doodles&noodles: May 2013

Ugly Jugs

If you haven't noticed, lately, my classes have been focusing on Georgia artists. Ugly jugs or face jugs also fall under this umbrella. They are a southern tradition dating back to the Meader family and some would say it goes back even further to the time of slavery. Slaves would make them after the working day was done. Many speculate about why they are so ugly. My research reveals many reasons but the common thread is they are made to be frightening.

Fifth graders really impressed me.

big bad wolf and the little piggy

okay... so the objective "ugly" was optional ... cute and quirky work too

kitty cat friends

Peter Loose Animals

Peter Loose is a folk artist here in Georgia. He was not always an artist. He once worked at a nature center ... come to think of it ... he may still, because he has a passion and love for nature. None-the-less, he is inspired by animals. Second graders surely noticed this as they viewed his paintings.

I happened to notice how Peter Looses' art had a lot in common with traditional Aboriginal art. So, we compared and contrasted these two distinct artists.

What do you you notice?

Enjoy!

We "pair shared" with each other after we thought we were finished. I asked that each pair share one thing they really liked about each other's art and offer one suggestion on how to make it even better. The results were terrific. They had such wonderful ideas.

Kimmy Cantrell Clay Faces

Last school year, I introduced 4th graders to the artwork of Kimmy Cantrell, a Georgia native. They enjoyed making these quirky clay faces so much that I brought it back this year. I experimented a little with the surface but the the objective was the same. Everyone made a face celebrating imperfection by using assymetrical balance, unexpected textures, and expressive features.