Welcome to Art Room 161

This blog was created as an extension of the dialogue that began in our classroom and the purpose is to share creative ideas, images, and critiscm. All posts should be appropriate for the high school classroom and critiscm should be helpful and positive.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Art Honor Society: Wyland Foundation Contest Results

Congrats to Nethmi from Art Honor Society who won the best in her grade in this year's  Wyland Art Competition!  You can check out her awesome design below.

The Art Honor Society also handed out permission slips this week for our upcoming field trip on Jan 12 to NYC so make sure to stop by and pick one up if you didin't get one!

Happy Holidays

Today is the last day of the year in class and our final day before the holiday break so make sure all of your assignments are submitted and have a terrific holiday break!

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Digital Media: Digital Zentangle

In Digital Media class this week we will be drawing and designing Digital Zentangles in Adobe Photoshop.  The file size should be US Paper and students can create any kind of ORIGINAL design (don't copy and paste other people's work) to fill the page.  They work best with a central design element (shape or word) but feel free to be creative!

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Painting: Gelli Paint Printing


In Painting class we are spending the last week before the holiday break experimenting with Gelli Printing with Paint.  Their are a number of different techniques and methods but each student should create 2 prints for Friday.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Digital Media:The Ugly Holiday Sweater Challenge


This week we'll design new 3D designs in Digital Media using Tinkercad to enter their #uglychristmassweater community challenge. These will be purely digital designs that we will not be printing but we will share for the challenge.  You are welcome to design an ugly sweater for any winter holiday. Make sure the sweater looks correct and the decoration is up to you.

Monday, December 18, 2017

AP Art: Trace Monotype Printmaking Using the Pastel Resist Method


This week in AP Art we will learn to create a Trace Monotype Print using the Pastel Resist Method.  this is a relativly easy method of printmaking used by artists such as Gauguin and Degas (see below).  Today I will show the basics and tomorrow we will begin the demo and prints.
After we learn about the process start sketching out ideas for what kind of subject matter your print will have and what colors you will use.  Portraits or detailed images work best with this method as you can see in the example below.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Digital Media: Youth Art Month Flag Design

This week we created 3' x 5' flag designs for Youth Art Month in March addressing the theme of Art Builds Community which are due Today. Before you submit your final design be sure to answer the following questions:

  • Is the theme “Building Community Through Art” clear in the work?
  • Did you include the name of our state (New York) in the design?
  • Did you include the current Youth Art Month YAM logo?
  • Did you make sure that any Lettering or logo is ¼” from the border?
The examples included are works in progress that show the process and variety of the designs. The digital drawing above is from Kelly in the P4 class, the hand-drawn sketch is from Krishna from the P9 class and the drawing below is by Nethmi from Art Honor Society.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

National Art Honor Society: The Met

Image result for the met michelangelo

Today we'll discuss a potential field trip to the Met Museum in NYC to see this amazing Michelangelo exhibit.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Japan Society Junior Fellows Program 2018

We will once again take part in the Japan Society Program in 2018 so any students interested in hosting Junior Fellows at Smithtown High School East in March can look at the schedule below and let me know if you're interested.

March 10th  Junior Fellows – Arrival in NY
March 11th  Host families meet Fellows @ Japan Society (afternoon)
March 11th – March 24th   Homestay


Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Studio Art: Art History Research Quiz Today

Today in Studio Art we will take our Art History Research Quiz so be sure to study your notes and the Midterm Quizlet to prepare.  After the quiz we will continue work on our YAM Flag designs.

Monday, December 11, 2017

AP Art: Gel Transfer Prints


In AP Art we are beginning the printmaking unit by creating Gel Transfer Prints this week.  Every student should choose or create an image to print (it can be a drawing or a photograph) and prepare the surface in a creative way then create a print for Monday.  Below is a mixed media piece I created using the gel medium transfer technique as an example.



Friday, December 8, 2017

Studio Art: YAM Flag Design Contest


This week we are working on designing a 3' x 5' flag for Youth Art Month in March with the theme of Art Builds Community.  It can be vertical or horizontal and represent our state as well as the theme.  The flag should also contain the words New York and include the words Youth Art Month (or logo shown above).  Below is an examples of previous winner from Northport HS to give you a better idea of the expectations.  The winning flag will be displayed at the NAEA convention in Seattle and the prizes are listed below.

Winning NYS Flag Designer:
            For one STUDENT: A cash prize of $1,500!*
            For her/his TEACHER: $2,000 worth of classroom art supplies!

Category Prize:
            One per Category - Elementary, Middle and High
            Student's Prize: $100 Worth of Art Supplies
            Teacher's Prize: $300 Worth of Art Supplies

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Art Honor Society: Wyland Mural

In Art Honor Society today we will hang the completed Wyland Water Conservation Mural and continue working on our handmade holiday cards for the senior center as well as update our field trip date and complete out artist trading card project.

