Digital Media: Mindfulness

In Digital Media class we had a chance to visit the wellness fair yesterday ahead of our Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning animation project.  Students will choose one of the aspects of wellness that we learned about to focus on in the next stage of the project.

Digital Media: March One Second Everyday

In Digital Media our final project for the quarter will be to assemble the 1 Second Everyday videos which we have been taking all month in March.  Above is an example that I created this weekend in Seattle.  You can add music and other elements such as title and credits.  It's due tomorrow so arrange the videos first then leave time to edit and add music.

Studio Art: Gratitude Project

In Studio Art we will begin work today on this year's Gratitude Project by creating a thank you note for someone who deserves our appreciation.  It can be in any media but should show some sign or symbol for appreciation on the front and have a short statement on the back.

We will complete them tomorrow and give then away during the spring break,  This is the first step in the project this year and will be the final grade for the quarter.

Mindful Arts at the Seattle NAEA Conference

I'm just back from the NAEA Conference in Seattle where I had the opportunity to present a workshop on Mindful Arts and incorporating Social Emotional Learning in school.  Below are some of my favorite resources that were mentioned in the workshop.  I'll be sharing additional resources including some of the apps and programs that were mentioned such as: Morphi, Paper, Gelli printmaking, Storycorps, and Challenge Day in the near future.

I had a great time in Seattle connecting with educators and learning new techniques and it was also great getting a quick taste of the city itself.  Pike's Place Market was a great place to eat and walk around and the Space Needle Park was terrific, I wish I had more time!

Nor'Easter 4

via GIPHY

Happy Spring! Today we welcome Nor'Easter 4 so I don't expect we will make it through the school day based on the forecast. I'm hopefully flying out to Seattle tomorrow (cross your fingers) and all projects will be due on Monday.

Studio Art: Paper Bead Jewelry

In Studio Art class we have created 25 paper beads so it is now time to turn them into Paper Bead Jewelry.  Above are a few examples of what is possible and you will have some freedom to be creative.  Each student should create 1 paper bead bracelet and 1 additional piece (it can be an additional bracelet, a necklace, or earings- any time of wearable art works).  The bracelet is due on Wednesday and the 2nd piece is due on Monday.

Digital Media: The Interview Project

"My advice would be writing is everything"
As you may know in addition to teaching I also work as a journalist and occasionally have opportunities to interview actors, writers, directors, musicians, and artists for magazines and blogs. In each interview I try to ask a question that might aid my students and throughout this month I'll be sharing some of the advice I've heard from some of the people I've interviewed each Friday.

We'll start it off with actor and screenwriter Jonah Hill; I'm sure most of you are familiar with Jonah from his roles in films such as: Superbad, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, Funny People, and Moneyball (for which he was recently nominated for a Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor) but in addition to acting he's also a prolific screenwriter. I had a chance to sit down with him at the Fox offices last year while he was promoting the independent film Cyrus from the Duplass brothers which also stars John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei and I asked him about his advice:


Mr. Needles: I teach film and screenwriting in high school
and wanted to ask on behalf of my students what advice do you have for people who want to succeed in the business?
Jonah Hill: My advice would be writing is everything. You know being an actor and not being able to write is one of the scariest things in the entire world, I know this from friends of mine who are actors and don’t write because a lot of time as an actor, especially starting out you spend 99.9 to 100% of the time unemployed so if you can focus on writing everyday and getting better at writing- you should spend every day getting better at what you are trying to do. If you’re an actor and you want to act there’s not going to be movie parts for years unless you are one in a billion so find some friends who are into writing, write a play with them, and then you guys put it up where ever you can: in someone’s house or at a party or something or whatever, borrow a family members camera make a short film, read plays out loud with your friends… every day should just be spent moving forward at getting better at what you are trying to do. That’s my advice and that’s what I did, I just didn’t waste any day when I wasn’t writing or acting even in the few years of unemployment, you know, you just have to fill that time with things that are positive towards your goal.

Here's a link to more from the interview: Short and Sweet NYC

Film: Research Presentations

In film class we will continue to present our research on screenwriters to the class and take the next step of attempting to interview the writers we researched.  When we are finished we'll begin doing table reads to help edit our screenplays.

