MIDDLE SCHOOL  ART

Mr. Brantley's Art Classes at Double Churches Middle School

Muscogee County School District, Columbus, Georgia

School year 2009-2010

     On this page and the links provided here, you can find pictures, descriptions and other information that will be useful in art class. By clicking on the hyperlinks below, you can go to other pages that contain useful information.  I am still working on these pages.  Some of them are not yet active.   

     My earliest memories of drawing are from around 1950, when I asked my mother to show me how to draw a pretty girl. I sold my first painting (of an Indian man paddling a canoe) in 1956 for the whopping price of one dime. Of course, that would be about the same as one dollar in today's money.  I love to paint and draw, and love to show young student artists how to do it.  I hope you will come to class full of enthusiasm for learning.  Learning to do something new is a wonderful experience.

     I have a painting demonstration (#4) for you to see right now.  You will see me do similar demonstrations in class.  I make it look easier than it really is. It's sort of like figure skating.  Those who do it well make it look easy.  We forget about how many long years it took them to learn to do it. 

     DEALING WITH DIFFICULTY:  The single thing that separates people who know how to do things from people who don't is how they deal with difficult problems.  It doesn't matter how smart you are, or how handsome or pretty you are, if you can't overcome problems, you will experience a life of frustration and failure.  Learning to draw and paint is hard.  Unfortunately, too many students, when they find out that it is hard work, just give up.  But, if they are wiling to keep trying, they are rewarded with skills that most people don't have. 

     Being an artist is a lot of fun.  Becoming an artist is difficult.  Do you understand how hard it was for the artists whose work is pictured at the top of this page to learn to paint like that?  Brenders, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Homer didn't just wake up one morning knowing how to paint that way.  It took years of struggling to get better.  Middle school is a good time to get started.

     I had to teach myself to draw and paint.  Although I majored in painting in college, I had no real teachers.  They just made assignments and left us alone. To make matters worse, I had no art teachers in school before going to college.  I want to give my students something that I never had: A teacher who loves teaching art. 

     Are you willing to work long and hard to learn to do something very difficult?  Go ahead and click on hyperlink #4, and have a look for yourself.  More things will be added soon.  Homework links are now active.  Art history page is active.

SIXTH GRADE HOMEWORK CLICK HERE

SEVENTH GRADE HOMEWORK CLICK HERE

EIGHTH GRADE HOMEWORK CLICK HERE

1.  THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN