Middle School art journals.....with visual metaphors......2016-2017 first post of the year!

 

The first 9 weeks of school is almost over and we have so much to share! We start our middle school students off with a hand-bound sketchbook to compile their sketches, thoughts, brainstorming, reflections and feedback throughout their time in art class.

 

This year we once again chose a very difficult stitch, the Coptic Stitch. It's incredible to see how much progress these kids make once they get the hang of it. I don't know if they love making them but it sure is a learning journey! I tell them that they are going to be driving a car in a few short years so they need to get used to completing difficult tasks now ;).

 

We had a long discussion and viewing art session about visual metaphors. The kids were then challenged to choose a metaphor and illustrate it for their journal cover.

 

Many in process journal covers on the dry rack.

Ah! The gorgeous stitching!!! How I love to look at them on our shelves!!!

;) Love this kid!!!

Completed journals....folded, measured, hole punched, stitched, metaphors chosen and illustrated and then adhered onto the covers. Lengthy, glorious, process.

I swoon!

This student always impresses me with his ideas and work ethic. This is his illustrated metaphor cover.

Here is a sketch from inside of his journal for an upcoming project.

Blank pages, meticulously stitched to lay flat when the journal is open.

The back of his journal. Fantastic work!!!!

Handmade sketchbooks with my 6th graders

                                              an inside look at the stitching- so well done!!

                                                                 a stack of registers

                                                              a few books finished ;)

                                                       an outside view of the stitching

I am incredibly blessed this year to get a small group of 6th graders for almost an hour 5 days a week. How much we can accomplish and how much individual attention they can get from me is very special!

Our project for this quarter is making 'Zines (that is self published magazines for any of you wondering) and part of self publishing is somehow binding your 'Zine. It is very popular to use good old staples but I wanted to take the opportunity to teach them a few bookbinding techniques.

We made these sketchbooks by using four registers (a register is a stack of papers folded and sewn into the cover side by side) and the saddle stitch. They designed their covers with duct tape or cloth sports tape (that stuff is the BEST!!). I have one duct tape pro in class who even made little duct tape bows (see the photo above)- it was awesome!!

The kids seemed very proud of their work and so am I! I'm really impressed with their craftsmanship and how persistent they were at finishing them. I also love to see their excitement about learning something new. We started playing with my new sticker maker today to make & trade hand drawn stickers for our books. I can't wait to see what else they fill their sketchbooks with!!