Living in Virginia Beach, a community literally surrounded by surf and sea life, I thought it was fitting for our gifted artists to explore some of the facilities in their own backyard. So, we ventured to the Virginia Beach Aquarium to learn about conservation and for inspiration for this lesson. The beauty the aquarium holds inside its doors is simply breathtaking. This field study experience provided students with ideas and inspiration for their newest assignment.
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.” —Robert Wyland
Living in Virginia Beach, a community literally surrounded by surf and sea life, I thought it was fitting for our gifted artists to explore some of the facilities in their own backyard. So, we ventured to the Virginia Beach Aquarium to learn about conservation and for inspiration for this lesson. The beauty the aquarium holds inside its doors is simply breathtaking. This field study experience provided students with ideas and inspiration for their newest assignment.
Venturing to the Aquarium
Animals of all sorts are always a hot topic for students at this age—really at any age. Animals touch people’s hearts in a way other things don’t. Having students go to the aquarium and view the different exhibits on display really got them thinking and learning. Each student brought a sketchbook and pencil as well as a digital camera to capture the different types of sea life in the aquarium environment.
As a class, we discussed conservation and protecting the sea life within our world and own community. After the field study, students reflected on the experience in their sketchbooks—what they learned, what inspired them on the trip, and how they might use what they saw and learned in their own art.
Robert Wyland and Eric Carle
We looked at the works of Robert Wyland, who is best known for his 100 Whaling Walls, as well as large outdoor murals that feature life-size whales and other sea life. There is also a mural in Norfolk of one of his works that students were shown, and many of them were able to relate to the piece as they recognized it from visiting our neighboring city. We also looked at the work of Eric Carle and his abstract approach to sea animals and their whimsical colors and interactions.
Library Brainstorm
Students then began brainstorming and researching ideas. Pairing with our school library, students used books, digital catalogs, and the internet to learn about conservation, research their chosen sea animal, and look into other famous artists who explore the concepts of conservation and sea life. Students gathered some of the images they collected from the field study to aid them in their thumbnail sketches. They also looked at different sea animals and habitats to come up with ideas for their sea-inspired pieces.
Tempera and Ink Resists
After receiving feedback from their peers, students began their final compositions. We used the tempera resist technique for this portion of the project. Students studied their sketches and enlarged their image so it would be more eye-catching on display. Once their drawings were enlarged, they bolded their pencil lines with black permanent markers.
Next, students painted over their design, avoiding the permanent marker lines. They applied three to four layers of tempera paint to their piece. Once the tempera dried, students covered the entire piece with india ink. Once the ink dried, students took their artwork and a piece of Plexiglas to the sink. They rested their painting on top of the Plexiglas and ran water over top of the painting. Then, using either their fingers or a brush, they removed the india ink very carefully, revealing their new design underneath. This technique gave their work a somewhat weathered appearance. Students were wowed by the results.
Conclusion
Students’ designs exceeded my expectations. They loved the idea of working with animals and using the field study to explore and inspire them. There is only so much one can see on the internet, so it was great to have students engaged and interacting with the real-life displays and beauty at the aquarium. This experience really got them invested in this assignment. It made them think back on their trip and how they were able to gather resources and information to use in their own art-making.
Leigh Drake NBCT is a visual arts teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Leigh.Drake@VBSchools.com
Art teachers encourage a love of nature through various lessons using a STEAM approach, unusual materials, visits to an aquarium and an alpaca farm, and more. Students illustrate fantastical reimaginings of nature photographs; demonstrate a knowledge of color and value blending with bilateral insect drawings; team with a botanical preserve to create a butterfly mural installation; collaborate on a large-scale ceramic school garden; and more.
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