Sketchbook Studies- Primary Resources 

Students created sketchbooks quickly. Students viewed sketchbooks and discussed how artists use them as keeping a record of visual research for more final artworks. First assignment for their sketchbook was to look at primary resources (photographs) that are being used in library. Students looked at a worksheet to guide them through comparing and contrasting visual information on the farms. The focus was to look at the images for signs of the past or present and to support there reasoning. Students created sketches  in the sketchbooks, as part of their visual research that was used in their paintings. 

Field Trip Sketches and Photography

Students on the field trip to their farm were asked to make one landscape sketch of what they see. They were given a worksheet to guide their sketching. These sketches were purely observational using the techniques we used in class: values and texture. If they had extra time they were instructed to sketch 2 objects in the landscape that reflected the past and the present. Students also were in charge of taking pictures on the trip that were used  for this web site and art projects.

 Watercolor Landscapes of Farms 

Students looked at various farm scenes created by artists in the past and present. We discussed the meaning of each landscape and how they connect to the farms we’ve visited. Students used observational sketches and photographs from the field trip to create finished works of art that reflected their visit and research in library. They  first sketched them, used pen and finished them in watercolors. We used techniques earlier learned in art about line and value. We  also discussed the symbolic use of color as well. We used this project for classes to compare their visits visually.

 Personal Heritage Quilt Landscapes

We  viewed three different artists who created artwork that relates to the land. We discussed what story the artist was trying to tell and the personal connection each has with the images. (One that reflects the past, present and future) Students  created a landscape utilizing the sketches we created in sketchbooks and personal imagery and places combined to create a landscape. The landscapes relate to the present or their own past heritage. The landscape is in the center square with a quilt pattern using symbols of their choice on the outside. If they chose the present, the quilt border  reflects the past. If they chose the center to be the past then the border  reflects the present.

Students  worked on preliminary sketches first to generate ideas for symbols that represented their own past heritage and symbols relating to the present. This part of the project connects to  research they had been doing in class on their own backgrounds. They used this research to create these works of art.

Students worked on final piece using thick paints and painting techniques (colors as symbols, texture and mixing) that was discussed in class. To complete the project students will wrote an artist statement describing the meaning and symbolism of their artwork and present it to the class.

In art and library students  designed a web page that includes artwork, photographs, interviews, maps and information that have been gathered as a result of this project. As a class we explored web sites that clearly and creatively share information. Students sketched and wrote down their own ideas for creating our web page. As a class we decided on a final idea and in smaller groups scanned and collected imagery for the project. Students were involved in  altering, cropping and other general preparations for getting  their work ready for the page. In small groups students created the web page you see here!