Studio Art: Creating Paper Beads

In Studio Art we will learn to Create Paper Beads this week and then make them into jewelry next week.  Below is a short tutorial video on how the process works, it's pretty simple.  First you will measure and draw out your beads then color them then cut and assemble them.  25 Paper beads will be due by the end of class on Friday.

 

AP Art: Heckscher Museum's Long Island Best Competition

Congrats to Anna Koke and Ilysa Sirota from our AP Art class whose artwork was accepted into the 2018 Heckscher Museum's Long Island Best Competition.  Their work will be on display in the museum through Sunday April 15.  Anna's painting above based on a Rubens Santoro landscape painting (left) of the Grand Canal in Venice also won an Honorable Mention award for painting.

2018 YAM Flag Design Winner

Congratulations to Ilysa Sirota on winning the 2018 NYSATA Youth Art Month Flag Design contest. Her design for the theme of Art Builds Community was chosen as the winner for New York State and will be displayed at the 2018 National Art Education Association's Annual Conference in Seattle later this month!

Snow Day

Yesterday was a Snow Day and today we have a 2 hour delay so we will have abbreviated classes today and it will affect the due date in classes except for AP art where the due dates remain.

Creative Mindfulness: Social Emotional Learning and The Arts

I had a terrific experience presenting at the ECET2NJPA Convening this weekend in New Jersey, here's a few resources, links, and reminders that we referenced in the workshop.  Below are a few of the suggestions for ways to stay creative for educators that aren't time consuming.

I share the Calm app and webpage which I like to use in class, it's a great way to begin using meditation in the classroom but you can also just use the calming background and music and guide the meditation like I did in the workshop.  I also shared my 1 Second Everyday video (you can follow the link to my YouTube page to watch it and visit the 1SE webpage to find more information about doing it yourself.  We also watched an amazing clip from Choir! Choir! Choir! so follow the link to learn more about them- I really recommend singing with them if you ever get the chance, it's an amazing experience.  I shared another C!C!C! favorite below so enjoy and continue making film for fun and creativity!

Studio Art: Illustration Friday- Piano

Today in Studio Art our Illustration Friday assignment is due on the theme of Piano.  These need to have some color element and be a complete sketchbook page.

AP Art: LI Best art due today

The artwork for Heckscher Museum's LI Best contest is due today for students in AP Art.  Make sure the art is framed, wired, and ready to hang with the entry form taped to the back.  Best of luck to everyone who enters.

Studio Art: Doodle For Google

Today in Studio Art and Digital Media class it's our last day to upload the Doodle For Google designs for the 2018 competition.  Above is a fantastic design created by Gabby in Digital Media class and drawn in Photoshop using the wacom tablet.

Art Honor Society: Youth Art Month, Yearbook Design and Induction

Today in Art Honor Society will be planning our Youth Art Month activities, continuing work on our murals, unpack the newly received artist trading cards from around the world, completing our Yearbook Page Design, and finalizing our Induction plans.  We'll also take a new group photo, above is an image from our first meeting of the year!

Film: Writer/Showrunner Research Project

This week we are going to begin working on our Film/TV Writer Research Project. Choose a television show with a specific writer you want to focus on and research. Then create a 7 page Google slide presentation on them based on the following format (my example is attached on the Google Classroom page):

Each student should choose a television show to research and will create a 6 page slideshow with the following slide information:

1: Show, running dates, head staff, & image
2: Data & Numbers- budget, ratings, historical finances
3: Showrunner-Head writer & Production Style
4: Critical Reception & Awards
5: Production Process & Where it stands now
6: Quotes from the writer on their process
7: Video of an interview

Digital Media: 2018 Google Doodle design

This Friday is the final day to submit your 2018 Google Doodle design online.  Make sure you follow all the rules and submit your entry for "What inspires you" for a chance to win.

Judging criteria

Doodles will be judged on the following parameters:

1. Artistic merit:
   Based on artistic skill
2. Creativity:
   Representation of the contest theme, use of the letters in the Google logo, and the unique approach to the doodle
3. Theme communication:
   How well the contest theme is expressed in both the artwork and the written statement

Studio Art: Japanese Paper Box Origami

This week in Studio Art we will learn how to create Paper Box Origami.  We will begin by designing paper like the swatches of Japanese paper below with repeating patterns that are colorful and creative.

