ART INQUIRY UNIT—Process for Artist Researchers! Susan Deming, Art Specialist, Roosevelt Elementary School!
! Connecting students to artists as: RESEARCHERS, INVESTIGATORS, QUESTION ASKERS, CURIOUS PEOPLE!
! ! Subject matter in art comes from: MEMORY, OBSERVATION & IMAGINATION! ! !
The processes students experience in this unit support the following Common Core Language Objectives in an art context:!
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10 & CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.10 Write (in this art context, substituting write with draw & paint) routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) . . .! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2a . . . group related information in paragraphs and sections; include . . . illustrations . . .!
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A memory drawing. What do I already know about the subject that can inform this inquiry at the start?! Observational sketches. How can I look carefully and attentively to draw what I see?! Compare/Contrast. How are the subjects the same as each other? How are they different?! Diagram. What is the basic structure of the subject? What are the parts of the subject? How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of the subject?! Drawing & watercolor techniques. How can I get better at art techniques to build mastery in art? How can specific art techniques and skills enable me to better express my knowledge, thoughts, feelings and ideas in my works of art?! Original art. How can I create my own original and expressive work of art using my own ideas and imagination combined with my observations, knowledge, experience and mastery of art techniques.!
Fall 2013 - Winter 2014: Students explored three Art Inquiries in order to learn the process of artistic research. The inquiries are the Leaf Inquiry, Insect Inquiry and Bird Inquiry. Each inquiry was designed to follow the same six steps that build to become increasingly deep and complex over time. Students grew in mastery by the repetition of skills, materials, tools and techniques and gained autonomy through the practice of steps that might be repeated independently to investigate subjects of their own choosing. Students also understood how they might be able to predict future learning based on past learning since the steps of the inquiry always were the same through each of the inquiries. Another constant theme of
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the inquiries was the repetition of the concept of observation as a place for students to begin their interaction with the subject using synthesis thinking—students were continually invited to make changes to the subject, to add backgrounds and settings of their own choosing, to combine elements creatively, to play around and explore the possibilities of the materials and techniques . . . and that art was a safe place to use their own ideas to combine memory, observation and imagination in the creation of original works of art.!
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Rational for the term “research”: In my experience, artists call the work they do the creative process not research. Unfortunately, I have also seen that there is confusion and ambiguity about what the creative process is and how to involve students in this process in a rigorous and authentic way. Bloom’s Taxonomy has been a useful framework for me to understand and demonstrate the stages artists engage in to develop skills, ideas, thinking and ultimately, original and expressive works of art. Furthermore, I think that scientific research shares much in common with artistic research/creative process. Writers also experience a similar creative or research process and the common core standards listed above explicitly ask educators to teach students how to research in language arts. The Art Inquiry steps I have developed were designed to be applicable beyond the art room—I believe that they could be used to do research in general in any content area.!
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Below: Thinking Levels used in designing the Art Inquiries. Derived from Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs.!
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To read my documentation of the Art Inquiry Unit, go to www.etcetera-art.com. To see galleries of student art from the unit, go to http://etcetera-art.com/index/
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Establishing the Routine: The Daily Warm Up!
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The Warm Up: Observational Sketches!
Go to http://issuu.com/etcetera-art/docs/mind_node-observational_quick_sketc?e=10288367/8507841 to view Observational Quick Sketch Map.!
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At the beginning of the school year, the first ten minutes of the art class was spent doing the above Warm Up Routine: observational quick sketches from still life (flowers in vases.) Observation in the art room was defined as: Looking carefully and attentively to draw or paint what you see. The warm up drawing was timed—varying from 2 - 5 minutes.!
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During the Warm Up students experienced:!
