NOMINATE ART ED BLOG OF THE YEAR

THE ART OF EDUCATION is taking nominations for art education blog of the year.  I've come close, but have not won.  Could this be the year??  Not if I'm not nominated.  :)  

I need a bunch of ya'll to go over and nominate ART WITH MR. E.

THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED

• Be sure to include a link to the blog you’re nominating.  (  http://artwithmre.blogspot.com )
• Be sure to include WHY you like the blog, what sets it apart.

RUN DON'T WALK & NOMINATE ART WITH MR. E!!! :) ha ha  

http://www.theartofed.com/2014/01/27/nominations-now-open-2013-art-ed-blog-of-the-year/#disqus_thread

For My Sub

I HATE BEING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But when I am...I make sure that my sub has EVERYTHING they need for success in my art room.  I lay out all the supplies, paper, instructions, books....whatever so that they do not have to hunt around.  You may think your supplies are easy to find(or that your kids can help them out), but they might not.  So why mess around...lay it all out!  

I set up the still life that I left for 2nd grade...and even put a sign on the side..THIS IS A STILL LIFE..MOVE IT TO THE CENTER OF THE ROOM FOR THEM TO DRAW THE ITEMS "ON" THE CART..NOT THE CART ITSELF.

I put rags out with a note...telling them which classes truly needed wet rags to clean up with.  

I do have an emergency box for those times I don't know I'm going to be out(though this has not happened). We have to have sub folders in the office...and in mine it tells them where to locate the box.  

Splat! : 1st Grade

So here is a fun lesson I'm doing with 1st grade.  I call it... SPLAT!  The kids must imagine that a bug just hit their windshield or they just whacked it with a flyswatter or newspaper.  The image is suppose to be humor & cartoon"ish".  The image is traced with Sharpie, colored with marker(bug only) and the rest is watercolor. We used salt to add a little texture to the background.  All and all...this is a fun project that I will revisit next year(even when we aren't having a bug based art show!). 

HELP MR. E GET TO NAEA!

http://www.gofundme.com/6it8qo

Hey friends!  It was suggested to me to try "gofundme" so that I could go to the National Art Education Convention.  Being a man...asking for help is not my strong suit.  HOWEVER,  I can not begin to tell you how impactful Fort Worth was for me.  Not only was I able to give through my talks....long & many conversations with people who knew me from Art With Mr. E, but I also received.  My soul was dusted off!! I learned new tricks!!(I don't care what they say about old dogs!!)  

My hotel is covered, but I need funds for the flight there and back...as well as the conference fee.  

I know many is tight for most.  However, if you feel led to give....I'd truly appreciate it.  

THANK YOU!  

Freshin' Up!

Do you like the new look of Art With Mr. E?!?!  

I was feeling wintery!!! :) ha ha

Big Collage Flowers: K

My kindergarten students created these large collage flowers last week that will be going with their big 'ol bumble bees for our all school art show in March!  They did pretty well.  We talked about AB patterns...a skill that is no longer taught in kindergarten with common core(OMG?!?!?!).  One thing I noticed...the cutting skills were really poor.  I talked with our kindergarten team and asked why they thought this was.  The answer was the same from all of them...they no longer have time for cut & paste activities.  WHAT? That kills me.  These kiddos are missing out on a lot of things because the new demands being placed on them.  IT IS A BASIC SKILL THEY NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH.  Anyways!?!?  The flowers are beautiful..and I'm very proud of their work!!

Gettin' Purdy For AOE Conference!

Oh wait...it is online.  NEVERMIND! :) ha ha  Leave a comment if you were there!!! 

Would love to hear what you thought!!

1200 FOLLOWERS!!!!

WOW!!!!!  CraZy!!! AmAzEd!!! HuMblEd!!!

You all are awesome!!  It blows me away that so many people out there take the time to stop by Art With Mr. E!  I love all the e-mails, comments, and connections we've made over the years.  2008 doesn't seem all that long ago....but here we are in 2014 already?!?!  I hope that you are still finding the information here helpful, encouraging, inspiring, thoughtful, and at times funny!  I always try to be me...what ya see is what ya get.  

I'm not sure how many more people will follow Mr. E in the future(feel like I've reached ..or am about to reach the ceiling)...but please know I appreciate you very much.  You are such a big part of my life as an art teacher!! THANK YOU!

