If you have come to this post for an idea about dealing with a loss or death that has hit a school, please read THIS POST first. Sometimes a memorial project can be too soon, or can do more harm than good. For post-natural-disaster help (like a hurricane, or earthquake, etc.)
THIS POST may be helpful.
Before exploring a project that memorializes loss, it is very important to give student's an "out" so if they are not ready to deal with the topic, they have an alternative exploration that is safe to explore and won't single them out. Art should always be a "safe place."
THIS POST may be helpful.
Before exploring a project that memorializes loss, it is very important to give student's an "out" so if they are not ready to deal with the topic, they have an alternative exploration that is safe to explore and won't single them out. Art should always be a "safe place."
Student making a bell to memorialize the passing of his father.
Not everyone has experienced a death, so I talk about "loss" with these projects. Loss can be a death, but it can also be a move, separation, divorce, or just growing apart. We have all had "best friends" we no longer see, so this can be a simple connection to make. If none of these seem acceptable, a student can focus on someone they admire from history, the bible, or pop culture that has passed. I encourage them to do a bit more research so they can "get to know" who that person was.
I have done this kind of project in 3 different ways; as a painting/drawing, sculpture, and a clay project. In all cases we do some pre-writing about the person, fond memories, their quirks, things we had in common or connected us, and maybe event things we found challenging about the person. (nobody's perfect, right?)
As a painting, I tell students to create symbols for the people and the events to artistically code the information. So in this sample, the lions are the parents, and the butterfly between them, a child that was lost at birth. The colors and shapes have emotional values tied to the poster at the end of this post.
I find that writing on the back of the work or another paper is very healing too, allowing time to reflect on the process and continue healing.
I have done this kind of project in 3 different ways; as a painting/drawing, sculpture, and a clay project. In all cases we do some pre-writing about the person, fond memories, their quirks, things we had in common or connected us, and maybe event things we found challenging about the person. (nobody's perfect, right?)
As a painting, I tell students to create symbols for the people and the events to artistically code the information. So in this sample, the lions are the parents, and the butterfly between them, a child that was lost at birth. The colors and shapes have emotional values tied to the poster at the end of this post.
I find that writing on the back of the work or another paper is very healing too, allowing time to reflect on the process and continue healing.
Sometimes students wish to be more litteral and do a portrait for the family to cherish. Here is a grandmother done by a high school freshman and given to her family as an enduring gift. When I do grid portraits, I always offer this as a suggestion. Students may bring in a family member's photograph and use them as a reference.
As a sculpture, we again create symbols for what connects us to that person so that the results are personal. These examples are made from plaster bandages over cardboard and aluminum foil.
As a clay project we created memorial bells as inverted pinch-pots. This is so easy that even those who have not worked with clay before are able to be successful with it. Pinch a cup form, turn it over, put in a hole, roll a bead, and you have a bell. Glazing is not necessary, but if it's available, why not? I found that focusing on the form is more important than color.
The all white clay seems to visually work with the idea of a memorial. I tell students that they can ring the bell to remember that person. For the bell alternate, I have had students create a bell that represents a goal they hope to achieve, and ring it when they reach that goal. This too requires some writing about goals they hope to achieve in the next 5, 10 and 20 years as well as symbols for those goals.
The all white clay seems to visually work with the idea of a memorial. I tell students that they can ring the bell to remember that person. For the bell alternate, I have had students create a bell that represents a goal they hope to achieve, and ring it when they reach that goal. This too requires some writing about goals they hope to achieve in the next 5, 10 and 20 years as well as symbols for those goals.
I have found that working symbolically is very helpful in all these situations. It allows students to "code" their visual content so they can express their feelings in a very personal way, yet it still remains private. If you allow students to speak about their work, they should know they only need to share what they are comfortable sharing, even if it's just to talk about the colors, shapes, or formes they used.
The resource I recommend for this is the book, "The Emotional Color Wheel." It helps students code their feelings and experiences into colors and shapes. HERE are some specifics on how I use the lesson, and below is a free low-res poster that I created to help students understand these color and shape connections. (You can download it below the image).
The links to the right of this post can take you to where I have this poster on Zazzle as well as a few others that may be helpful.
The resource I recommend for this is the book, "The Emotional Color Wheel." It helps students code their feelings and experiences into colors and shapes. HERE are some specifics on how I use the lesson, and below is a free low-res poster that I created to help students understand these color and shape connections. (You can download it below the image).
The links to the right of this post can take you to where I have this poster on Zazzle as well as a few others that may be helpful.
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