The focus of this week’s Integrated Arts module where the visual arts and drama. During the input I was able to develop a range of personable skills, as well as teaching techniques in which I will be able to implement within a classroom environment.
As part of the lecture we were given a copy of the painting ‘Windows in the West’ by Scottish artist Avril Paton. We discussed the painting and the wealth of opportunities that it can be used for within integrated arts areas of the curriculum, as well as occasions when an interdisciplinary approach can be utilised. Using an appropriate painting or drawing there are many opportunities within the curriculum to compose a narrative (relating to drama, literacy, possibly social studies and health and wellbeing). Taking a comprehensive survey of the painting ‘Windows of the West’, it is evident that within the painting there is a significant amount of activity occurring within the image. Subsequently there are many opportunities to build a drama lesson, the ‘Windows of the West’ painting represents a story behind each window of the tenement block, there many possibilities to question children such as: what are the people doing in the painting? Look at the different floors, what is happening inside each flat? What do the flats look like inside, can you create an image? Availing Rod Taylor framework of PROCESS, FORM, CONTENT and MOOD, this can be used as an aid when discussing aspects of art with children.
‘Windows of the West’
PROCESS
What materials, tools, processes and techniques did the artist use?
The artist used watercolour paints in order to create the painting. The artist also used a range of paintbrushes as the painting has a lot detail implying the artist carried the work out carefully and with accuracy.
FORM
Are there recurring shapes, lines, rhythms, forms etc. which determine the design of the piece?
The artist has created uniformity with in her painting, the shape of the windows remains constant. Likewise, the artist painted attentively due to the structure of lines.
CONTENT
Was the subject matter observed directly, remember or imagined?
Analysing the painting it look as though the artist observed the situation directly due to the volume of detail in her work. As the painting was created on Scottish street snow is quite rare.
MOOD
Does it convey feelings about life and nature?
The painting conveys the unpredictably weather in Scotland. The artist main aim perhaps was the to illustrate that behind every window there is a different story evolving.
During the first input we explored printmaking in the visual arts. To create our printmaking, we used the ‘Windows of the West’. This was the first time that I had ever attempt printmaking, in spite of having low art skills set I was able to produce work of a good quality, in which was pleasing and satisfying to myself knowing I had develop a new skill. Cox and Watts (2007, p.47) considers printmaking as “something slightly magical about the process of printmaking… making a print is a rewarding experience”. In order to create printmaking there are many processes to be carried out:
• Firstly, trace the image onto polyboard, this will leave slight idents on the board. It is best to use a ball point pen to trace back over the idents.
• Paint (range of colours) is then put onto wooden/ plastic board, using rollers to roll the paint onto the polyboard.
• Once the polyboard is covered in paint, the polyboard can be transferred and printed onto paper. We used A5 paper and coloured paper too.
• There are many opportunities to facilitate printmaking within the curriculum, children could perhaps make Christmas cards using print, or even print a piece of literacy work using printmaking.
I found the process of printmaking to be an enjoyable and a fulfilling experience. However, printmaking possesses complexities especially when teaching young children, nonetheless as long as the processes are demonstrated and explained clearly children should be able to grasp an understanding of the skills involved. Likewise, printmaking can be a messy, during the input I was able to tolerate the mess created, thinking of a classroom setting giving children wipes would minimise the mess of paint.
There are many benefits for teaching printmaking within the curriculum:
• The principle reason for teaching is the polyboard can be reused again making multiple copies. In addition, children will be able to trail their work without encountering failure. Multi-copies give teachers a chance to collect a folio of work that can be used as assessments for children art work (Cox and Watts, 2007).
• Likewise ‘aesthetic’ is explored within printmaking. Printmaking stimulates children to develop their visual literacy, when printmaking children while have little power over the outcome of their print. “A successful print is often a combination of the intentional and unintentional” (Cox and Watts, 2007, p.48).
Also, this week we had our first drama input of the module. At primary school I have limited experience of drama, I only got taught drama in primary 7 and was part of the World War Two topic that my class was studying, the drama narrative was based on a primary school teacher and her class being evacuated to the countryside, within the drama I portrayed the main character. Being part of this production, I gained a lot of confidence and self-esteem and extremely enjoyed drama. When I transitioned to secondary school I did not studied drama and as I have grown older I feel rather uneased at the prospective to teaching drama, due to the little exposure I have had to drama. Reflecting back on the input I feel significant more comfortable and less apprehensive. During the input we were introduced to a number of drama conventions that can used within a primary school drama lesson:
• Teacher in role-
• Freeze-frame
• Though tunnel
• Improvisations
• Thought tracking
Young children have the opportunity to participate in drama, this is usually conveyed in ‘let’s pretend’ element of play. Bloomfield (2000, p.27) establishes that children create pretend play by “observing people around them, imitating their actions or mode of speech, pretending to be characters in stories they have read or from television programmes they have seen, that children entre an inner world of practical realism or romantic fantasy”. When teaching drama, it is important to consider the individual ability of each child, some children may not be confident to participate in a drama lesson, it is therefore pivotal to adapt the lesson to ensure that all children are included in the drama in some way.
I believe I have acquired a significant amount of understanding of different approaches to painting, through printmaking and it is an approach that I would certainly implement within the classroom. Likewise, this week I have been able to develop my knowledge of drama and considering the number of means I can teach drama to pupils.
Considering the link between the visual arts and drama, printmaking is a great way of producing and creating innovative backing scenes for drama productions or showcases.
References
Bloomfield, A. (2000) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. Oxon: David Fulton
Cox, S, Watts, R (2007) Teaching Art and Design 3-11. New York. Continuum International.
Taylor, R, Andrews, G. (2012) The Arts in the Primary School. Oxon: Routledge
