Time is Treasure--Life in the Studio, Finally!

You can check in with Robin's website to see what I am up to these days. After so many years of putting my studio work second to my teaching, I have begun dedicating myself to working as a full-time artist. Thus far, it's going well. Here are four recent pieces in mixed media collage. 

Enjoy, and keep in touch! ~Robin

                                                Tree Song for My Country (on the easel), 24 inches square, 2020

                                                              Remembering RBG, 14 x 11 inches, 2020 

                                                Abenaki Land, Blueberry Hill, Late Winter, 9 x 11 inches, 2020

                                                                    Decolonizing the Land, 16 x 22 inches, 2020
 

An Interview with Ms. Brooks

Introduction:  I chose to interview Robin Brooks, art educator and artist because I admire her ability to connect her teaching with her personal artistic journey.   If your experience with art in school was typical, most of the time you were instructed to complete projects or solve creative problems that were teacher-designed.  Robin and her choice-based colleagues have been exploring the question; “What if we treated all children as artists, capable of creative problem-solving and expressive work from a very young age?”  Robin teaches art to children at Lincoln Elementary School in Augusta.  On a sunny Friday in November, I visited her art classroom to learn more.

Christine Higgins, December 1, 2014. 

Christine: What is your educational philosophy?

Robin:  I believe in my students and in their ability to use materials to express their own ideas.   My art room is a place where children are empowered to use their own life experiences to play with materials, explore ideas, and to make things of personal meaning.

Christine: What specifically is the TAB-Choice Approach?

Robin: TAB-Choice (TAB stands for “Teaching for Artistic Behavior”) is very inclusive approach to teaching and learning that supports children where they are in their development.   Most of the time my students can choose their own materials to explore from the list of open centers.  TAB-Choice is not like Montessori or other methods that are highly structured and somewhat scripted.  It is teacher-designed approach that leaves room to adapt the specifics to your own school context.  I tell the children 80% of the time you can choose what you do but 20% of the time we have whole class “have-to” lessons.  This balance allows me to pass along what I consider to be necessary art skills and experiences (such as drawing from observation) while meeting the curriculum expectations required by my school district and the state.

Christine:  What is a Studio Center?

Robin:  Studio Centers are self-serve areas strategically located around the room that are stocked with materials and tools for student use.  Centers change and evolve through the year.  I start the year by offering simple drawing materials and paper and gradually add materials and processes that are more complex such as cardboard construction, easel painting, weaving, and clay.

Christine:  Could you describe the classroom atmosphere?

Robin: My art room at Lincoln is a creative community.   My role is primarily that of facilitator and guide.  Art instruction and specific techniques are offered to individuals and small groups on an “as-needed” basis.  For example, if a child wants to make a pillow but needs to learn how to sew, I teach them.  If you were to be a fly on the wall In a second grade class you might see the following: two boys are tinkering with pulleys made from egg cartons, string, and other found objects.  They are lifting and lowering the cup, working out the mechanics.  Three others wield markers and pencils, intently drawing Star Wars figures with an encyclopedia open for reference.  In another area you see four painters standing at easels.  Their brushes are loaded with colorful tempera, as they construct their images stroke by stroke.  One notices a sense of purpose and intentionality in the children as they work in this environment.

Christine: What are some of the parallels of a TAB approach to your own studio practice?

Robin: Practice is the key word.  I never feel like I have arrived.  It’s always the journey that keeps me coming back.  I teach my students it’s Ok and even necessary to make mistakes and lots of them.  Too often, children are afraid to take risks.  I make it safe for them to play and explore before committing to longer-term project work.  We often forget how long it takes to learn a material and to discover its expressive potential.

I struggle with many of the same things my students do—matching the material and/or process to the idea, keeping my workspace organized, cleaning up, and working within time constraints.  The biggest complaint I hear from students year after year is “not enough time.”  Clean-up time always comes too soon.  When I am working in my studio I forget the clock.  How wonderful it is that my students have a chance to experience this flow, if even just for a short forty minutes per week.

Christine Higgins is a retired art educator with more than 30 years’ experience in the public school system.  An artist herself, she focuses on ceramics, printmaking, and paper-making.  She is a Union of Maine Visual Arts (UMVA) member who participates in ARRT banner painting activities for non-profits.   Christine developed the column “Insight/Incite”  in 2014  for the UMVA Newsletter to highlight the important efforts of arts educators throughout the region to promote creativity in teaching and learning.