For a Friend

https://www.facebook.com/prayforcalebblair

https://www.facebook.com/prayforcalebblair

Today...I am asking that those of you who pray & believe in the power of prayer will join with me. 

One of my very best friends (a former art teacher who I first met the very first day of college in a studio art class) had to take her son to Children's Hospital last night up in Ohio after they found blood in his urine.  I received a text from her this morning saying they have found cancer..it is a tumor on his kidney.  They will have to do surgery in the next 48 hrs....and he'll have to go through chemo.  

He is around the same age as my son(two/three ish).  So not only does this hit home because I truly love this

 family, but it also makes me want to scoop up my baby boy & not let him go!!!!!!  

His name is Caleb.. thank you for your prayers!!!!

UPDATE:  JULIE(his mom): "This is what we know: it is stage 4 because of the size of the tumor (soft ball) and it has spread to at least 2 smaller tumors in the lungs. The decision right now is whether to go in and remove the large tumor then do chemo for the lungs or to do chemo to shrink the tumor then do surgery later."

UPDATE UPDATE:  Julie, Mark and Caleb are back from Cincinnati Children's Hospital for the weekend! They will check back in Sunday night and Caleb will begin treatment on Monday. The plan is to begin with surgery to see if they can remove the tumor on Caleb's kidney. If that goes well, they will then begin chemotherapy for the tumors in and around his lungs. Please pray that the surgeons are able to cleanly remove the tumor with no complications.

https://www.facebook.com/prayforcalebblair

ALSO..."like" the facebook page I linked above!!!!!!!  You can see updates and send words of encouragement to the family!!!

Add caption

!!!AOE CONFERENCE..SIGN UP NOW!!!

http://www.theartofed.com/aoeconferencewinter2014/

!!!!TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!!! 

SIGN UP TODAY!

It is going to be a great time...so many amazing art educators...

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!!!!

Home Depot Inspiration

You ever walk through Home Depot and get crazy ideas for your classroom?

I am looking at this beautiful green mesh fencing thinking....group weaving!

Merry Christmas to Me!

You all know what I mean....when you get that supply order in it feels just like Christmas.  This is my one and only order for the year(I don't get my funds still almost Christmas)....I purchase everything I need for the rest of the year and beginning of next year.  When you've been doing this for as long as I have...it is pretty easy to order.  Well...I actually do have a clay order coming in later..but that is from a local company that delivers it straight to me from their location in Nashville!  Even with over $300 less than last year...I'm still thankful for having a budget & being able to get quality supplies for my students.

Funny side note... the delivery guy knocks on my door & says..."Man, I don't think I'm going to be able to get it through the door!"  He was totally serious.  I thought I was gonna bust a gut....very sweet that he wanted to get it in my room for me, but if it is on a palette...umm...well...don't think those get through most classroom doors!?!?! :) ha ha  

Need a Miracle to Get To NAEA

Housing covered if I go...registration not an issue...but possible funding for flying out there just fell through.  That is a deal breaker....with baby 3 coming a month after conference...just can't spend that kind of money.  Anyone know anybody with a ton of miles??  Let me know ASAP!

Frustrations in First?!?!?

This week I've been going a little crazy...and not in a good way.  My first graders have really really really been struggling with composition and perspective (kind of perspective).  The above picture I'm very pleased with.  She filled up her paper, created large bugs, and created large flowers, leaves, & grass to go with her large bugs.  Exactly what I had asked them to do.  I started each lesson with examples of situations the bugs could be in...how the things around them would be very large because if we were seeing large bugs..everything would be large.  I told them to imagine themselves laying on the ground looking at the bugs. We talked about how if you were close up...you wouldn't really see the background...sky, houses, cars..etc  

Directions in a nut shell:  

LARGE BUGS ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR HAND

FILL UP THE WHOLE PAPER WITH LITTLE TO NO EMPTY SPACE

OBJECTS AROUND YOUR BUG MUST BE LARGE AS WELL

Below you can see what I got.  These two are typical of what I was seeing this week.  

Any ideas?!?!?  Are they just not there yet???

Tints & Shades Bumble Bees: Kindergarten

We are starting our "GOING BUGGY FOR ART" units in preparation for our spring all school art show in March.  These buzzy beauties were created by my kindergarten students.  We looked at creating tints & shades, and proper painting techniques.  I felt like they did a pretty good job over all.  We may use them for the art show with some mixed media additions. 

