Tag: art journal

Story Bazaar LA: A Visual Journal Journey

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Whitney Panetta

I have been visual journaling for the past 8 years primarily for myself and my students. But, and a couple of weeks ago I packed up one of my visual journals to head off on a journey across the country from Atlanta to LA to an event called Story Bazaar LA.

One of my longest and dearest friends, Elly, has put her time and energy into an amazing cause for a local LA charity, Ruckus Roots. They focus on bringing the arts to underprivileged youth in the Los Angeles area, something I am also passionate about. The focus of her event is story telling through a variety of mediums: poetry, fiction, fact, film, photography, music, and other forms of art.

My visual journals focus on telling the story of my life through both mundane and milestone events. Naturally, my journals fit into the theme of Elly’s project, so when she asked if she could use one, I gladly got one ready to ship.

My “Between the Lines” visual journal was mailed to Los Angeles, CA a couple of weeks ago and will be on display at the event on Sunday (6/24/18). Elly plans to have the book open to a specific page, with a blurb about the page next to it. I couldn’t decide which page to choose, so I sent her three options to pick from. You can check out my “Breathe In, Breathe Out” page here, “My Hands” page here, and Don’t Stop Arts is below (a blog post about this one will be coming soon).

I am flattered and excited to be a part of such an important and useful event. I wish I could’ve traveled alongside my visual journal to attend the event, but I will have to live vicariously through pictures and stories after the storytelling event closes.

If you live in the LA area and want more information check out the event page here, facebook page here, and get tickets here. Remember, all proceeds are donated to the amazing organization, Ruckus Roots.

Thanks for stopping by!

Teachers Pay Teachers: AP Art Curriculum including Breadth, Concentration, and Quality

Posted on June 13, 2018June 14, 2018 by Whitney Panetta

For the past year I have been working crazy hard to get a comprehensive high school art curriculum put together on my Teachers Pay Teachers site. I started with my Introduction to Art curriculum, and it quickly gained popularity. I realized there was a market for complete curriculums so teachers can worry about focusing on their students and whats going on in their classrooms, rather than the lesson plans.

After the success of my Intro to Art curriculum I formulated a plan. I would create a curriculum bundle back for all the high school art courses I have experience with, then bundle all of those into a mega-super-TPT-art bundle. As of last week I completed my AP Art 2D Design and Drawing curriculum, which completed my 2D focused high school art curriculum. This huge bundle includes year-long intro to art, advanced art, and AP art curriculums and semester long drawing and painting curriculums.

This was a HUGE accomplishment for me and a goal I’ve been working towards for a year. However, for this blog post I am going to focus on the details of my AP Art bundle, and save the high school art curriculum for a later post. Check out the details of my AP Studio Art course below.

I taught AP Art for a few years at my last job, and loved it, but it was an overwhelming task to take on. It’s difficult to motivate students to produce the amount of work required for the AP art portfolio. After taking a break from teaching it and a lot of reflection, I began developing some material that would have helped me a lot in the beginning.

I did go through an AP certification course, but it’s a single week in the summer. I get a ton of good information and head start on the year, but the things we covered quickly left my brain as we got into the grittiness that is spring semester. If I make my way back to teaching AP art at my current job, I am excited to now have these resources to help me, and my students stay on top of the rigorous schedule.

In addition the meat of the AP art portfolio, projects for breath, concentration, and quality, I also include a yearlong timeline, printable calendar with every deadline, homework assignments, AP Art application, syllabus, parent and student agreement, summer work, supply list, sticker chart, and so much more. I have specifics that go along with each portfolio section as well as lesson plans, presentations, and evaluation sheets to go with each project.

BREADTH ASSIGNMENTS:

The breath section requires 12 works of art submitted (for 2D Design and Drawing portfolios), which can include details. I lay out 14 breadth assignments to be completed in semester one. This may seem like a lot, but some take longer than others, and it’s important for students to be able to select their best works of art, which means ideally more than 12 are created. In my breadth bundle in addition to project information I include lesson plans, handouts, evaluation sheets, critique sheets, PowerPoints, examples, and more for every project. Below are details on the 14 assignments:

Semester Long Canvas:

A focus on working on a work of art for an extended period of time, encouraging creativity and problem solving.
The ability to take breaks and work on it when inspiration hits.
Artist exemplars: Gustav Klimt and Pirkko Makela-Haapalinna

Bones and Exoskeletons

A focus on technical ability, value, and object studies.
Putting their own spin on a traditional subject matter.
Artist exemplars: Albrecht Durer and Jason Borders.

Perspective

A focus on technical ability, foreshortening, and displaying understanding of perspective in art.
Artist exemplars: M.C. Escher and Stephen Wright.

