Dear You Art Project

Mail Art + Pen Friends = Dear You Art Project

Denmark

Walking this way and that way!

1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 2016, Canada, DenmarkArlene TuckerComment

The headline "I'm a walking pattern" made my 3rd graders wonder how they actually could be walking patterns, but it didn't take long before they started to examine their hands, fingerprints, eyes and skin. As a teacher it was an interesting process. My students were so absorbed in their study that they didn't really need me in the room. 

Very fast my students discovered that our body really is a walking pattern. One of the students even said: "Tatjana, it is so amazing our body is full of different lines and patterns......each and every one of us is a little miracle". Wauw!

Another student asked if they could have magnifying glasses, and of course they could. Within a few minutes I saw 19 young detectives investigating patterns on their hands, fingers, and skin.

I asked my students how we could make a piece of art, that could show what we had discovered about our magnificent body. One suggested that they made drawing of their fingerprints, another said that It would be fun if they could make a print of a hand walk. I was into the last idea, and I must say that I think the results are so full of creativity. I'm proud of my 3rd. graders and I hope that our friends in Canada will be pleased with "the walking handprints"

My best,
Tatjana

Tatjana Knudsen and her 3rd grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark are making and sharing art with Elizabeth Goldsworthy's 1st graders at Sheppard Public School in Ontario, Canada.

Revving engines in Denmark for a Happy Holiday!

2015, 3rd Grade, Denmark, Dear You Art Workshops, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

Dear Arlene,

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and your dear ones .

These are pictures from the last Dear You Project "Let's go"with our friends from Finland.

My students worked with cardboard, primary and secondary colors and geometrical figures. They were very busy on how to construct their vehicles.

My Best,
Tatjana

Art teacher Tatjana Knudson and her 3rd grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark are making and sharing art with Dear You Workshop Leader Eliisa Sorvali and the 3rd grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in, Vantaa, Finland.

Magic Clouds to Rainbow Machines!

2015, 3rd Grade, Dear You Art Workshops, Dear You Workshop Leader, Denmark, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

I have felt warmly welcome every time I have been to Viertolan Koulu's 3rd grade class! They are so happy, talented and positive kids and they are lucky to have such a good teacher: Maija Pitko. For a Christmas present I had lovely small concert from kids and Maija!  Also, we had Tatjana Knudsen´s wonderful class in Denmark as our pair in Dear you-project. Thank you for everybody! 

In the Let's Go! project we made inventions of all sorts! Check out the pictures of some of these ingenious ideas!

Eliisa

Eliisa Sorvali, Dear You Workshop Leader, and the 3rd grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in, Vantaa, Finland are making and sharing art with the 3rd grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark. 

There is the horse carriage, penny-farthing, and ...

2015, 3rd Grade, Dear You Art Workshops, Denmark, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

Here are a few pictures that show Tatjana Knudsen's 3rd graders working on their vehicles for the project titled Let's Go!. It has been an interesting process. 

Before my students worked on their own we talked about how our actual daily transportation from one place to another. We talked about modern transportation like busses, trains, cars, planes, bicycles, motorbikes, and mopeds, and older ways as horse carriage, penny-farthing, and horses.

Afterwards I told my students to sketch any sort of vehicle they could imagine to transport. I also told them to use geometric shapes and either primary colors  or secondary colors.

The pictures attached show the process, and some of the pictures also show discussion and cooperation, which I really like.

All my best to you, your family, and friends :)

Tatjana Knudsen

The 3rd Grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark are making and sharing art with the 3rd Grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in Vantaa, Finland.

Sharing our atmosphere!

3rd Grade, 2015, Dear You Art Workshops, Dear You Workshop Leader, Denmark, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

Our shared atmosphere was fun to do, to connect and share!

First Viertola´s schools 3rd graders from Maija Pitko´s class were standing in their chairs eyes closed and imaging the atmosphere and landscape between Finland and Denmark and flying in their imaginary trip! Then they started painting landscapes and drawing all the important details from their "imaginary trip". I could almost hear the imaginary airplanes and under land diggers!

- Eliisa Sorvali

The 3rd Grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in, Vantaa, Finland are making and sharing art with the 3rd Grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark. 

The creative buzz at Viertolan koulu

2015, 3rd Grade, Dear You Art Workshops, Dear You Workshop Leader, DenmarkArlene TuckerComment

When the students from Maija's class at Viertolan koulu started to draw their ideas of"imaginary friends"  all of them were really quiet and concentrated! Ooh that silence meant creativity was busy! The students were thinking of their friends in Denmark and of how they will react when they get Finnish imaginary friends in the mail!

During the artistic process the students noticed that their idea was developing and changing while they were starting to build their puppets. "Game man" got hair to puppet and one of the puppets even turned out to be a mask and a puppet!

Eliisa

The 3rd Grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in, Vantaa, Finland are making and sharing art with the 3rd Grade artists from Korsholm Skole  in Hinnerup, Denmark.

Excitement is in the air!

2015, Dear You Art Workshops, Dear You Workshop Leader, Denmark, Finland, 3rd GradeArlene TuckerComment

I introduced the project to my students by showing them the Dear You website. My students were very excited and became even more excited when I told them exactly what their 1st project were.

