A sample of Melissa Calder’s Mixed Media work.
(Click on image for a larger view)



 
 
 
 
 
 

A sample of Melissa Calder’s paintings.
(Click on image for a larger view)



 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

















 
 
 
 
 
 

A Sample of Photographs by Melissa Calder.

A second grade curriculum for an entire school year based on Pennsylvania standards of education base on cross-curricular study. The project consists of a series of lesson plans that were influenced by each room of a home.
(Click on image for a larger view)

Projects

(Click on image for a larger view)



 
 
 
 
 
 

Published Book

Developmental Design of Published Children’s Art Book Travels with Monet authored by Susan Rodriguez
Publishing Date: Spring 2010
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Virtual Travel

 
 
 
 
 
 
 








March 19, 2008
Melissa Calder
Karen Cunningham
Meghan Meyer

Aesthetics and Art Criticism Game Proposal
Team Karen, Meghan, and Melissa would like to introduce “Virtual Travel” an educational game that can be used in art classrooms around the world. “Virtual Travel” is a game that will help art teachers introduce new art terminology, research methods, and art dialogue in the classroom.

To play the game, students will break up into small groups. Each group will be assigned to a computer, or another research resource, such as a particular book, art magazine or journal. The group designated to go first will draw words from two bags. One word will be chosen from the “time period” bag and another word will be chosen from the “medium or genre bag”. This group will announce the two choices picked to the rest of the class and teacher will tell all groups to start researching at the same time. Each group is responsible for researching the internet or their chosen resource within a given amount of time. The groups are to use the “time period” and “medium” given to jump start their research and find a piece of artwork that falls into a corresponding category. After research is complete, the groups should propose their finding to the teacher, if approved the groups move on to the third bag which is “the elements and principles” bag. The groups choose a word from this bag, using the element or principle chosen the group will describe the artwork they have found from their research and describe. The entire class with the teacher will then approve or not approve of the group’s findings. There is no announced winner to this game, all students win by experiencing a virtual trip to learn about art.

While Team Karen, Meghan, and Melissa acknowledge that not all schools are well equipped with computers, we feel that the computer and internet are an important research tool that students should learn to use appropriately and efficiently and that is why we have chose to incorporate electronic media into our game. Ideally, we would like to have particular websites listed that will help target student’s research to strictly educational art websites.
 

Student Teaching Art Show

Fall 2009
The University Of The Arts
 

 
 
 
 
 
 









 
 
 
 
 
 

Brief History:

The 9th grade students at CAPA have just finished @-D value scales using a variety of shading techniques. The next project in this sequence of the CAPA curriculum is to show light and shadows on forms using paint. This paper sculpture design challenge will be the form composition that the students will be drawing and painting.

Standards:

9.1.A Know and use the an element of visual art
9.1.B Demonstration of Visual Arts
9.1.C Vocabulary within the Visual Arts
9.1.D Styles in Production
9.1.E Themes in Art Forms
9.4.D Artistic Choices

Goals:
Day 1: For each student to complete 4-6 three-dimensional paper forms
Day2: For students in teams to combine forms and create a miniature monochromatic cityscape, landscape, or still life.






Objectives: Students will …
-Observe a power point that shows a variety of techniques to create three-dimensional forms out of paper
-Gain experience with sculptural techniques
-Experiment with paper folding, spiraling, cutting and latching etc.
-Practice and explore the elements and principles of design
-Work in Teams and Collaborate to find a solution to a design challenge

Materials and Supplies:
-White Computer Paper
-Rulers
-Scissors
-Illustration board
-Strong Glue and or hot glue and hot glue guns

Teacher Preparation:
-Collect images for power point
-Make up Worksheets
-Make Exemplar

Directions:
-Art Teacher will demonstrate one example of each technique.
-Create a large spiral, create a cube, create a zigzag fold, create a paper cut that makes a three dimensional form.
-Students are then to work independently and creatively to create their 4-6 forms

Vocabulary:
2 dimensional: having the dimensions of height and width only: a two-dimensional surface.
3 dimensional: having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
Quilling or Paper Filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs.
Form: external appearance of a clearly defined area, as distinguished from color or material; configuration: a triangular form.
Sculpture: three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard, plastic material, wire, sound, text, light, commonly stone (either rock or marble), metal, glass, or wood.

