Organization: Brushes

Why did I not think of this years ago?!?!

Do you have this issue?  Paint brushes stored in mugs/cups? 

Disorganized? Taking up precious cupboard space!

WELCOME TO SWEET ORGANIZATION & MORE SPACE!

I found a shoe holder/organizer made out of the non-woven material they use for reusable grocery bags.  I had to cut it down to fit the size of my cupboard door.  Be careful not to cut too much away or you could cause the actual pouches to come off!  I used hot glue to attach it to the inside of the doors.  Be careful with high temp hot glue...the non-woven fabric will melt like plastic if you are not careful.  I hot glued it on the seams where the fabric was doubled up.  This will hopefully give enough strength to it so the weight of the brushes do not cause it to come loose!  Make sure that the door will still close as you are attaching it!!  The pouches will sag some with the weight...which will cause them to possibly hit the area where the doors close.  Also..depending on how much you pack them...it could cause the doors not to shut all the way.  This is easy to figure out though.  I still need to weed through my brushes a bit more...but it is much more organized!!!

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Choices

Art is all about choices.  What materials to use, images to convey ideas, colors for mood, size to create impact, location & lighting to display...and countless more before, in between, and after a work is considered "complete".  Even after completing a piece, an artist may go back into their art and make changes.  Each choice impacts how a work is perceived/interpreted.  There are times an artist might create a work multiple times in a variety of media because they are unable to decide which would be best.  Some artists have a very clear vision for their work, and their choices seem direct & unwavering.  They know exactly where they are going & what they are trying to convey with their work.  However, they still have made that choice.  Their are times when I'm creating that I have so many ideas, I find myself unable to proceed because I don't know which direction to choose.  I become paralyzed by choices.  What should I do? What would be best? How will it be perceived?  Does it say what I want it to say? Sometimes you need to just create.  You are able to learn things from completing a work that can be applied to future pieces.  

Many are the plans of the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

Choices are a part of life.  Some are easy & some are not.  As believers we can seek God's Word when we are unsure about the choices we need to make.  We can go to other believers that have walked with God longer & may have experience with the choices we are facing.  We also can pray, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. However, even when we try to apply all of these in our life....we are still faced with choices that we're just unsure about. I have seen people place an unbelievable amount of pressure on themselves to choose what is right.  It is as if they think they are going to "mess up" God's plan.  They feel that somehow it all rests on their shoulders, and if they choose poorly, that God's will will not be done.  If God can use a talking donkey, a shepherd boy(David), a Christian hating/killing zealot(Saul/Paul)...I think He can carry out his purpose & plan!  He wants you to be a part of his plan.  He wants you to make the right choices.  However, his plans won't unhinge if you make a mistake.  It isn't about you anyways.  Seek him.  Seek his will/plan/purpose. REST IN HIM. 

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Fresh Starts/New Beginnings

Pencil can be erased. Acrylic can be painted over.  Oil can be wiped away.  Watercolor...well...not so much! However you can take a mistake and turn it into a happy accident in most cases.  Collages can be "collaged" over.  A weaving can be unwoven and rewoven correctly.  Clay can be reformed.  

There is so much forgiveness in art.  Perfect is not a prerequisite for creating....THANK GOODNESS!  There are sometimes you need to start fresh on a new piece of paper, a new canvas, or whatever materials you are using.  It might be a mental hang up.  It might be that the surface is marred by your previous attempts.  It may still very well be viable, but for you to continue creating...you need a new beginning.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Corinthians 5:17

I'm so thankful we do not have to "reside" in our past mistakes, but instead are able to live "informed" because of them.  In 1 Corinthians we see that we are new creations & that the old has passed away! There are so many that live life defeated, disconnected, and doubting their purpose of being because of their past.  If we are in Christ, the past is the past.  Perfect is not a prerequisite. We must get over our mental hang ups.  We must see our scars as reminders that we've been saved from our past battles. We are given a new beginning in Christ.  It is a fresh start to live a beautiful life.  There will be ups and downs, and past mistakes will try resurface.  However, claim the truth of 1 Corinthians 5:17 and know that you are a new creation....and your past does not define who you are today!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!!  

In 2017, my hope is to post more projects, ideas, products, and art related content. 

 I want Art With Mr. E to be a place you all feel is a quality resource for art education..and worth your time to visit!  

..

ATC Swap 2016

THE AMAZING MINI MATISSE (a.k.a. Nic Hahn) HOSTED THE 2ND ANNUAL ARTIST TRADING CARD SWAP #ATCSwap!  

