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PRIMARY ART ACTIVITIES

Kids Art Lab has created a number of artmaking activities all of which comply with the NSW Board of studies outcomes, as follows:
VISUAL ARTS - OUTLINE OF OUTCOMES

EARLY STAGE 1  VAES1.4
Communicates their ideas about pictures and other kinds of artworks.

STAGE 1 VAS1.4
Begins to interpret the meaning of artworks, acknowledging the roles of artist and audience.
 STAGE2 VAS2.4
Identifies connections between subject matter in artworks and what they refer to, and
appreciates the use of particular techniques.

STAGE 3VAS3.4
Communicates about the ways in which subject matter is
represented in artworks.

EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.3
Recognises some of the qualities of different artworks and
begins to realise that artists make artworks.

STAGE 1 VAS1.3
Realises what artists do, who they are and what they make.

STAGE2 VAS2.3
Acknowledges that artists make artworks for different reasons
and that various interpretations are possible.

STAGE 3 VAS3.3
Acknowledges that audiences respond in different ways to
artworks and that there are different opinions about the value of artworks.

EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.2
Experiments with a range of media in selected forms.

STAGE 1 VAS1.2
Uses the forms to make artworks according to varying requirements.

STAGE2VAS2.2
Uses the forms to suggest the qualities of subject matter.

STAGE 3VAS3.2
Makes artworks for different audiences assembling materials
in a variety of ways.

EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.1
Makes simple pictures and other kinds of artworks about things
and experiences.

STAGE 1 VAS1.1
Makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and
imaginary things.

STAGE2  VAS2.1
Represents the qualities of experiences and things that are interesting or
beautiful by choosing among aspects of subject matter.

STAGE 3 VAS3.1
Investigates subject matter in an attempt to represent likenesses
of things in the world.

Links to Australian Galleries and Museums                

Art Gallery of New South Wales - www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Australian Museum - www.austmus.gov.au
Brett Whiteley Studio - 02 9225 1881
Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Cooperative - www.boomalli.org.au
The Museum of Sydney - www.hht.nsw.gov.au
Museum of Contemporary Art - www.mca.com.au
Object Galleries Centre for Contemporary Craft - www.object.com.au
Powerhouse Museum - www.phm.gov.au
S.H. Ervin Gallery - www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/ervin.html
State Library of New South Wales - www.sl.nsw.gov.au

Additional Education sites:

Art Education Society, NSW - www.ptc.nsw.edu.au/Content_Common/pg-Associations.seo
Arts Ed Net (J.Paul Getty Museum ) - www.getty.edu/education
Great Buildings Collections - www.greatbuildings.com
Guggenheim Museum - www.guggenheim.org
Louvre, Paris - www.louvre.fr
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - www.metmuseum.org/
Museums Around the World - www.icom.org/vlmp/world.html
Museum of Modern Art, New York - www.moma.org
National Gallery London - www.nationalgallery.org.uk
TATE (Britain and Modern) London - www.tate.org.uk
Vincent Van Gogh Gallery - http://www.vggallery.com


Polystyrene Printmaking

styrofoam print blaqck ink print print of duck

Printmaking is a wonderful activity for primary classes, as many students love the repetitive action of printmaking.  However, many traditional methods of printmaking are not particularly safe for younger students.  I have found that using Styrofoam trays is a safe and effective alternative, this technique is outlined clearly in Anne Desmet & Jim Anderson's wonderful book Handmade Prints.  For further information go to Anne Desmet's website; Printmaker and author of "Handmade Prints".  I also recommend using water-based inks such as Derivan which still provide good coverage and are easy to clean up. For further information on printing inks please click on the following link; http://www.matisse.com.au/pages/blockink.htm
Introduction

Students are presented with a selection of linocut prints (both traditional and contemporary) as well as collagraphs and woodcuts. Below are some excellent examples of past students collagraphs (both prints and plates) that I like to use.
collagraph plate collagraph prints lion print
 
Images are discussed in regards to what students may or may not like about specific examples.  We then focus on line as this process works best with deep, strong lines. Students draw examples of different types of lines/patterns they could use for their prints (eg, cross hatching, swirls, short sharp strokes, long lines, etc).

Artmaking Instruction

The instructor takes a foam tray and commences carving a series of lines in the foam, using a variety of implements ( bamboo skewers, texta lids, pencil, buttons, scissors). Once design is completed on the tray (it can be figurative, abstract, fantasy,etc) ink is then rolled out onto a pieces of glass with a brayer.  The inked tray is transferred to a separate ink-free area for printing.  A clean piece of paper is placed over the inked tray and rubbed smoothly and strongly with a barren.

Supplies necessary for this project:
block ink (water based)
glass plate for rolling ink on
palette knife (for laying ink onto glass)
brayer (to roll ink with)
barren (to apply pressure when printing)
polystyrene plate, recycled take away food containers (to use as your printing plate)
textures tools (to carve into polystyrene plate)

Images of the polystyrene printmaking process
polystyrene plates polystyrene plate brayers, ink ink on glass
 
1.Recycled Polystyrene plates  2. Plate with image carved
     into surface		  3. Plate, inks and brayer
   ready to put ink on glass		 4. Block printing ink on
     glass  

rolling ink on glass
 inking plate
 inked plate
 barren making print

5. Roll out ink onto glass             plate with a brayer 6. Begin inking plate making
    sure to ink evenly		 7. Plate fully inked, ready to      print 8. Applying pressure with a       barren to make a print

Final Product unique handmade prints
black and white prints colour prints print on colour paper duck print

                                                                  © Belinda Madden 2008