Someone recently told me that they really like my tag at the end of my emails that I send from my UNBC account. It is an old (I think) Chinese proverb that says "Life is an echo; what you send out comes back." When I stumbled upon this saying/proverb (are these words interchangeable?) a couple of years ago, it immediately struck a chord with me. This is how I try to live my life, although I'll admit that sometimes it is easier said than done.
During our last art class, we were required to do some basic drawing to start the class (why am I telling you this...you were there). I'm not kidding guys, I am so uncomfortable with visual arts and drawing that I LITERALLY started to sweat! I find that when I am uncomfortable with something or really lacking in skill, my default attitude is very negative and I am not one to hesitate to let my feelings be known. However, as I was racking my brain (again) to think of something to write about for my blog, for some reason that Chinese proverb popped into my head. "Life is an echo; what you send out comes back." As a teacher if I project my negative attitude about visual arts to my students, chances are that they (at least some of them) are going to start thinking negative about visual arts. That is not what I want to see happen. While I am not a huge fan of visual arts, I do see the value in it and I think it is important for us as teachers to allow and encourage our students to find their own passions in school and in life. What I need to work on as a teacher (maybe as a person?) is to not let my own insecurities and personal bias ruin things for others, especially impressionable children. It's a work in progress, but I'm trying.
That is all.
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Blogging: It's Harder Than You Think
After taking a week off from blogging in order to catch up with the assignments I had due this week, I found myself ready and willing to make a post earlier today. However, I just couldn't for the life of me think of anything interesting and art related to talk about. I was talking to Jana-Rae earlier today about how it is easy for her to write blog posts because she is super creative and she has made so many art projects and crafts that she can write about. This is not the case for me. If watching movies and TV was considered an art form, then I'd be the next Picasso and I'd be able to post a blog a day at least. However, as it stands I don't spend a lot of time thinking about, looking at, or creating art (with the exception of playing my guitar. Shameless YouTube channel plug http://www.youtube.com/user/sledge624 ).
Then I remembered that as I was thinking about ideas to use for my art lesson plans for this week, I kept bouncing between two different possible themes to use: Fall and Halloween. Since the focus of my lesson plans was on Fall, why not make this blog post about Halloween (a bit early, I know). One of my favorite parts of Halloween is carving a pumpkin. This is something I look forward to doing every year and I hope it is something that I will be able to share with students once I have my own classroom. Do kids still get to carve pumpkins in school? If so, who gets to keep the seeds for roasting in the oven? Anyways, here are a few of the pumpkins I've carved over the years.
Then I remembered that as I was thinking about ideas to use for my art lesson plans for this week, I kept bouncing between two different possible themes to use: Fall and Halloween. Since the focus of my lesson plans was on Fall, why not make this blog post about Halloween (a bit early, I know). One of my favorite parts of Halloween is carving a pumpkin. This is something I look forward to doing every year and I hope it is something that I will be able to share with students once I have my own classroom. Do kids still get to carve pumpkins in school? If so, who gets to keep the seeds for roasting in the oven? Anyways, here are a few of the pumpkins I've carved over the years.
Pretty cool, right?I know these pumpkin pictures aren't likely to be placed in The Louvre any time soon, but the pumpkins were super fun to carve and looking at them in these pictures still makes me smile. And isn't that, if nothing else, the response we want our students to get from art? Whether it's visual art, music, drama, or dance, it is our job as teachers to show students how fun art can be and provide them with a project or a memory that they can look back on and smile about.
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
My Dad
This is my Dad.
This picture was taken a little less than a year before he passed away in 2010 after a battle with cancer. At the time this picture was taken he had lost quite a bit of weight, his hair had gotten a bit thinner and grayer (is that a word?), but he was relatively happy, all things considered. I must say, he was still pretty good looking guy right up to the end.
In this picture he is standing in front of the Atlantic ocean in his home town of St. Augustine, Florida, at a condo that he and my Mom had rented for their 31st wedding anniversary weekend while they were on what turned out to be their last trip to Florida together (they went every two years). If you knew my Dad you would know that getting him to pose for a picture was a next to impossible thing unless you could get a few drinks into him first! But when I look at this picture I don't see the usual look of disdain that is common whenever someone "stuck a camera in his damn face," as he used to say. Rather, when I look at this picture I see peace. Peace for a man who left his family, friends, and country behind for the love of a woman who lived in the Great White North. Peace for a man who had grown up a wealthy potato farmer only to see crop disease and drought ruin the family farm, loosing everything. And peace for a man who worked twelve hour shifts at a pulp mill for 30 years only to develop cancer as a reward. It's funny/ironic to me that it can sometimes take a terminal illness for one to find peace in their life.
