Introduction:
Robert
Henri (1865-1929) said "Technique is to me merely a language,
and as I see life more and more clearly, growing older,
I have but one intention and that is to make my language
as clear and simple and sincere as humanly possible.
I believe one should study ways and means all the while
to express one's idea of life more clearly. But language
can be of no value for its own sake, it is so only as
it expresses the infinite moods and growth of humanity." The
New Year is, for many, a time of reflection on the past
and an expression of hope for the future. Many people
make resolutions about things they want to accomplish
or do in the upcoming year. Today we are going to make
our own calendars for 1999 and we'll express through
the language of drawings those things we wish to accomplish
this year.
Materials:
1999
Calendar Months (4 to a page works well) on 8 1/2x11
paper 14x17 white bond paper (3 per child)
Colored
Pencils
Drawing
pencils and erasers
Glue
Sticks or white glue *(optional for binding)
Hole
punch
Knitting
needles
Yarn
OR stapler
Directions:
1.
Take a piece of 14x17 drawing paper and fold it in half.
Then take the first calendar page (Jan.-April) and glue
it to the bottom half of the 14x17 paper. Do the same with
the other months.
2. The three calendar pages with all 12 months can be stapled together or
bound like a real book.
To bind:
Punch
an odd number of holes through the three pages so they
line up perfectly (3 holes for younger kids, 5 for older
kids)
Thread
the knitting needle with yarn and push it through the
top holes. Tie it in a knot. Thread through the rest
of the holes in an over-under fashion until you have
threaded from the top to the bottom to the top again.
Cut
the yarn and tie the end off securely.
3. On
each blank page of the calendar draw a scene with the colored
pencils communicating something you want to do within that
4 month period or something you want to happen within those
4 months. Be purposeful about your composition.
Always
remember, like Robert Henri said, that art is its own powerful
language and can be an effective tool to communicate your
strong emotions. You should always use it this way, conscious
of what purpose your art serves and what it says to other
people.
Artspeech:
Composition
- the placement of shapes, lines, colors etc. in a piece
of artwork to purposefully create a particular feeling
in the viewer.
References:
Henri, Robert. The Art Spirit. Westview Press, Boulder, Co. 1923.
