June 30, 2012

Happy Birthday Baby E3!!!


My little man just had his 1st birthday (farm theme).  He is such a joy!
Happy Birthday Eli Edward Edinger!!!

June 28, 2012

Watch What You Say!

Watch what you say my blogging friends!!!  We're here to educate, share, and uplift!!!  Venting is fine, but make sure you are not saying anything too specific that will get yourself in trouble.  I'm not sure exactly what this person said in her blog, but it obviously crossed the line!  Use wisdom...and if you ever are unsure if something goes to far.....DON'T SHARE IT ON YOUR BLOG!!! :)  

June 27, 2012

Beauty at Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital


I recently visited Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital here in Nashville. My friend's new born(only 2 weeks old in the picture below) son spent a week there recently.  I had heard they really worked hard to make the environment enjoyable for children(well..at least less hospitally).  I was amazed!  The dog above was actually done by an art teacher here in Nashville, Lynn Driver ( http://www.lynndriver.com/ ).  
Here is baby Rocker(yes..that is his real name).  Happy to say he is out of the hospital and doing well!!!!


Sculptures, paintings, prints.....ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!!!!  
Here are just a handful of pictures....there is so much more!!!





This cat (also by Lynn Driver) greets people as they come into the hospital.  

June 24, 2012

Parent's Guide to the Curriculum


This summer we are taking two days to write the Parent's Guide to the Curriculum. Last summer we wrote the new curriculum for our district...this school year we changed our grading system & began using GradeSpeed.  This caused a lot of parent questions/concerns!  So we're hoping the guide will explain things...answering the questions we heard most often!  

June 21, 2012

LeRoy Neiman


I had never heard of LeRoy Neiman until today when I saw on CNN that he had died.  They called him a "sports" artist.  I was curious.  After spending some time looking through images of his work...he seems more than just a sports artist...but images like the one above I feel are his most successful.  

June 18, 2012

Dolphin Painter


I find animal paintings fun.....yet secretly I'm a little bitter toward them.
They will make more money on their art than I ever will!!!! ha ha


June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day!



 I love teaching art!  I truly believe it is what God designed me to do.  However, there is nothing greater than being a daddy.  It is amazing how much less time I spend at school...how I don't mind if my room might be a little messy when I leave....and how if I need to stay home with my kids when they are sick, I don't freak out(there would have been a time I would have freaked out at any of that!!!)  I am a blessed man...and love my babies so much!  I love being a father...and if there are other fathers out there reading this...I pray you find great joy in the greatest job you'll ever know!!!!!  

June 15, 2012

Summer Gig 2012


I am once again blessed beyond belief with an amazing summer gig!  Last summer I was on the state textbook adoption team & on the team that rewrote the district elementary art curriculum (and somewhere in the mix...my son Eli was born...I live for a packed schedule ha ha).  This summer I was asked by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission to create a document that would be be an elementary companion to the Watermarks Project.  The Watermarks Project is installation pieces that are going up around the city in areas that were hardest hit by the Nashville floods of 2010 (google it if you don't know about the floods..it was bad!!!).  Anyways...they want to have something for elementary art teachers that would encourage them to use the artists in lessons & to take field trips to the installations.  I'm also going to be working science & possibly social studies standards into the document.  I am able to set my schedule & location...which is wonderful!  I've been going to area libraries to work, and think I found my new office!!!  The Gallatin Library is AMAZING!  It is has a ton of quiet places to work!  I know that might sound odd, but if you have been to a library in the summer...they are NOT quiet.  They also have this amazing balcony on the second floor that overlooks the town square.  Yep...I think this is where I'll be working for the rest of the summer.


June 14, 2012

Marc Azema: Cave Painting Flip Book?


I thought this was really interesting, and would work well for a cave art unit or a flipbook lesson!

June 12, 2012

Biggie Paint


I use these "Biggie" palettes for my kindergarten students.  I like the fact that they are big, only four colors, and pretty easy to clean up.  However, the cakes are super thin & tend to crack.  Do you have a brand of these that you like best?  Or do you have another option I may not have thought about?!?! 

June 09, 2012

Mister Rogers Remixed | Garden of Your Mind | PBS Digital Studios


This is WONDERFUL!!!!  I have much respect for Fred Rogers & what he did while he was on this earth.  I've heard so many mock his show, but I think this celebrates the heart of who Fred was & what he stood for!  

June 07, 2012

Etsy: Janet Malone & OneLittleBead


I've talked about my best bud Ms. Malone before...from http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com 
She's not just a great friend...and great art teacher...she's also an amazing artist!!  Several years ago she started creating paintings in beads.  She has now taken that technique and started her own Etsy shop.  If you have a little one...or looking for an amazing gift for someone...you have got to check this out!


 We gave Janet pieces of our son's bedding for inspiration, and she creating this amazing one of a kind work of art!  The background was painted with acrylic, but the letters are glass seed beads.  Yes...THE ITTY BITTY glass seed beads.  She's a little crazy, eh?!?! Ha ha..most great artists are!!!!!


My daughter's room is done in yellows, greens, pinks, and butterflies.  Janet used this as her inspiration.  I love the variety of pinks! The scrolling vines are amazing...and I can not wrap my mind around how she does it?!?!  I actually tried to do a small area on a mixed media piece I was creating...using beads...and about went mad! ha ha  

Please check out her shop...and if you aren't in the market for something from OneLittleBead.... pass it on to a friend...pin it on pinterest...get the word out!  


June 06, 2012

ARTIST YA GOTTA LOOK AT: Christopher Fennell

I'm assuming this is Christopher with Bats Baseball that is at Southside Park in Atlanta 

As part of my summer gig, I'm diggin' into some contemporary artists that are installing work here in the Nashville Metro area.  Christopher Fennell is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!  This is an artist that your students will love...and I feel has the possibility of being a jumping off point for installation work in your school!  

CHECK HIS WORK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

http://www.cfennell.org/


June 05, 2012

New Use for a Sharpie


Chris Dunlop uses Sharpie to customize cars! 
This takes the whole Zentangle/Doodling thing to a WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL!  I wonder how long it lasts on a car surface...or if they have to spray it with a clear/finish coat? 

See more images at this Yahoo! link!!

June 01, 2012

Sharing Art




I'm researching for a summer "gig" I've got (more on that later)...and stumbled upon this great resource!!!  I've not looked through everything yet, but I like what I've seen so far!  As with everything...take a look & see how or if you can use it in your classroom!