http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_25787762/drawings-wall
For a creative theme, I presented lessons which looked critically at bridge design and construction. The students enjoyed creating bridges using a variety of printmaking techniques: roller printing, white line relief prints, & monoprints.
The kids looked at and talked about artwork created by the likes of Andy Warhol and his silk screened print, Brooklyn Bridge, Katsushika Hokusai's View of Mount Fuji Under a Bridge, The Pont du Gard Roman Aquaduct Over the Gard River, Avignon, France and Landscape with Bridge by Paul Schamberg. I presented my plein air oil paintings of bridges as well.
While sorting my own painting to prepare for class, I was surprised just how many bridge paintings were in my inventory. I have always been attracted to the water's edge and boats of all kinds and so there should be no surprise to see a bridge crossing over streams, rivers and marshy areas where I have set up my easel.
Stone, wood or steel, each bridge is an engineering amazement: some are linear in design, others solid shape construction. I must confess, I have never been attracted to Jersey Barrier bridges. Ugly! What a bane to the aesthetics of bridge design.
The photos to the left are "Art with Artists" participants enjoying their 'printmaking' days.
