Dry pastel portraits rarely aim for optical fidelity; instead, they privilege surface, temperament, and the frictions between pigment and ground. “Dali” organizes these priorities around a head-and-shoulders likeness that feels at once recognizably “Dali” and deliberately unfinal—an image suspended between remembered portraiture and expressive invention. The work is inspired by many photographic portraits of artist, Salvador Dali, … Continue reading T.A.E.’s Art Reviews – Dali
T.A.E.’s Art Reviews – Sawsan’s Elephant
“Sawsan’s Elephant” presents the viewer with a centrally framed, frontal presence: an elephant rendered less as a fully observed animal than as an image—compressed into face, trunk, and column-like legs—against a cool, airy ground. The work’s most immediate stylistic feature is its monochrome gravity. A limited palette of bluish greys and near-black forms emphasizes weight … Continue reading T.A.E.’s Art Reviews – Sawsan’s Elephant
T.A.E.’s (The Adaptable Educator) Book Review – The Ultimate Basket Book: A Cornucopia of Popular Designs to Make by Lyn Siler
The Ultimate Basket Book: A Cornucopia of Popular Designs to Make (2006) presents itself as an expansive, practical craft volume: it combines The Basket Book and Handmade Baskets, adds ten extra projects, and includes new colour photography. The edition is listed as a 192-page book published by Lark Books in New York, and the available … Continue reading T.A.E.’s (The Adaptable Educator) Book Review – The Ultimate Basket Book: A Cornucopia of Popular Designs to Make by Lyn Siler
Revisionist Pedagogy – Computational Creativity in Schools: A Practical, Ethical, and Pedagogical Rewrite. (a.k.a. Exploring Computational Creativity: Bridging Art and Technology, v.2)
Introduction As digital technologies reshape art and learning, Computational Creativity—the use of algorithmic systems to generate, augment, or inform creative work—is now central to contemporary arts education. This essay defines the field, gives concrete classroom-ready applications, addresses operational ethics, and proposes assessment and policy steps so schools can thoughtfully adopt computational practices without sacrificing equity, … Continue reading Revisionist Pedagogy – Computational Creativity in Schools: A Practical, Ethical, and Pedagogical Rewrite. (a.k.a. Exploring Computational Creativity: Bridging Art and Technology, v.2)
Revisionist Pedagogy – Generative Art and Visual Arts Education: an essay for curricular reform (Exploring the Intersection of Art and Algorithms: A Perspective Analysis of Generative Art, v.2)
Generative Art — where algorithmic rule-sets, chance operations, and computational models meet studio practice — offers a productive frontier for reforming visual arts education. This essay unpacks Generative Art’s historical roots, theoretical foundations, and contemporary significance with the explicit aim of showing how curricular integration can cultivate computational thinking, creative agency, and critical literacy about … Continue reading Revisionist Pedagogy – Generative Art and Visual Arts Education: an essay for curricular reform (Exploring the Intersection of Art and Algorithms: A Perspective Analysis of Generative Art, v.2)
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Keep Going by Austin Kleon
Austin Kleon’s Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad is a work that transcends its identity as a self-help guide for creatives. It operates as a quiet manifesto, affirming the value of persistence, play, and mindfulness in an increasingly chaotic and demanding world. Written with Kleon’s signature blend of wit, wisdom, and … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Review – Keep Going by Austin Kleon
The Adaptable Educator’s Book Reviews – Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
In Show Your Work!, Austin Kleon delivers a manifesto for the modern creative, advocating for openness, transparency, and generosity in the creative process. With its concise prose, visual flair, and actionable advice, this book becomes more than just a guide—it is a cultural critique of the solitary artist myth, updated for the age of social media. … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Book Reviews – Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
Towards Mutual Aid and Sustainability: Reimagining Society Beyond Colonialism, Nationalism, Imperialism, and Capitalism
Peter Kropotkin, a prominent anarchist thinker, emphasized mutual aid and cooperation as fundamental principles for societal organization. Drawing on his philosophies, we can critique the interconnectivity and unsustainability of colonialism, nationalism, imperialism, and capitalism. Colonialism and Imperialism: These systems are interconnected as they involve the domination and exploitation of one group or territory by another. … Continue reading Towards Mutual Aid and Sustainability: Reimagining Society Beyond Colonialism, Nationalism, Imperialism, and Capitalism
“THE PHONE GIVES US A LOT BUT IT TAKES AWAY THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF DISCOVERY: LONELINESS, UNCERTAINTY, AND BOREDOM. THOSE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WHERE CREATIVE IDEAS COME FROM.” by Lynda Barry (Quotes & Quandaries)
I'm devouring my third book by Austin Kleon ( Keep Going) and find myself stopping at every half-page to breathe and reflect on what he's shared there. My wife and I have repeatedly commented upon, discussed, even argued about our habits... often they are in the form of our great time. wasters and connection killers: … Continue reading “THE PHONE GIVES US A LOT BUT IT TAKES AWAY THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF DISCOVERY: LONELINESS, UNCERTAINTY, AND BOREDOM. THOSE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WHERE CREATIVE IDEAS COME FROM.” by Lynda Barry (Quotes & Quandaries)
The Adaptable Educator’s Daily Book Review: Mastering Raku: Making Ware, Glazes, Building Kilns, Firing by Steven Branfman
Steven Branfman’s Mastering Raku is an indispensable treatise on one of the most expressive and dynamic ceramic techniques: raku. As both a technical manual and a philosophical exploration, this book offers a wealth of insights for ceramists, artists, and scholars intrigued by the intersection of fire, earth, and artistry. Bridging History and Practice Branfman masterfully situates raku … Continue reading The Adaptable Educator’s Daily Book Review: Mastering Raku: Making Ware, Glazes, Building Kilns, Firing by Steven Branfman