Entry #3: Taking Inspiration from BRAINY Lesson
February 13th, 2022
#Printmakingterrarium
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For this art journal entry, I thought about how I might incorporate my BRAINY art lesson from the museum tour, into something personal and reflective. Before deciding on materials or approach, I knew I wanted to make some art from observation. I looked around for something to draw from life, and wanted whatever I picked, to be something meaningful. The item that I found that is important to me, is a terrarium that I had assembled. It has a heart-shaped fern inside that took time to successfully grow, and it has moved with me across the USA.
Instead of my go-to choice of drawing with pencil or ink on paper, I decided to try and use the techniques and materials from the art lesson I had been working on for the BRAINY program. When I was in middle and high-school, I can only remember one lesson that involved print-making, and it wasn’t based on anything meaningful. I think we picked an image we liked in a magazine and copied it directly. Most of the art teachers I had in the past focused more on the final product and technical skill, which I think can be important in some ways. However, I realized as I got further in school, my art became less imaginative or personal, and became more detail-focused. I’m excited to use TAB and student-led class structures to make students more curious and willing to make mistakes. Some of the elementary and middle school students I’ve met over the past year have really impressed me demonstrating their divergent thinking.
I like that the BRAINY lesson I came up with, is quick and easy to teach, and the students can make it as simple or complex as they want. It would be a fun mini-lesson for a TAB classroom station. The foam material and pencil technique is ideal for younger students, and avoids any mess or dangerous tools. Older middle and high-school students could use block-printing materials that are a bit sharper and take more fine motor skills.
I have to remind myself that while I found this journal fun and stimulating, not every student would choose this activity. I do think having a printmaking TAB station is beneficial though, and offers students something different than pencils, paint or clay. I’m going to try and push myself to think of more non-traditional art media and techniques.
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-The first, yellow image is my initial drawing on the foam panel, which will become the negative.
-The second image is the print, made with green acrylic paint.
-The third and final image is after adding detail with an ink pen.