6th April 2021
A selection of art from my London-based brother. See more on his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/davefpacifico/
My Brother’s Art: pencil drawings.
Tag: art
Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Art for art’s sake
3rd March 2021
‘ My Bed’ by Tracey Emin, created in 1998 and first exhibited in 1999 at the Tate gallery, London.
Tonight’s class is on a subject close to my heart – art. I have several blogs on art which you can access on these links:
Art: giving opinion // Adult Speaking Class, level 3: Art // 13th April 2020: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/04/13/adult-speaking-class-level-3-art-what-do-you-think/
This is the link I’ll be using tonight. Other blogs include genres of art, early C20th surreal art, and finally an introduction to art for younger learners.
Portrait, Landscape, Still Life (Wyndham Lewis, John Constable, Paul Cezanne) // Adult Class, Level 1 // 19th December 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/19/adult-class-level-1-lessons-1-2/
Art: DaDa & Surrealism // Adult Speaking Class, level 3: Dali, Dada & Surrealism // 23rd April 2020: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/04/23/adult-speaking-class-level-3-dali-dada-and-surrealism/
Art: types of art // Young Learners, level 4 (Dali, Alice in Wonderland) // 16th May 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/05/16/young-learners-level-4-art-for-arts-sake/
Let’s dive in ! To my classroom students, look at the quote from Tracey Ermin … do you recognise any words from last week’s lesson (on electromagnetic waves) ? Did you notice ’emit’ & ‘pulsing’ ? Do you recall what they mean ?
With art, you can be honest and say what you feel – is it not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ situation. Quite simply, do YOU like the art ? Can you express why ? What does the art say to you ? What feelings does it evoke ?
You don’t have to know anything about art – but it is a useful way to extend your English. Here are some expressions you could use:
“As far as I’m concerned…” // “Speaking for myself…”
“In my opinion…” // “Personally, I think…”
“I’d say that…” // “It really appeals to me …”
I don’t get it at all // It leaves me cold
It’s not my cup of tea // I wouldn’t call that ‘art’.
What do you think of these Vietnamese works, as an introduction to unusual art:
Finally, a very famous Norwegian painting, which I was lucky enough to see in Oslo:
How do you respond to this ?
Here’s what sunset looks like in Oslo:
Suddenly, the blood red sky ceases to be abstract and becomes realistic. Hope you can practice using opinion phrases, as well as incorporating new words into your everyday English. Tonight, from the book we had:
abstract
artificial
illuminate
layer
silhouette
Adult Speaking Class, Level 3: Art – what do you think ?
13th April 2020
Giving Opinions
The following is a list of opinion phrases, aimed at expanding your vocabulary as well as enabling you to practise the linking sounds required in order to sound like a native speaker.
“In my experience…” // “As far as I’m concerned…”
“I’m absolutely convinced…” // “Speaking for myself…”
“In my opinion…” // “Personally, I think…”
“I’d say that…” // “I’d suggest that…”
“I’d like to point out that…” // “I believe that…”
“What I mean is…” // “It’s obvious to me…”
“It seems to me …” “This could possibly …”
What do you think of the following works of art ?
As far as I’m concerned, this mural painting is one of the greatest achievements of European culture.
Personally, I think the painting is overrated. I can’t see what is so special about it.
Now, your turn. Use the above expressions; what do you think about …
Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Giving opinions – architecture
9th April 2020
Architecture
What do you think of these styles ? Which do you like and why ?
Use adjectives and opinion expressions
I think / I feel / It seems to me / In my opinion /
I especially like / I especially dislike / This appeals to me
Some adjectives:
imposing / impressive / incredible / magnificent / symmetrical / dazzling / unique / minimal / functional / decorative /
Expressions:
A sense of space / playful decor / somber facade / elegant lines / spiritually enhancing / an icon of national identity
Some contemporary architects and styles
Would you like to or visit any of these buildings ?
How do you react to them ?
What are they trying to say ?
Kazuyo Sejima (Japan b. 1956)
Daniel Libeskind (Poland / USA b. 1946)
Dubai (UAE)
Which one expresses optimism, growth and confidence ?
Which one challenges conventional structures ?
Which one uses architecture to reflect a destruction or shattering of society ?
Finally:
Here’s a great video charting the advances made in architecture over the last century: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuTqWxuAazI
Are we getting close to the Biblical Tower of Babel ?
For those who are interested in the story, here is the extract from The Bible, Genesis 11
Genesis 11 New International Version (NIV)
The Tower of Babel
11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lordsaid, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
UK Break. My brother’s artwork.
19th February 2020
The main reason to fly back to the UK was to see my younger brother. He’s an artist and I’d like to show some of his drawings.
My brother would welcome people to his instagram page: DavePacey
The first are various images of trainers:
The next series are some portraits:
Next, his most recent theme,cameras and lenses:
Thay Paul's Notes 