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laying down a sketch quickly in a focused manner with no talking! developing the confidence that they can complete a sketch in 2 - 5 minutes at the same time as feeling comfortable knowing that it likely will not be 'finished'! working with 'mistakes' by drawing over them, turning them into something else or turning their paper over (no matter how unworkable the mistake, students are not to crumple their paper or throw it away--every so called ‘mistake’ is an opportunity to learn)! exposing students to an authentic artistic practice of doing timed drawings! practicing working attentively and carefully to draw what they see! using crayons instead of pencils so that they are not tempted to erase and for practice in using more than three colors and using color to fill in all shapes and the paper to the edges!
About three weeks into the warm ups (I see students once a week), I began to talk about how artists use imagination in combination with observational drawing. Students were invited to modify elements of the still life such as changing the color and pattern of the vase, adding a background or setting around the still life, combining flowers from vases around the room in
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their drawing or changing the flowers entirely. After a few weeks of still life, students moved on to drawing human manikins and plastic animals.!
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The Warm Up: Story Sticks! !
Go to http://issuu.com/etcetera-art/docs/mind_node-story_sticks?e=10288367/8507846 to view the Story Sticks Mind Map.!
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In order to more explicitly help students practice accessing their memories and imaginations, mid-fall, students began a Warm Up variation called Story Sticks. Story Sticks are labeled popsicle sticks that have four categories: Character, Condition, Feeling and Setting. I drew one stick from each category to create a prompt for a four minute drawing. Some of the words on the sticks are cat, island, sunny, mad, ghost, garden, rainy, worried, car, dinosaur, misty, scared, etc. The words combine into funny combinations and often put characters in unusual circumstances—the students found them fun and inspiring. The Story Sticks are meant to provide a starting point for drawing and so, students were not obligated to stick to the categories drawn. Students were encouraged to use their own ideas and that if they had a better idea than the one suggested by the story sticks to do it.
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Inquiry #1: Leaves!
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Above: Mind Node Chart, The Insect Inquiry. Note the grey boxes to the left of the nodes—these thinking levels are derived from the Bloom's Taxonomy Chart of Action Verbs. ! Go to http://issuu.com/etcetera-art/docs/mind_node-leaf_inquiry?e=10288367/6122427 to view the Leaf Mind Map.!
! The models for this inquiry were large ‘realistic’ silk leaves and fresh fall leaves.! ! Introduction to Inquiry in Art: Leaves! ! ! !
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A memory drawing. What do I already know about leaves that can inform this inquiry at the start?! Observational sketches. How can I look carefully and attentively to draw what I see?! Compare/Contrast. How are the leaves the same as each other? How are they different?! Diagram. What is the basic structure of the leaves? What are the parts of a leaf? How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of a leaf?! Drawing techniques. Can I show that I can apply the art expectations from the Warm Up to my leaf drawings: use more than 3 colors, draw a background, fill the paper, use interesting details.! Original art. How can I create my own original and expressive work of art using my own ideas and imagination combined with my observations, knowledge, experience and mastery of art techniques.!
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Following are students completing the last drawing of the inquiry: draw any scene of your choice using crayons and following the art expectations but it must have at least one leaf.!
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Inquiry #2: Insects!
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Go to http://issuu.com/etcetera-art/docs/mind_node-insect_inquiry/1 to view the Insect Inquiry Mind Map.!
! The models for this inquiry were small plastic insects.! ! Insect Inquiry:! ! ! 1.!
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A memory drawing. What do I already know about insects that can inform this inquiry at the start?! Observational sketches. How can I look carefully and attentively to draw what I see?! Compare/Contrast. How are the insects the same as each other? How are they different?! Diagram. What is the basic structure of the insects? What are the parts of an insect? How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of a insect?! a. Drawing techniques. Can I show that I can apply the art expectations from the Warm Up to my leaf drawings: use more than 3 colors, draw a background, fill the paper, use interesting details.! b. Watercolor techniques. How can I get better at using watercolors in a wet way with an oil pastel underdrawing.! Original art. How can I create my own original and expressive work of art using my own ideas and imagination combined with my observations, knowledge, experience and mastery of art techniques.!
1. Memory drawing:
draw a picture of an insect.!