One of my students said: "Wauw are we really going to mail it to another class, and will they mail to us as well?"

They were so motivated and couldn't wait to get started. I told them what kind of materials they could use and before I could look around my students were already creating their own little imaginary friend. Each and everyone with a unique expression. 

As a teacher it was so nice to watch my students "grow" during the process, and it was even more wonderful to watch them write what kind of superpowers their imaginary friends have.

Right now we are all waiting to receive mail from our new friends in Finland.

My Best,
Tatjana Knudsen

The 3rd Grade artists from Korsholm Skole in Hinnerup, Denmark are making and sharing art with the 3rd Grade artists from Viertolan Koulu in Vantaa, Finland.

It's Art When You Call It Art

8th Grade, 2014, Dear You Art Workshops, Denmark, FinlandArlene TuckerComment

The last session in Meilahti started off a bit differently than the others before it. I had a special guest: Arlene, the founder of Dear You workshops was there with me to tell about her latest installation piece. So we plunged to the world of installations and scratched the surface of performance art with a seasoned guide.

The outcome of the workshop was creative as always! We got a taste of Du Champ -style piece called Pen on the Floor, a miniature Pollock, Magic tricks of expectations, surprise performative art and framings and of course the Illuminati had it's hands on this workshop too.

We discovered that art is dialogue, a process where we interpret each other. Sometimes we get the gist of things and sometimes we get lost in translation but that's okay. No matter the distance we can always try to reach out to understand and find our horizons being broadened in the process. It's art when you call and treat is as such!

Using some of the words that the Dear You Artist in Meilahti mentioned, all in all we had a fun, new and magical ride on our Dear You journey!

- Nooralotta Ikonen
http://laiskia.blogspot.fi

Symbols of Good Times in Meilahti

8th Grade, Collective Art, Dear You Art Workshops, Finland, DenmarkArlene TuckerComment

Mail! We received our earth art pictures from Denmark with the Danish artists' twist on our photos. It's fun how the pieces evolved with their visit in Denmark. We see that the artists there really took the time to sense our world. Thank you!

To keep the communication going we took on the art from Denmark as our inspiration for November's Dear You assignment here in Meilahti, Helsinki. We thought about what symbols could communicate our thoughts of their artwork and our thoughts about the Dear You project in general. The symbols that popped into our minds were ones of mysticism, hope and celebration. We made stencils out of these images and started painting.

After our creative efforts our vast canvas had filled up with shooting stars, meatballs, bottles and variations of the symbols of social media and internet phenomena. This is who we are, this is what we see. Will you catch what we meant? Maybe you will, maybe you won't. The main point is that you try and in doing so, we'll meet each other half way.

- Nooralotta Ikonen
http://laiskia.blogspot.fi

Randlevskolen working on "Sweets for you"

2014, 5th Grade, 4th Grade, DenmarkArlene TuckerComment

Tatjana Knudsen and her 4th & 5th grade artists are full of energy after their Efterårsferie holiday! 

"They were very creative and concentrated while they were working on their candy bags. This project lead us to a wonderful talk about the words "candy", which is American and the word "sweets", which is English. I think that all my students now know the difference between the two words.

THIS really is a wonderful way to mix art and language learning."

- Tatjana Knudsen

The Danes give thanks with Efterårsferie!

Denmark, Holidays, CultureArlene TuckerComment

The Danes celebrate Thanksgiving in October with their holiday Efterårsferie!  This year's Autumn holiday will take place from Saturday, October 11 to Sunday, October 19, 2014.  It usually happens on the 42nd week of the year.  Another fun fact is that Efterårsferie used to be called Potato Holiday!  Can you think of why that is?

Thank you, Tatjana Knudsen from Randlevskolen, for sharing with us!  We will celebrate Efterårsferie with you in our own home.

Denmark is such a beautiful country.  Below are some pictures from my trip to Copenhagen and Århus from a few years ago.  If you haven't been already, you gotta go!

I wonder what our friends in Denmark will do.  In any case, have a beautiful time!

With love,
Arlene

ps. As far as I can see, the original purpose for Efterårsferie was so that the children could help the families with the potato harvest.  Wow times have changed, but it's nice to see that the tradition is still alive and well!

The 7th and 8th graders at Randlevskolen make Environmental Art

7th Grade, 8th Grade, Finland, Denmark, 2014Arlene TuckerComment

Starting in September 2014 Line Hansen and her artists at Randlevskolen in Odder, Denmark will be creating with the artists at Meilahden Yläaste in Helsinki, Finland.  Below is a bit about their first workshop.

Line said, "Yesterday the 7th and 8th graders at Randlevskolen made environmental art. The students took some great photos and made some very different artwork, but they were all inspired by the nature around the school and the beautiful day that we had yesterday. They were really engaged in the process, and some of them could have continued for hours. They are also vey excited about receiving the artwork from Meilahti school.

We didn't have time for all the documentation and making a video message, but we will do that in our next English lesson on Tuesday. Sadly, we only have three English lessons per week, so we won't have time for working with video and photo editing. However, we would gladly post our video and photos anyway."

It's so wonderful that the participating schools can integrate Dear You into their curriculum. Both groups are learning video and photo editing outside the project with the shot material.