Work this week and during thanks giving break

Since the last time I posted I have been to detroit three more times. The first time I went I let the girls draw freely what ever they wanted as we talked about our plans for over the holidays. After that I let them use photography with slow shutter speed to draw with light. I thought this would be a good way to move in to photography and let them get used to digital work by combining painting with light as well as photography. (9 hours)

I let the girls work in a collaboaration, one drawing with a flashlight while another took the pictures, and then let them switch. It was quiet exciting to watch because you could definately tell that each girl liked working with one part of the project then another.

Today I let them create masks in which to create a photo narrative. we havent worked on a story yet but I think I will let them work on it this friday.

Over the weekend I also worked on creating books. I found some puzzles that I am working with as well as wire to create a puzzel book. I also bound the book that I started a couple weeks ago, now I only have to glue the pictures in and put words in the book. Im not sure what I want to write in the book but Im going to start thinking about it over the weekend. (4 hours)

I also spent a lot of time working on my power point presentation for December. I still have a lot of work to put into it, but after giving my presentation on monday it looks a lot better. (6 hours)

Next week I plan on going to Detroit a couple more times and creating some more photo pieces as well as some drawing pieces. I also plan on continuing working on my power point and creating more books.

I learned a few new techniques this weekend for creating book bindings. I also created my own binding that I will take a picture of over the weekend once I finish binding it.

Books that I found at John King

I found two books that I found quiet amazing as well as a large shelf of old bindings that I felt very moving and inspirational towards my work.

over the weekend

Over the weekend I went to a couple different places in detroit for inspiration on my project. I started out like I normally do on Fridays at the school with the girls I have been working with for the past few weeks. I worked on a couple of drawings with them and talked about the holidays and what they were going to be doing over the break.
(2 hours)
After that I went to Garvey Elementary to speak with Melanie Manos ( a teacher at u of m) on my project and to get ideas for projects I could work on with the kids. In their class, they were working with clay and creating pieces for the u of m hospital. The work will be placed in front of the rooms in the Mott hospital. (2 hours)
I also went to a book store to look at their older bindings. The store is called John King Book Store and it was 4 stories of books. I spent three and a half hours their, and probably could have spent a lot longer but they kicked me out do to their closing time. I only got through the first two and a half floors, and wish I could have seen the rest, but it was still quiet an amazing place. (3.5 hours)
I also worked on cutting out puzzel pieces for my newest book that I am creating mock ups of.  It took a lot longer then I thought it would to create such interact cuts in the board. (3 hours)
I also printed pictures to put into another one of the books that I am working on currently, including printing and editing (3 hours)

This week in class I started another book. so far I have only cut out the board and covered the pieces in paper. I want this book to be filled with photographs I have taken at an Autism Awareness parade. I am going to have the book start out opening vertically, but when you get half way through the book I want you to be able to open it horizontally. (5 hours)
Another book that I just started working on today is a book that is created by a bunch of puzzle pieces that will unfold to create images of the students work. I will have photographs of this work next week. (3 hours)
I finished my IP grant and turned it in Thursday. (2 hours)
I also went to Detroit twice this week. Once I worked with two girls creating collages with paper and other textured things like foil and textured paper. The second time I went I worked Denee for the first time since I have been commuting to Detroit. We talked a little bit more then we did the first time I met her. We both drew pictures of our families during thanksgiving dinner. They are not finished yet but are coming along quite well. (6 hours)
I also researched a couple of autistic artist, which I put up their work earlier this week (1 hour)

 I am quickly learning that it is hard to create projects in group settings when you have to rely on other people to help you create your work, but I am also learning that it is well worth it just to work with and get to know the girls I am working with now. If I could I would go to Detroit every morning and create art projects with them.

Next week I plan on finishing one of the books I started. Binding it, as well as putting in the pictures I planned on adding to the piece. I also plan on going to Detroit on this Friday and Wednesday. I am hoping to start creating photo projects with them Friday. Our first project I am going to teach them how to draw with light. While setting my camera up to a tripod I am going to show them how you can draw with flash lights when using a slow shutter speed. After that I will come up for another project for Wednesday. I was thinking I might let them create a photo narrative, letting them first create masks and then tell a story through pictures with the camera. I think the second project might take more then one class period though so I might have to work on the second photo piece an extra day.
I am also staying in Detroit this Friday to work with Melanie Manos and her Detroit Connections group. She is going to help me think of some ideas for projects to work on with my kids.

Project 1-3

We talked about our favorite things about thanksgiving, and the Thanksgiving parade in Detroit. Kamari's favorite float is the Wizard of Oz float from last year. She decided to draw what she remembered about last years float

We also tried turning hands into Turkeys. This project was a little harder to work on since the two girls I was working with had a hard time imagining a hand becoming a turkey. But after I created one infront of them, they became very excited to create there own. 

The first project we did was working with texture and creating rubbings. We found different textured items and papers and collaged them together and then created a rubbing of them.

book design for project

this is just a few of my design ideas for the book I would like to make to hold the work that I am creating with the students in Detroit

Working from memory

Autistic Artist Stephen Wiltshire draws a 18ft picture after a 20 minute helicopter ride.