Design

A focus on design elements in both the 2D design and drawing portfolios.
Show an understanding of using the elements of art and principles of design in a work of art.
Artist exemplars: Jasper Johns, Leonardo da Vinci, and Barbara Kruger.

Portrait with Words

A focus on value, line quality, portraiture, and a connection between text and imagery.
Artist exemplars: Leslie Nichols, Jamie Poole, and Michael Volpicellis

Ordinary Behavior

Focus on elevating the ordinary subject matter through the composition and medium.
Artist exemplars: Henry Mosler, Ralph Goings, and William Wray.

Action Portrait

Artist exemplars: Edgar Degas and Nikunj Rathod
Focus on using the elements of art and principles of design to create a sense of movement.
Creating a dynamic work of art.

Abstract Acrylic

Artist exemplars: Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, and Mark Rothko
A focus on line, shape, color, balance, unity, and focal point.

Unusual Interiors

Focus on light, perspective, and overlooked or not typically seen as “beautiful” interior spaces.
Artist exemplars: Edward Hopper and Richard Estes.

Layers and Mixed Media

Focus on layers, mixed media, and blurring the lines between the figure/ground relationship through stable, reversible, and ambiguous figure/ground.
Artist exemplars: Juan Gris and Christina McPhee

Satire in Art

Focus on a current issue through satire and humor.
Artist exemplars: James Gillray, Nate Beeler, and Paul Kuczynski

10 Interesting Photographs

Turn one of the student’s 10 interesting photographs homework assignment into a work of art.
Artist exemplars: Student selects one through research.

Scan & Repurpose

Take a work of art from earlier in the semester or a previous art course and turn it into a new work of art.
Scan the old work of art into the computer and digitally manipulate it or scan, print, and complete a transfer onto a new background.
Artist exemplars: Student selects one through research.

Visual Jourmal

Eight visual journal pages are due by the end of the semester.

CONCENTRATION:

The concentration section of the portfolio requires 12 works of art (for 2D design and drawing portfolios) that all fit under one theme. My concentration bundle pack includes 2D Design and Drawing specific introduction PowerPoints as well as lesson plans, handouts, information sheets, evaluation sheets, critique reminders and more. This bundle is meant to serve as a guide for how students can pick a topic that can last through at least 12 works of art.

QUALITY:

The quality section of the AP art portfolio has the students select 5 of their best works of art to be physically mailed in to be evaluated. My quality bundle pack includes details and information sheets to help guide the students, a PowerPoint, lesson plan, submission guidelines, teacher tips, planning an AP art exhibit, and so much more.

The AP Art bundle is my largest curriculum undertaking to date. I have spent endless hours putting it together, and I must say I am very proud. Since it was posted last week, I have already sold a few, and I can’t wait to hear feedback.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. Help me spread the word by sharing with others. Check out my other TPT and art education blog posts here. Check out my other TPT products here. Thanks for stopping by!

6 Yearbook To Dos Before You Leave for Summer

Posted on May 7, 2018May 14, 2018 by Whitney Panetta

It’s finally May. The end of the year is in sight, students are buzzing about finals, you are wrapping up assignments. You think it’s time to relax and wind down, but I hate to break it to you, if you are a yearbook adviser you should be planning your next year’s book starting now.

Shocking, I know. Whether you are a seasoned yearbook adviser or taking it on for the first time, try to complete the following items before you (and your students) leave for summer.

To Do #1:The most important key to creating a successful yearbook is strong student leadership. You need to select responsible, organized, and hardworking students to be a part of your editorial staff. This is more difficult if you are about to start your first year as an adviser and do not know your yearbook staff well, but hopefully the previous adviser can help guide you in this. Over the years I have found that co-editor-in-chiefs are more successful than a single editor-in-chief. Often, one will be slightly more organized than the other, one may excel in visuals, while the other is more focused on writing. They help share the burden and guide their peers in this process. At the very minimum, select and notify your students of who will be editor-in-chief. If you are able, assign other editorial staff positions such as: photography editor, sports editor, fine arts editor, senior section editor, editor-at-large, etc. For my yearbook staff these positions change every year. Each student is blessed with different gifts, select roles that play to their talents. Typically the editorial staff is composed of returning staff members. Often, new editor roles are added as new yearbook students learn the ropes and their talents become more apparent.

To Do #2: Check in with your yearbook representatives and see if they host a summer workshop. My editorial staff and I attend ours every year. We often have a few new members join as well, which is often a sign of future leadership potential. At the workshop we solidify our theme, fonts, colors, and design our cover. This helps us start the year ahead and with a solid plan. You want to plan this before the students leave so you can go ahead and collect money for registration and add it to their family’s calendar.

