DKG Arts Gallery: Artist’s Spotlight: An Open Artists’ Discussion on Creation, Technique & Opportunity

Stacey Chicoine – California State Organization

Briefly, tell me a little bit about yourself as an educator and as a photographer?

I enjoyed a wonderful 31-year long career as an elementary and middle school teacher, ending my career as a school administrator and loving what I did. Highlights included teaching science for most of my career, coaching after school sports and academic teams, starting a mountaineer club, and as an administrator leading my campuses in the early use of Google and Google Classroom. As a photographer, I took classes in college on composition and development. I have been encouraged by the California State Organization when I participated by entering my photography in several and placed in two juried art galleries. Following that encouragement, I entered my photography in the DKG International Art Gallery and have been selected many times since learning about the opportunity during the convention in 2010.

As a photographer, where do you find your inspiration?  Do you search for a particular subject or do you just have your camera ready?  Do you use any special equipment? How do you edit your photos?

 

My inspiration comes from my love of travel and enjoyment of outdoor activities. I particularly love nature photography and love the challenge of composing landscapes with or without animals. I have a blast taking numerous photos, literally hundreds on a short trip or vacation.  I stop and view what I have taken and continue with additional compositions to include shots from all possible angles. Having so many photos leads me to the wow pictures every one out of a 100 shots or so. I use both a Canon Rebel for special locations and an iPhone 13 pro which is on all the time. I also use additional flash devices, lens filters, and tripods. The only editing I do is cropping to accent the subject using the rule of thirds and leading lines. 

 

When you start framing your subject, is there a process that goes through your mind? As an example, your photograph, ‘Silhouette in a Tahiti Sunset’ is a photograph in silhouette of a boy running on a beach as opposed to your photograph, ‘Low Tide Surprise’ which is a natural still life taken on a beach. Two different genres, one taken spontaneously, the other framed, yet both taken on a beach. 

 

I learned in photography class to select framing that can lead the eye into and through the frame.  I use diagonal lines and placement of the subject so the eye will lead to and away from the subject.  For action shots, I want my subject moving from right to left or I use the direction of traveling to suggest where the subject will travel out of the frame as I did for the little boy in ‘Silhouette in a Tahiti Sunset’. For natural still life’s, I look for patterns, colors and other elements to highlight the subject. In “Low Tide Surprise,” I placed the orange star fish in the lower third to lead the eye to the cluster of mussels in the upper left corner. 

 

You’ve been traveling this past year and documenting your travels, any favorite pictures come to mind?

 

This year I traveled for ten weeks in a RV from California to Maine across the northern states and then back home along the middle of the country. I was fortunate to see eight national parks and many historic places and cities along the route.  I still need to separate out my “wow” photos and reflect on my favorites. But a few come to mind such as buffalo roaming in the Badlands NP, rocky shores and lakes in Acadia NP, Washington DC’s monuments and museums in nontraditional compositions. I have lots of rivers, waterfalls, lakes, oceans, mushrooms, fall leaves and sunsets.  Most recently I traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska and saw the northern lights and natural wonders there so different from my home in California. 

 

As a member of the Arts Gallery & past Chair, any advice to give to those looking to enter their work into the gallery?

As you select items for the Art Gallery enter the art you are proud of and are excited to share.  My advice is to select four items and ask friends or colleagues to tell you what their two favorites are and why. Listening to their opinions may help you decide what to enter. Make sure the quality of the items will look good in a digital format.

 

What is the best piece of artistic advice you’ve been given?

I really have not received any advice. I just listen to compliments I receive from having my work at conventions, on social media, and in the online gallery. I pay attention to the photography people request to buy.  This encourages me to do more of the same. 

Do you have any tips for others looking to pursue photography?

 

Like any skill you want to develop, take classes, read articles, practice and take lots of photos.  Enjoy the journey and the happy surprises that come from your efforts.           

Have you entered your work in other competitions?

 

Yes, I have entered competitions for calendar and magazine competitions.  I have not been selected, but it is fun to try.

 

The Arts & Humanities Jury looks forward to you returning often to view exciting new content and to share in the joy of creativity.  We hope that our readers will consider submitting their artistic work in the upcoming Spring Art Galley Submission period which opens from January 15^th through February 15^th.  Please refer to www.dkg.org to view the resource information and submission process.  We appreciate all the efforts of our talented DKG members who have participated, and we look forward to our newest applicants this spring. The Arts and Humanities Jury encourages you to share your talents and gift with our DKG members.

 

We invite you to view the Art Gallery, click here.

 

Keep the conversation going, please use the comment section below to suggest new topics, ask questions, or give us your input. If you have ideas or comments for the Arts and Humanities Jury, please let us know.

Why Is Training So Important?

