Clay plots: stories for the young at art.

Clay plots: stories for the young at art. Storytellers are treasured in many cultures. In fact, in many,storytelling is the traditional way to initiate the young in the beliefsand experiences of the elders. Storytellers have a flair, a cadence andintonation that grabs the interest and imagination of others, weavingwith words the images of the past or predictions of the future. Perhaps the premier "visual" storyteller of our time wasillustrator Norman Rockwell Noun 1. Norman Rockwell - United States illustrator whose works present a sentimental idealized view of everyday life (1894-1978)Rockwell . His art provides the perfect examples formy beginning art students, not just because he illustrated hundreds ofcovers for the celebrated Saturday Evening Post, but because he forevercaptured moments in time. Rockwell's paintings tell the stories ofmoments cherished, treasured or denied--universal experiences that liveon regardless of the age of the viewer or the situation. There are hundreds of poignant, funny and heart-wrenching imagesthat Rockwell painted with seeming ease. His attention to detail and thefacial expressions he rendered within his paintings cause us toreminisce rem��i��nisce?intr.v. rem��i��nisced, rem��i��nisc��ing, rem��i��nisc��esTo recollect and tell of past experiences or events.[Back-formation from reminiscence. and to share, once again, the universal emotions expressed inhis tableaux. In a class comprised mostly of freshmen, my beginning art studentsmust complete a sculpture unit within our art introduction course. Thisyear I decided that they would become storytellers, conveying theirstories not in words or paint, but in clay. I showed them some ofRockwell's paintings, and we discussed how his artistic skill andsensitivity expressed the clarity of the moments portrayed. We noted that some paintings depict historical stories--likeman's first steps on the moon, the Four Freedoms, and a littleblack girl with doll in hand, standing next to a moving van, unsure ofher welcome in her new neighborhood. These images, and myriad others,use emotion to convey their powerful images. (For examples ofRockwell's work, see "Learning from Exhibitions: Normal Rockwell ... Pictures for the American People," June. Summer 2000issue.) After discussing Rockwell's paintings, the students needed todecide upon the stories that their art would tell. I had written up aquick list of memorable mental pictures from my own life and those of mychildren: a baby in a bathtub; a picnic; trying to bathe the family dog;and a child discovering a toy. We brain stormed a bit, then did somequick thumbnail sketches of our ideas. I try to teach the kids at least one new vocabulary word during ourprojects. We had previously discussed "bas-relief,""assemblage" and other vocabulary unique to the area ofsculpture. In this unit the word would be "tableau," animportant term that applies to other artistic disciplines as well. Once their sketched plans were approved, the students each cuttheir own softball-sized piece of clay. I demonstrated the two basictechniques used with a plastic medium: additive andsubtractive--although additive was the most comfortable and logical touse for this project. We started with a slab, which would serve as the base. The sceneswere then constructed upon the base. Texture was very important to ourclay "stories"; if the figures were sitting in the grass, itshould look like grass. One young man created a delightful"clubhouse," warped boards and all. Another depicted a couplesharing popcorn in front of a television. Still another portrays agirl--complete with poodle poodle,popular breed of dog probably originating in Germany but generally associated with France, where it has been raised for centuries. There are three varieties, differing in size only. skirt--charming a soda jerk. Our little scenes of experiences, created in clay and lovinglypainted with acrylics, would have pleased Norman Rockwell himself.Without words, they faithfully tell stories with amazing a��maze?v. a��mazed, a��maz��ing, a��maz��esv.tr.1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise.2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex.v.intr. , heartfeltdetails. They are whimsical, playful and acutely observant. Fine workindeed for a group so young at art. Geri Greenman is head of the art department at Willowbrook HighSchool Willowbrook High School, or WBHS, is a public four-year high school located approximately half a mile North of Illinois Route 38 on Ardmore Ave in Villa Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. in Villa Park, Illinois Villa Park is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 22,075 at the 2000 census. HistoryFollowing the construction of a subdivision called Villa Park in 1908 and another called Ardmore , and is a Contributing Editor A contributing editor is a magazine job title that varies in responsibilities. Most often, a contributing editor is a freelancer who has proven ability and readership draw. for Arts& Activities.