Family Layers by Mary Erickson, Ph.D., with Arizona art teacher Kathy David

Shannon Smith Every family is different and each member plays his or her own role within the family. The simple and complex truths of a family are built up over time through many layers of experiences.

Vala Ola’s “Little Mama” is inspired by a tender family moment. Vala Ola

What family events and ideas do you imagine might have inspired Jane Kelsey- Mapel to make this ceramic sculpture called “Mother, Daughter, Artist, Wife”? Jane Kelsey Mapel

Kathleen Scott Moore’s installation, “Mementos,” features old furniture, wallpaper and other objects.

What do you believe she might have wanted to communicate by including photos of headless Civil War ancestors? What people, events and ideas could you use to show layers of your family? Your teacher will tell you what materials you may use to create an artwork expressing Family Layers.

You can suggest an idea or relationship by juxtaposing images (placing them next to each other). Think of several images that say something important about your family. Draw three thumbnail sketches that combine the same images. Change the size and placement of the images in each thumbnail to help you develop your best composition. This student makes notes on her thumbnail about color choices, symbolism and more.

Show your teacher your thumbnails to get help with: assessment of the attributes of each thumbnail, suggestions for improvement and assistance with selecting one thumbnail for your mixed media artwork. This student is referring to her thumbnail as she begins her artwork.

An artwork, like a family, needs to hold together to create a unified whole, even though it may have many parts and layers. The quilter’s color choices and use of rhythm unify each quilt. Using rhythm and analogous colors can help you create unity in your Family Layers artwork.

When shapes, lines or colors are repeated throughout an artwork, they create rhythm. What elements produce the rhythm in each of these images?

Lynette Andreasen makes artworks inspired by family. The curved forms of the borders surround this work with rhythm. The border rhythm is subtly repeated in the curved-shaped heads in the center of the piece. Lynette Andreasen

Elements can be repeated in numerous ways to create different types of rhythm. For example a rhythm can be simple, up and down, alternating, circular or progressive. This student is incorporating an alternating rhythm into her work.

How would you describe the rhythm of painted lines and words in this work?

Using analogous colors is another way you can create unity in your work. Analogous colors are neighbors on the color wheel and share a color in common.

Oranges, reds and violets are neighbors on the color wheel. They all share the color red.

Greens, blues and purples are also analogous colors. What color do they all share?

In addition to blacks and grays, Corinne Geertsen used neighboring analogous colors (blue and blue-green) in the girl’s dress, her flying machine and the planet below. Geertsen created contrast by adding a touch of orange in the exhaust. Orange is the complement of blue. It is directly across the color wheel from blue.

Stephen Marc used analogous reds, pinks and maroons (all containing red) on the left side of his work. He added cool blue at the woman’s neck to contrast with the otherwise warm color scheme. Stephen Marc

The student who made this mixed media Family Layers artwork was inspired by her family. She selected yellows, oranges and reds for her analogous color scheme and added blue as a contrasting “kicker” color.

Based on your best thumbnail, create a Family Layers artwork that has at least three layers. For example, you might cut and paste photos, colors or textures from magazines or newspapers and then glue them on top of the painted layer. You can paint a wash onto the pasted photos to unify the colors. This student cut photos from the magazine and is using them as symbols in her artwork.

The student who made this piece cut strips of colors from magazines for the mushroom’s texture. He then painted on top of the strips masking some of the colors and letting other colors peek through.

Your teacher may schedule time for you to experiment with painting techniques. Just a few of many techniques are: Splattering Painting with a sponge Using crayons under paint Scraping paint with a fork. These are some sample painting experiments made by high school students.

Here a student paints over a wire mesh to create a texture.

Another student painted on paper, cut it into strips and folded the paper.

This student chose to make a stamp and use it to create the rhythm in his work. He drew a design, traced it in reverse on a piece of linoleum and then cut out the negative space with a linoleum cutter.

For example, you can: paint or write the words onto the artwork, cut and paste words from newspapers or magazines or generate words on the computer, print them up and paste them onto the artwork. You can add typography in several ways.

A student from China wrote this about her work: “The symbols around the paper are things that only exist in China 80s century, which is where my parents live. …[On] Tuesdays all channels will be blocked and show the pattern in the background. I drew the clouds around the television to make a feeling that we seemed to watch TV, actually we are watching the world.”

“At the bottom I transferred the sunflowers, [which is] my lucky flower. We needed to wear a red tie when we were in primary school.”

“I also wrote some Chinese words, [the lyrics of a song]. It’s about the day we will be gone and the memory without name that doesn’t mean anything any more. Let it go, let me hold your hand, and you will know it’s me. Look at me through my tears. Sometimes we have an argument, sometimes we fight with each other, sometimes we cry, but we are dear to each other, we will be family forever and ever.”

Think about the layers in your family as they are or may be and how you would like them to be. What images or symbols will you use? How can you juxtapose (combine) images and/or symbols to say something about your family? How can you use analogous colors to create unity in your Family Layers artwork? How can you use rhythm to help unity your work?

Special thanks to artists Stephen Marc Lynette Andreasen Vala Ola Jane Kelsey Mapel Corinne Geertsen Kathleen Scott Moore Shannon Smith & Kathy David’s students at Rancho Solano Prep School, Scottsdale