Woven Value Seascapes with Si-Chen Yuan

DISCUSSION: 

Artist and the artwork: 


Si-Chan Yuan

BEACH, MONTEREY, CA. 1968-1974, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA

seascapes, sand in foreground, water in middle ground, sky in background

linear horizon

wash with texture Burlap pieces to give sand like quality

drawing with pencil

wash in water several blue values

Greyscale

Artist: Si-Chen Yuan (1911-   )

Born in Hangchow, China, Si-Chen Yuan studied at the Fine Arts Academy in Nanking, 

He practiced Western styles and worked in oil paint—as opposed to traditional ink painting. By the time of his graduation, China was in turmoil, caught between nationalist and communist politics. 

For a time, Yuan worked as an artist producing political propaganda for the Nationalist party. But, when the Communist party gained control in 1949, he left China. 

The following year he became a United States citizen. 

Yuan was seduced by Monterey’s dramatic coast and moved there in 1951. 

He married in 1953,  

In addition to portraits of family and friends, Yuan painted a range of subject matter, including still lifes, landscapes, and seascapes, and he experimented with non-representational abstraction. 

He painted swiftly and energetically, as friends recall, using broad strokes to rapidly render his subjects. 

He delighted in the interplay of color, which he applied thickly. 

For additional information: please visit: www.crockerartmuseum.org/art?page=shop.product_details&product_id=677&flypage=flypage_cust.tpl&pop=0

PROJECT: create seascape in color and greyscale to be woven together

Step1: using a pencil draw a seascape: include the sky, water, sand and objects in sand (people, umbrellas, etc)

Step2: draw the same drawing a second time as close to the original as possible

Step3: paint in the first using color

Step4: add texture to the sand by adding salt while it is still wet

Step5: Paint second drawing an values of grey

Step6: once both paintings are complete cut one in strips vertically (be sure that you do not cut all the way through leave 1/4" at the edge to make weaving easier) 

Step7: Cut the second piece horizontally (cut these stripes all the way and place them slightly above your work space in the order in which they should be woven back in).

Step7: weave the two together creating a woven seascape.

MATERIALS: 

watercolor paper 

Liquid watercolor paints

salt

pencils

black and white acrylic paints for grey scale. 3 to 4 values of grey should be enough. 

Weaving Tissue and found objects with Ellen Kochansky

K-1-2 Grades

DISCUSSION: Look at several examples of Ellen Kochansky's  work

Weaving? How is weaving art? 

What is weaving? 

Art A: how would this art feel? 

Is there a pattern? 

What is the pattern of this weave? 

Why did the artist name this piece riverdance? Nancy Curry

How to Weave: Over under, over under

Under over, under over

ARTIST: Ellen Kochansky

American textile designer

owns and designs for EKO. 

From rural South Carolina, 

she has made quilts and textile art for over 30 years. 

She has served as an American Canvas panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and as a trustee of the American Crafts Council. 

Her works are in many public and private institutions including the Museum of Art + Design in NY, and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC.

PREPARATION: Create looms in advance (one per student):

Step 1: cutting 12x18 black construction paper down to 12x12 square

Step 2: Gently bend them and cut strips one inch from top bottom and sides.  

MATERIALS: 

Looms

Chenille stems

Glue

Found objects

Yarn

Fabric

PROJECT: 

Weaving with Tissue paper

Step 1: grab loom and tissue strips

` Step 2: begin weaving by going over and under stems

Step 3: with you next tissue strip go under over the stems

Step 4: return to over under

Step 5: return to under over

Step 6: embellish the weave using found objects like our artist

Step 7: glitter station

Step 8: glue on yarn 

Step 9: glue on fabric, glitter, beads, pom poms, feathers

 

Weaving keychains and/or bracelets with Anni Albers

Discussion of the artist and her work

       weaving as a form of art

       using everyday/odd/found objects to create wearable art

ARTIST: Anni Albers

(1899 – 1994) 

She was a German-American textile artist and printmaker. 

She is perhaps the best known textile artist of the 20th century.

Albers worked primarily in textiles and, late in life, as a printmaker.

She produced numerous designs in ink washes for her textiles.

She experimented with jewelry. 

Her woven works include many wall hangings, curtains and bedspreads, mounted "pictorial" images, and mass-produced yard material. 

Her weavings are often constructed of both traditional and industrial materials, not hesitating to combine jute, paper, and cellophane, for instance, to startlingly sublime effect.

1928 she studied with paul klee and kandinsky at Bauhaus in Germany

I found these beautiful step by step instructions on: http://www.thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=976

PROJECT: (11:10-12) Create a bracelet using a ribbon picked by each artist.

Step one: Thread ribbon up from behind washer #1. You should leave about 6″ inches of ribbon on the end.

Step Two: Thread ribbon up along the side of washer #2 and back down through the middle. The end should be threaded back through the middle of washer #1. (Still with me…)

Step Three: Pull ribbon tight so washer #2 lies flat against washer #1.

Step Four: Thread ribbon back up through washer #2 so it weaves underneath washer #1.

Step Five: Repeat process. Thread ribbon up alongside edge and back down through the middle of washer #3.

Step Six: Thread end of ribbon back through the middle of washer #2.

Step Seven: Pull ribbon tight to the right so you have all three washers laying flat. Repeat above steps until you have five on your ribbon.

 Step 8: tie it in your wrist. 

MATERIALS: 

Washers

Ribbons in boy and girl styles