Karl Blossfeldt and Ellsworth Kelly

I went to observe a Principal Retreat with Studio in a School (SIAS). My professor at Bklyn College pointed out that SIAS is focused on the end product and that they are selling a product. This is unlike her philosophies of children becoming artists naturally with the right guidance and facilitation, letting the work speak for itself as their expression is interesting enough. I was also agitated by the awe that SIAS inspires after I saw the amount of PD that SIAS artists get compared with art teachers in school. However, at this retreat we were given PD by being placed in the role of the student during their imaginary plant lesson. Surprisingly I was in awe as much as I was when I was an art teacher receiving PD from SIAS. I really think that their way of teaching is great and I would like to incorporate some of that style into my own teaching along with Bklyn College philosophies.

The lesson that I observed introduced me to two artists and I fell in love with their work, particularly Karl Blossfeldt.

The first part of the lesson was to draw plants from observations. The artist puts flowers on the tables, one for each child. She then models drawing from observation, using shapes and/or contour lines. After showing the students the way she draws with contour lines, she shows them the plant drawings of Ellsworth Kelly.

At home I looked online to see who she was and I fell in love with her minimalist painting. I think that I really love minimalism.

The second part of the lesson was to draw from photographs and notice the unusual shapes and lines in the plants photographed by Karl Blossfeldt. The students also think about how the parts of the plant help the plant to function.

The artist working at SIAS said that he was a craftsman who made iron fences and to train his workers he took photographs of unique plants for design inspirations. She said that he didn't even consider himself an artist. However, when I looked online it said that he was an apprentice at an art foundry, but later went to art school and taught sculpture. These photographs were made from a homemade camera and used to inspire sculpture students. I guess more investigation needs to be done to know more about him.

The unit goes on and students draw imaginary plants and paint them using watercolors. Their plants end up having imaginative functions. They then write persuasive essays about why their plants should exist in the world.