Young Artist Studio Teaching Apprentice Blog

GUEST

Today was an amazing day! We had Jade Hoyer Printmaking Professor at MSU Denver visit us. We were blown away by all of the tips and tricks she showed us. She also brought some of her own amazing work for us to see!

Reduction Print

Some of our students are inspired by the reduction process and worked on this the whole week. The reduction process is a way to use multiple layers of color on a print. It is a complicated process that requires planning and patience.

Learn, Practice, Improve!

We only have a couple of weeks left until the summer break! We’re excited for the print exchange at the end of the session. Each of us has to make 20 prints! Let’s keep working!

WE DEVELOP OUR SKILLS IN PRINTMAKING EVERYDAY!

Now we know how the printmaking process works! This week we learned how to carve rubber lino blocks and use the printing press.

We have also experimented with different color layers and came up with beautiful results. Next week we’ll begin learning about reduction prints. Get ready to see more color!

“I’M STILL LEARNING.” – MICHELANGELO

It was a wonderful week! To learn the print making process we started with the very basic techniques. Styrofoam is a good material to explore and practice . We made several prints and learned how to use multiple colors! The Young Artist Studio is excited to move to the intermediate level and start carving rubber easy cut lino blocks! See you next week!

After a short Spring Break, the Young Artists are back in the Studio to make art!

This session we will focus on printmaking. Some of our students did printmaking with us last year and for some students it will be a new experience.

The carving tools and ink are ready to print!

The Last Touches for Artist’s Books!

Art books are almost done and we are ready for a little break before the next session! We learned about story-telling through different media, such as photography, gel medium, collage, stop motion, cyanotype, and sound waves!

Cyanotype

This week was magic! We learned how to use cyanotype emulsion to create a cyan blue prints. It was so awesome to watch how cyanotype develops under ultraviolet light.

To create individual prints, we laid different objects on top of the cyanotype coated paper and exposed it to sunlight. The results were fantastic!

Time to move on to the next project but first check out our photos.

Gel Medium Image Transfer

Have you ever tried the gel medium technique? If not, you should look at the work we have made this week! It might look complicated at first but once you know all the steps, it gets easier!

The Young Artists experimented with different layers, paint and materials. We were excited to transfer photos on fabric and wood and looking forward to bring it to the next First Friday workshop!

Photo portraits and light.

The Young Artist Studio became a photo studio for the week! We learned how to take portraits using the 3-point lighting technique. Each YAS member had an opportunity to be a photographer, a lighting assistant and a model. We thought it would be great to have photos for our next project to complement the idea of storytelling.

Check out the photo portraits by YAS students.

This week was fun! We created a first page for the artist’s book. Inspired by Tya Anthony’s work in the gallery, we have combined different techniques and media to create a collage.

The young artists used old books, canvas, pieces of wood, paint, fabric, photos and other materials to express their ideas into a collage. We also created two collaborative pieces to learn how to work together to express your ideas within the group and create something together.

This week young artists were focused on planning their books. There are a few important questions they needed to answer before they can start making an artist’s book.

What story do they want to tell?

How can they do it through different types of media – collage, still images, cyanotype, gel medium and stop motion?

How can they tie all of these techniques together in one narrative story?

After we discussed these details we created a single page to practice story-telling through different types of art.

How to tell a story?

In this session we addressed the question “What is storytelling? and How is it used? The Young Artists began the structure of story together then collaborated in small groups to finish the story in a variety of ways.

We shared it with the whole group. It was so much fun to see all the different endings!

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it”. Ansel Adams

The new exhibition Gravity of Perception is open and we did our gallery walk with YAS. We talked about story telling through still images and artist statements. We researched each artist in the exhibition and discussed their work. It was delightful to listen to YAS students analyze the work in the exhibition.

Starting a new session

To begin the new workshops we decided to start with a movie day, we ate snacks and watched short films 😉 Shorts were focused on our new session – storytelling. We discussed main steps of this process and how to develop our own story.

We’re looking forward to what the young artists will do next!

CREATE YOUR ARTIST’S BOOK

Learn how to tell a story or just deliver an important message through different types of media. This session we will create an Artist’s book we’ll work with: collage, digital photos, stop-motion, cyanotype and gel medium transfers. We will be happy to start new year with some new artist in the gallery, the new session starts on Jan 8th. See you then!

WE HAVE FINISHED THE PROJECT!

This is the last week for the Mixed Media Sculpture project and we are ready to show pictures of YAS work! We learned how to mix plaster, create plaster reliefs, make plaster sculptures using different types of molds. We have combined wire sculptures with plaster and other materials and are absolutely thrilled with the results! Woohoo!

