Allen Brook and Mansfield Art Studios

The painting above, made in '08-'09, depicts the old Williston train station. This is one of two images that depict historic buildings of our town. The children learned how to project an image, copy it onto canvas and observe angles, color values and tones and other details from the original black and white photos. They also imagined the colors of the building, sidewalks, train, clothing and surrounding landscape. The paintings hung for a while at Dorothy Alling Library and now are at Allen Brook School.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Each year, students make a folder in which to store artwork. This student became so involved in his art that he came in for extra time to experiment with his ideas and to embellish his work with many fine details. The motivation for his piece is a memory of a day spent with his family during the summer.

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The Visual Arts

Everything created by humans or found in nature is designed. All parts of these designs are interdependent.

The Art Curriculum is designed to encourage children to think and behave like artists by constructing their learning through setting up problems which they wish to solve. This is achieved through an eclectic approach including Choice Exploratory learning stations, Structure with Choice and Apprenticeship with Choice for large interdisciplinary projects. Through the creative process, one’s awareness of the world, others and self is broadened, imagination and self expression are honored and trust in one’s decisions grows. Collaboration and independence are also fostered through art making. Elements and Principles of Art are woven into all lessons and Curriculum and Assessments are aligned with the National and CSSU Arts Standards and Grade Level Expectations.

Multicultural Art History honors human creativity in all societies through time. Children are given the sense that art making was and continues to be a basic form of communication, a universal instinct and activity. Form and function, symbols and design are embedded in every culture. We hope to encourage appreciation for environmental, cultural and aesthetic diversity.

Drawing is a fundamental process and building block for children. It is a natural way to translate ideas, express emotions, record observations, reflect, edit and plan. Diverse approaches to drawing allow learners to perceive the world in new ways and to refine skills. Students study contour line, shadow and highlight, negative and positive shape, gesture, texture, rhythm and pattern, symmetrical and a-symmetrical balance, proportion and perspective.

Painting is offered in a variety of media including watercolor, tempera and acrylic. Color is introduced in a developmentally appropriate way allowing young artists to build their working vocabulary, explore color mixing, and to discover the emotional impact of color. Familiarization with the color wheel as a tool grows over the years so that artists open themselves to the range of possibilities when working with color. Color families, warm and cool, complementary colors, tints, shades, values and tones, primary, secondary and intermediate colors are some of the concepts applied in student work.

Ceramics has a long and rich history worldwide. Clay is integral to every student’s art experience. The art of molding three-dimensional form in clay is a process of discovery in which a child can delve into his or her imagination. Pinch, slab and coil techniques are learned. Additive and subtractive methods and the attachment process known as slip and score are used. A variety of approaches to surface decoration include texturing, patterning and glazing.

Fiber Arts, like ceramics, broaden a student’s appreciation of the breadth of materials and skills needed to create clothing, shelter and everyday necessities throughout the world. Hand woven tapestry, weaving with natural materials, and stitchery help to develop hand-eye coordination, mathematical patterning and planning skills.

Sculpture is offered in a variety of media. Students may use papier mache, wire, plaster gauze, paper, wood, or recycled materials. Creating form in space requires attention to shape relationships, questions of proportion, gesture, tension, balance and surface design; all unique problems that need to be solved.

Printmaking is a process of transferring an image from one surface to another. During the course of their art education, students will experience a variety of techniques such as mono-printing, Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing) and collograph printing.

Mask Making provides an opportunity to study authentic cultural beliefs, practices, and design characteristics. Paper, clay and plaster possess expressive qualities that lend themselves to this performance art form.

Puppetry is a versatile and motivating performance art. It is a natural means for connecting curriculum, engaging imagination, using language and self-expression. Finger, shadow, rod and bag puppets are a few of many possibilities.

Art and Technology integration is a growing part of our programs whereby children create and enhance their art using programs such as Paint, Photo Shop and Photo Story.

Architecture and Community Design, an integral part of all cultures, directly affects how effectively and happily individuals within communities interact and function. This type of design is approached using a variety of mediums such as collage, sculpture and clay throughout one’s art education.

I was born in NYC where I often visited museums with my parents. I developed a deep appreciation for Art and human creativity at an early age.
In college my primary interests were in Art, Child Development and Dance. I graduated with a BFA from the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts Program at Tufts University. Having worked with children in a variety of settings for many years, I knew I had a passion for teaching. I received my certificate in Education from the University of Vermont where in the fall I now teach a course in Theory, Curriculum and Practices in Art Education to undergraduates interested in the field.
In my work, I focus primarily on drawing and oil painting. I have many interests; they include family and friends, travel and cultures, music, yoga, tennis, reading and Maddy, our black Lab. I've lived in Vermont since 1977.

Allen Brook and Mansfield Art Studios