ADDENDUM: I recently came across a TEDx talk by Museum Art Educator Cindy Foley from Columbus that further fleshes out the talk how to teach for creativity. Here is the link:  Cindy Foley talk: Teaching art or teaching to think like an artist

If you'd like to read this on my website 

This entry was posted in An Art Teacher's Journal, Notes from the Studio, Uncategorized and tagged artist, Choice-Based Art Education, Christine Higgins, Cindy Foley, Columbus Museum of Art, creativity, habits of artists, idea generation, Maine Art Education, robin brooks, TAB, TAB-Choice Art Education; Teaching for Artistic Behavio, teaching and learning through art, TEDxColumbus, UMVA, Union of Maine Visual Artists.

Artist of the Week--J. from 3K

Artist of the week--J. from 5B, Exploring anime and photography

Padme Amedala

There are so many art forms you can explore.

J from 5B chose to try the 
landscape photo prompt from our visual arts learning packet. 

He also took the challenge to learn from a "how to" video. 


I hope seeing J and his work inspires you to try something new!  
Ms. Brooks 

2. "Padme Amedala" is the title of my drawing. She is a character from the movie Star Wars.  If I put a quote in the bubble it would be "Sometimes there are things that no one can fix." That is a quote she said. I used black sharpie for the outline and colored pencils for the rest.  The experience of using Kids Hub video was fun and a way to show my creativity.  I want to continue using this website and their videos.  It was easier than I thought.

2. Title of landscape photograph: "My Peace Trees"

Peace Trees, by J.

Trouble at Sea--This week's featured art work by S. in 4D

Trouble at Sea, painting by S.,

S. titled his painting "Trouble at Sea."

He called it that because there are cannons aboard the ship and red flags 

flying from the masts. 

The gray objects in the sea are rocks and the blue animals are whales

 pointing their tails up in the water. 

What do you suppose the trouble might be?

??????????????????????????????????????

Do you have a question or comment for the artist? 

(Tell what you notice. Ask a question. Give a suggestion.)

I'm sure he would love to hear from you.

Please use the comments section to type a question or leave a note for the artist.

You can also email me at brooksro@link75.org. 

Thanks for visiting our WCS Choice-based art gallery!

Ms. Brooks 

Two WCS artists respond to a drawing prompt

A horse made of rectangles by K.

Here's my T.A.G. for K:

 

Tell: What a great job you did using rectangles to draw your horse! 

By using color to shade in your horse with brown and black it softened the angles. 

Ask: Were you thinking of a particular kind of horse? I seem to recall that Morgan horses have that coloring! I had to look closely to see the rectangles. 

Might you use other shapes to create the ground around your horse or are you finished with this drawing? 

What was challenging about just using rectangles?   

Give: Will you try it again with the same or a different shape--triangles, ovals? ~Ms. Brooks

Sunset over mountaintops by L.

Here's my T.A.G. for L:

Tell: I love how you interpreted "A Sunset in the Mountain." 

 I can really feel the sun's glow in the warm and bright yellow, orange, and red of the sunset! 

I also see what looks like shadows drawn with pencil on the dark side of the mountains. 

Ask: Could these mountains reach as tall as the clouds?

Give: What kind of landscape will you draw next? Will you try a different time of day?

Ms. Brooks

Learning about London through Legos

This week during art at home, J worked on a Lego kit to build a model of London.

Maybe you have heard of London. It is a big city in England which is part of the United Kingdom, also known as the U.K.

A panoramic view of London

Add caption

A map of London with some of the landmarks. 

I tagged J. after he sent me this photo. Here are my questions: 

Tell: I recognize a few of those London landmarks--Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the carousel in your Lego model. 

Ask: How difficult was this model to build? What got you interested in building the city of London? 

Give: Have you ever tried making a drawing of one of your lego models? It might be fun to try. You could do a map-type drawing or try making the buildings 

look 3-D. 

This was really fun for me to see. Thanks for sharing! Ms. Brooks 

An old map of London 

Chalk art, rainbows, and non-traditional art forms--A Conversation

What experiences qualify as art? 



The way I understand art, every material has expressive potential.

Everything we do can be done artfully, with careful observation, persistence, and thoughtful

reflection. But does that make it art?

Here are a few activities I've heard about that some of our WCS students have been busy with during Learning at Home time:

Baking Bread

Learning to crochet

Hatching baby chicks from eggs

Drawing rainbows with sidewalk chalk.

Which of these activities seem like art to you and why?

Can baking bread be considered an "art" experience?  Learning to crochet?  Incubating chicks?


Now, take a moment or two to think about this. 

 If you are expressing yourself--engaging your emotions--and problem-solving--using your thinking

mind--to create something that has a design or a form, you are most likely engaged in a creative

pursuit.

Art has as much to do with the intent of the person doing it as it does with the final result.

I'd like to hear your thoughts about this!

Playful Inquiry--What was the best thing about your day?