Photos by Silver ( YAS student)

Finalizing Project

We finally started working on the main project. Students in the Young Artist Studio have already had practice with plaster and wire, and are ready to combine these techniques to create a sculpture. First we will create a plaster piece and next week will work on a wire piece. Excited!

“If you can imagine a thing, conjure it up in space then you can make it… The universe is real but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it. Then you can be realistic about reproducing it”. Alexander Calder.

This week we were exploring wire as a material. All the YAS students were surprised how much potential this material has; multiple ideas immediately came to mind! You probably remember that, last week we were creating plaster sculptures, this week we decided to combine these two materials and create a holder for the plaster piece. The main goal is to expand our range of thinking to eliminate any borders between ideas and creative process. Next session we will start working on our final project that will also utilize different sculpting tools and techniques.

Mixed Media Sculpture

We are excited about our new session! We are planning to develop our ideas into 3D objects. How? We had the same question before we came to the workshop; Jazmyn demonstrated some approaches to sculpting that gave us new ideas. We created plaster relief using clay molds and plaster. Next week we are planning to discover the potential of surface design by applying different types materials. We can not wait!

Recycle Material Sculpture

Before the Young Artist Studio jumps in to a new session -Mixed Media Sculpture- we were honored to create sculptures for the BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. We were required to use recycled materials to accomplish this project. As you can see on the pictures we have nailed it!

DETAILS MATTER!

We are on the finish line with our Electric Fibers project and we are excited to see each other’s work; but first we have to take a deep breath and continue working on the last, tiny, but important details: connecting last lights, adding accents and revise all the stitches. During these 7 weeks we have completed so many steps. We started with some sketches, made paper temples, learned different types of sewing and stitches, constructed the monsters, added LED light, and surface- this is impressive!

TIME FLIES!

It’s been three weeks since the Young Artist Studio started working on the Electronic Fibers Project. Last week we have constructed our creatures; and this week we worked on LED lights application and surface decoration. Do you remember, on the Week 3, we were connecting single light to our mini project? So, this week, we were applying two, three and even four LED lights to one battery pack! We spent some time on a scheme, to make correct electronic connections and now our monsters are lighting up!

INKTOBER IS HERE!

Did you know that every October artists from all around the world participate in INKtober challenge? This challenge was created by artist Jake Parker to improve and develop positive drawing habits.We have our ink and are ready to sketch! We will follow the inspiration words calendar to create ink drawings with the whole world.

WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK?

Hurray! This week we have started working on our main project- Electronic Fibers. Have you ever thought about what is holding you back? We did, and after each young artist found the answer to this question we made sketches of monsters that would fight anything that holding us back. These creatures exist only on the pages of our sketchbooks, but they already have super power. We can’t wait to turn the sketches into 3D objects next week!

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent van Gogh

Step by step we are approaching the moment when we will start working on our main project. This week we learned aspects of working with fiber material and copper wire . The process of connecting the lights to the battery pack looked difficult at first, but we found all right “pluses” and “minuses.”

Young Artist meet Suchitra Mattai at CVA Gallery.

Today was awesome! Suchitra, featured artist of the current exhibition “ Sugar Bound,” gave us a private tour. It is truly incredible to feel so inspired, especially, if you just started to develop your own aesthetic and creative process. By virtue of our questions and the artist’s narrative, we revealed some secrets in her work. We learned a lot about the multimedia techniques and textiles combinations.

Today, we were filled with knowledge and inspiration and are ready to apply this to our workshop project!

We would love to meet new youth at the studio and explore the creative process together. Please be free to register for the workshop.

Making new connections.

Today was the first meeting of the 2018-19 YAS at the CVA. We all gathered at the CVA this afternoon to meet one another and build a creative community. What could be more important for young artists than connecting to global world of art? On the very first day of YAS workshop we were happy to be involved with the World Art Drop Day. Our young artists created a piece of art and hid it on the streets of Denver, so it could to be found by a stranger.

After such a full day, we are ready to dive into “Electronic Fiber Arts.” Follow YAS blog to know more about the workshop and join if you are interested!

This morning the interns presented their initial ideas in response the 2018 RFP (Request For Proposals). This year they are challenged with making Time-Based, Site-Specific, Community Engaging, Thought-Provoking artwork. The interns will present their work to the public on First Friday August 3rd during the artwalk.

In the afternoon we took a short walk down Santa Fe Drive to talk to Tanya Mote at Su Teatro. She was able to give us a brief history of the neighborhood and of the Chicano Movement in Denver. I know that her stories will greatly influence our students work.

This morning we walked to Auraria Campus for a tour of Metropolitan State University. We toured the art department, industrial design department and spoke with a few key people working on campus.

Alyssa Marks, Internship Coordinator, spoke about ways to get involved in opportunities like internships, volunteer programs, and community engagement as ways to get a foot in the door for their future endeavors.