Step 2. Observational sketches.!
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Step 3. Compare/Contrast. Give One, Get One: find a partner, compare your insects for characteristics that are the same and different. Discuss what you found in a class discussion.!
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Step 4. Diagrams. ‘I draw, you draw’ structure of an insect with the teacher with labels.
Comparison drawing of insect structure with leaf structure.!
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Step 5 & 6. ! ! Watercolor Technique: Watercolor oil pastel resist paintings! ! Original art: draw a creature that is “insect-like.� The creature can have as many things ! different from an insect but at least one thing the same as an insect.! ! Deepen the learning with an analysis: Analyze the finished painting for !! ! ! characteristics that are the same and different in a chart.!
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Deepen the learning: Review the Process for Artistic Researchers!
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a. Complete a poster. Students’ choice: find a partner or work alone. Use art from your ! portfolio, cut the research steps out from the worksheet, match the art from your ! ! portfolios with the steps, use tape or glue to attach, add construction paper strips to ! connect ideas, place emphasis or decorate.!
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b. Assignment: draw an insect. Not all classes had time to complete a poster due to ! holidays and assemblies, so some classes completed a second piece of original art! instead of the poster.! You may use the insect model to do an observational drawing or combine the ! ! observation with your imagination or create a totally imaginary insect using the art ! expectation. Oil pastel on black construction paper mounted on purple construction ! paper. Students had the choice to further decorate the border. Oil pastel skill ! ! emphasized: draw thick and dark to attempt to cover the original color of the construction paper, including using black or purple oil pastel on areas to be left black or purple.!
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Inquiry #3: Birds!
! The models for this inquiry were photographs of local San Leandro birds.! ! Bird Inquiry:! ! ! 1.!
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A memory drawing. What do I already know about birds that can inform this inquiry at the start?! Observational sketches. How can I look carefully and attentively to draw what I see?! Compare/Contrast. How are the birds the same as each other? How are they different?! Diagram. What is the basic structure of a bird? What are the parts of a bird? How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of a bird?! a. Drawing techniques. Can I show that I can apply the art expectations from the Warm Up to my bird drawings: use more than 3 colors, draw a background, fill the paper, use interesting details (emphasis on showing weather).! b. Watercolor techniques. How can I get better at using watercolors in a wet way with an oil pastel underdrawing, wet brush, bleeding, warm & cool colors & ‘lovely accidents’.! Original art. How can I create my own original and expressive work of art using my own ideas and imagination combined with my observations, knowledge, experience and mastery of art techniques.!
! Step 1. Memory drawing. draw a picture of a bird and label it ‘Memory Drawing’.! ! Step 2. Observational sketches.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Grade 4 Observation sketches!
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Grade 3 Observational sketches
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Grade 2 Observational sketches!
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Step 3. Compare/Contrast! ! ! ! ! ! “Give One, Get One” to verbally compare birds and some classes completed lists of characteristics that were the same and different.!
Step 4. Diagram.!
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What is the basic structure of a bird? What are the parts of a bird?
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How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of a bird using exaggeration?!
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How can I 'play around' (explore) with the structure to create an original version of a bird and make it more ‘realistic’ than the exaggerated bird? Art technique: thumbnail sketches.!
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Step 5. Watercolor techniques. How can I get better at using watercolors in a wet way using a wet brush, bleeding, warm & cool colors & ‘lovely accidents’. Deepen the exploration: can I draw a bird, cut it out and move it around on top of the dry watercolors to see how it would look on top of a vibrant watercolor background?! ! ! Student initiated exploration: use construction paper strips and fold & glue to attach the birds so they ‘pop up.’!
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Student initiated variations on the theme:!
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Exploring the sculptural qualities of the folded strips:!
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Creating a 3-D suitcase for a bird glued flat.!
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A student intrigued with how the rainbow colors in the birds blended into the ! background, so she glued the birds flat and used the construction paper to ! construct a 3-D sun. 
