Experimentation and Exploration

In art education circles, it is not uncommon to assign students projects and expect they complete these tasks during a set period of time. Advocates for this method site "time on task" as a reason for the scheduling and there is truth in that. However, there is a part of the art making process that is ignored by this project-centric working.... experimentation and exploration.

I was discussing the concept of giving students time to workout ideas and struggle through the process of discovery with an art educational associate of mine. She mentioned another art educator who was also interested in this concept. she labeled it "incubation". OK, I'll run with that for now. Here are some works in the incubation stage.

Above: Cara started painting a representational work but became interested in the layering of the paint. She put her representational project aside and is currently exploring abstraction.

Above: This is a test of wire, joint compound and spray paint. This was only a test. I'm excited to see where she might take this.

This student has enjoys drawing anime characters but has never worked digitally. She is exploring digital painting.

He wanted to try wood burning and engraving.This is his first attempt. Up close, the texture is really interesting. I'm going to introduce him to the dremel today. See what he thinks.

Working with plaster and sand to create eerie portraits.

This is a sketch for a painting that will combine realism and zengtangles. Case in point, she struggled with this idea and this sketch for two weeks.

You don't even want to know :)