Anyways, to tie this back to art. I find it fascinating how one simple picture can tell such a detailed and unique story. Its crazy, really, how a picture can take you on a journey as far as you will let it take you and that each person who sees that picture is likely to be taken somewhere completely different. I know this picture of my Dad may not be the best example of different interpretations of art, but it is personal to me. When I see it I don't just see a picture but rather a life story.
In closing, this is my favorite picture that I have ever taken. I am not a photographer at all and I took this picture when I was 16 on one of those old Kodiak disposable camera's. I scanned the original copy years ago when scanners weren't s good as they are now, but I think it still holds up well. It is special to me as it captures a moment in time that I always cherished, and still do. Standing on the dock on the Saint John's river with my Dad, barely speaking a word, waiting for the fish to bite.
This picture was taken a little less than a year before he passed away in 2010 after a battle with cancer. At the time this picture was taken he had lost quite a bit of weight, his hair had gotten a bit thinner and grayer (is that a word?), but he was relatively happy, all things considered. I must say, he was still pretty good looking guy right up to the end.
In this picture he is standing in front of the Atlantic ocean in his home town of St. Augustine, Florida, at a condo that he and my Mom had rented for their 31st wedding anniversary weekend while they were on what turned out to be their last trip to Florida together (they went every two years). If you knew my Dad you would know that getting him to pose for a picture was a next to impossible thing unless you could get a few drinks into him first! But when I look at this picture I don't see the usual look of disdain that is common whenever someone "stuck a camera in his damn face," as he used to say. Rather, when I look at this picture I see peace. Peace for a man who left his family, friends, and country behind for the love of a woman who lived in the Great White North. Peace for a man who had grown up a wealthy potato farmer only to see crop disease and drought ruin the family farm, loosing everything. And peace for a man who worked twelve hour shifts at a pulp mill for 30 years only to develop cancer as a reward. It's funny/ironic to me that it can sometimes take a terminal illness for one to find peace in their life.
Anyways, to tie this back to art. I find it fascinating how one simple picture can tell such a detailed and unique story. Its crazy, really, how a picture can take you on a journey as far as you will let it take you and that each person who sees that picture is likely to be taken somewhere completely different. I know this picture of my Dad may not be the best example of different interpretations of art, but it is personal to me. When I see it I don't just see a picture but rather a life story.
In closing, this is my favorite picture that I have ever taken. I am not a photographer at all and I took this picture when I was 16 on one of those old Kodiak disposable camera's. I scanned the original copy years ago when scanners weren't s good as they are now, but I think it still holds up well. It is special to me as it captures a moment in time that I always cherished, and still do. Standing on the dock on the Saint John's river with my Dad, barely speaking a word, waiting for the fish to bite.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
And So It Begins
A blog, eh?
Can't say I've ever blogged before but I guess there's a first time for everything. Not only have I never blogged before but I'm also like the least artistic person EVER!!! At least in regards to visual arts. I can draw a pretty mean Ninja Turtle head (as odd and specialized as this skill is, it still confounds me that I never took the time and learned how to draw the rest of the Ninja Turtle. Why just the head?) but that's about the only artistic skill I have in my "bag o' tricks". Performing arts is more within my comfort zone. I love to play the guitar and sing (mostly country music) and I can read just enough music to get by, at least in a typical elementary classroom. I love drama, at least I love the idea of drama. I can't say that I ever took drama classes growing up but looking back I think it is something I would have had fun with. Dancing is probably where I'm least effective in performing arts, however I did take the time to learn how to do the "Gangnam Style" dance when that was all the rage ;o) And I can do a pretty effective sprinkler dance!
Can't say I've ever blogged before but I guess there's a first time for everything. Not only have I never blogged before but I'm also like the least artistic person EVER!!! At least in regards to visual arts. I can draw a pretty mean Ninja Turtle head (as odd and specialized as this skill is, it still confounds me that I never took the time and learned how to draw the rest of the Ninja Turtle. Why just the head?) but that's about the only artistic skill I have in my "bag o' tricks". Performing arts is more within my comfort zone. I love to play the guitar and sing (mostly country music) and I can read just enough music to get by, at least in a typical elementary classroom. I love drama, at least I love the idea of drama. I can't say that I ever took drama classes growing up but looking back I think it is something I would have had fun with. Dancing is probably where I'm least effective in performing arts, however I did take the time to learn how to do the "Gangnam Style" dance when that was all the rage ;o) And I can do a pretty effective sprinkler dance!
I'm not really sure what else to say right now. Does this qualify as a blog post, I wonder? The bottom line is (Stone Cold Steve Austin reference for all you wrestling fans out there) I have a long way to go in becoming an effective visual arts teacher but I have high hopes of learning some new skills in our Arts class at UNBC and also from my future students.
Cheers!
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