle for NF charity drive which takes signed celebrity doodles and sells them on ebay to raise money for the Neurofibromatosis Network. We will create and contribute doodles in the art honor society this week. Posted above and below are a few of my favorite doodles from this year's collection from Angus Oblong, Duncan Rouleau, and Elaine Bogan,

Advanced Media Art: Matt and Kim Music Video

In our Advanced Media Art class we began filming scenes for the Matt and Kim "Can You Blame Me" music video using iPads and streaming video of Matt and Kim's faces sing and reacting.  The finished video is due Thursday so we'll be filming through the week while we continue to re-write the television pilots script.

AP Studio Art: The AP test

 In AP Studio Art we will reflect on the AP studio art test that we took on Friday and write a reflection on it.  Here's some of the great photography and design work from the class we'll look at some of the consistent themes that ran through the class that you may not have picked up on while you were working.

AP Senior Artshow: Cassie

Our second AP Senior Art show of the year opened last week and features Cassie's photograph designs and drawings and it's a great start to our showcase season and one to check out before it's gone!

Studio Art: Looking into Smithtown's Past

Any Studio Art student that completed the extra credit assignment for Smithtown's anniversary "Looking into Smithtown's Past" art competition should print and matte their work for the exhibition at the Mills Pond House (beautifully photographed for the contest by Lauren above) for drop off today.  Best of luck in the judging!

Art Honor Society: End of the Year Planning

Today the Art Honor Society will meet after school with the Media Art Honor Society and we'll be planning all of our end of the year activities.  We have just 24 class days left of school which means just 5 meeting left this year so we have to make sure everything is set for our spring field trip on May 22, our induction, our mural project, and the gallery openings!

Studio Art: Day of the Dead Masks

Today we will begin working on ad 3D Day of the Dead Masks in class beginning with a design on paper which is colored and drawn to scale then we will create the mask with a form of paper mache after which we will paint it.

Remember your final is fast approaching and in addition to our quick review in class you should study the quizlet: Final Review

AP ART: AP Test this Friday

This Friday is our AP Studio Art test at 7:20am so all 24 works must be digitized and uploaded along with the answers to the two concentrations online at the AP Studio Art Submission Website.  The 5 Quality works must also be matted and prepared for submission before Friday.  There are 4 days until the test so make sure you are on-schedule and if you have any issue please let Mr.Needles know immediately!

Media Art: Animations Due

Today in Media Art the completed Animations are due in video form at the end of class.  I demonstrated three different methods of importing and editing the animations all which have positive and negative qualities so each student must choose which method works best for their film and finish their editing by the end of class to submit the film via the public drive.  The great example above is from Chelsea, we'll share more of the films on Monday to critique how everyone progressed!