Art’s Explorer #10: Community Arts Project

              Fun In The Sun Day!!

  For my community arts project, my group and I decided to create a Fun In The Sun Day that will help raise skin cancer awareness throughout schools in the Toronto District School Board. This will be an outdoor awareness day where children will get the chance to participate in different outdoor activities and get educated on the dangers of the sun and how to be sun smart this summer!!!

    I thought this would be a great “BIG idea” for schools and the greater community to get themselves and their children involved in sun safety. Children need to be encouraged from a young age to be sun smart. Our goal is to help educate children about the dangers of the sun and help prevent skin cancer.

 The organizations that will help us our promote Fun In The Sun Day will be the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Dermatology Associations and Toronto District School Board.

   We will be using a variety of different ads to promote our “BIG idea” is shown throughout this blog...

   Facts/Prevention Tips in Sun Safety...

v  Keep children out of the sun between 11a.m and 4p.m.

v  Always use sunscreen especially on cloudy foggy days

v  Apply sunscreen 20minutes before going outdoors & REAPPLY FREQUENTLY

v  Always use sunscreen with the HIGHEST SPF (15+)

v  Children have the highest amount of sun exposure of any age group (National Skin Cancer Society, 2006)

v  An estimated 30,000 Ontarians will be diagnosed with skin cancer each year and about 2,000 of them with melanoma (Cancer Care, Ont., 2005)

v  1 in 7 children born today will develop skin cancer in their life time! (Canadian Dermatology Association)

After the presentation:

    I believe our presentation went well. I believe we got our point across about how important it is for children to start at a young age learning about being sun smart. I feel our ads were effective and helped promote our “BIG idea”.

Art word of the week: Shape

Two dimensional art  that has a length and width (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009). This term I believe is appropriate for this blog because throughout our ads we used a variety of shapes to help spread the message of our sun safety. From our one ad we used the shape of the sunscreen bottle and then chnaged the shape of its shadow a dinosaur . 

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Art’s Explorer #9: Guerilla Art

Art word of the week: Space
 The total area defined by the size of the artist's canvas (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009). I chose to use this term because Guerilla Art has a big connection to space. Artist have an excessive amount of space to use to make their creations visible to the public. Therefore Guerilla Art can be spread in either larger places meaning worldwide or in small places as just within a community.

        Guerilla art is a form of art that involves leaving anonymous pieces in public places. It is a form of expression and an opinion directed to a large audience i.e. the public. Guerilla art is used everywhere in around the world including Toronto. When an individual wants to make a statement and give their voice in a non-verbal way they use guerilla

Guerilla art is a form of art that involves leaving anonymous pieces in public places. It is a form of expression and an opinion directed to a large audience i.e. the public. Guerilla art is used everywhere in around the world including Toronto. When an individual wants to make a statement and give their voice in a non-verbal way they use guerilla. The guerilla I chose to show to the public was a smiley face. I chose to use a smiley face because I thought that I could try and brighten someone’s day by using a big visible yellow smiley face and a written quote on that back. I thought this would be a great idea because I feel most people in this world are always in a rush, never take the time to appreciate the things around them and lastly always in a grumpy irrated mood. By having someone to walk by and to take the time to read and appreciate my guerilla art with a reaction whether positive or negative is great because at least someone felt something towards my art.

  
                                           My Gureilla Art

                                                        My MESSAGE for the audience

                                                      Someone spotting my Guerilla Art

                                              The individual picking up my Guerilla Art

                                                      The REACTION from my message

   I found this blog quite interesting and fun to do. Through this process at the very beginning I was unsure of how I wanted the public to see my guerrilla art and how I was going to portray it in my neighbourhood. I also felt a little uncomfortable letting the wider public judge my guerrilla art.  When I finally came up with an idea, I was quite excited to let the public get a reaction from my creation. At the end of this process I feel more comfortable and I would not mind making more creations and allowing a wider audience have reactions to more art work.

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This would be a great activity for educators to involve young children because I feel it is a wonderful way for children to get a deeper understanding of why different forms of art are portrayed throughout our city. Children are curious beings and incorporating them in a guerrilla art activity would be a fantastic way to teach children appreciation for the forms of art. This form of activity would also benefit the child by boosting their self-confidence and self-esteem in their creations. Educators can do this my getting children to create pieces of art and placing them around the community to share with friends, families and their peers.  

