Working with Rizzi…

In my previous posts on James Rizzi, I have shared a few lessons my students created. Luckily, learning about Rizzi did not end there. I was able to contact Rizzi’s Representative Henry Welt and share the work my students had done. One day I received a package in the mail with a book, and this lovely letter by James Rizzi himself.

I was giddy and so were the kids. We eventually made our own letters and sent them to Rizzi. It was a wonderful experience!

I am still in communication with Henry Welt, and he is excited to hear that other art teachers are using Rizzi’s artwork in their art classes. He has told me that he is interested in seeing what teachers are doing with their students. We are hoping to accumulate all different Rizzi lessons. If you have ideas and pictures you would like to share, please link to this blog or contact Henry Welt.

James Rizzi seems to be passionate about the art of children. He is even in the process of creating a future book/toy. Let me know your thoughts? What would you like to use in your classroom? Do you or would teach kids about the work of James Rizzi ?

Skype Interview with James Rizzi

  As many of you know, I love the art of James Rizzi and so do my students.  I had the privilege of conducting a Skype Interview (along with my after school class) with James Rizzi.  My  after school students generated questions  and  got to personally ask Mr. Rizzi.

Her are my two YouTube videos...

Part 1

Part 2

Mr.Rizzi was very generous to spend this time with my class.  The kids loved him!  If you would like to learn more about this experience, I will be presenting at the Michigan Art Education conference in November.

Magnetic Paintings…Inspired by James Rizzi

  The past couple months I have been running an after school art class inspired by the art of James Rizzi with 3rd and 4th graders.  One project that I was excited to try was magnetic paintings.  Since I had a small class of 12 students it was feasible. 
   First we looked at some of Mr. Rizzi’s magnetic paintings (Click Here).  What is neat about these paintings is that the viewer can interact with the work.  There is a background and then several magnetic pieces that can be rearranged to make different pictures. 
  Students used a 12x18 piece of tag board and made a background.  On each back corner we added a strip of magnet.  Then using poster board the students drew and cut out accessories.  Each item also had magnets put on the back.  Then the students arranged their picture on a magnetic surface. 
Below are my students’ examples…






  If I did this project in the future I would try to use stronger magnets.  At times we had trouble getting the small pieces to stick.  Overall, I thought it was a good project, and exposed the kids to new kind or art form. 
  Soon, I will be sharing  my students' Skype interview with James Rizzi.  Once, I get the huge file to upload to YouTube

Kids Love James Rizzi!

Last year, I was searching for ideas on Artsonia, and became familiar with the contemporary American artist James Rizzi. After researching his artwork, I knew I wanted share his art with my students. I started with teaching one grade, but eventually had to do lessons with all my 1st-4th grade students. We eventually created an art exhibit in honor of James Rizzi. Check it out! In the next week or so I will try to give more detailed posts on the lessons I did with my students.

Inspired by the “Happy Rizzi House”

We started this project by looking at pictures of James Rizzi’s work and focused on the “Happy Rizzi House.” This building is located in Brunswick, Germany. I then show students how to make a 3-D building with tag board (thanks to an art teacher at the MAEA conference). We add windows and doors and discuss design ideas. Students use marker to complete their building. The kids loved this project!

As an extension to this project we wrote letters to Mr. Rizzi. In Germany Mr. Rizzi’s art is used widely in art curriculum.

James Rizzi...you will be missed.

I am very sad to find out of James Rizzi's passing.  He has been a huge inspiration to me and my students (and will continue to be).  I am blessed to have gotten the chance to collaborate with him the past few years.  Mr. Rizzi, you will be missed dearly!

After School Art

For the last few years my school has been able to offer some after school classes.  Last year I taught Japanese Art and Eats and Storybook Art.  It was a fun experience for me.  I had small classes sizes and could experiment with new projects. 

