November 30, 2011

Bottle Cap Snowman: Sneak Peek!

What do you do when you get a million white bottle caps?!?! 
MAKE A SNOWMAN!

November 29, 2011

Practicum Students Rubric Bulletin Boards

 My practicum students from MTSU are required to create a bulletin board as part of their placement.  I had shared with them that I was wanting to make very graphic..easy to follow rubrics for my wall so students could do self assessment.  Here are the results.
Over all this was a beautiful display.  The only thing I would have changed was having consistant colors for the YES! Kind of.. & Needs More Time(YES! all blue..etc)

This was created for 2nd grade, but I feel could be used through 4th grade.  

November 28, 2011

Winter Mural: K - 2nd


The past few years, I've tried to do murals with my students...but mainly when it serves my purpose.  This usually being those odd weeks during holidays that would throw the flow of my projects way off because the weeks are only 2 or 3 days long.  The inspiration for this piece comes from Pinterest...and I've posted it & the links below.  I'm still thinking about having some classes create a few more pieces for it, but we'll have to see.  

The boarder was created for a print making lesson by Kindergarten using toilet paper rolls.
 
The sky is a watercolor lesson created by 2nd graders after studying Van Gogh
 
The houses are greeting card envelopes & collage(I had received a large box of envelopes last year, but wasn't sure what to do with them...I think this worked out well!)  The two story one is two envelopes.  That was created by my practicum students(the three people in the windows are dead on them!!)

I had one another Kindergarten class do tints to create the snowy landscape.  The cars/trucks and trees were created by a second grade class.

Like I said...I really would love to add to this, but we'll have to see if I can find the time before Christmas break.


This is the inspiration piece I found on Pinterest!
http://pinterest.com/pin/212865519857041246/

It originally comes from Gallery 2404.
http://gallery2404.blogspot.com/2011/01/five-finished-winter-murals.html

November 25, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY

Greetings my bloggie friends!! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving(those of you in the US), and that you survived Black Friday.  This picture(a dramatization of how tired I was) was taken upon my return from Black Friday shopping.  I never do this(once before in all my years..but it was nothing like this).  I got in line at Belk at 12:30ish in the am...for its 3am opening.  I love my wife that much!!!! :) ha ha  I had the paper with all the items she circled.  Really...it was worth it.  The savings was AMAZING.  After that I went to several other locations.  My personal fav. place I went to this crazy shopping day.... JO-ANN'S!!!!!!!!!  

If you didn't go today..don't worry...sales there are going on till Sunday!!!!  
http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp

I got a 3 pack of pre-stretched 2 ft. square canvas that normally runs $34... 60% off...and then another 25% at the register with a coupon!!!  Gotta love that!!   Now to find the time to do something with them?!? 




November 23, 2011

Have You Heard of This?


The Miami Beach Art Basel


I've never heard of it before...but it sounds AWESOME! 
Wish I could go.

November 19, 2011

MonoPrint Fish: 2nd Grade


So here is what you need to do this project (though there are many ways to do a monoprint..this is just the way I did it this time around!) : waterbottle, water soluble oil pastels (Portfolio Series are AMAZING), brayer, and some 80 or 90 lb paper.  
This project lends itself to any theme really...you just don't want to do anything with really fine details because of the thickness of the oil pastels(and the bleeding/smudging that happens during printing).  





November 18, 2011

Welcome My New Best Circle Weaving Friend: The Cheat Plate

Last year my student teacher decided to create a "cheat plate" for some of my students struggling with marking their circle looms.  I have always made my students mark, cut, and warp their own looms.  I feel that gives a better understand of the total weaving package!!  It isn't ways fun & games...sometimes it is frustrating....sometimes it is more math & science than art.  However, with only seeing my students one day a week...and the holidays eating into my schedule a little...I needed a time saver.  The "Cheat Plate" was exactly what I needed to speed up the process a bit so we could actually get to weaving.  It still is in their hands to do...but saves a lot of time and frustration on their part.  I made enough to have one at each table.

If you aren't a "circle weaver"...the reason you might need a cheat plate is to evenly space your marks around the circle.  If the marks are not even...the weaving will take place off center...which means a smaller weaving for the student.  The wedges are cut out around the "Cheat Plate" so that students can take a marker and draw from the center of the wedge out.  

This creates a near perfect balance of lines around the circle...there are always little mistakes here and there, but over all...this worked like a DREAM!


They are doing a great job so far...and should be done weaving next class time..and will be able to start decorating the plate.


If you are new to my blog...and have not seen me do this lesson in the past...here are the links.  I give a lot more info on how to do the warp...and other info you might think useful on weaving.  The circle weaving is toward the bottom of the weaving posts...so you'll need to scroll down for this weaving project.
 Check it out!


