October 31, 2009

A Newly Found Warhol Up for Auction!

Hopefully this link will be up for a little while! I have always found Warhol an interesting fellow!! SIDE NOTE: If you have not seen the "Dropping In On..." series DVD of Warhol, it is worth your time. My friends and I love it!!

October 28, 2009

Sales on Art Supplies

In Nashville,TN....we have a wonderful selection of art, arts & crafts, school supply stores. Michaels, Jo-Ann's, and Hobby Lobby are the national chains that I frequent most for my personal art supply needs. Once and awhile I'll pick up things for my classroom, but that is usually taken care of through district approved catalogs. These stores are also where I"ll point my students to pick up art supplies. However, I always tell them...WAIT FOR THE SALES!! Jo-Ann's and Hobby Lobby always half 30%, 40%, and 50% sales on different iteams every week!! They also have amazing coupons!!!!!! You can sign up for those in the store, or check out their online site and print off coupons! If you do not have one of these stores near you...I think you can online order!! Check it out!!

October 18, 2009

Fall Break....a week up north (nature as art..ha ha)

FALL BREAK IS A GIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fall is my fav. time of the year, and this year MNPS has a week off for fall break. My wife, baby girl, and I are up in PA right now enjoying time with family & friends! It's a bit chilly, but the colors are beautiful up here!! I'm finding much inspiration for my work!!!!!

October 12, 2009

Tempera Paint Sea Creatures

I use to be very anti-tempera paint. I was trained in watercolor in college, and you know how you gravitate toward what you know. Over the past few years, I've grown to enjoy it more and more. I have develope easier ways of managing it in passing out supplies & cleaning them up. Plus, the results of tempera are undeniable. The colors are so rich! The kids love working with them also. This lesson was one of my fav. The students came up with such wonderful images, and their craftsmanship was pretty good as well.

October 09, 2009

..A Proud Papa Moment..

My sweet baby girl is 7 months old! She's such a joy!!!

..New Art at the White House..

So the Obamas have brought some new art to the White House! There are for sure some interesting choices in the mix, but I am glad that so many contemporary pieces have found there way into the collection! Here are some links that will show you different pieces they've selected. Wish I could have been on the list!!!

October 07, 2009

Scare Crows- Construction Paper Crayons

Lets face it, most of our 1st graders haven't moved too far beyond their Kindergarten abilities yet....they just aren't developmentally ready...YET! I push & push..but sometime forget and become frustrated. WHY CAN'T THEY DO MORE?!?!?! Each fall though, I take a step back and give them a project I know they will find great success with....and get heaps of praise!! These scares crows are great fun for the kids, and give them a chance to try construction paper
crayons(if you have not used these...they are WONDERFUL!). Please notice though..the
pumpkins they create are not Jack-o-Lanterns. This is a fall picture..not Halloween.
I do not do holidays in my room. I do seasons..the art lasts longer that way.
You can keep a fall picture up until after Thanksgiving!

October 06, 2009

Kindergarten Watercolor Painting -Color Mixing

Sometimes you just have to be brave! I decided that I'd do a fall watercolor picture with my kindergarten classes. They have been doing extremely well, and I felt that I could trust them with a little more than some of my classes in years past. Well, after cups of water being spilt daily.....I still feel they did a pretty good job. I did demo the lesson first and show them how to make orange. I use the BIGGIE water colors by Prang that have four large ovals of Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green.

Short Video About Van Gogh

I came across this video today, and found it very interesting. Hopefully the link will work for awhile...sometimes they pull them.