Congrats to everyone who worked on the collaborative mural, the finished product looks terrific and we'll keep our fingers crossed to see who the winners are on December 15.


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

AP Art: Local Stony Brook University Art Exhibits

Stony Brook University has a few really interesting art exhibits up that relate to projects we do, check them out below:

Zen Rock Garden poster
Zen Rock Garden
Long-Term Installation
Charles B. Wang Center Outdoor Garden
Located on the first floor, in between the meeting rooms 101 and 102 at the Charles B. Wang Center, this Japanese rock garden (枯山水 karesansui) was created by Gerard Senese and his wife Hiroko Uraga-Senese as a tribute to the appreciation of Japanese culture. Japanese gardens are rich with symbolism, and they are usually created with certain meanings and wishes in mind. The Wang Center's new Zen garden features symbols of Buddhist paradises with a tortoise islet (kame-jima) and a crane islet (tsuru-jima). Made with rocks, the tortoise symbolizes prosperity and the crane symbolizes health and good luck.

sun k kwak poster
Space Drawing
by Sun K. Kwak

Long-Term Installation
Charles B. Wang Center Theatre Gallery
New York-based Korean American artist Sun K. Kwak's canvas is architectural space and her primary medium is black masking tape. Kwak achieves the effect painterly strokes by tearing away tape from the surfaces of architectural spaces. Her sprawling freehand strokes weave designs over surfaces to dramatic effect. Kwak creates a site-specific installation at the Charles B. Wang Center by creating lines that liberate the space, and in doing so, transforms the space into a new pictorial reality.

OM Lab poster
OM Lab
September 7 through December 10, 2017
Charles B. Wang Center Zodiac Gallery
"OM" is a sacred syllable, central to many Asian religious traditions for more than three thousand years. The sound has been called "elemental" and "universal," often serving as a preface to prayers and chants. OM Lab is a participatory space where visitors can step into a recording booth and offer up their own chant of this ancient Sanskrit mantra. Visitors will learn about the enduring significance of this sacred syllable and become a part of its storied history by adding their voices to a collective chant. Hear 10,000 previously collected recordings in the Rubin Museum of Art's exhibition The World Is Sound (June 16, 2017 - January 8, 2018). Receive 50% off admission when you mention "Stony Brook" at the Rubin Museum.

Simplicity Over Complexity poster
Simplicity Over Complexity
Long-Term Installation
Charles B. Wang Center Outdoor Garden
Brooklyn-based Korean American artist Jongil Ma revives the Charles B. Wang Center's outdoor garden with architecturally woven sculptures, using varying lengths and types of thin wooden strips, both in their raw state and dyed in color. Three large, site-specific installations balance the positive with the negative, tranquility with tension, and stillness with movement. The installations interact with the Wang Center's architecture and spatial dynamics, transforming the garden through a multiplicity of viewing possibilities.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Painting: Research Test


We finished the Painting Research project and now you should prepare for the visual test tomorrow using our class Quizlet.  remember to study both the painters and the famous paintings that we studied in class.  I attached 2 of the videos that we reviewed in class as a reminder.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Digital Media: Rotoscoping

In Digital Media class we will learn the basics of Rotoscoping this week using both digital and traditional tools.  We'll begin today by collaboratively stroboscoping Edweard Muybridge's serial photographs that led the way to the creation of film in the 1800's.
Each student in class will trace a different frame and we'll unite the frames into one larger animation. Above is the example from my classroom demonstration.  Below is a short explanation of what rotoscoping is and how the process developed.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Digital Media: Piskel Gif Animations

Today in Digital Media the Piskel Gif Animations are due at the end of class.  Make sure the animations are full size like the examples above by Kelly and below by Phil from Period 4 class.


Thursday, November 30, 2017

Art Honor Society: Wyland Art Competition

Today in Art Honor Society we will finish our Wyland Art Competition mural and individual works. We completed the background elements and will finish the large sea animals then paint in smaller fish and coral along with the text.  We will also go over information about our rescheduled field trip to NYC and our final projects for 2017.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Digital Media: 5 Basic Animation Techniques

This week in Digital Media class we will be learning a variety of different basic animation techniques from traditional drawn animation to rotoscoping to digital animation. For each technique we learn you will have 2 days to create a simple 6 second animation and these animations will be graded at the beginning of next week. Today we will begin by using a 8bit pixel animation program called PISKEL in which you will each create your own unique character and animate them.  Below is an example of an animation for the White Stripes that was done with this method as well as using tradition animation using Legos.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Studio Art: Artist Research Presentations

In Studio Art we will continue to present our Artist Research Presentations in class. Be sure to take good notes and pay close attention visually because we will have a test on all the artists after the presentations.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Digital Media: STEAMroom Quiz

In Digital Media class we will review the important figures of STEAM that we learned about in preparation for the Quiz tomorrow. We will be using these figures to begin our animation unit so we will break into groups to create a collaborative animation about them later in the week.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Art Honor Society: Happy Thanksgiving!