This post is directed more to the adults, those of you who find yourself in a new role, that of your child's co-teacher. 

So often in education we focus on "the teacher's role" and "the lesson to be learned."  

We focus less on the learner and their role.

 Learning at home offers a chance to focus more on your child 

and what they are naturally curious about.

                                 
What drives a child's interest? How can we help them go deeper? 

Follow this link to a TED X talk on Youtube entitled: Playful Inquiry--Try this anywhere!

"What is the best thing that's happened to you today?"

Synopsis: A simple, intentionally appreciative inquiry can result in a playful state that fosters creativity, openness and togetherness. Grounded in the science of positive psychology, this interactive talk demonstrates how appreciative inquiry opens us up to experience even greater positivity. The result: less fear and strong heartfelt connections and understanding between people, even strangers.

"Playful Inquiry" fosters an inquisitive stance toward learning. 

Play sculpts the brain, putting us in a state of mind that is optimal for learning. 

High challenge and low risk are present at the same time.

What? So What? Now What? is a simple framework for looking closely, thinking

about, and reflecting on learning.

What? What did you try, make, or experience? Describe or "tell" about it.

So What? stands out about this project or experience? What was challenging?

What was surprising? What did you discover? What did you wonder about?

Now What? Take a moment to reflect. What was valuable about this experience? What was

 frustrating or difficult. What will you do next?

Please share your "learning at home" stories with me at brooksro@link75.org Ms. Brooks

This Week's Featured Artist: J. in 1G

What happens when you're hanging out at home doing art? 

Sometimes, your parents have special interests or skills. 

This week's featured artist, J. from Mrs. Greenleaf's first grade class, 

 worked with his dad to learn and make two stop-motion animations. 

This is the finished, edited version. Kudos to J. and his dad for 

persisting and coming up with some good visual 

storytelling!  I TAGGED J. and here is our dialogue.

From J.: 

Dear  Ms. Brooks,

TELL--Ms. B: t looks to me like another battle. Wolf vs. monster?

           I see that you used a plain background to keep our focus on the action.

ASK--Ms. B: What title would you give this video?

   J: Monster Mayhem Part 2: A Hero Arrives! 

         

      Ms. B.: Who are the two main characters?

   J: Wolfey and Monstore.

GIVE...Ms, B: What kind of scene will you animate next?

     J.: Season:1e.p:1  cliff canyon. 

J's. Tip:Tell kids to ask their mom or dad to download the "zing" app on the app store. 

Ok?

thanks for e-mailing me.

J.M

This is the "rough draft.

Here is some more of J.'s "at home" art work!

Happy Art-making!

Ms. Brooks 

How an Artful Conversation Supports a Child's Learning

Today's post is about learning the art of the artful conversation and 
how to talk with your child about their artwork.

We are entering our fourth week of art at home.

Most likely, your child has made a few things for art. Now what? 

When a child shows us their artwork,

most of us don't really know what to say beyond 

some words of praise. "How nice!" "Very cute." "Lovely." "Good job!" 

Today's post is about how to extend the conversation.   

Working with the Studio Thinking framework we can flesh out some ways to talk about art that 

promote learning. 

As an art educator, I have often wondered about these two questions:

      1. How do we encourage children to reflect on their artwork? 

      2. How can this reflection lead to deeper learning? 

A few of my choice-based colleagues have shared their approaches over the years.

I've adopted this simple framework in our art program at WCS.

I am sharing it with you today because it might help you have more

meaningful conversations with your child about the things they make.

O and Em getting started.

It's called T.A.G. which stands for:

        Tell what You notice.
      Ask a question,
      Give a suggestion.

These three prompts encourage us to organize our response by the following--

1. Look closely and describe what you see.

2. Probe a little deeper by sharing out loud what you wonder about. 

3. Think about how this experience might lead to the next steps in learning. Remember that these are

     just suggestions. example "If you were to do this again, how would you do it differently?"

Now, let's practice! Give it a try with these photo of an art project that was recently sent to me by one

 of our Williams-Cone School families.

I hope you have fun exploring artful seeing and the art of the artful conversation with your child(ren)!  As always, I love to hear from our Williams-Cone families.

Ms. Brooks April 5, 2020

Stained Glass with blue tape removed. O is
in 2nd and Em is a K student at WCS. 

Stained glass window painting by O and Em with blue tape.

Inspiration is Everywhere! Reaching out to Williams-Cone Artists

Dear Williams-Cone Artists,

Inspiration is everywhere you look! 

Every day, everywhere you look,

Robin Brooks, Bowdoin Mill, watercolor and pencil on paper, private collection

I'll bet you can discover something wonderful. 


Getting Started: Have a look around your house. See what you have at home. 

