Cyanotypes & Photograms

Really Beautiful!

This past weekend, I participated in another Professional Development Teacher workshop with my advisor and chair, Andrea Burrows. This workshop focused on The Artful Craft of Science, "TACos." This one-day workshop taught us teachers and pre-service teachers about photograms (from Bailey Russel, a photography professor at University of Wyoming). Bailey explained what the photogram process is and specifically introduced us to Cyanotypes. They are the original blue prints! An iron-based light-sensitive surface (composed of two chemicals, mixed together) that is painted on paper or fabric. When this is placed under UV light or natural, direct sunlight, object shapes that are placed over the paper are captured and a negative is created. So we were able to watch Bailey demo the process, he showed us some examples, and then we were able to try it out on our own. We also created some lessons that could encompass this activity in our science classrooms.

It was super cool, fun, hands-on, and just another idea for the STEM integration with Art concept. I love this!

Enjoy the photos!

TheChristyBel

Drying the Cyanotype Paper We Were Going to Use.

Bailey Showing Some Examples of Cyanotypes

My Attempt At a Cyanotype

Drying!

Finished Product!
What Do You Think?

Our Scientific & Artistic Cyanotypes!

Ucross Pollination Experiment

Ucross Pollination Experiment

This evening after a NSTA Meeting, we went to the Gryphon Theatre to watch the world premiere of a STEM and Art Integration. This was super interesting and engaging. Four faculty members from the a few science departments and four faculty from the art departments at the University of Wyoming were asked to come together and collaborate at the Ucross Foundation. The film is called the Ucross Pollination Experiment. There, they were paired up (one from each field) and asked to come up with a product that encompassed their specific backgrounds and how it reflects the surrounding landscape and naturescape at Ucross. The ending collaborative projects are beautiful, interesting, engaging, and unique. 

I highly recommend this film to anyone that is interested in art and science. This makes me so hopeful for STEAM! There are possibilities and hope for a trans-disciplinary approach to multi-field collaborations. 

TheChristyBel

Science & Art Integration Silk Batiks

Here are the Final Products of the Science & Art-Integration Unit from last fall in the Science and Art Methods I courses. I used this integration unit as my Masters Plan B project. It is quite remarkable to see the beautiful work that can come out of a collaboration from two fields.

There Needs to Be More Integration!

Teachers, you have the power to make this happen!

Are you inspired?

I know I am!

STEAM

TheChristyBel

A Microscopic Image of a Snowflake

Microscopic Imaging of Bacteria

Silk Batik of a Sheep's Eye

The Surface Film of a Soap Bubble

The Xylem of a Plant

Getting a Push on My Plan B - Art & Science Integration

My Satellite Image: I Think I Have Vegetated Mountains!

Using a Lens View Finder, I've Narrowed Down My Design

Advanced Topics in Pedagogy course has begun our Art and Science Integration unit. This unit is really fun. The Science Methods students (my class) will work in collaboration with the Art Methods students in an art project.  How perfect is this activity? Completely perfect for what I wanted to focus my Masters' Plan B on.

I'd like to thank Professor Dr. Kate Welsh for informing me of this course and connecting me with Dr. Andrea Burrows. Being able to work with her about letting me take this course and to also use this activity in conjunction with my Plan B is incredibly awesome! I'm already conducting research. So I feel I am definitely ahead of this whole Plan B thing! I'll get into my Plan B and that research later...

But back to Science and Art: today, we learned about the scope of this project: silk batik painting with a scientific focus. We were introduced to satellite imagery. We learned that satellite images are able to give us interesting perspectives of a landscape based on the reflected light off objects and the landscape. So for example, plants absorb red light and so that is the color you would see through a satellite image.

My Final Piece

We were given photos of satellite images that were taken of the geographic landscape. By choosing a satellite image and using a view-finder lens, we were to choose a specific area in the photograph to focus our silk batik painting on.

Then we were taught how to paint on silk! So cool! You first create a design plan and outline your images on the silk with this plastic resin. After it dries you are able to apply paint. You have to mix colors in order to make new ones (using the information you gained from your art methods' group members. Along with painting, you can use salt, vinegar, and alcohol to create different textures and designs in the paint.

What a fun project. Hopefully this can be a great addition to my Plan B!

TheChristyBel

Woah!