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Step 6. Original art.! ! ! Grades 2 & 4. Oil pastel resist watercolor paintings. May use any combination of memory, observation or imagination to draw the bird with oil pastel. Think about what areas are to be drawn with oil pastel and which to be painted with watercolor. Use a wet technique and thickly drawn oil pastel so that the colors ‘pop.’ Be sure to create a background or setting, think about weather and interesting details to tell the viewer where the bird lives.!
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! ! Grade 3: Colored pencil drawing. Students were to think about combining their observation of a bird with their own ideas: such as adding original colors, patterns, visualizing the weather, time of day and feeling. Explicitly asked them to recall how they had changed the sizes of the parts of a bird to create new, original birds.!
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Deepen the Bird Inquiry by reviewing Memory, Observation and Imagination drawings on a worksheet. Each drawing timed for five minutes. Students asked to do their best drawing, add a background/setting—something new: try using shading (light, medium & dark—learning from previous year) with the 6B soft lead artist pencils.
Thanks to Sam Miller for the worksheet template.
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What Next?!
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The year-long overarching goal for students in my art class is: How can I grow in my ability to create original and expressive art? This goal is based on the purpose of VAPA Standard 2.0 but not on a specific 2.0 sub-topic. In order for students to become familiar with art making as a form of inquiry, I felt it was important to begin with subjects students are familiar with and can see in their everyday life. Since the Bird Inquiry, I have been pulling the specific sub-topics back into the curriculum so that, in future, the students will experience the sub-topics in a series of connected cycles of inquiry that move them more deeply and complexly into the art making process instead of separate projects or lessons. Grade 3 students have already begun exploring VAPA Standards “2.3 Paint or draw a landscape, seascape or cityscape that shows the illusion of depth” and “2.4 Create a work of art based on the observation of objects and scenes in daily life, emphasizing value changes.” These explorations of the illusion of depth, landscape and value changes are a direct outgrowth of their work with backgrounds and settings in the Leaf, Insect and Bird Inquiries. The exploration will be structured with the six art inquiry steps and students will have a sense of purpose knowing that their work connects to their previous work with backgrounds and settings and is meant to help them grow in the continuing goal to improve in their ability to create original and expressive works of art.!
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On the topic of promoting a sense of purpose, an important part of the inquiry cycle process that perhaps should have been the #7 step is “Predict” or “What next?” because, at the end of each inquiry, I asked the students: “Based on the learning you did with the leaves/insects/birds, what do you think will be the first thing you will do in the next inquiry?” I also asked them after each step: “What do you think is the next step based on your previous experience with the _____ inquiry?”!
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One last note on the inquiries: I have not talked about how I have connected students to works of art by accomplished artists or to teacher models of finished work . . . to quote art educator, Marvin Bartel: “Students study art history, but to avoid confusion, they would not study art history as a way to get an idea for their work. They would generate ideas, do artwork, and then (after the creative work) the teacher would guide them to historical exemplars that also employed some aspect or concept similar to the the student's work.” In this way, “Art History and the art world content becomes concept centered rather than product centered. Works are studied for why they were made (how did they serve the cultural and societal needs of the time) and for how the artist strategized them. Teachers learn to teach this way by analyzing accomplished artists and how they each generate their ideas.” A central objective of this inquiry model of teaching is that students go straight to the source to begin the creative process to discover their own way of drawing a bird, an insect or a leaf . . . not a copy of someone else’s idea of how to draw it. Consequently, when students look at the art prints it will be after they have generated their own ideas and done their own artwork. Furthermore, as much as possible, I have tried to stay away from teacher models. The one compromise was step 4, Diagram, where I showed students how artists visualize the basic components of a leaf, insect or bird using simple shapes. An important reason for the diagram step was to pull in students who are having difficultly with observational drawing. This step gives these students (and all students) a framework with which to begin a drawing and makes it easier to show all students strategies for changing a drawing to make it their own.
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