July 31, 2019

Instagram vs. Reality in the Art Room

I love for my classroom to be a refuge, a place like no other, well organized, and clean.  However, that doesn't just happen!!  It takes a lot of work & planning....oh....AND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME!!  I took these pictures and chuckled to myself at the Instagram "worthy" classroom picture verses the reality of the situation picture!  How many of you worry about not measuring up when you look at all the picture perfect classes on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook?!
 RELAX! YOU DO YOU! 
You need to be the best version of yourself.  You do not need to be a copy of your favorite Instagrammer, YouTuber, Facebooker, or Twittererererer(help me..I can't end this word!! ha ha).  You have a unique skill set, a unique teaching situation, unique students....and they need YOU!!! No one else.....just you!! You are enough!!!




July 30, 2019

The PBS Cinematic Universe?

I saw someone post a meme of some sorts about this the other day on Facebook,  and it got me thinking about how cool it would actually be if it happened (I don't think it actually does! ha ha). I redesigned the meme "ish" picture to fit more my aesthetic (plus I added a few more extras!!).

Who do you think should play Bob Ross if they do make a movie about his life?

July 29, 2019

Nasco Catalog

I'm one of  many Art Teachers on the cover of Nasco's supply catalog!! The art work of Frida is done by a high school student(I believe), and then they did an overlay of it on top of the grid of art teacher!  It is set up in a grid..how many times can you find me?!?  I can't wait to get the actual catalog, because I will be able to see it so much better (cause I'm not sure how many times I'm repeated on there!!).  


July 28, 2019

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: REST

I have a habit of burning the candle at both ends.  I do like to be busy, but I also have difficulty balancing all the "good" things that come my way. I just don't want to miss out!  This can get you in trouble if you are not careful.  In college I took many semesters of 18 credit hours, worked at least 20 hrs a week as a supervisor of a food court, was very involved in a campus ministry,  and was plugged into & serving at a local church.   At the end of one of my craziest semesters, I found myself awake for almost three days straight.  I had so many projects to complete, so many activities demanding my attention, and so many extra shifts as people often called off work at semester's end (so they can study or finish projects).  I had no time to sleep.  Even if I did, I could not truly find rest knowing all the work I had to do.  At one point I crawled up on the table in the fiber studio and tried to take a nap. I laid their unable to quite my mind or close my eyes.  All of the work, all of the obligations, all of the expectations...were all on me.  However, the time & work load were not as consuming as the pressure I was placing on myself. I was too stressed to find rest.  

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress,
I will never be shaken.  Psalm 62: 1-2

When we look around our world today....we find people that are under constant stress.  Some of which is self made (lets be honest...most of which is self made).  The stress steals joy, prevents people from giving more of themselves (mentally, physically, emotionally, relationally, or financially), and keeps people from being the person they were truly created to be.  God has not called us to a stressed life.  Not that there won't be stresses in our life ("In this world you will have trouble!"), but that we know where we find our rest! When we can see God as our rock, our salvation, our fortress....how can we shaken/stressed.  We can close our eyes and rest knowing that God has us in his hands.  We can find peace in this truth, and not by the power of our own making (which will always eventually fail us!).  

July 22, 2019

SmART! Teacher Sale

Nashville area teachers!! 🍎SmART! is having a teacher sale July 23!! If you mention me..Mr.E..they will give you an additional 10% off your purchase! They are a great organization/cause & I value their presence in Middle Tn!


10% off with me...MR.E

July 21, 2019

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: What's On Your Mind

I have a hard time shutting off my art brain.  I see the world through artist's eyes, and everything can connect back to art.  I'm constantly thinking about the art I want to create, lessons I want to do with my students, materials I want to use, techniques I'd like to try, themes I'd like to explore, and on and on and on! I've gone to bed with an idea for a work of art on my mind, but been unable to sleep till I sketched out my idea on a piece of paper.  I've fallen asleep with a paintbrush in my hand, and woken up and continued on with my painting.  When you are passionate about something...it is almost always on your mind (or not far removed!). 


Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.  Philippians 4:8

Have you ever met a person that never seems to be happy?  They always have something negative to say, a complaint to be made, an ailment to share, or a person to degrade.  Their minds are focused on the "bad" things in their life or the world around them.  They can't seem to find the positive in anything.  When you allow your mind to fixate on the negative....that is what you will see, feel, and experience.  They have become passionate for negativity.  There are times in all of our lives that we might feed into negativity.  We may go through a season.  However, we can not allow ourselves to go down this path. As believers, we have been called to think on those things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Our hearts & minds should be on the things above.  Shouldn't we be the most positive, encouraging, and joyful people if we truly believe in those things we profess?  It is the filter we see the world through.  All that we think, all that we do, all that we experience should be in light of the truth we claim.  It is how we see the world.  It is how we live in the world.  It is how we interact with the world. 