Heather Collins, Arts Advisor, shared important application processes and art department info.

Rachel Delany, Art Education Professor led a tour of all the different spaces and mediums available to students that attend Metro, including: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Metal and Wood work, Photography and graphic design.

Ted Shin, Industrial Design department chair, guided us through the Industrial Design building where we visited classrooms and workshops for metal, wood, plastic, etc. The concept of a prototype is evident throughout the ID building!

To start off the day we headed over to Mc Nichols to speak with Mary Valdez, the Public Art Coordinator at Denver Arts & Venues. The Interns learned about how murals have become part of the Denver landscape. Mary shared the process DAV uses to work with artists. As we continued with our day downtown DCPA provided a backstage tour of the theaters, paint shops, costume design studios and the variety of things that go into making productions!

Today Nicole Dill, Chief Operations Officer of TEDxMileHigh, spoke with us about her life and career! She also shared tips and tricks for becoming a confident public speaker. In the afternoon we dove into a discussion about Identity and Intersectionality. As we shared stories we felt a sense of openness and appreciation for the many voices in the room. We are a diverse group and we value one another. The conversation also turned to thinking about the role of individuals in communities. The Interns then created a visual interpretation on their own identities out of string and paper.

Remember, “Show up BRAVE!” – Nicole Dill.

Idea Selection – Rapid Prototyping – Su Teatro Visit

This morning the interns presented their initial ideas in response the RFP (Request For Proposals) that they were given. This year we will be making Time-Based, Site-Specific, Community Engaging, Thought-Provoking artwork. The interns will present their work to the public on First Friday August 3rd during the artwalk.

In the afternoon we took a short walk down Santa Fe Drive to talk to Tanya Mote at Su Teatro. She was able to give us a brief history of the neighborhood and of the Chicano Movement in Denver. I know that her stories will greatly influence our students work.

Design Thinking Workshop/ Denver Museum of Nature and Science Visit

Today the interns got a behind-the-scenes look at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The interns met with graphic artists, event coordinators, curators, conservationists, financial managers and many more heads of departments. The interns got rare access to the conservation facility and an in depth tour of how rare and precious artifacts are conserved. This incredible site visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was a first hand look at creative careers that are outside of the realm of being a practicing artist.

Artist Workshop – Esther Hernandez

Today the interns received their Request For Proposals commissioned by the Center for the Visual Arts. The RFP requested proposals for Time-Based, Site Specific, Community Engaging Thought Provoking Artwork.

In the afternoon local performance and installation artist Esther Hernandez stopped by the Young Artist Studio to introduce the genres of Performance Art and Fluxus Art to the teens. Esther and the interns performed happenings taken from the Fluxus Handbook including an ice block relay race, a ping pong ball painting and a water gun balloon war.

Today we walked the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood. We learned about the generations of people that existed in the neighborhood and the changes that have transpired in recent years. The interns will respond to these stories during the upcoming weeks!

In the afternoon we had a private tour of the CVA’s exhibition, Pink Progression, with Cecily Cullen, Director and Curator of the CVA. It was incredible to see the exhibition through her lens! Thanks Cecily!

Welcome Creative Interns of 2018! We are so excited to have you all here! We start off with the My Art activity where we introduce ourselves and make some art! After completing introductions together we establish expectations we all have for each other and as individuals in relation to the program. In the afternoon we design our sketchbooks and make our mark! The day ends with high hopes and excitement for what’s to come this year!

ADDING DEPTH TO THE MURAL

This week we went into the gallery to see how Carlos Frésquez adds depth to his paintings. We really want our shark to look like it’s coming out of the wall.

The Young Artists noticed that we need to decide where our point of light is and add highlights, reflections and shadows to give our shark more dimension.

We also finished our galaxy which took about 6 classes to sponge paint.

“Flicking the white stars on the galaxy was my favorite part and I couldn’t wait to do it!” -Alex age 14

YAS Mural Painting Class Puts Their Ides on the Wall!

The class learned how to project a scan of the mural outline on the wall and adjust the placement and size to their liking. Pushing tables up against the wall, they traced the lines with pencil.

On Tuesday the artists did some tweaking of the broken brick wall using a cardboard stencil and a little imagination.

The Young Artists are all excited to finally be getting their ideas up on the wall. Mixing the right colors and working together to cover a large area with paint proves to be challenging and therapeutic at the same time!

The Pitch

The Young Artists had a big task this week, pitching their mural sketches and color schemes to the department head. The class were both excited to run their ideas by someone with outside perspective and nervous that they may experience rejection. Luckily their favorite sketch was approved and they were able to get started!

“I’m excited to have something I love so much [sharks] to be part of this mural and I’m glad I got to contribute to it”– Mikey age 14