Mr. Ryan's Art Club

Kerry James Marshall is an American Artist. Born in Alabama, raised in Los Angeles California, currently living in Chicago. Kerry James Marshall grew up close to the Black Panther headquarters in Los Angeles. His experiences growing up during a time of civil unrest and social change are present in his work. He was inspired by the paintings of black "folk artists" (a title often used for artists without formal art education) throughout american history. His work conveys a sense of joy, fear, sadness and anger, while also celebrating the unique cultural aspects of living as a person of color in the U.S. Kerry James Marshall is just one of many black artists working in the United states. Unfortunately, American art institutions have been just as racist and problematic as our Nation's History. People of Color are regularly left out of museums and galleries across the country. Women of Color tend to be the most underrepresented group in art shows, especially at major art

https://vimeo.com/user22604692 check out part two of the lucha Libre drawing project! This link will show you how to sketch a dynamic pose for your Luchador character. 

This week we will continue looking at Lucha Libre wrestlers (Luchadores). I've included a link to a video I made about Lucha Libre wrestling. There's also a small drawing component that goes with the video.  Over the week we will create a new and original Cast of masked Luchadores. We will review basic drawing skills and eventually turn one of our drawings into an action figure made of tin foil and masking tape. Please keep checking in! Don't forget to watch the video 👉 https://vimeo.com/412439708

I came across some old Photographs (see below) of NYC kids living their best lives on the crowded streets of 1970's Manhattan. The 70's was a rough decade for NYC. There was a high poverty rate and a massive divide between the wealthy and people living above or below the poverty line. In working class neighborhoods, the schools fell into disrepair. So did the playgrounds and parks. Many children did not have access to structured childcare or organized activities/clubs. Adults had to work and children often had to fend for themselves during those unsupervised chunks of time. Many kids were given specific neighborhood boundaries, One-three blocks where they were allowed to play and run free. Since parks weren't always accessible, the streets, sidewalks and front steps AKA "the stoop" became the playground. Many kids figured out how to cool off in their pool-less neighborhoods by opening the fire hydrants and splashing in the water.  Its unsafe and illegal to o

The weather forecast is looking good! warm days on the horizon!! This good weather news has me thinking about one of my all time favorite painters, David Hockney.  Hockney is a British born artist, who ended up in California during the 1960s. His work is often lumped into "Pop Art" because of the style, color palette and subject matter he painted. His art perfectly reflects the vibe of California and the sprawling, suburban developments of streamline homes and turquoise blue swimming pools, filling the desert landscape at the time.  Take a look at the work below, I've included two of my favorite Hockney paintings from his early California days.  Questions to ask your art student: 1. What are we looking at in these paintings? 2. How does David Hockney capture the feeling of a warm spring/summer day? 3. What sounds would you hear if you were standing in one of these pictures? 4. What does your yard, neighborhood, or favorite park look and sound like

I'm creating this blog to help consolidate all art info and resources into one digestible capsule. At the moment it feels like everything (information wise) has been spread across so many different platforms. Its hard for me to keep up and I imagine it's equally as difficult for the students and families in our school community to do the same. This blog is an experiment. If it works out, I'll keep posting and sharing art resources long after these quarantine days are behind us. Party on! Below: An image from the Sacajawea Elementary archives (1964?). A group of students standing along an exterior brick wall (facing the upper playground) Looking artsy with a camera and some EXCELLENT fashion. seriously, these kids are my style icons!