Abigail Merickel

Abigail earned an MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Italy and has been actively involved in the art world as an award-winning painter, printmaker and arts educator for over 20 years. She has acquired extensive multi-cultural training in the arts, languages and education from various European sojourns. She has taught foreign languages and fine arts internationally to students of all ages and backgrounds. Having acquired an MAT/teaching credential with endorsements in Art & Spanish, she works as a substitute teacher, bilingual interpreter, and artist-in-residence. Her work is exhibited and collected in the U.S. and Europe. View her work and contact her at www.abigailmerickel.com.

Mission Statement:
My goal is to promote access to the visual arts for both teachers and students as a powerful tool for learning. By learning the visual arts language and the art techniques specific to each residency, students will inquire, explore, discover, problem-solve and create integrating content areas with the visual arts.

Residency Objectives:
Residency Descriptions design, and the history of art relating to the specific residency. All students will finish the residency with a presentation and reflection of their work.

Abby offers the following residencies:

Japanese Bookbinding, Nature Printing & Haiku
Students learn a simple bookbinding technique to create their own book, embellishing it with twigs, beads, markers, and colored pencils. Students also learn Japanese literature when they write their own haiku poetry complimenting their images.

Playful Printmaking Possibilities
Students explore, in depth, one of several techniques: block print, nature print, monotype print, or collograph print.

“Artistamps” Postage Stamp Prints
Students will create a postage stamp design depicting their own imaginary country. A study of world postage stamps will inspire students to design their own sketches incorporating basic elements of design.

Block Print Accordion Book
Students will learn the printmaking technique of block printing. They will design, carve, and print a block print while learning art vocabulary, design and the history of art relevant to printmaking.

Metaphor, Monotypes, and Me – Weather
Students will write a weather metaphor using figurative language for themselves and create a monotype print depicting their chosen weather.

Ex-Libris: Art of the Bookplate
Students will design, carve, and print their own ex-libris (bookplate). Inspired by historical images and information about Ex-Libris, students will develop their own idea, learn the art vocabulary of design, and gain skills in printmaking skills.

All About Drawing
Students will explore drawing techniques with a variety of drawing tools (soft pencils, black pens, colored markers, colored pencils) incorporating basic elements of design.

Watercolor Painting
Students will explore watercolor painting as a way of recording our experiences and life around us, whether in nature or through traditional genres, such as still lifes, portraits, or landscapes.

Staff and Community Offerings:
Review of Printmaking and Paste and Paper Residencies, Art and Inspiration, Papermaking Workshop, Handmade Cards, Mixed-Media Collage, Pop-Up Cards

Facilities and Supplies:
A self-contained classroom is ideal, however a cart to move supplies to and from classrooms is workable. Supplies include paper, paint, and inks. Set up and clean up volunteers. Drying and storage space is necessary.

Material Costs:
Approximately $1 – $2 per child

Connection to other Subjects:
Social Studies, Language Arts, Math.