Mr. vid-E-o

Alright friends...I'm going to start trying to do some "vlogs". 

When I attempted this video this morning..I was trying to upload it from my iPad 

using the BLOGSPOT App.    Not happening!!  I had to upload it to YOUTUBE 

and then upload it from my laptop at home(can't access YOUTUBE at school).  

Let me know if you have any other ways to go about it...or if you have an ideas 

for future videos!  

Red Pen of Death

The RED PEN OF DEATH comes out every year when we're working on one & two point perspective.  I have them fold a 12x18 piece of paper in half so that they will have 4 surfaces to practice.

  I also let them know starting out that we're working on an exercise..and that it is not the finished work of art. This takes the pressure off, and they are able to enjoy the process...and the improvement they make during the 4 attempts.  

(NO STUDENT WAS EMOTIONALLY SCARRED BY THE RED PEN OF DEATH..REALLY!! THEY LAUGH & HAVE FUN WITH IT!!!)  

Christmas Clearance is a Wonderful Thing!

Our local Kroger has a GREAT clearance section!!  After Christmas...it was packed.   I found this fake snow for 50 cents a bag!  It is made like quilt batting (but a bit thinner).  Do you have any ideas of what I'll use it for....my ugly doll project next year!!!!!!  50 cents a bag is a great deal for stuffing!!!!  

For the Birds: Kindergarten

So what do you do when it is the start of a new 9 weeks...and you've missed most of it because of snow, ice, and freezing temps?!?!  Well, I decided not to jump into my curriculum until next week...and instead do a guided drawing lesson.  I really feel that there is great value to this at the Kindergarten level.  

It is also a great way to show the kids how basic shapes can be transformed into something more.  Plus...MARKERS!!!  What kid doesn't love markers?!?! :) ha ha

Welcome Back To School!!

They wonder why they delayed the start of school....how am I going to get anything done in my class room today?!??  (UPDATE: by 10:30..the heat was working again..it was a chilly morning in the art room!!)

Lifted & Reposted from Art Project Girl

So Mrs. Art Project Girl thinks no one reads her blog?!?!?  What in the world?!?!  She rocks.  If you aren't reading it, you should be! Here is her HYSTERICAL post about why you may not be attending the AOE Conference.  I have the #2 & #1 reasons!!! hee hee  After you read this...head on over to her blog!! THANKS!  

http://artprojectgirl.blogspot.com

TOP 10 reasons NOT to Attend the AOE Conference

There are a few art teachers out there who will not be attending 
The Art of Education Conference.

So here are the top 10 REASONS NOT TO ATTEND The Art of Education Conference. 

10. You believe art teachers are like Beta Fish. . . get too many together and only one will survive.

9. You have no internet, which is obviously not true because you are 
reading this right now.

8. You object to socializing online with people who have the same interests as you.
 What is this thing called Facebook?

7. Folding laundry while getting really good ideas for your classroom would be multitasking
 and you never do that.

6. You are an artist. You don't want to do what everyone else is doing.

5. The idea of PD in your pajamas goes together like bananas and peanut butter. . . a 
little bit too fruity and too nutty.

4. You are totally not curious to see what CASSIE STEPHENS will be wearing. . .

3. Because you have to "dust your spoon collection, nothing worse then a
 dusty spoon collection."

The number 2 & 1 are by the infamous MR. E from . . . Art With Mr. E

2. "You got a crayon lodged up your nose, and your surgery to remove it is on that day" -Mr. E

1. "You are an art teacher by day and spy on the weekends. . . you'll be 'away.' 
You would tell us where, but then you'd have to kill us!!!" -Mr. E

Big Idea for the Spring Art Show

Each year my spring art show has a theme.  Last year we did Reduce, Reuse, ReImagine!  I decided during that show...that we'd use bugs as our inspiration this school year.  GOING BUGGIE FOR ART!   As I've been thinking about lessons to go with the bug theme over break.....I began to think outside of our school.  I want our art to make a difference than just the beauty it brings.  With the theme of bugs my mind jumped to Malaria No More...an organization that helps bring nets and other medication to those in Africa that deal with Malaria caused by mosquito bites.  I think I can share this information with my students as we are creating our bug art...and then at the art show have a donation jar.  All money would go to the organization.  We usually have about 200 come to the show...if everyone gave a dollar..that could help 10 to 20 families!!   

What do you think?? Anyone want to join with me??  

Great art...great cause?!?! Could be fun!!!