Humber River, Toronto, Ontario

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th         Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Art’s Explorer #8: Pretend Play & Magical Thinking

Art Word of the Week: Design/Composition
 This is described as, "the overall mark of success or the standard of achievement in artistic creation" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, P 142). Through this picture I wanted to portray Stacy as this big fashionsta with the expensive purse and sunglasses. By incoporating these into the picture it goes with who I wanted Stacey to be as an individual 

               Stacey the Sassy Stiletto

  Stacey the Sassy Stiletto is a 25 year old Fashionista who loves every aspect of fashion and adores being a part of the fashion industry. Stacey is a fashion magazine editor for Elle magazine. She has been working for Elle magazine for two years now and appreciates every moment spent in the fashion world. Stacey lives a glamorous life with her fiancé of 3 years in a luxurious 3 bedroom condo in Manhattan, New York. Stacey moved to New York City at the age of 18 to pursue in her first love, fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology State University of New York. She graduated 2 ½ years ago with a fashion stylist degree. In the future, Stacey would love to start her own clothing line for teens and adults.

  Stacey loves to do many things during her free time such as travelling. Stacey has travelled most of the Caribbean BUT would love to travel Europe one day with the love of her life and soon to be husband, Liam. Stacey has a MAJOR shopping addiction and living in the BIG APPLE which is clearly a fashion city does not help!! Her favourite designers include Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada. She also loves to read books by her favourite author Nicholas Sparks. Stacey has a new passion for cooking and for interior design especially with her new condo that was recently purchased. She is also an enormous animal lover and would soon love to buy a cute little puppy. Stacey also loves to work out at the gym at least 5 times a week. Stacey has many icons she looks up to in the fashion industry including Lauren Conrad, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.  

  Stacey however has plenty of dislikes. Some of Stacey’s dislikes include ALL insects, sushi and needles. She also dislikes rude selfish individuals that are fake in personality. Therefore Stacey tries to surround herself with people who are there for her through the tough and good times.

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   This would be a great activity for children in an Early Childhood setting because this gives them the opportunity to fantasize by giving an inanimate object life to something they wish they can do in the future. This activity is also great for their development cognitively and socially. Children can be given the opportunity to present their inanimate object which is also a great way for educators to better understand their children. I really enjoyed engaging in this activity because I got to fantasize about a life I wish I could have. I had all these exciting creative things come to mind when I was giving my stiletto life.

   Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th         Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Art’s Explorer # 7: Grocery Shopping with a Twist

Gorcery shopping is something all of us and our families do every week. Most of us can spend up to an hour visting the grocery store looking for food to buy for weeks breakfast, lunches, dinners and snacks. With the amount of time we spend in the gorcery none of us take the time to look outside the box and see the unqiueness in different foods. Foods come in different sizes, shapes, textures, colours and even taste.

    I love going to the grocery and buying food especially fruits. I have tons of fruits I love to eat as list below. The great thing about fruits is that they can be made into many different forms including blending fruit into a variety of smoothies, squeezing fruit into juice and lastly cutting up the fruit and making it into a nice healthy salad. Fruits come in different sizes, shape, texture and even colours. No fruit looks or even taste exactly the same. For instances apples come in a variety of sizes and colours such as yellow, green and red. I have tasted all and I definitely have a preference on which apple I’d rather buy and enjoy which are green apples (granny-smith apples).

Art Word of the Week: Shape

    Shape refers to the outside form of an object (Schirrmacher, & Fox, 2009, P 140). A shape has its own qualities and personalities some of the characteristics include hard, soft, big, small, large, solid, heavy and geometrical shapes including circle, square and triangle (Schirrmacher, & Fox, 2009, P 140).  I chose this word because fruits come in all different shapes, sizes etc. 

                     Below I have listed 15 favourite fruits that I enjoy eating Jà

Favourite Fruits:

v  Strawberries

v  Raspberries

v  Blackberries

v  Blueberries

v  Watermelon

v  Pear

v  Grapes

v  Banana

v  Oranges

v  Cantaloupe

v  Melon

v  Pineapple

v  Kiwi

v  Apples

v  Pomegranate  

                     Three Sketches: Strawberry, Watermelon & Pear:

    This art’s explorer can relate to children it is a great way for children to learn and recognize their fruits. This can be a great start to help children learn the different fruits that are in our grocery stores. Here children can also see that fruits come in different sizes, colours and even taste different. Educators can make a creative activity such as making a part of the classroom into a grocery store and matching the fruits with their names and descriptions. They could also bring in the real fruit and allow children to analyse by tasting feeling and through observing.

  Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Art's Explorer #6: Collaging With Scissors

   When people think of the word scissors, we automatically think of cutting something. Whether it is using scissors to cut the milk bag, pictures from a magazine or even a piece of string hang from your favorite shirt. We mostly see scissors as only having one purpose; To Cut. There are a variety of creative art activities for children that can involve scissors without that one purpose being attached to them.
    One activity that can be great for children's creative intelligent minds is through collaging. Children can use collages to express their likes, dislikes, emotions etc after reading a story, after a field trip or on the first day of school to get to know yourself and your peers.

Art Word of The Week: Design/Composition

This is described as, "the overall mark of success or the standard of achievement in artistic creation" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, P 142).