Art Honor Society & Media Art Honor Society will not meet this week because of the Thanksgiving vacation but here's a look at our new hallway poster designed in AP Art class this week.  We will be meeting next week to finihs up our Wyland mural, work on more artist trading cards, plan a Storycorps interview with a local artist, and reschedule our NYC field trip.


Foto Foto Gallery's Open Call


Foto Foto Gallery in Huntington announced their 2017 Open Call for photography.  Students who submit can earn extra credit.  The prospectus is below, last year I was in the exhibit along with a student and it was a terrific show!  Here is a link to the information: fotofoto gallery 13th National Photography Competition

Remembering Ms.Conde

With the sudden passing of Ms. Conde this week we are going to forgo our quiz this week and spend a day remembering her.  We will be continuing to create in class but nothing will be due this week. The little theater and guidance is open for any students who are grieving and our class will be open format so students are free to draw, paint, and create freely.

Monday, November 20, 2017

Digital Media: The Great Thanksgiving Listen


In Digital Media we will participate and upload an interview for StoryCorps The Great Thanksgiving Listen.  You can listen to some of the previous #NeedlesClass Great Listen interviews to get an idea of the expectation but we'll review the specifics in class too.  Each interview should be with an someone older (a family member, friend, or an influential adult in your life) and have at least 10 questions along with a photograph of the interviewer and interviewee along with a signed permission form if they are going to be uploaded.  Make sure you add the #needlesclass hashtag so we can easily find them online.  Below is a StoryCorps favorite animated example.

We will be animating aspects of these interviews later in class so it's a good idea to start with a few warm up questions and don't worry about editing, leave it all in there- sometimes mistakes are the best part!

Friday, November 17, 2017

Painting: Artist Research Project

Image result for Nighthawks
In Painting Class we are working on the Painting Research Project this week. Below are the basic outline of the project which you can create in Google Slide and submit via Google Classroom.
Google Slide Presentation:

  • Cover page with artist, image of artist, name/class/year
  • Birth/(death) date with 10 bulleted facts about the artist & link to where you got the bio info
  • Famous painting with 10 bulleted facts about it and reference images
  • 20 full size, full page images of the artist's work

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Art Honor Society: Wyland Art Competition


Today in Art Honor Society we will begin our Wyland Art Competition.  We will collaborate over the next few weeks to create the large painting in pieces.  There is also an individual category of the contest in which you can enter work like the terrific entry from Nethmi above.


Extra Credit: The Great Thanksgiving Listen


This month's extra credit assignment for studio art classes is to participate and upload an interview for StoryCorps The Great Thanksgiving Listen.  You can listen to some of the previous #NeedlesClass Great Listen interviews to get an idea of the expectation but we'll review the specifics in class too.  Each interview should be with an elder and have at least 10 questions along with a photograph of the interviewer and interviewee along with a signed permission form if they are going to be uploaded.  Make sure you add the #needlesclass hashtag so we can easily find them online.  Below is a StoryCorps favorite animated example.



Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Studio Art: Artist Research Project

This week in Studio Art class we are working on our Artist Research Project.  The Google Slide presentation should be completed by the beginning of class on Wednesday and contain the following:

  • Cover page with artist, image of artist, name/class/year
  • Birth/death date with 10 bulleted facts about the artist & link to where you got the bio info
  • 10 full size, full page images of the artist's work
Once the Google Slide presentation is complete each student should create a piece of art in any media in their sketchbook inspired by the artist they researched.  This should not be a copy of their work but it should take something about the artist's work that interests you and use that in the piece.  The example above of Banksy's Keith Haring inspired work might be a good example!

  1. Malakhi- Andy Warhol
  2. Heath- Banksy
  3. Matthew M- René Magritte
  4. John D- Christo
  5. Payton- Chuck Close
  6. Carly- Claude Monet
  7. Justin- Liu Bolin
  8. Olivia- Pablo Picasso
  9. Julianna- Frida Kahlo
  10. Frank- MC Escher
  11. Annalyse- Vincent Van Gogh
  12. Jessica- Yayoi Kusama
  13. Kevin- Andrew Wyeth
  14. Dan- Ai Weiwei
  15. Stephanie- Piet Mondrian
  16. Kyrsten- Barbara Kruger
  17. Emily- Swoon
  18. Kaylee- Wayne White
  19. Needles- Alphonse Mucha



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