To Do #3: Plan lunch with your incoming staff members. Yearbook is all about teamwork. Together you are creating the yearbook. Together you are responsible for equally covering every student, activity, athletic, and event. You want to act a like a team from day 1. By getting to know new staff members before day 1 you are creating a precedent for the class. Show them you want to get to know them, you care about them, and you are excited to work with them. They will be more willing to work hard and get the work done if they appreciate the team effort aspect. TIP: Bring in pizza or some type of outside food to make it even more special. Reach out to your future editorial staff parents to see if someone will volunteer to buy and deliver the food for you.

To Do #4: Start planning next year’s book with your editor-in-chiefs. Try to develop the basics of your book before you leave for summer. Even if you plan to attend a summer workshop it helps to go in with a plan. Start big: consider what adjectives you want to describe your book. Zoom in: what themes fit in with those adjectives? Focus on details: what colors fit the theme and adjectives? What fonts visually tie into everything? I use these worksheets to help my students start this process.

To Do #5: For high school yearbook advisers go ahead and start thinking about the senior section. Assign your senior section editor and give them the responsibility of collecting information from parents over the summer. My co-advisor and I sit down with our senior section editor, create a Google Doc to add information and a Dropbox for parents to add information to. We type up an e-mail with all the instructions, what we need, and links to locations for the parents to add to. We request that senior quotes, baby pictures, senior pictures, and parent notes are all submitted by the start of the school year. Our senior section editor sends the e-mail out from their e-mail address and handles this over the summer (with assistance from us as needed).

To Do #6: If you have already assigned your co-editor-in chiefs or editor-in-chief send them home with the ladder and a pencil to start working on over the summer. Pencil is important because changes always come up. At least once in the planning process the ladder will be completely erased and started over. It’s just part of the book layout job. This process is much smoother if your editors already have an idea in place for how they want the book laid out.

If you are able to get the ball rolling on these 6 items in May, the start of the year will be so much easier. As a yearbook adviser your job is to help oversee the creation of the book. Oversee is the keyword there. You are training your students to be self sufficient, oversee their peers, delegate responsibility, and take ownership for a project that is about their entire school. If you get your students ready before the school year starts, they will be ready to take leadership from day one. My editors always start class the first day of school. I want my staff to know to go to their editors first, the teachers second.

I was a yearbooker for two years in high school and assigned the role of co-yearbook adviser my 5th year of teaching. I am now wrapping up my 5th year as an adviser, and I have loved every year of taking on this massive project. Being responsible for the yearbook is a huge undertaking. This is something students will cherish for years to come. They will pull it out twenty years from now to show their children their embarrassing high school mug shots. They will laugh, reminisce, and absorb the content of each page. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you were a part of that.

If you found these tips helpful check out my FREE yearlong yearbook timeline. It breaks down what needs to be accomplished when from May the year before to the following May.
Want to check out ALL the resources I use during my yearbook school year? Check out my yearbook bundle pack here. You won’t have to worry about anything but making your yearbook and meeting your deadlines.
I think visual journals are a great way to inspire yearbook pages or as a project to layout pages. Check out my visual journal pages here.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and yearbook tips and how tos. Help me spread the word with others by sharing on your social media site of choice and subscribe below. Thanks for stopping by!

Visual Journal Page 33: The Bee Incident

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Whitney Panetta

This visual journal page reflects my attempt to enjoy a beautiful spring day.

My former classroom was large with a lot of windows and natural light. While it isn’t as beautiful as my current set up (I am so spoiled) I did have a door to the outside, which was a huge perk.

There was something about the ability to walk outside and take a breath of fresh air that felt freeing. It was also functional in classes that often used spray paint, fixative, and other hazardous materials. Many days I would prop the door open, letting the fresh air into my stagnant room, and more often than not, pretend I was not stuck in a classroom with a bunch of wild teenagers.

Every now and then a creature from the great outdoors would find its way into my classroom. It would cause momentary chaos until it found its way back out again, but it was worth the risk to have fresh air.

Or so I thought.

One particular day I was standing by my desk talking with a student, a class full of kids working hard behind them, when all of the sudden I felt an odd sensation on my leg. It started off with a tingle and quickly escalated to a burn. I immediately looked down and discovered the culprit, a bee had decided to attack me.

I resisted every urge to yell, curse, jump up and down, and cry. As calmly as I could I stated the obvious “A bee stung me!” and sent my student back to their seat. I was slightly incredulous, I was just standing there, that bee came into my room, why did it feel a need to sting me?

As the pain began to subside I couldn’t help but feel bad for the bee. All I wanted was fresh air, and instead I got a stinger in my leg and a dead bee on my floor. For the rest of class I walked around helping my kids and couldn’t help but bring up my injury. They smiled, nodded, and patiently waited for me to answer their actual art related questions. I’m sure they thought I was being dramatic but until I could no longer feel the stinger in my leg, I couldn’t help but discuss it.