November 17, 2011

Old Mother Hubbard Went to the Cupboard


Actually...Ol' Mr. E went to the cupboard....and this is what I found!?!?!?
 I am thankful for all that I do have....don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to worry about what I don't have so far this school year....MY SUPPLY MONEY!!  I know many schools have little to no budget for their art teachers, but I have always been blessed with at least $2 to $3 a child(depending on budget cuts given years).  Now...that is still a challenge to buy supplies for 550+ students that have art once a week for 36 weeks (think about doing a quality project for $0.06 a child each week).  Go to Michael's or Jo-Ann's and see if they can find a project that can be done for that!!! :) ha ha   ANYWAYS!?!?!?!?!?  The money is at the school now...but has not been "released" to be used yet.  I'm good on most of my supplies....but my tempera paint, good drawing/painting paper, glue, and my construction paper(some colors) are starting to run dangerously low.  For those of you who get nothing...I'm sorry if I'm sounding ungrateful.  I know I am blessed!!!!  But for me...at my school....for my program....I am not use to this.  Even if they released the money this week....I probably would not get my supplies till almost Christmas break.  That being said...I am an art teacher...AND I WILL BE CREATIVE IN MY TEACHING & THE SUPPLIES I USE!!!! :) ha  ha  That is what we do...we make it work(thanks Tim Gunn for letting me use that).

November 14, 2011

The Gift of a Bulletin Board


So I posted about my friend Mrs. Forney returning the world of art teaching...and I want to thank everyone that went and posted a note to encourage her in her teaching & blogging!!  You all are the best!!!  I had told her some time ago that as a welcome back present that I'd create a bulletin board for her.  Ya know how those things go sometimes....best of intentions, but teaching...family...LIFE?!?!...and time seems to get away from you.  So after a well placed jab on Facebook...I FINALLY created some bulletin boards for her!  Sometimes I think I'd love a side job of doing boards in a bag...think I could make some money?? ha ha  
ps..I hope you like them Melissa!!!

November 13, 2011

November 12, 2011

New Blog/Old Teacher

 HA HA HA!!!  I wanted to feature an ol' friend of mine, Mrs. Forney.  She was part of the original art gang here in Nashville(this was a group of 5 of us art teacher that adopted each other after leaving our home state to move to Nashville to start our teaching career back in 1997).  She moved to Ohio with her husband's work & has been out of the profession(because there are few art jobs in Ohio) for several years.  Now she's back and blogging(peer pressure from the Nashville Art Gang)!!!  Check out her site...she's just getting started though...so if you can stop and give her some encouragement...that would be awesome!!  
Tell her Mr. E sent ya!  

http://learninglifethroughart.blogspot.com/

November 11, 2011

Art Night for the Teachers: Winter Wreath


You will need a wire circle form to create your wreath.  Yes..you could use a coat hanger, but I just didn't have time to unbend/rebend all of those hangers for each of my teachers that were participating.  Plus, the size was a bit bigger than our time frame would allow for creating the wreath.  I picked up the wire from Wal-Mart for about $4..and had a ton left over!  

Once again..because of time....I precut all the fabric(though some teachers brought there own to add into the mix).  This took a large chunk of my time....but ya do what ya gotta do! ha ha  I purchased everything on sale...and Wal-Mart had tulle for 97cents a yard.   I had blue, white, and several types of tulle(some sparkly!!).  The teacher were encouraged to mix and match the different colors & textures.  


You knot the fabric around the wreath.  One knot will do.  The fabric needs to be twisted here and there a bit as you place it on the wire so that the fabric is FLUFFY!  Packing it tight helps make it extra fluffy!!

You can get the do-dads of your choosing to your wreath.  I found wonderful small shatterproof balls, snowflakes, and jingle bells all 50% off at Hobby Lobby.  I encouraged the teachers to bring in their own though to make it more personal.
This was my example for the group.  This was done on a regular hanger I bent to a circle..a bit larger than I'd like....live and learn!  


This was created by a teacher friend ( and close personal friend) for her daughter.  Though honestly...she is pink & sparkly too!!! ha ha  

(I forgot to take pictures that night...so I'm going to add more pictures to this post as I can collect them!!!)


November 09, 2011

Color Blending Pumpkins : 1st Grade

Sometimes I like to shoot for the moon....many times it never leaves earth's atmosphere...and sometimes it goes far beyond my wildest imagination.  Many times this is the same lesson..and the same class!!!  This lesson is an example of that.  I like to push my students to think beyond grabbing one green to color the grass...or in this case...grabbing one orange to color the pumpkins.




And you'll always have those that march to the beat of their own drum...

Last Set...I PROMISE!!! (& more info on the lesson)




Ok, so last week we had parent teacher conference...so one of my 2nd grade classes was not able to finish their project.  So here is the last set...I PROMISE!!!!  Some of you asked what I was teaching/asking for from my students...so I thought I'd repost the info from when this saga first began! ha ha  

My 2nd graders spent most of 1st nine weeks learning about & creating abstract art...in all its forms!  They loved it!!!!  I revisited the idea of non objective art & focal point(a lesson we did during the 1st nine weeks).  We reviewed radial symmetry and discussed circular design. Then I dropped the bomb...YOU WILL NOT BE DRAWING WITH A PENCIL FIRST...YOU WILL BE DRAWING WITH BLACK PAINT!

I really enjoyed the reaction of my students when I said this. We discussed what could be some of the issues with doing this...and worked through our fears. The first day consisted of them "drawing" their circular design, and then receiving 2 colors of their choising to paint part of their picture. They were told they'd be finished the work the following week with 3 more colors (so they needed to make some choices about what color goes where). The main thing was that there had to be total coverage...NO WHITE!  We looked at art work by Kandinsky & Miro.

November 03, 2011

Even More Circular Design Paintings: 2nd Grade







I really hope ya'll are not getting tired of these...because there may be one or two more posts as the rest of my classes finish their work.  This group I felt has done the best so far.  I placed them outside my room as soon as they were dry, and the response from the students & faculty has been amazing!