***Make sure to ask permission from an adult before you take something for 

your art project. Now gather your materials. Find a place to work.

Even if you don't have paint or fancy materials on hand, there are many other

things to find and use. 

You can even paint with leftover black tea or coffee! 

Do you remember when we painted with leaves and 

feathers instead of paintbrushes? 



Clean Up: At home, like at school, please clean up 

your work area.  

put things away and clean up your mess. 


Now Share! I have been sharing some WCS "at 

home" artwork here on my Choice-Based Art blog. ***Hint--I would love to 

hear from my students in grades 3, 4, and 5! I would love to include your 

artwork too, so have a family member email me some pictures of your work.

I hope you will continue making art during this time at home. 

Thank you to the families who have been sending me pictures. Please keep

them coming!

Ms. Brooks 

brooksro@link75.org.  

Being an Art Detective--Looking Closely at Three Artworks

Marc Chagall, Russian-French Artist of Jewish ancestry, oil painting

What does comparing one piece of art to another one have to teach us? 

Here are paintings by two famous artists

and one artwork by an anonymous artist.

(Anonymous means we don't know the 

name of the person who made it.) 

This is an invitation to use the Studio 

Habit "Observe" to look closely at each 

work of art. 

Begin at the top with Marc Chagall's 

musician. After you have looked 

closely at all three works of art, 

scroll down to the bottom for next steps.

Georgia O'Keefe, American, Canna Lily, oil painting

Kantha embroidery, colored thread on fabric, India

This is an example of  Kantha embroidery.

*Note: Kantha is a type of embroidery craft from the 

eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, specifically

 in Bangladesh and in the Indian states of West 

Bengal, Tripura and Odisha. (definition from Wikipedia)














Next Steps:

1. Notice your feelings. The words "I like it" or "I

 don't like it" might pop into your head. Put these

feelings aside to explore a little more.

2. Observe things in the three artworks that are similar. 

For example, there are flowers in all three

artworks. Can you find the flowers?

Is there anything else that all three artworks have in common? A color or colors? example: red, white

A line? example, curved lines

A shape? example; rounded shapes

3. Now you can focus on things in the artworks that are different.

How can you talk about the differences?  What is each artwork about? We call that "subject matter?"

What colors do you see? Does the artist use a color family like warm and cool?

How do the artworks make you feel? Now you can come back to the feelings you had at the start.


 Note: If you would like to be on my blog, please write some comments in the comment box below. 

I would love to hear how you liked this "seeing" exercise. What did you learn from doing it? 


Another note: You can do this "seeing" exercise with any two (or more) works of art.  

By noticing what is similar and what is different and finding words to describe what you see, you will

no doubt start seeing more! 


The more you see, the more you will understand about art and the ways that artists use the *language 

of art to express their ideas and feelings.  *line, shape, color, texture, form, space, movement, etc.


PS You can improve your "Art Detective" skills by looking at lots of artwork in books, on line, and in

 person! You might even have some art at your house to study.

Have fun being an art detective! 

Ms. Brooks

Many kinds of art by one artist

                                Many Kinds of Art by One Artist

There are some artists who only like to draw or paint or build. But many artists work in a variety of

ways with different materials. Art is a way of exploring the world, noticing cause and effect, and

making our mark.

We can learn from other artists or just from experimenting.

This young artist has done both in her first week of art at home.

What a great set-up for snow painting!

From J's mom, "We have been drawing with Mo Williams every week day so we have 7 under our belt.  We are 

sending over some of our favorites.  Yesterday, we painted on snow for an activity and talked about the Aurora 

Borealis and watched a video about the colors to inspire us."

J's Aurora Borealis snow colors

J with her sketch pad

A doodle with the first letter of her name

Parents, If you think your child would enjoy doodling and drawing with Mo Willems, the children's 

book author and illustrator and Kennedy Center Artist-in-Residence, check out this 

link: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/

Thanks for sharing your art, J! Happy doodling! Ms. Brooks

What happens when an artist takes a walk?

What happens when an artist takes a walk?

We can find materials for art everywhere, inside our homes and outside in the world. Nature can be especially fun to play with. Sometimes the materials themselves suggest an idea and other times we use the materials to express something we can imagine or see in our "mind's eye." I hope O and Em's art from nature inspires you to collect some things for your own art!

Their mom said, "O and Em went to the beach today to collect items to make art.  O has decided on a "crab/lobster hybrid" and Em is still unsure what hers will be.  Here they are at the beach! "




And now for their creations...


Here's our art!  

O made  two creatures that are having a battle, he labeled the winner.

Em's rock in the middle she painted yellow is the moon, everything else are stars in the sky, and the sand dollar is a planet.