Artistic Vision
Art Education. Straight Up.Archive for Books
Book Review: Creative Time and Space, Making Room for Making Art by Rice Freeman-Zachery
I was reading an interview on Empty Easel with Rice Freeman-Zachery and it prompted me to buy her book: Creative Time and Space. Visually, the book does a fabulous job of showcasing the featured artists’ work. As for the content, I found myself wanting more.
The author, Rice Freeman-Zachery, weaves her own thoughts amid the mish-mash of anecdotal references by the featured artists on the various chapter topics:
- Exploring Time
- Making Time
- Corralling Time
- Stuck in Time
- Jumpstarting Time
- Mental Space
- Soul Space
- Real Space
- Creative Habits
- Taking It on the Road
The book is for those who are struggling with “making room for making art.” Rice includes little exercises in the form of “Try This” boxes to help you explore your own ideas about why you are where you are artistically and how to jump-start your passion for your art to get your back on track.
There is so much about this book that I wanted to like but much of it I had heard before. Surely, there is quite a bit here that is grounded in practicality, which just goes to show you why the reviews on Amazon were all positive. The author’s style is very warm and engaging. You cannot help but feel her passion and desire to motivate you.
However, what disappointed me was the fact that the Empty Easel interview, 10+ Ways to Make Time for Your Art, more clearly addressed what I needed to hear than the 171-page book. I expect an article that references a book to whet my appetite for the full-course meal that the book will provide me when I read it.
My Top 10 From Creative Time and Space
- Take a notebook/sketchbook with you everywhere. As Freeman-Zachery puts it so well, “Writing down ideas reinforces the value of creative thinking and encourages your brain to spend more time in creative mode.”
- Set studio boundaries so my creative time is seen as important to me (and others)
- Cut down on Web surfing and devote my time to painting
- Stop (or severely cut back on) watching TV since it easily and needlessly sucks up my evenings
- Consider implementing a schedule for myself (some of the featured artists’ schedules encouraged me, others were overwhelming)
- Write out my goals (both short-term and long-term)
- Make a studio-efficiency list as I work that could make my next studio experience more enjoyable
- Make a list of things that inspire me and when a rut hits, revisit it
- Make a list of what attracts me and/or scares me about my art; then take steps to work through that list
- Use my head-space as well as my studio space to infuse both thoughtful and spontaneous creativity throughout as much of my day as possible
You’ll notice in my list, time management plays a key role (see #2-7 above). In fact, that is really the crux of the matter and so the first half of the book is devoted to giving the reader strategies.
Rice (and a few of her featured artists) strongly recommends journaling. I have not made time for this and haven’t felt it to be a detriment. Who knows, you may find it essential. There were other pieces of advice throughout the book but I just didn’t find them compelling. They seemed more fluffy than substantial. Of course, we are all individuals and such little bits of esoterica may inspire you towards productivity.
The chapter on your studio—Real Space—was probably one of my favorites because I loved hearing about the variety of places these professionals did their work. I found it very encouraging since I just cleaned out a small space in our bedroom to work. (I’ll try to post on how that is working out for me in the near future.)
Well, that’s my take on Rice Freeman-Zachery’s Creative Time and Space. I can’t say I would definitely purchase this book again BUT I would have taken it out of the library and documented what I found that was practical. (3 1/2 Stars out of 5)
School year looms and I need some inspiration
Summer is sadly approaching its end. Yes, I know, it nearly brings a tear to my eye as well. After having lunch with a few friends from where I worked two companies ago, I stopped in to Barnes & Noble to look at their art book section as I was needing some inspiration and direction for a couple of new classes I am starting in the Fall.
The B&N in King of Prussia had a pretty good selection. Well, for me it did. I was looking for books specifically about pastels and oil/watercolor/acrylic painting. It shouldn’t have been too hard but I was surprised the amount of material that simply missed the mark.
I’ll give you a simple rundown of the order I placed through Amazon. I’ve already received two of my selections (woo-hoo!) and am looking forward to the others coming ahead of schedule as well. Here’s the list:
- Pastel School (Learn as You Go)
- Painting with Pastels: Easy Techniques to Master the Medium
- Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils
- Oil Painter’s Solution Book Landscapes: XX Answers to Your Oil Painting Questions
- How to Paint Like the Impressionists: A Practical Guide to Re-Creating Your Own Impressionist Paintings
- Layer by Layer Acrylic Painting
Yes, I know there aren’t any watercolor-technique books in the list and only one acrylic book. I’ve got some watercolor resources available at my house. I just need time to go through them and think out how to incorporate the info. Of course, what to include is also helpful. I’ve got that to figure out too. Though time is short, it’ll come together.
Well, I’m off to bed. Good night!
More Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain in class
Most of my Studio students have all but finished with the third assignment from Betty Edwards‘ video Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.
In this exercise, the students use a plastic viewfinder to map out a foreshortened view of their hand using a vis-a-vis markers. They take their modified viewfinder and then translate that pen drawing into a pencil drawing using an identical four-quadrant grid to render their hand realistically using simple shading.
