New York, New York that...

I love that song from Frank Sinatra.  Just got back from New York.  It is such a great city.  A lot of culture and diversity.  Attended the National Art Educators Association conference.  I learned some new things and was able to see one of the most famous artists of our time Chuck Close.  He spent about an hour talking about his life and his work.  I did not know that he has some disabilities and was surprised to see him in a wheelchair when he talked to the crowd.  The room was packed at the New York Hilton, standing room only.  It was a great experience to see an artist of his caliber in person.  I have used his work as examples in my lessons and seeing the man who created the work was an awesome experience.  He was very personable and candid and was humorous as well.  I also saw two of my colleagues from NIU present on various topics.  They both did a great job.  It was also great to see people that have either graduated or moved on to different schools and to reconnect with them.  I always look forward to attending the conference each year.  I plan on presenting next year at the conference, I just need to figure out what I will talk about.  Any suggestions?  I have also posted a few pictures of chuck close and his work and also a short video from the conference.  Look for more to come soon.  Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Drawing on the Artist Within

I received this book by Betty Edwards last year for my birthday from my son.  My son is not usually this thoughtful with gifts, but I am glad he gave me this book.  Thanks son.  Last year I was very busy with student teaching and classes, I did not have much free time to read.  Recently, I finally picked up this book and I never realized how much it talks about creativity.  In this book the author mentions that words are not enough to describe the creative process.  Direct perception is a different kind of "seeing."  This direct perception is a key part of thinking and part of the creative process.  How can we access this kind of seeing?  The author suggests that we can access this through the language of drawing.  If you can see differently in this way, this will enhance your creative thought.  But if learning how to draw can enhance creativity then that poses a few questions.  Can drawing be taught to anyone? Can drawing change your perception and make you creative or more creative?  And the bigger question, Can creativity be taught or are people just born with it?    The subject of creativity and the creative process is elusive.  This fact became evident in my recent class this past Fall on Creativity and Learning.  When we tried to define creativity and tried to define the creative process we had many definitions and many discussions.  Looking at many different countries and their views on creativity also varied.  Some countries focused a lot on creativity and the creative process while other countries did not emphasize it as much.  One thing is for certain there is much to be said about creativity and the creative process.  As I read through this book I will provide my comments and observations, as well as my findings.  There are also some exercises that are in the book that I will do and post the results from those exercises here.  Feel free to comment and add your thoughts.  I'd love to hear them.

Creativity and Technology

Creativity is difficult to define and there has been much research and discussion on the topic. Some people think creativity can be taught and some people think it cannot be taught. Sometimes technology can influence or help creativity but it can also hinder creativity. Recently I conducted a short survey for my art education seminar class on creativity. Art teachers in were asked a variety of questions on creativity and technology.  Below is a link to the research paper I wrote.  Please let me know what you think or if you have any comments.  Thanks.

Creativity and Technology Research Paper

RTR Art Blog

I have decided to start blogging on things related to art, art education, creativity, design, visual culture, and other interesting topics. I welcome any feedback or comments on my blog and look forward to posting my thoughts here. Thanks for reading and welcome to RTR Art Blog.