Time Allotment:
Day 1: Power Point=15 minutes
-Demo=10 minutes
-Work= 25 minutes

Day 2=Power Point=5 minutes
-Work=45 minutes

Safety Concerns:
Hot Glue warnings…

Evaluation:
Group Discussion on Finished Compositions

Bibliography/Resources

http://quilling.blogspot.com/2006/06/quilling-instructions-coils-slotted.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quilling

http://www.graficaobscura.com/fold/page004.html

http://www.korthalsaltes.com/model.php?name_en=cube

A sample of Portraits by Melissa Calder.
(Click on image for a larger view)

Lesson Plan-3-D letter sculpture

Grade 4
Mrs. Calder
October 13, 2008

Brief History:

This lesson’s purpose is to expand upon my mentor teacher Colleen Hammond’s crayon resist illumination letter lesson for the Saturday Arts Lab at UARTS. This lesson is a sequential learning step that teaches the students how to change a 2-dimensional letter into a 3-Dimensional letter using sculptural techniques.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Standards:

9.1.5 A know and use the elements of the visual arts to create artwork
9.1.5 B demonstrate elements and principles such as painting, drawing, craft, sculpting
9.1.5 C use fundamental vocabulary within the art form
9.1.5 H use and maintain materials, equipment, tools safely
9.1.5 J experiment with traditional/contemporary technologies
9.2.5 G relate works in the arts to geographic regions

Goal: To create a 3-Dimensional letter sculpture using recycled materials that represents craftsmanship, creativity, and knowledge of elements of design.

Objective: Students will…

-Review the basic elements of design, shape, color, line.
-Learn about artists such as Robert Indiana.
-Have an introduction to Pop Art.
-Learn about Eco artists.
-Learn about using recycled materials to create artwork.
-Discuss the difference between 2-D designs vs. 3-D design.
-Practice sculptural and building techniques.
-Create their own sculpture.

Materials and Supplies:

-Cardboard
-Miscellaneous recycled paper products
-Masking Tape
-Scotch Tape
-Glue
-Paper Mache
-Pencils
-Acrylic paints
-Newsprint
-Paintbrushes
-Water
-Water cups/bowls
-Palettes
-Aprons
-Examples of artwork using recycled products
-Examples of Robert Indiana’s work
-An exemplar
-A map

 
 
 
 
 
 

Teacher Prep:

-Make Exemplar
-Collect recyclables to use for sculptures
-Gather images/books of Robert Indiana and Eco artists
-Prepare opening game.
-Make mini “Love” statute signage for game
-Gather supplies
-Prepare Teaching visual aids, such as vocabulary words, PowerPoint

Intro to Lesson:

-Ask leading questions
-Survey what they know
-How is 2-D art different from 3-D art

Go over vocabulary

-3-dimensional
-Sculpture
-Pop art
-Eco artist
-Stencil
-Shape
-Armature
-Embellishment

Show Robert Indiana’s sculptures

-Discuss using text in artwork
-Connect the lesson to the previous lesson
-Relate it to the Real World: Talk about Philadelphia’s “Love” statue

Ask leading questions:

-Have you even seen this statue before?
-Do you think this statue is artwork?
-Talk about how there are many “Love” statues.
-Discuss the impact that Pop art can have.

Game time:
-Have a map; tell children where a love statue is in the world and have them place the mini love statues on the map.
-Start into step-by-step directions and showing exemplars of the hands on art project.
-Discuss why we are using recycled products.
-Show images of recycled artists.
-Why it is important?
-Survey what they know about recycling.
-Talk about how we are going to make this project more fun and interesting by picking letters, and being able to spell something when everyone is done.

Vocabulary

3-dimensional-having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.
Sculpture-the creation of a three-dimensional work of art, especially by carving, modeling, or casting.
Pop art-an art movement that began in the U.S. in the 1950s and reached its peak of activity in the 1960s, chose as its subject matter the anonymous, everyday, standardized, and banal iconography in American life, as comic strips, billboards, commercial products, and celebrity images, and dealt with them typically in such forms as outsize commercially smooth paintings, mechanically reproduced silk-screens, large-scale facsimiles, and soft sculptures.
Eco artist-Artist that create artwork based on or about-recycled materials.
Stencil-a thin sheet of material with a shape cut out of it that is marked on a surface when paint or ink is applied.
Shape-the outline of something’s form
Armature-a framework that supports a sculpture while it is being modeled
Embellishment- the act or process of adding ornaments or decoration to something to make it more beautiful.

Directions:

1. Pick your letter out of the hat. (the letters will spell something when everyone is complete)
2. Sketch your letter onto newsprint.
3. Once you are happy with the way your letter has taken shape, cut the letter out of the paper and use your letter as a stencil on your cardboard. (Do this twice)
4. Be sure you have a front and back letter cut out of cardboard.
5. Next tape your paper cups in between your front and back letter so that your letter can become three-dimensional. (Glue may be needed) try to be sure all of your cup pieces are even so that your letter is symmetrical.
6. Next tape up the sides of the letter with masking tape to help create the armature of your sculpture.
7. Next we spread paper mache all over your letter armature to create your sculpture
8. After the paper mache is dry.
9. We will decorate our letters with paint, paper, and other miscellaneous embellishments.

Time Allotment:

5-minute intro, slide show
10- minute game
5- minute discussion, slide show
5-10 minute sketching
20-25 minute-letter creations
20-minute paper mache
Drying time
25-30 minute decorating time

Safety Concerns:

-Mostly just messy concerns

Extension:

-Finish the picture drawing or Finish previous project.