My takeaway: at least I didn’t curse in front of 35 teenagers.

SUPPLIES

Visual journal
Glue
Paper
Pencil
Watercolor
Paintbrush
Water
Thin sharpie
Book pages
Scissors

HOW TO

This visual journal page was created shortly after the incident. I felt I needed to express my feelings, since my students weren’t interested in listening to me complain about my injury. I knew I wanted to focus on the bee since it was the cause of the incident, but also because insects are very interesting to draw and paint.

I started by sketching the bee shape out on a separate sheet of paper. I then began filling the bee in with watercolor. I quickly decided I wanted to splatter the the paint away from the bee to create a strong focal point and sense of movement. As soon as I filled in the color I would blow the watercolor away from my drawing. I did the painting in sections. I painted all of the black first, then let it dry before moving to the next part. This prevented the color from blending together. Watercolor will only stay where the paper is wet, if it’s surrounded by dry, for the most part, it will only stay in the wet section.

After painting my bee and letting it dry, I cut it out. I began playing with placement on my visual journal page, but had a hard time figuring it out. It was too simple to just put the bee down, but I didn’t want to fill up another page with ripped up book pages. I decided to pull two pages from different books and played around with overlapping them. I thought about gluing the bee down to one, cutting it out, then repeating to get a wider paper edge around the painting, but had also been using that technique a lot in my visual journal up to that point. I finally laid the full pages down on the right side page and liked the look. It almost looked like the bee was laying on paper left on the floor (a common occurrence in my classroom).

Next, I began brainstorming ways to incorporate the text and add some visuals to the left side page. I eventually landed on creating a line out of book pages that would mimic the bee’s flight line, until it’s untimely demise. I used the line as a space to incorporate my text: “I had a very difficult time trying to maintain my composure.”

CHALLENGE

Create a visual journal page about a bug. It can be an incident with a bug, a study of a bug, or your favorite bug.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog! Help me spread the word about my blog and visual journals by sharing with others. Thanks for stopping by!

Visual Journal Page 32: Panetta Makes Me Think of Butter?

Posted on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 by Whitney Panetta

Before I was a Panetta I was a Ward. For 23 years I had a simple, four letter, easy to pronounce last name. There was never any confusion or stuttering over letters. I never realized the benefits of a simple name until I got married and became a Panetta. While I do sometimes have fun with the “Are you related to Leon Panetta?” question, dealing with mispronunciations have already gotten old. I’m no longer Whitney Ward I am Whitney P-A-N-E-T-T-A, Panetta. You have to spell it out. Every time.

Over the past nine years of my teaching career my students have come up with many creative nicknames for me. They always stay pretty close to the original: Mrs. Pinata, Panera, Picasso. I’ve also had shortened versions, Mrs. P, Mrs. P-Net. My students get the Italian heritage. I once had a student decorate my white board with a drawing of spaghetti and baguettes because, according to her, Panetta made her think of spaghetti and baguettes (check out that visual journal page here).

All of those nicknames and thought processes made sense to me. But one day a student told me my last name reminded them of butter. Panetta, butter, Panetta, butter, I just don’t see the connection. And since I couldn’t figure out the logic behind it, I dealt with this new interpretation of my name the best way I know how. I made a visual journal page about it.

Panetta reminds me of butter?

SUPPLIES:

Visual journal
Colored pencils
Pencil
White paper
Book pages
Glue
Scissors

HOW TO

To create this visual journal page, I decided to keep it simple. I opted to use colored pencil and book pages to create a simple collage that got to the point.

First, I used colored pencils to create lines in the background.

Next, I sketched out butter on a butter dish and a knife on a separate sheet of paper.

I filled the sketch in with colored pencil, slowly building up the colors in thin layers. With each new layer I tried to vary the color and add shadows and highlights to create depth. As I built up the color in the butter, I used darker shades of yellow to create text in the butter: “Panetta reminds me of butter?” While the text blends very well into the shape of the butter, it is difficult to read. Looking back, I would’ve cleaned up the text to make it more legible. Check out a lesson that goes in depth on using colored pencils here.

Once the colored pencil drawing was complete, I cut it out, and glued the two pieces on top of old book pages. I cut the drawings back out, leaving an edge of book pages around both drawings.

I glued the butter dish down first, then overlapped the knife to complete the page.

TIP: use a credit card to push paper into the crease of your visual journal book.

CHALLENGE

Create a visual journal page about your last name.

Thanks for taking to the time and checking out my blog. Help spread the word about visual journaling by sharing it with others. Are you interested in teaching visual journals in your classroom? Check out my visual journal bundle here and my how to worksheets here. Thanks for stopping by!