This year I am going to co-teach an African art class and also teach a class devoted to James Rizzi (both will be 3rd and 4th grade).  I am pretty excited.  So I thought I would ask for your input…MY WONDERFUL ART TEACHER BLOG FRIENDS.  So far I know I want to do something with African masks (not sure what media), Ndebele dolls, and  a textile project (but not Adinkra because I will be doing that is my regular classroom).   I also saw some sort or wire push toy and can’t remember the name of it…I think it started with a “G” (real descriptive…I know)


I know I am going to do this lesson from we heart art.  I just love it….http://ourartlately.blogspot.com/2010/10/ndebele-dolls.html

So do you have any great ideas?  Feel free to leave a link to your blog.  I also know some of you are just getting to know James Rizzi’s work, but I would be interested in your ideas about him too.  I don’t want to repeat any of the lessons I taught last year.  I am thinking about clay houses, maybe a mural, and so on.  I will make sure to post the projects too!

Thanks!!!

A Special Surprise!!!!

Yesterday, I received a special gift in the mail.  I thought I would share it with you, my art friends, because you can appreciate the honor of such a gift.  Mr. Welt sent me an original James Rizzi painting as a Christmas gift.  How awesome!  I had the privilege of meeting Henry last year when my husband and I went to New York City. He said this painting reminded him of us.  It is titled “Me and You. You and Me.”     This gift has special meaning to me because of the difficult things I have gone through in the past year.  Both my parents and my only sibling are chronically ill and were hospitalized several times this past year.  I started my first year in a new school and was struggling to not let my personal life  impact my effectiveness as a teacher.  I felt  that there was so much more I wanted to do with my students, but I was emotionally drained.  Then I started teaching about James Rizzi.  The events that occurred (see previous posts) after getting in contact with Henry and corresponding, were amazing.  I was receiving the affirmation that I needed at such a difficult time.   I am the only art teacher in my building and one of two in my district.  Sometimes I question my skills as a teacher because I am all alone ( I am sure some of you can relate).  It may sound silly, but I needed to be valued.  So…thank you for valuing what I do as a teacher!

Would you buy a poster???

 If you have read my previous posts about James Rizzi, you know that he is my favorite contemporary artist to teach.  My students adore his colorful paintings.  The only problem that I have encountered is that is hard/ impossible to find posters of his work.  I was talking with Henry today, and he said they would make them if people would buy them.  So my question to you, my fellow art teachers....Would you buy a James Rizzi Poster ????  Please leave me a comment.  Thanks!

More Rizzi Inspired Art…

This is a simple lesson I taught to my 1st graders. I only spent one 50 min. class on this project. In retrospect, I would have taken two days. I think the results would have been better.

Step 1: We looked at pictures of James Rizzi’s silly buildings (as I call them)

Step 2: Each chose a colored piece of paper and cut it into an interesting building shape. Some students made a pop out door. They glued their building on a 9x12 piece of black paper.

Step 3: We added details using construction paper crayons (I first demonstrate how these crayons work on black paper compared to regular crayons. The kids are always amazed.)

Step 4: Lastly, I gave the students sequence and foam shapes to add to their buildings.

Creating Sub. Plans

   Every year I dread taking days off of school, because I hate writing sub. plans.  They always take so long, and I feel like it would have been easier to just go to school (even when I am sick).  Last year I got the stomach flu unexpected and had to scramble to get something together.  This is never good…I think the kids worked in drawing books or something along those lines.  This may work for my elementary students, but there are always a few kids who take advantage….especially my middle schoolers. 

  With all that said I am trying to be proactive this year.  Many of you have started Pintrest accounts…which I am loving.  I just started one for sub lessons:

 

Check it!  If you would like to contribute to this board let me know…or make one of your own…I would love to follow it :)

Here is a sub lesson that a fellow art teacher shared with me….

   Share with students about the Cow Parade.  Different artist create painted cows around different cities in the world.  I bought the above book off Amazon and it has pictures of cows that were created in New York.  I like this book because It shows a cow James Rizzi Painted and Romero Britto.  Also refer to the Cow Parade website.

Here are a few examples:
  


I made an outline of a cow and then kids color it with a theme.  I don’t have many examples.  Here is an U of M themed cow created by a 3rd grader….