"Book of Home" @ LaGuardia Senior Center.7 6/08/2021

 

A hot and sultry day in New York so what better way to cool off than do some art inside! We will be teaching the art of the reveal - that is hiding something in the pocket of the page that once removed helps to tell the story. To facilitate this idea, we began with a warmup where participants covered their face and after a count of three removed their hands to show us a big emotion using their facial features and gestures. Although we didn’t specify it was the emotion they were currently feeling, most students chose happiness, however everyone's version was expressed differently. And it was confirmed that laughter really is the best medicine. Lily expressed sadness in her face and gesture, trying something different. 

Some students had completed the background for their second page, so we shared their work with the class. Alice chose a red base page and V Fold stands to set off the image of her wedding photo. We learned that she made her wedding dress herself in one day! Amazing!! As the original photo was taken in a studio, she found a beautiful garden in full bloom with a winding red brick path or the background. She cleverly collaged flowers for her headband, the bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere. 

For reference Lily searched for ships on the internet as well as using the one in the original photo, which she masterfully drew. She collaged the boat’s stacks and chose different colors from magazines for the bollards on shore, hand drawing the rope from the ship. The ship appeared to be rocking at its mooring because of the shadows in the magazine image she chose. On her two pockets she found the word “slash” for one and attached a floral pattern to the other. 

Situ’s photo was taken on the trip she and her husband took to visit their friend. The heart she glued onto the pocket suggests how happy she felt and the two arms she collaged on either side shows they felt safe and well looked after. Her background is of a blue mountain and on the other side the interior of a grand cathedral, reflecting the places they visited and what they saw. 

Diana had fun drawing her background, one tile at a time, depicting her kitchen. Although the original photo was taken outdoors, she thought to change it by bringing the images indoors. She created a 3-D effect because of the angle of the lines drawn on the background. 

Hilping used newsprint as the basis for her background then collaged it with bursts of color, including images of flowers, New York city’s skyline, a mask and faces.

Chi was still working on her background, collaging green and beige colors. In the foreground she wrote “Detroit” in bold letters and attached a soccer ball next to it. This led to a perfect segue into today’s class which taught how to create the foreground image. We stressed the need to keep it simple and the important engineering rule of ensuring the image lies flat and is within the page when it is closed. Different ideas for each student’s foreground were discussed and then students began designing and creating while music played softly. 

The most difficult part of making the page is thinking of the concept, so participants were given options. We refreshed how to make the pocket, demonstrating that it could be made from newspaper.  Now they could collage or decorate their pockets, make the object that will go into it or think of a Key Word which encapsulates the page and the story you want to tell. Within no time it was 11.30am. We encouraged our students to complete the page for homework and send us photos.