July 16, 2019

Art With Mr. E Summer Workshop: DAY ONE

At the end of June we had the 4th Annual Art With Mr. E Summer Workshop. I had no idea what to expect when we first began this adventure, but it has been such a wonderful experience & I truly look forward to it each year.  We had 16 teachers this summer Pre-K - 12th grade.  Two of the teachers were not art educators, and it was a joy to have their unique perspectives.  I'll have three posts that will break down the days.  You'll see some overlap because certain projects were began on one day and completed on another.  Maybe next summer you can join us.  We have had people from 8 states & a number of counties in Tennessee join us in past years. 
We have such an amazing time!



We started our day with doing the silk screen project using nylons & embroidery hoops.  This is one of those projects that needed dry time.  The Mod-Podge needs adequate time dry & opportunity to go over it once it has dried to make sure it has good coverage.  It was fun to see the variety of ideas teachers came up with for their screen designs. (You will see finished images in the other posts.)





The next projects we created were masks two ways.  We did paper mache using liquid starch & plaster wrap strips.  I talked to the teachers about creating a main character from a story & then a scene from that story.  I wasn't sure what to expect after this part of the project, but was amazed by the end products (I can't wait for you to see!).


I asked teachers to create a poster that would be motivation/encouragement for themselves or their students.  Sometimes we don't make the time to create such things for our classrooms, and I wanted to give the teachers the time & materials to make something that was meaningful to them.






Stay tuned for the next post from the Art With Mr. E Summer Workshop.....




July 15, 2019

Dollar General Arts & Crafts Section

I've noticed over the past year or so that Dollar General has been stepping up the arts & crafts section! The products might not be professional artist quality, but they are affordable & accessible.  
They had watercolor sets, tubes of watercolor, acrylic, watercolor pencils, drawing pencils, oil pastels, and a host of other materials! I really am amazed at the variety.  Some have voiced their concern about where the products are made and what they may (or may not) contain.  We all have to make our own choices about where we spend our money...so be true to yourself in your purchasing prerogative!






July 13, 2019

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: In Time

Art has a way of capturing time.  It may depict a specific moment in history, or display the culture & customs of certain place & time.  Even when art is non-objective/non-representational it often has a connection to a movement or style that resides within a given time frame.  No matter how hard an artist may try to be timeless in their work, art is IN time.  This is something that should be celebrated.  Not a desire to be "dated", but that you left your mark in time.  

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
 With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
2 Peter 3:8

 Usually when I read this scripture it makes me consider all the omni(s) of God.  He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient...etc. Though I may entertain these thoughts, they go beyond what I can truly grasp.  The idea that a day is like a thousand years is mind blowing. Our concept of time does not have the constraints on God that it does on us.  We are IN time.  Our days are numbered from birth to death while we are on this earth.  There may be times when we cry out to God about his quickness to answer our prayers.  We may shake our fist at the amount of time our suffering or the suffering of the ones we love continues.  The disbelief of a life taken too soon or the pain of someone lingering much longer than their mind and body could truly sustain. Time.  We can not control it.  We can only be in it. So what will we do with the time we are in?  

Each day we must seek the Lord.  Each day we must ask him to establish the work of our hands.  The author of Psalm 90 (often called the prayer/song of Moses) was not just praising the Lord, but crying out to him concerning the days a person is given...that they might be lived in a way that glorifies God.  It does not speak of only sunshine & rainbows.  We are to seek the Lord in all situations and give him glory.  He does not call us to only praise him & glorify him in the good times.  We are not promised to see the other side of the storms of life, but he is worthy in the midst of the storm to receive our praise.  We must make the most of the time we are given.  

So often we make excuses.  Tomorrow I'll read my Bible.  I'll serve at church after I get through this busy time in my life.  I'll share this joy I know when this rough spot passes.  I'll find time to pray later.  We allow excuses to rob us of the precious little time we have this side of Heaven.  We find reasons not to be living the life God intended us to live.  Our days are numbers.  We do not have time to wait or waste. We have today.  If we are blessed with tomorrow, amen & amen.  

What will you do with today to know God & make him known?

Where Are All the Bob Ross Paintings?

Ya'll...this is so interesting!! If you enjoy Bob Ross...this is a must see video!!

July 07, 2019

Summer Rest?!?

I know I've not been blogging as much lately, but don't mistake that's for Mr.E taking it easy!!  I have led a professional development in Cumberland County, had my three day workshop, and created decorations for two different VBS(s) where my wife was teaching! I think I'll have about a week before I need to start working on my room! We go back at the end of July! 

The first one VBS was called ROAR.

 The second one (starting tonight) is called Power Up.



July 06, 2019

Rainbow Find

For those of you who love rainbow everything...

I found these at Walmart!
Could be fun for decorating your room!