The Sketchbook Project, the next gen...

 

This semester I have the pleasure of teaching Introduction to Art Education at George Mason University. Now that we are straddling the halfway mark I can say it is my favorite part of the week! Unpacking and examining the many layers of what we do everyday in an art classroom is invigorating and undoubtedly these students raise questions that keep me on my toes. 

It has also provided me the opportunity to revisit and reimagine the Sketchbook Project (SBP). The first SBP began in 2020 during the height of the pandemic as a way to build community among students while virtual. That year the students mailed (via snail mail) the sketchbook to each other on a weekly rotation and documented their spreads on their blogs. To learn about that SBP, click this link.

This second iteration of the SBP has definitely taken on it's own personality, the weekly entries are grounded in the readings, observations and explorations of each week. The students are able to pass the book to each other during class time, no mail necessary. However, documenting the process on their blogs is still an expectation. 

Then every week in class whichever student had the sketchbook that week presents their spread and how they captured their thoughts and documented them artfully. There is no media limitation for inside the SBP, and every spread must include a pop-up feature. The end of the semester will result in a completed Sketchbook Project showcasing a rich, visual chronology of what the student's were contemplating during the various weeks throughout the fall semester.  

Raku Fire Workshop

Today Lewie and I spent a hot and fiery day at the Workhouse. Outings have been pretty much nonexistent, so today was such a treat! It was Lewie's first raku fire experience, and I am so happy we shared the day together.

 Summer is melting away and soon he will be heading off to college (fingers crossed that Covid does not impede his next chapter too much)

There were five artists and the instructor in the workshop today. I appreciated the small number. Everyone wore masks for the entirety of the workshop and was very respectful of the distance between each other. The temperature outside was a hearty 98 degrees...that paired with the smoke and fire made for a hot day. I will say, the heat didn't even bother me, I was just so excited to be out and making art with others. The physicality of a raku fire is what I enjoy the most, of course the end results are beautiful, but there is something really awesome about being a part the collective kinetic experience of moving the pots through the glazing process with all the combustibles and spritzes. 

It feels so good to be tired from delightful conversations with new friends, making art, and the ritual of the raku fire process. As I sit here tonight looking at the photos and the finished raku pieces  reflecting on the the day I can still smell the smoke in my hair! I will sleep so good tonight.