Day 10 – Last Day in the Classroom,
Pretty T-Shirts, and Install Prep.
I know i've been behind on this blog
but like all of you know as adults with have too many things on our
plate and typing can get pushed back. But last week most students
were finishing their prints, creating titles, and helping with
composing a t-shirt design. The last layers of black ink were laying
down and signatures were being applied. Classrooms were feeling the
satisfaction of finishing and the panic of not being done. Some
students shared they were up late carving in bed...Pure dedication
there, but also slightly unsafe., but still love it.
On Friday each student was responsible
for creating one T-shirt design to help promote the arts within the
high school and to help expose them to another form of printmaking.
One that to teenagers, might seem a little more cool. Just the fact
of placing a print on a t-shirt verses a print on paper totally
changes its “coolness”. Making them work fast, we push them to
finish their edition of 5 prints but also come up with a whole
another concept. Sometimes we only learn time management by being
thrown way too much. Yes, there were growls over homework but
creativity should be pushed. After the students drawings of
triangles, brushes, and yellow submarines were handed in, Mrs. Downs
and I picked the image we felt best fit the project and students.
Over the weekend days Mrs. Downs and I
spent time drawing the student's design and text. Test printing and
making our own mistakes, same as any student. It's not just the
students that have homework but every teacher at that school I'm
sure.
With loads of work and art done in just two weeks, today I started my final few days at West High School. Final students finish and handed in their prints. Feelings of relief the work is done, was paired with sadness over wishing prints turned out different as well . Many students who felt positively almost hold in their excitement, I guess thinking your artwork is cool isn't the hippest thing to admit, so i'm ok with one on one satisfaction sharing. I would say that most students ended up having several positive things to say about their work, either about the process, what they learned, or how it turned out. I try to explain to students that their printing for the first time and it's all by hand. We will see imperfections of a hand done process and to try and embrace those ideas. For many this is not an option, mathematical and scientific minds don't always sit well with those imperfections. so I can't get to down on their unsettled mindsets.
Following their prints each student was
able to screen print a West High School art T-shirt. Each class
picked the color teal so shirts of teal printed triangles, lines, and
text were produced in each class. Some students even left wearing
their shirts through the hallways. It was great to show the students
a process that they see the end result everyday on clothing of theirs
and others.
But many students ended up with great
overall prints and I am very proud of all of them for pushing
through. Like i've said, printmaking isn't for everyone but it
doesn't just teach creativity, but time management, following
directions, and problem solving. So I hope even if they didn't fall
in love with printmaking that they took away something else.
Tomorrow I will go 20 feet up in the
air and hang each wood back print in the stairway of West High
School. I'm sure I will be peered by many teenage eyes, so I hope to
look like I know what i'm doing.
Sorry for any incorrect typing with in
this blog, i'm an artist...hehe. :)
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