After the paper is created we will learn how to fold the paper into a box with 2 sheets.  Below is a box I created as an example and the video above shows you the process of folding.

Enjoy Winter Break!

Enjoy Winter Break, have a great break, see you soon!

LI Best at the Heckscher Museum

The entries for the LI Best competition at the Heckscher Museum are due digitally today.  Be sure to submit your entry and your artists statement about how your work was inspired from a the piece you chose which showed in the museum this year.  Below is a terrific example from Anna in AP Art on the right based on Rubens Santoro's painting Grand Canal, Venice on the left.

In digital media we will work on  creating work for the Embracing our Differences juried art exhibit. The image is 17.5" x 12" with 300DPI resolution themes are:

• The struggles and joys of living in a diverse community
• The impact of predudice and hatred on human dignity
• The varied people, cultures, and perspectives in our world.

Art Honor Society: Designing Our Yearbook Pages

Today in Art Honor Society we will work on designing our Yearbook pages for NAHS and NMAHS as well as completing the mural and printing out Challenge Day stickers!

Art Honor Society: Challenge Day Project

In Art Honor Society this week we will complete our Challenge Day Project by finishing painting the mural in the hallway and printing and cutting Challenge Day stickers.  We will also prepare for our upcoming induction award ceremony and our Spring field trip.

AP Art: Concentration 1-3

In AP Art we are in our 3rd week of creating Concentration pieces and piece 3 is due on Friday.  We will take this opportunity to look at Concentration 1-3 and make sure our theme is coming through and the work is cohesive.

Film: TV Show Treatment

This week you are going to write a Treatment for Your TV Show Concept. It should written on Google Docs and instructions and details are on the Google Classroom.  It should be shared when it's complete and contain the following:

FORMAT DESCRIPTION:
Series: A drama that is open ended. A core cast of returning characters. The backdrop remains the same and is returned to each week. This is also called ‘the precinct’. There may be several stories per episode which are resolved, but the series storyline, that which is carried by the core returning cast, remains open. 

OR

Serial: A drama of more than two parts with a strong serial element. A core cast of returning characters and an over arching storyline,

TITLE:

LOGLINE:

THE WORLD:

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES:

EPISODE OUTLINES;

MAIN STORY ARCS:

THE CENTRAL MESSAGE:

Digital Media: Midterm Review

In Digital Media class we will review for tomorrow's Midterm today using Quizlet Live.  Me sure to study using the link here: https://quizlet.com/182234450/digital-media-midterm-flash-cards/

AP Art: Upcoming contest deadlines

We have a few important upcoming contest deadlines in AP Art listed below:

Long Island's Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum
Deadline: Friday, February 16

Artwork must be based on a work shown in the museum in the past year and be framed, wires, and ready to hang (example of a submitted work above)

2018 Congressional Art Competition
Deadline: Friday, April 6

Artwork must be based on a "an artistic discovery", 2D, smaller tham 28", and original

Digital Media: Challenge Day Project

Last week the 10th grade participated in an inspiring week of Challenge Day activities and this week we are going to follow up by designing some resources to continue the #BeTheChange movement in the school.  We are going to start by collaboratively designing a Challenge Day sticker for teachers and students who participated that can be placed on the doors of classrooms that are safe spaces to share and talk for students.

NY State Winning NYSATA YAM Flag design for NAEA 2018

Congrats to AP Art student Ilysa Sirota on winning the overall NY State NYSATA YAM Flag design competition.  Above is her design which will represent our state, be produced as a full flag and hung at the 2018 NAEA Conference in Seattle Washington in March!

AP Art: 2018 Scholastic Winners

Congrats to the following AP Art students who were chosen as 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Award Winners!  Gold key recipients Anna, Joe, and Ilysa will be moving on to the National competition- best of luck!