I may have shown a video about this artist earlier, but the first video didnt have all of the information that this news story has. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223790/Autistic-artist-draws-18ft-picture-New-York-skyline-memory.html#ixzz1X2D4pSVL

During class this week

What I did: During this past week I drove to Detroit to work with Denee twice. (once last friday and this morning) She was not there this morning so I worked with two other girls from her class. I also spent some time talking with her teacher about the school, and the children she works with. (8.5 hours including driving) I also worked on creating a grant for IP which I am still working on for tomorrow ( 2 hours) I also have been editing some photographs that I had been taken while I was working with the kids (2 hours). Lastly I spent some time creating a project for the kids to do and making some examples to show them for class (3 hours)

What I learned: I learned that you should always be prepared, since Denee wasn't their I was lucky that I was prepared to work with two other children instead. I also learned a lot more about autism, and some of the issues that the students have to deal with every day.

What I should do next: I plan on creating a project that involves tons of textures for them to use for their next project since touch is an important element to an Autistic Child. I am also going to go to a meeting in Ann Arbor at the library on Monday to learn more about Autism and how to teach Autistic students.

summer camp photo essay

Mike Belleme, a photographer for Time took a photo essay at a summer camp for children with Autism. Some very interesting pictures shown in his work

pictures of Denee after our first day of working together

Here is just a couple pictures I have taken of Denee and her work during class time. Hopefully this Wednesday I can work with her on creating new projects. 

Denee with a piece she worked on with her teacher

over the weekend

   Over the weekend I got to work at a school in Detroit with students with Autism. I spent an hour working with a group of kids as they created snowflakes with paper scissors and glue. Towards the end I worked with one of the teachers as she explained how sever or mild their form of Autism is. After learning a little bit more about the children I have decided to start out working with only one student, Denee. Denee loves art, but her parents are not very supportive of her, and other then the attention she gets during class time, she doesn't get any help when she gets home from school. Denee was very shy when she was around her fellow peers and I think it would work best if we worked one on one during the week. That way she isnt intimidated by large groups and can really expand her art ability.
   I am going to be going to Detroit twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays to work with her teaching her different forms of art. I plan on working with her for an hour or more every time I come to visit. My hope is if we start with an art form that she is comfortable with, she will slowly step out of her comfort zone and learn new techniques. My hope is that by the end of the school year she will be willing to work with a camera as a form of artwork taking photographs.
  This Wednesday I am going to start with collage. I have a bunch of construction paper, as well as a few differnt textured papers and string to let her work with. I havent decided yet if I will give her direction for the first project. I might just come with a couple ideas incase she doesn't know what to create. But I would like to see if their is a certain subject she is drawn to creating already.

Photography and Autism

While researching online I found this article on Time.com about children with autism. This piece was a photo essay about the "Journey into the World of Autism".

Journey into a World of Autism

I also found a photo essay on the time website about autistic children in school. I really enjoyed a few of the pictures, especially the one of the child with the ball that he used as a mechanism to keep him focused while reading. I really liked the angle and how they focused on the object instead of the child. It was interesting seeing the importance put on something other then the student himself.

Autism Photo Essay

My friend Calvin, working with the IPad and students with Autism

When I told one of my friends from U of M about what I am working on for IP he told me about a project that he submitted for the U of M 1,000 pitches.
http://vimeo.com/16879372

Work from this week

What I did: This week I created two new book covers, and almost finished the cover I was working on last week (6 hours). I also looked at a few books that I rented from the Library, which had history of book making and a couple of new bindings that I had never used before. It also talked about calligraphy in books as well as marbling of paper which seemed pretty interesting (30 minutes). I also sent an email to a woman in Detroit to see if I could work with one of her students (2 hours). I talked to her this morning on the phone and I am meeting her this friday at 1:00. After the phone call I worked on collecting things to work with while I am there and created some questions that I would like to ask her while I am there (1.5 hours). I also spent a little bit of time working on the drawings that I have been making in my first book that I created (2 hours).

What I discovered: I discovered a student in Detroit with Autism named Denee. After speaking with Cassandra (the woman from Detroit) I found out that their are three children that I might be able to work with, but Denee, even though she is really quite is very passionate about art, so I might want to work with her. Cassandra said it might be a little bit harder to get her to come out of her shell though then the other two girls. I also discovered different textured papers from hollanders to work with for covers for my book.

What I should do next: This friday I am going to Detroit to meet with Denee and see if she would be able to work with me once a a week for the next couple months. I'm also going to continue working on books and bindings and perfecting the techniques.

Strange inspiration: Over the weekend I read a book that was on the New York Times best sellers list in my free time, but it really got me thinking about how different people view things. I read a book called Room. Room was about a 5 year old boy who is stuck in a 5x11 foot room with his mom since he was born. His mother was kidnapped a imprisoned there when she was 19. The whole story is written though the eyes of the little boy. Its interesting to see his world grow and how he sees things compared to his mother.
   Even though this book wasn't directly related to what I am doing for class it does share a common theme. I wanted to show work through another persons eye as it compares to mine, where as the book compared the little boy and his mother.