                            Collaging Activity
Step 1: Provide children with the necessary materials; large construction paper, variety of magazines, scissors, glue, markers etc.

Step 2: Depending on which aspect/ time you chose to do the collage, provide children with the approprate magazines/pictures. . Allow children to brainstorm their thoughts first before collaging. Encourage children to to design their collage to fit their personaility. As the educator provide lots of open-ended questions to expand children's thinking. 

Step 3: Once children have completed their collages, give them the opportunity to explain why they have chosen to display their collage this particular way;whether in small or large groups. This is a great way for children to understand their thinking as well as their peers and is also great for enhancing their social skills

I have made through the computer. This type of collaging on the computer may be a little too challenging for children. Hands on may be more appropriate for the younger children. This collage I feel represents me through the things I love, idol icons etc. Which is a great way to understand children in the beginning of a new year.

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Art's Explorer #5 : Watch an "Art Film" & Chat About It

'Art Film': Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

  I love watching all different types of movies. I believe this movie was interesting and confusing at the same time. This movie was one that you had to pay close attention to or you can become easily confused and lost. This movie reminded me of the movie Inception which was and amazing movie.

   Eternal Sunshine is not a movie for children. This type of art film should not be considered for children. I believe children need a film that is mysterious and involves a type of fun fantasy theme that they can related to or one in which that can expand their creative thinking.

      Here is my film discussion with my classmate/partner Katherine!!

 Krystal: Hey girl how did you find the movie Eternal Sunshine?

Katherine: It was good. weird at first, didnt get it, but near the end....things started coming together. How about you?

Krystal: At first I was very confused. The beginning started of oddly

Katherine: I agree. half way through the beginning, the introduction came on...saying the actors and the publication...i was lost! lol

Krystal: Exactly!!

Katherine: I really liked how you were able to see the process of him forgetting about clementine

 Krystal: I found that pretty interesting and I liked the twist at the end when she went to go get Joel erased from her memory. I found the whole aspect of removing your memories pretty interesting

Katherine: How would you feel if there was a way to remove someone from your memory completely? would you do it?

Krystal: Honestly I don't know if I would consider removing soemone from my memory. I believe people come and go from your lives for a reason. There is a purpose why they came into your life at that time. Whether it's a positive or negative

how about you?

Katherine: The concept of removing someone is definately interesting but i wouldnt erase someone, especially on Valentines Day. People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. And simply by removing them just because they broke your heart or because of hatred, it just isnt ethical

Krystal: I completely agree. The concept of removing someone is interesting but what happens if they erased some of your other memories by accident?

Katherine: That’s what im afraid of. For example, for me n tim...if i erased the memory of us going to the AGO and seeing the King Tut Exhibit...because hes in that memory, ill probabaly loose it. And like you said, how can someone be sure that other memories wont get erased. WHAT i also found interesting was when he wanted to wake up and tell them to stop....THAT would freak me out!

Krystal: Exactly! Joel wanted some of the good memories he had with clemmentine and he couldn't tell them to stop erasing. That was sad and kinda scary at the same time.

I liked how they would use the artifacts, how they made them feel and what memories they were attached too. That was pretty neat how they would use those to find the memories to be erased.

Katherine: Yeah! I liked that too! And it shows how significant those artifacts mean to you. You may think a fork is just a fork but its the memories behind it.

i also liked the way things started disappearing in the background

Krystal: It's pretty interesting how we as individuals attach meanings to such small things that mean such a big deal to us. Yeah, showing how there memories were being erased right in front of them.

Katherine: The idea of memories is a very sacred thing and i think its what makes us human. If we dont have memories, then..in my opinion....we wouldnt be able to continue our everyday lives. would you recommend this movie to someone???

Krystal: I agree, we all create memories and that;s what keeps us healthy and living by creating new ones. I would reccomend this movie to someone BUT I would tell them you have to pay close attention throughout or you'll become confused and lost very easily.

Katherine: I’m not one for movies that are confusing and try to make you think but i guess thats why they are so popular...try watching inception...now thats...weird. Why do u think this movie was an independent film?

Krystal: But it keeps you watching and guessing throughout the entire movie. You don't loose interest quickly. Inception was an amazing movie had to watch it twice made more sense the second time. It is an independent film because it has more of a creative aspect and not everyone interested in the arts

 Krystal: Well Katherine it was a joy discussing this independent film with you!!

Art Word of the Week: Balance  

 For the film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind I have decided to use the term balance, "involves how an artist uses positive and negative space" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009. p. 143).This term speaks for the movie because they balance the negative by removing someone you use to love from your memory and balance the positive by trying
to be happy without having that past memory.

 If you are interested in watching "Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind" here is a link to view the trailer-->
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnSgSe2GzDc&feature=related

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J., E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.