Jei Davis- Silver Key in Comic Art
Anna Koke- Gold Key in Mixed Media
Anna Koke- Honorable Mention in Painting
Joe Link- Honorable Mention in Art Portfolio
Joe Link- Gold Key in Comic Art
Joe Link- Honorable Mention in Digital Art
Danielle Napoli- Honorable Mention in Photography
Ilysa Sirota- Silver Key in Drawing & Illustration
Ilysa Sirota- Honorable Mention in Fashion
Ilysa Sirota- Gold Key in Painting

Studio Art: Flextangles

In Studio Art we will be working on our first 3D STEAM project, creating kaleidoscopic, hand-drawn Flextangles.  The first step is to sketch out your idea in your sketchbook because the design shouldtransform in an interesting way through the 4 different sides..Next grad a Flextangle template from my desk (it is also in the assignment drive or here online) and we will draw out the Flextangle in pencil then color or shade it.  The completed Flextangle should have 4 separate lines of images that correspond like a kaleidoscope.  Finally we will fold and construct them as 3D objects in class.  The final product will be due on Monday Feb 5.  Above is an example of what they should look like and below is a video showing how they work from Babble Dabble Do.

Here is a demonstration that I created in class using street art I photographed in Brooklyn.  As you can see below the sections need to correspond to work properly as a 3D object.

Each student should use ORIGINAL drawings to create a creative flextangle one layer at a time. When you are finished be sure to add your name in as well.

The demonstration I made in class using photographs of street art that I took at 5 Pointz in Queens can be seen above, think of a fun and interesting way that you can design a flextangle that reflects your interests!

Welcome to Film & Video Class

Welcome to Film & Video Class!  We will begin by taking a look at some of the structure and archetypes of Television by watching and responding to the PBS series America in Primetime.  We will be working towards creating our own television shows later in the class.  We will examine both the shows and their structure and characters along with what it says about us as a country sociologically.

Digital Media:Doodle For Google

This week in Digital Media we will be designing a Doodle For Google digitally with the theme of "What Inspires You?".  You can click the link above for all the details but the contest asks you to take your inspirations and form them into a Google doodle for a chance to win both regional and nation prizes.  Here's a link to some example inspirational doodles from the google staff and below is an example of the creative process behind a Google doodle.



The entry form/template is on the assignment drive, Google classroom or here so use that as a framework to create your design in Adobe Photoshop.  You can also draw and scan in images but everything MUST BE ORIGINAL in your design, no copy and pasting things from the web!

The National Winner:
Will receive:
A behind-the-scenes experience with the Doodle team to transform their Doodle into an interactive experience on Google.com
A $30,000 Scholarship
A $50,000 Technology package for their school
A trip to Google Headquarters in California
Google Hardware
Fun Googley Swag

Judging criteria:
Doodles will be judged on the following parameters:
Artistic merit: Based on artistic skill
Creativity: Representation of the contest theme, use of the letters in the Google logo, and the unique approach to the doodle
Theme: communication: How well the contest theme is expressed in both the artwork and the written statement

Disqualifications;
Doodles that are not original works and doodles that contain logos will be disqualified.

End of Quarter 2

Today is the Semester so it's the final day of class in Painting and it is also the End of Quarter 2 in all the full year classes.  Any outstanding or late assignments should be handed in at the beginning of class.  We will go over each students grade individually today.  Good luck during testing week!

National Art Honor Society: Field Trip Reflection

A great day @metmuseum today in NYC w/ #Art Honor Society exploring the #Michelangelo & #Hockney exhibits! #MetMichelangelo was worth the trip! pic.twitter.com/hn1NmAuOOh

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) January 12, 2018

Last week the National Art Honor Society took our Winter field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the great Michelangelo and David Hockney exhibitions.  Below are some of my thoughts on the exhibit, today we will all write short reflections about what we learned and liked about the museum and share photographs we took.

My favorite things about the #Michelangelo show on our @metmuseum field trip was his mastery across different #art media & seeing his #creative process develop though various sketches-the studies are amazing! It's a great lesson for students, he put in the hours! #MetMichelangelo pic.twitter.com/W5lD2jPT8C

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) January 12, 2018

Painting: Last Week of Class

In Painting we are finishing the class the same way we began it with a self-portrait painting.  This painting will be used to access what skills you learned and how much you developed and grew in class so do you best, they are due on Thursday!

Studio Art: Illustration Friday- The Letter A

In Studio Art today we will complete our final Illustration Friday for the quarter and the theme is the letter A.  Above is an example, be sure to be creative and not too simplistic with the theme!

