Week 1 Reflection

Question 1: Describe the project you just finished

1st Picture: Bunny Face

2nd Picture: Ladybug

What I made

1st Picture: I made a bunny face

2nd Picture: I made a ladybug

What materials I used 
1st Picture: pink construction paper, black construction paper, markers, paper plate, scissors and glue

2nd Picture: paper-mache, clay, anti-static peanuts, water, and a pencil

How I made it

1st Picture: I first glued the cut out pink ears onto the back of the paper plate, I then configured a whisker-like shape using the black strips of construction paper and glued them to the paper plate, I then glued the black nose onto the top of the middle of the whiskers, and finally I decorated my bunny face using different colour markers,

2nd Picture: I first used water and clay to form the body of my ladybug, I then used water and the anti-static peanuts to create 2 eyes and the middle strip for the ladybug's back, then I covered the molded peanuts with white paper-mache to make it look more smooth, finally I used the point of a pencil to make the spots all over the ladybug's back.

Question 2: Describe one new thing you learned through making this project, or looking at and discussing the project from various cultures.

Before we did this lesson we read an article titled Creativity Killers, this article resonated with me as I really struggled to complete the 2nd task (there is a reason my ladybug looks so bad). As I read through the list of reasons creativity is killed I felt my teachers did many of those things to me growing up such as making "cliche symbols", demonstrating the task instead of allowing hands-on practice, praise neatness and conformity of artwork and copying other artists work instead of creating an original which is why I believe to this day I would much rather be told step-by-step what to do in order to create an art piece or just colour in a worksheet. This week I learned about strategies that actually kill creativity and what the most appropriate ways to go about an art lesson. 

Question 3: Describe how you have communicated a specific idea through making this project.
For the first picture, I do not believe I communicated a specific idea as this piece of artwork was completed by copying the teachers bunny and not allowing students to be creative. For the second picture, I communicated the idea of using some recycled materials to create an animal.

Question 4: Describe what you enjoyed the most about this project and the least.

Because I lack a creativity side I enjoyed the first task of creating the bunny and being able to visualize what the final product is supposed to look like before I completed it. I enjoyed the structure of having everything laid out in front of me and knowing the exact expectations of the assignment. Whereas I did not like the 2nd task as much because I could not for the longest time think of something to create. For the most part, the materials used were new to me and I was unfamiliar how much water was supposed to be used or how to form shapes using the wet materials.

Question 5: If you were to do this project again, what might you change to make it more successful?

If I were to complete the bunny face with my class I would lay out the expectations but instead allow them to draw or trace and cut out the shapes of the ears, whiskers, and mouth. I would also allow the students to decorate their bunny faces how they would like, therefore each student can add their own uniqueness to the face but also have something to follow to create the final piece.
If I were to do the 2nd task again with a class I provide them with paper so whoever wanted could draw out the animal they are hoping to make. By doing this it gives the student a visual to go off of and may help spark a more creative idea if they can draw it out first.