This fall, Bacon artists had our first opportunity since 2019 to participate in an in-person art show! The Pou

dre School District Creative Endeavors Art Show will be at the Fort Collins Foothills Mall until January 11th, 2022. Our display is right across from Dick’s Sporting Goods. I hope you have a chance to check out the amazing art being created by our own Bacon artists, but also other elementary, middle, and high school artists.

 

A great opportunity came out of online/remote learning last year…the computer app “Seesaw”! Students turned in assignments for art using this technology. I have been taking pictures and some video of students during their art time, mostly during their studio/work time. This program allows students and families to view and comment, through typing or voice recording, on student work! In our time now, where we are limited in being able to have families come into our building, this is a great way to share what we are doing in the art room. Since artwork doesn’t come home until May-ish with the “Loved-Ones Wrap-Up”, this is a fantastic way to see what your student is working on in the art room! I would also like to encourage students and families to post artwork being done outside the classroom onto our Seesaw platform. This could be a great way of communicating student interests and also to maybe inspire other peers with art!

 

Here are some great ways to talk with your student about their artwork:

 

What to say . . .

 

Focus praise on the effort, not the product. For example:

• "How did you do this?"

• "You seemed to be having fun."

• "You were really concentrating."

• "What an interesting way to use the brush."

 

Talk about the Expressive features (or elements) of art: line, shape, color, texture, value, form, space. For example:

• "What I notice first about your drawing is . . ."

• "What I like most about this is . . ."

• "Isn't it interesting how you've used lots of . . . "

 

Promote self-evaluation. For example:

• "Have you put in everything you want to show about the subject?"

• "Do all the parts of the picture look like they belong together?"

• "Which of your paintings from today do you like best, and why?"

 

Encourage effort, enjoyment, & risk-taking. For example:

• "It's fun to try it different ways."

• "We learn a lot from our mistakes."

• "Can you think of other ways to use this tool/supply?"

• "Let's try anyway."

• "It's okay to get dirty."

• "I'm proud of you when you try hard things."

 

There will hopefully be another art show happening in the spring with PSD partnering with CSU.

Thank you for sharing your amazing artists with me!

Jen Dixon