Also be sure to study for our upcoming midterm which is Thursday next week: MIDTERM QUIZLET

National Art Honor Society: Field Trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art,

Tomorrow is our National Art Honor Society Winter Field Trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  We will  be leaving at 8am via coach bus and we will begin our visit by viewing the Michelangelo exhibit: Divine Draftsman and Designer and David Hockney followed by lunch at The Cafeteria and a visit to the permanent collection then we'll begin our trip home at 1pm.

Digital Media: Flextangles

In Digital Media we will be working with the STEAM projects Flextangles and taking them to the next level with digital media.  The Flextangle template is in the assignment drive or here online and we will use digital media such as digital drawing and photography to create our Flextangles in Adobe Photoshop.  The completed Flextangle should have 4 separate lines of images that correspond like a kaleidoscope.  We will design them then print and construct them as 3D objects.  The final product will be due on Thursday April 7.  Above is an example of what they look like and below is a video showing how they work from Babble Dabble Do.

Here is a demonstration that I created in class using street art I photographed in Brooklyn.  As you can see below the sections need to correspond to work properly as a 3D object.

Each student should use ORIGINAL images (your photographs) or drawings to create a creative flextangle in Photoshop one layer at a time.  When you are finished be sure to use the text tool and add your name in as well the we will print them out and assemble them in class later in the week. The last step is to follow the steps on the template and make it a 3D object which will be graded on Wednesday 1/17

The demonstration I made in class using photographs of street art that I took at 5 Pointz in Queens can be seen above, think of a fun and interesting way that you can design a flextangle that reflects your interests!

AP Art: Last Breadth

This week in AP Art we will work on creating our Last Breadth piece for the AP Art portfolio.  Each student was given a individualized assignment based on their work so far and what might help bolster their Breadth section of the AP test.  We will also look over the AP bulletin and AP checks will be due next week made out to Smithtown Central School District in the amount of $94.00 with the name of the exam in the memo portion of the check.

Japan Society Junior Fellows Hosts

We will be once again hosting Japanese students from the Japan Society's Junior Fellows Program this March so if anyone is interested in hosting a student at their home from Sunday March 11^th  – Saturday March 24th see Mr. Needles for more information.  It's a really amazing learning experience and a chance to learn about Japanese culture as well as our own as students join you in classes for a week.  

 The home stay includes a stipend for food and transportation and as you can see in the video above a number of Smithtown students who hosted people later visited Japan through the same program.  As a teacher I attended the program myself and it was terrific as you can see from my travel journal. Anyone interested should have their paperwork in by next weekend.

Studio Art: Vans Custom Culture Contest

Welcome back from our snowcation! Today in Studio Art class we will continue working on creating designs for the 2018 Vans Custom Culture Contest.  The two themes are: OFF THE WALL & LOCAL FLAVOR and each should be created on a different type of show in color.  You can add any elements to the shoe you wish (they don't need to be wearable) but can't include any copyrighted materials like logos. Above is a closer look at last year's winners.

Painting: Vans Custom Culture Contest

Today in Painting class we will be working on creating designs for the 2018 Vans Custom Culture Contest.  Above is our four shoe designs that were entered last year that were created by Anna, Luke, Ilysa, Emily, Jillian, Adelaide, and Sarah.  We also entered the poster design below which was created by Jon.
The contest this year has new rules and themes so each student should create a design on a template for the two themes: OFF THE WALL & LOCAL FLAVOR in color.  You can add any elements to the shoe you wish (they don't need to be wearable) but can't include any copyrighted materials like logos.

The 2 designs will be due on Monday when we will vote for our favorites to submit to the first round.  If we are one of the 500 schools chosen as finalists we will once again get the free shoes that we must paint and create the final designs.  There are a number of great prizes, see the link above for more information.  Above is the winning designs from last year and below is a look at previous finalists creating their designs:

Digital Media: Digital Zentangle

In Digital Media class we've been working on creating Digital Zentangle Drawing using Photoshop and the Wacom tablet and the final designs which should contain at least 10 different design patters and fill the 8.5x11 page are due today.  Above is an example from our period 4 class.

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!