From F’s to C’s to A’s: Overcoming the Fear of Failure Through Computers and Art
An Invitation:
In 1997, The Newgrange School Art Program was selected by the governor’s office to provide hand made decorations for the children's holiday tree at Drumthwacket, the official residence of New Jersey’s governor. While excited that our program was chosen, I wanted to be sure that the activity would be relevant for my students. You see, Newgrange students are of average to above average intelligence, but have a
variety of learning disabilities which have contributed to patterns of underachieving in traditional school environments. After one or more years in a “regular” classroom, most of our students lack confidence in their intelligence and abilities.
I began to search for art work and media which would help my students better understand the assignment. I chose Fauvism, printmaking,
decoupage, cut paper designs and computer based drawing and research lessons to connect with “Holly and Ivy” , the theme assigned to us. Since this was to be the first major lesson of the school year, I knew that the apprehensions of new (and returning) students would need to be addressed first.
The Art Room:
I’ve been teaching art at Newgrange for eleven years and have heard the phrase “I can’t” expressed in more ways than one by many students unfamiliar with our art room. There are always some who are afraid of failing again, others who think that they have no talent, and a few who have never been offered the opportunity to hold a paint brush, doodle with crayons or form a chunk of clay with their hands! All lack
confidence; most lack trust. My first job is to get them to believe I know what I’m doing, and then agree to give me a shot at discovering their talents. And it sure doesn’t hurt when I tell them that
I struggle with some of the same problems they do!
Questions, Questions:
We always begin with questions, and for this project I had two BIG ones: “What is good art?” and “What happens when people hate your art?”. Following a vigorous discussion, I told the students about the French artist Henri Matisse and how people who saw his early paintings and the paintings of other artists claimed Matisse and his fellows painted like wild beasts. I further explained that the term for wild beasts in French was “Les Fauves”, that this term which at first was meant to insult the artists was later adopted as a term to describe their new style of painting, and that soon after Mr Matisse became very famous. Finally, I announced that we had been asked by the governor’s office to create something different to help decorate the governor’s mansion, and that if “wild beasts” could make great art, so could we. We all agreed to give it a try.
The Lessons:
After collecting an assortment of leaves and vines to study, students began their work. Younger students cut up scraps of construction paper into leaf shapes and folded 3 dimensional collages depicting a variety of organic shapes. Later they cut out paper masters of leaves and used glue to draw “veins” on the masters. After several applications of glue, the veins had a raised surface perfect for separating colors during mono printing. As the leaf masters were inked and pressed onto paper to make beautiful prints, they absorbed layers of color. After the printing was finished, the masters were polished with coats of sealant; when dry, they looked just like cut glass!
Following preliminary drawings, the older students made a series of quick paintings meant to capture the essential shapes of ivy and holly leaves and the characteristics of positive and negative space. Within a week each student had a portfolio of paintings which were linked not only thematically, but stylistically as well. Maybe they were artists after all!
Following a lesson on the art of cutting safely with x-acto knives, older students began designs on stiff paper rectangles, cutting away thin lines and hearty chunks, revealing beautiful patterns in the remaining surfaces. Later, students folded parts of their cut-outs, making ever more creative shapes. A quick coating of gold or silver paint, and the paper ornaments were complete. Simple yet stunning, they looked like delicate foil, shining brightly against the more natural surfaces of the younger students” leaves.
Surfing and Sketching:
To reinforce key concepts about Fauvism and early to mid twentieth century art, we periodically used our art room computers to visit web sites featuring the art of Matisse. We downloaded images from museum
collections and Matisse research sites, comparing and contrasting the elements of his Fauvist paintings, later abstract paintings and large format paper cut outs. Also, we created computer based patterns and designs in the ClarisWorks 5.0 paint module to parallel our more traditional projects. We were ready to display and discuss what we had discovered.
Critiques and Comments:
During their critiques students were able to recall accurately and describe the disparate aspects of the entire project, and engage in a positive analysis of their own and peer work. They learned to identify several works by Henri Matisse and elements of style which characterized his Fauvist period. Following the critiques, four honors students were chosen to accompany me to Drumthwacket to participate in decorating the mansion. They placed over 300 ornaments on the tree, each one truly unique.
Days later, stationed by the display during an open house, I was struck by the overwhelmingly positive comments of the visitors. Our students’ creative and skillful use of such ordinary materials brought gasps of appreciation and delight from family members and strangers alike. The mansion’s curator, who oversees every form of display at the residence, pronounced our students’ designs the best ever! Many of our students attended the open house that day, and got to hear first hand those wonderful comments. The looks on their faces spoke volumes about fears overcome, skills mastered, and talents uncovered.
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