INSPIRED BY GEOFFREY FARMER – Self-Portrait, Character

Students will be able to:

• use collage techniques to create an expressive self-portrait book cover;
• use collage techniques to create expressive images of 3 different characters;
• create a variety of textures; 
• write fully developed character descriptions;
• write a narrative involving their three characters and themselves;
• demonstrate technical accomplishment;
• support their ideas with evidence found in the artworks.

Have students:

• read their stories to students in another class and explain their creative process;
• teach other students how to make expressive characters using collage techniques;
• add all the characters created to a large group mural;
• continue adding to the mural until it is full of a variety of details, colours, textures and interactions;
• use the mural as inspiration for a group story.

1. Prior to this lesson have students create a hardcover book using the Creating a Simple Bound Book lesson plan available on this website.
2. Prior to this lesson you may want to have students explore texture techniques using the Texture Techniques lesson plan available on this website.
3. Review information about Canadian artist Geoffrey Farmer, and download the image, The Surgeon and the Photographer, 2009s from the Internet.
4. Download and display the Contrast poster available on this website.
5. Review or introduce the principle of contrast.
6. Gather and make available a variety of narrative books, for example, Peace Dancer, by Roy Henry Vickers; Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, by Gerald McDermott; Fairy Tales, by E. E. Cummings; Illustrated Stories From The Greek Myths, by Usborne; Illustrated Stories From Dickens, by Mary Sebag-montefiore; Illustrated Arabian Nights, by Anna Milbourne; and Illustrated Stories From Around The World, by Lesley Sims.
7. Introduce or review the qualities of a good narrative, for example,
   - well organized
   - an entertaining beginning
   - interesting characters
   - details that help bring the story to life in the mind's eye
   - a suspenseful middle 
   - a compelling main event
   - a satisfying ending 
8. Photocopy the Character Interview worksheet, enough for each student to have 4. (Downloads – CharacterInterview.pdf)
9. Create a sample self-portrait collage for demonstration purposes.

1. View and discuss the image, The Surgeon and the Photographer, 2009s by Geoffrey Farmer.
   - What do you think is going on here?
   - What do you see that makes you say that?
   - How do you think Geoffrey Farmer made this artwork?
   - What do you think of the work?
   - What do you see that makes you say that?
2. Share a few points about Farmer, for example, He is:
   - Canadian
   - was born and lives in Vancouver
   - a multimedia artist who uses collage, photographs and lots of other materials to make his art
   - famous around the world
3. Show and discuss your sample self-portrait, for example,
   - What does this self-portrait tell you about me?
   - What do you see that makes you say that?
   - How do you think I made it?
   - How is an expressive self-portrait different than a school photo?
4. Introduce the challenge.

1. For each phase of this unit place students into small groups. 
2. Ask them to: 
   - Share their work and discuss the things that are especially effective and why.
   - Talk about what they found satisfying about doing this project.
   - Talk about what they found challenging about doing this project and how they solved their problems.
   - Talk about how they might use what they learned in a different way.
3. Share ideas with the whole class. 
4. Ask students to tell how they felt about doing this project.

1. Observe students as they work  – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
2. Observe students as they discuss the works – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads – Characters_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads – Characters_self-assessment.pdf)