It’s an exercise on perception, learning to see if you will. I’ve been pleased with some of the results, and I think those students have been too—despite their constant complaints! I’ve had to reiterate to the students that they need to stop expecting my class to be easy.
The exercises from the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain course are difficult but effective in giving participants a solid introduction to the principles of drawing: line, negative space, angles and proportions, shading. Dr. Edwards includes the gestalt or the personality (or “thingness”) of the thing or person drawn. She indicates that the gestalt comes from drawing and isn’t something taught.
It’s a simple application (reformulation?) of the elements and principles of design.
I’ll keep you posted as to the progress as my classes move further through the material. I’m curious, though, has anyone else participated in one of Dr. Edwards’ workshops or walked students through this course?
I’d love to hear about it so please comment fully!
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
This past week I started walking my students through Betty Edwards‘ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain material using the DRSB video. I was excited to try out this course since learning to draw is top of the list for nearly all of my students and had hoped Dr. Edwards’ credentials would have added some credence to the material. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case.
We’ve only just begun, however I’ve been a little disappointed in my students:
- At the top of the list is the fact that the first couple of exercises (vase-faces and upside-down drawing) weren’t taken seriously. Many talked through the exercise instead of being silent and concentrating.
- Their complaints that they couldn’t draw and how hard the exercises were droned on during most of my three Studio classes.
- On top of that, a few spent more time trying to find ways to trace the second project than simply doing it as instructed.
- Although I think they made too much of it, most complained about Dr. Edwards’ voice during the video. I tried to explain that her professorial voice is pretty common in colleges and they should get used to it. Of course, she could have hired someone but perhaps it wouldn’t have made the presentation as credible. Who knows. Either way, most of the students weren’t buying it.
Monday and Tuesday of this week, I had the students create the small viewfinder (there are two sizes). I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was disappointed when many of my students couldn’t do the measuring using the ruler. I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll be able to get started on the exercises using the viewfinder. I’ll keep you all posted.
Has anyone used the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain material? What was your student response to it? I’d really like to hear your thoughts. Also, does anyone have any other recommended drawing courses they have successfully used for high school students?
Reading assignments and art education—what’s a teacher to do?
I came home today from one of the most disappointing and frustrating days of my, as of yet, very short educational career. My students were tasked, last week to ready what is the introduction to Art History (2nd ed.) by Marilyn Stokstad. Although 17 pages, it’s packed with large photos and isn’t a huge drain on your intellectual resources. She does an admirable job communicating on a less-than-high-school level for high schoolers.
Sadly, the students complained from day until night about this assignment. First, let me say my kids are used to not being challenged in art class. Left to their own devices they would be happy doing a little craft and talking to their friends all period. They love to tell me how much better the “other” art teachers were that they’ve had at the school and gleefully run through the list of past preferred teachers. However, from what I’ve gather from talking to the teachers who are still at the school (turn over is exceptionally high), none of the teachers really did anything close to what should be covered in art history or art appreciation. The later teachers seem to have been worn down by the students to the point of letting them come up with their own projects with minimal oversight. And, I can see why!
I told the students I wanted simple notes taken (and attached to their packet) or that they could highlight the text of the xerox packet. Many said they didn’t understand what that meant. I explained that in college you’re going to be tasked with having to read chapters in a book. Your responsibility is to read it and a) take notes via pen/notebook or laptop or b) highlight what you believe to be relevant portions of the text. I deliberately left it open-ended since I didn’t want to walk them through it because the students will lazily not do the reading and wait for my before-the-test study guide.
Sadly, upon reviewing their packets—I told them they would receive a grade for their highlight/note-taking—I determined many of them were either not reading it but simply highlight pieces of the text at random, or they were reading it and not pulling out what they should have been. So, I spoke to my principal and vice-principal to seek their advice. In the end, they agreed with me that I should ditch giving them a formal study guide and re-read the article during class periodically stopping to ask them for feedback and what was salient about the short passage we just read together. That would serve as their study guide.
Well, the students in my first two classes weren’t having it. First period did poor with frequent interruptions and complaints and third period did even worse. I had to ask the VP to come down to remove two students. By the time she got there, other students had basically becoming just as talkative. I pulled her outside and we conferred. In the end, she recommended that they be held accountable for their behavior and told their notes would have to suffice and the test they were to be given on this material would take place as originally planned instead of two days later to accommodate the re-reading of the packet. The next period did better with only a couple of students periodically having side conversations.
In the final analysis, though, I know most of these students will fail this test. Not because the information wasn’t available to them, but because they don’t care and see it as being irrelevant to their life. One girl told me she just didn’t care because it wasn’t important to her; she wants to be a doctor and art is not relevant to her career. I tried to explain that in college (she’s in 11th grade), she’s going to have to read many things which she is going to feel the same way about. Just because you think you’re going to med school doesn’t mean everything is a) going to be medically-related, b) going to be interesting and c) going to be easy. These kids—even the seniors—seem very naive and I just don’t know how to break through to them.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how to handle some of the art history lessons I’ve got coming up? I know the students think that if they complain and cause enough problems I’ll just throw in the towel and only do hands-on projects. But, I refuse to do that.
Please send me your suggestions and comments.
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