unusual journal 01 | July 2024
a sunny start to Summer B.
Hey Art Educators,
Welcome to July & our new AE journal pilot. In reflecting on the newsletters previously shared, I wanted to find a new way to engage as an online learning community. In my studio practice, I’ve been having creative fun reflecting and writing my own Creative Celebrations and Connections - for you, I wanted to create something specifically for RMCAD AE students.
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Thank you for being here!
Professor Slusarski, RMCAD AE Associate Professor
Welcome to Summer B
This July 1st begins the Summer B term. If you’re in Denver (like me) its been unusually hot these past few weeks. While I enjoy the extra sunshine (like the summer solstice this year) - the no A/C is not my favorite.
Recently, I completed artist Anna Brones’ Isles of Curiosity and Wonder (Digital) Midsummer Creative Retreat: 2024. For five days, she shared beautifully written fiction to guide creative connections - how she wrote a story each day was a delightful (& unusual) way to engage in a digital space. This fictional way of inspiring creative thought is more imagination I can totally get behind.
You can check them all out starting here with Day 1. I was completely swamped and had no “real business” taking an hour to day dream to an imaginary island each day, but goodness am I happy I did - I highly recommend giving it try!
“During this 5-day period, you may have an hour a day that you can commit to this, or maybe you have five minutes. Or maybe you have absolutely no idea what kind of timeframe you can commit to but you know that you need something to sink into creatively for a few days. That’s what this is for. I’m just here to give you some jumping off points.” - Anna Brones
Here are a few of my visual journal pages from my “retreat”.
Sunshine and Creativity.
The sun and sunshine have been inspiring creatives for decades. There are many examples across creative spectrums, do any come to mind for you?
As we wrap up Summer B, here are a few of my favorite sunshine connections in creative expressions.
Visual Art,
Sunrise. Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887–1986). 1916.
Sunset, Long Island. Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887–1986). 1939.
Zigzag Sun and Crags. Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976). 1972.
More - The Sun in Art at the Smithsonian
Design,
What makes a font influenced by the sun?
Building homes to work with the sunlight in “Passive Solar Design”
Physical,
Sunrise Yoga | 15-Minute Morning Yoga Practice
Music,
I put together this playlist of some of my favorite sun-inspired bangers.
As we make the transition from Summer A to Summer B, I encourage you to connect creatively however you feel most alive by the sun!
creative exercise: draw the sun!
The sun has been the subject of human attention for quite some time. As an art educator, I’ve always been fascinated by our study of children’s drawings. According to this study - A Study Regarding the Representation of the Sun in Young Children’s Spontaneous Drawings, researchers found that “virtually half of the children (N = 138) classified the sun as a living thing, while two in five expressed that clouds were alive (N = 120)” (Villarroel and Villanueva, 2017, p. 6).
I think we should draw more anthropomorphic suns honestly, even if art school eventually beats this out of you. Your creative exercise is simple here, doodle the sun. Add color (majority of children use yellow) or rays, your options are endless.
Happy Creating,
Professor Slu
Catch ya next time!
References:
Villarroel, José Domingo, and Xabier Villanueva. 2017. "A Study Regarding the Representation of the Sun in Young Children’s Spontaneous Drawings" Social Sciences 6, no. 3: 95. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6030095