Have you ever thought about going to a doctor who has not been to medical school or going to a dentist who has not been to dentistry school?  Would you send your child to a school where teachers are not properly trained in methods and strategies to engage their students?

In Delta Kappa Gamma, training is also vital for all leaders to be successful in their roles and responsibilities. DKG state organization presidents, executive secretaries, treasurers, educational excellence chairs, and membership chairs are all trained before they begin their biennium. Teams from across the Society will gather together to plan their biennium.

Mark you calendar for June 23-25, 2023 to join us in Dallas, TX for this very important training session. Watch for upcoming details to learn what the Society will cover for regarding your expenses.

Is Empathy the Key to Effective Teaching?

A teacher’s social emotional competence has received increasing attention in educational psychology for about a decade and has been suggested to be an important prerequisite for the quality of teacher-student interactions and student outcomes. After all, empathy appears to be a promising determinant for explaining high-quality teacher student interactions, especially emotional support for students and in turn positive student development. Are we demonstrating courage and empathy when we are willing to show up and be seen regardless of whether we can control the outcome? Are courage and empathy inherent in us or something we can develop and teach in people? As a teacher, then an administrator, within the NYC school system, I am quick to question those who say you cannot teach empathy. Responses are generally:

1)      You cannot teach courage and empathy.

2)       You either have it within you or you do not.

What I have learned over the years is that you can absolutely teach courage and empathy and develop it in yourselves and in others. This boils down to 4 skill sets:

1)      Vulnerability

2)      Clarity of values

3)      Trust

4)      Rising Skills

So, the development and practice of empathy and courage is the birthplace of what educators and students need more of in their lives. The problem is instead of having an open heart, we end up with a closed heart for a lot of different reasons. Some environmental, some deeply personal, some even cultural, or through trauma. Our classrooms today are a haven for those dealing with trauma through poverty, racism, neglect, and abuse.

Here are some statistics to think about:

·      85% of all students can remember a time where they were shamed at school or in an educational setting in such a devastating manner that it changed the way they thought of themselves as learners.

·      90% can remember a specific teacher, coach, or administrator who made them believe in their self -worth when no one else did.

What does this mean??

It means that you should never question the power you have with the students you teach! Learning is inherently vulnerable, like having a classroom of turtles without shells. The minute the shell goes back on, no learning can take place. We must develop shame resilient classrooms – not shame free. 

DKG Arts Gallery: Artist’s Spotlight: An Open Artists’ Discussion on Creation, Technique & Opportunity

Janie Wigley – Texas State Organization

They say that everything is bigger than life in Texas.  We tend to agree with that thought between its rich culture, rolling hills of bluebonnets, Stetson hats, longhorn steers and the vast beauty of its hill country.  Our spotlight artist, Janie Wigley, hails from the great state of Texas, and we feel that her art is certainly bigger than life.  Janie concentrates her photography with
a close-up setting for the medium.  Close-up photography refers to a tightly cropped shot that shows a subject up close and with significantly more details than the human eye usually perceives.  With close-up photography, you close into your object, reducing the field of view and creating a tight frame around your subject.  It can be an effective technique to enhance a moment or experience. For our artist, Janie’s work celebrates nature and allows us to venture into its spectacular world and all its glory.  Please join us as we learn more about this self-proclaimed country girl, and her tips to taking that second look to create a “one in a million” moment.  Enjoy!

Briefly, tell us about yourself as an educator and artist.

I retired in 2013.  After retirement, my husband and I began traveling.  With travel came the desire to photograph the places and the experiences we had.

Tell us what inspired you and how you developed the artistic photograph you entered in the gallery.

I love photographing nature.  I like to look up close and personal in many of the photos I take.  I often look for the ordinary in an unexpected way.  Today, I saw a spider web that was wet from last night's rain.  What could be overlooked on most days, was an outstanding photographic event this morning.

What is the best artist advice you’ve been given by an artist or another photographer?
The best advice I've been given by another photographer is to take a second look.

What does the value of creative arts in education mean to you?

With grandchildren in the school system, I appreciate the creative arts.  Education that wasn't available to me years ago is now available to the youth of today to think and look at things in a different way.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

I'm just a country girl who loves life and all that is available in the world today!

The Arts & Humanities Jury looks forward to you returning often to view exciting new content and to share in the joy of creativity.  We hope that our readers will consider submitting their artistic work in the upcoming Spring Art Galley Submission period which opens from January 15^th through February 15^th.  Please refer to www.dkg.org to view the resource information and submission process.  We appreciate all the efforts of our talented DKG members who have participated, and we look forward to our newest applicants this spring. The Arts and Humanities Jury encourages you to share your talents and gift with our DKG members.

We invite you to view the Art Gallery, click here.

Keep the conversation going, please use the comment section below to suggest new topics, ask questions, or give us your input. If you have ideas or comments for the Arts and Humanities Jury, please let us know.