Tubbs Hill Mural Project: Overview
I am excited to announce that I will be the Fall 2013 Artist-in-Residence at Sorensen Magnet School! From October 21-25th all students, K-6th, will work with me to paint a large scale mural of Tubbs Hill which will be mounted on an outside wall next to the playground. The finished mural will be roughly 40 feet long. It is a huge undertaking and should prove to be a fun and rewarding process for all. In addition to the mural, students will paint a small watercolor of Tubbs Hill to bring home. I firmly believe in offering young people opportunities to experience using quality art materials, so we will use tube watercolors, good brushes, and 140 lb. paper. Kids get excited to use the real stuff that real artists use!
My goals in this project are many and layered. The first and most obvious is to transform a visually less-interesting area of the school into something beautiful and welcoming. Never one to keep things simple, I have other motivations at work as well. I feel it is important, for a multitude of reasons, that our young people develop a care for and connection to natural places. Life is about balance, and kids should have opportunities to learn to appreciate the adventure, solitude, and self-awareness that nature offers us. Our students are fortunate to have an approachable natural area close to school, and Sorensen's teachers are so great to take students on a visit each year. Creating and then having a mural of this special place, at school, will serve to strengthen a bond with this urban slice of nature and also offers a chance at deeper learning, now and in the future. In the weeks leading up to the actual painting, the teachers will work with students to prepare them for the experience. Students will have opportunities to learn more about Tubbs Hill using an activity book I developed a couple years ago, the Junior Friends of Tubbs Hill Activity Guide. They will also spend time learning in depth about color and value (the lightness and darkness of objects). These art fundamentals, along with composition and design, are the foundations of painting that professional artists work to master. They are also fun and approachable topics for younger people, and will build on the observation skills we'll be working on as we learn to see with unbiased eyes. The mural will be painted in a realistic style, with attention on how to manipulate paint to mimic what one sees in life. We will be painting specific plant species found on Tubbs Hill, which serves a dual purpose. Presently, students will learn about plant life, observation, and representation. In the future, teachers will be able to utilize the mural to talk about what can be found on Tubbs and learn about identifying specific trees and other plants before visiting the hill.
There will be an official unveiling of the mural and community event following the completion of the mural. Details to be determined.
My goals in this project are many and layered. The first and most obvious is to transform a visually less-interesting area of the school into something beautiful and welcoming. Never one to keep things simple, I have other motivations at work as well. I feel it is important, for a multitude of reasons, that our young people develop a care for and connection to natural places. Life is about balance, and kids should have opportunities to learn to appreciate the adventure, solitude, and self-awareness that nature offers us. Our students are fortunate to have an approachable natural area close to school, and Sorensen's teachers are so great to take students on a visit each year. Creating and then having a mural of this special place, at school, will serve to strengthen a bond with this urban slice of nature and also offers a chance at deeper learning, now and in the future. In the weeks leading up to the actual painting, the teachers will work with students to prepare them for the experience. Students will have opportunities to learn more about Tubbs Hill using an activity book I developed a couple years ago, the Junior Friends of Tubbs Hill Activity Guide. They will also spend time learning in depth about color and value (the lightness and darkness of objects). These art fundamentals, along with composition and design, are the foundations of painting that professional artists work to master. They are also fun and approachable topics for younger people, and will build on the observation skills we'll be working on as we learn to see with unbiased eyes. The mural will be painted in a realistic style, with attention on how to manipulate paint to mimic what one sees in life. We will be painting specific plant species found on Tubbs Hill, which serves a dual purpose. Presently, students will learn about plant life, observation, and representation. In the future, teachers will be able to utilize the mural to talk about what can be found on Tubbs and learn about identifying specific trees and other plants before visiting the hill.
There will be an official unveiling of the mural and community event following the completion of the mural. Details to be determined.
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