You can check her out here...and she is always apart of my BLOGTASTIC ART BLOGS(look to your left & you will see the list!)!

http://minimatisse.blogspot.com/

If you don't know anything about the ATC Swap...you are missing out!!  Go to her blog now & look it up.  It is such a wonderful opportunity to connect with the world...and see amazing student art from a variety of locations, teaching situations, and grade levels!! Tulip Grove Elementary created 100 ATCs collaboratively to swap this year!  In return, we received 100 cards back!  Here are the amazing works that found their way to Nashville,TN!  

I try to make it a geography lesson as well.  I include a map with each set. I mark Tennessee in red & place a dot on Nashville so they have a point of reference.  I then mark where the cards are from in yellow.  In class we discuss how far the locations are from us.  

The teachers and student linger outside my room looking at the cards & locations.  

2nd Annual Art With Mr. E Workshop

Last summer I hosted the first Art With Mr. E Workshop!  We had 15 teachers from 5 states attend.  The group was made up of a wide range of teaching experiences...private & public...1st year to 20+ years...from Pre-K to College!  We had such a great time...there was no doubt  that we had to do it again!!  The details are not in stone yet, but I wanted to let you all know so you could start thinking about it!  I'm looking middle/end of June, three days of awesomeness, and the cost will be under $150. If you are wanting to keep up to date with dates, prices, and such...please e-mail me & let me know so I can keep you posted!

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: GIFT

When people talk about those who have a natural inclination for the arts....they say they have a "gift" or are "gifted".  Though I believe EVERYONE can grow in the arts & can become amazing artists....I do know that some people are just born with it.  However...I believe everyone is "gifted" in some area or another.  Maybe it is math, science, building, serving, communicating...that gift can take many forms, but everyone seems to be wired for something!  Those "gifts" need to be nurtured and developed.  Even if you have a natural predisposition for something you have to work at it to see it grow/flourish & make an impact in the world.  A gift that is given, but not received does no good.  A gift that is given, opened, and set aside never to be used benefits no one.  I know so many people that could be making such an amazing difference if they would embrace their natural giftings! I also feel they are not as happy in what they are doing & how they are serving because it is not how they were wired.  

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

God has given all of us a gift! Not everyone will receive it.  Not everyone will do anything with it once it is opened. What about you?  That gift that was freely given, that came to us as a baby, & left this earth having carried the sins of the world....how is that impacting your life & those around you?  If it is not...where is the gift?  Did you really open it?  Is it setting on the self collecting dust?  God's gift to us changes EVERYTHING!  I hope you all have an amazing Christmas.  As you journey into the new year, may you see the impact of Christmas & the Cross on your life.  

Merry Christmas

I hope you all are having a wonderful break, a great Christmas with family & friends, and have great goals & expectations for the coming new year!  

No Devotional This Week...

Hey friends...devotional is not going to happen this week!!  

End of the semester, anniversary, non sleeping toddler, sick middle child(at the quick care/pharmacy till 10:30 tonight)....and now thunderstorm/tornado watch freaking all the kids out?!?! 

Oh my! :) 

Much love to you all...have a great Sunday!!! 

Mr. & Mrs. E : 10 Years

I could not do all I do with out the love & support of my amazing wife!

10 years have passed by so quickly!! 

This was how we celebrated on our anniversary!

Collaborative Winter Board 2016: Winter in the Smokies

Every year I do a collaborative board with K-4.  Each student makes a part of the board.  I've posted them since 2008 when I began my blog.  It is amazing how much they've changed over the years.  This year I picked the theme Winter in the Smokies.  This was before all the wild fires took place....so I feel it is now a nice reminder to keep that community in our thoughts!!  

Here is a close up of the main board!

Because of the number of classes I see.....the board is not big enough for all the students work.  So we have a display outside my room & in another hall way!  I really does give a great winter feel to the whole school. It has become something the staff & parents really look forward to seeing each year!

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Distractions

Lets face it...we all have distractions in our life. Artists are no different.  Though often portrayed as carefree/free spirited, this does not always translate to real life.  Artists have deadlines, material issues, artist block, bills, families, other jobs, illnesses, lazy days, phone calls, houses to clean...etc.  Sometimes it is near impossible to focus on our art with so much "life" happening in & around us.  Artist communities, bio-domes, monasteries, and the moon all seem like perfect locations where one might actually be able to get some work done.   However, that is not real life.  We must try to work around the distractions, through the distractions, and despite the distractions! I think we would be hard pressed to ever find the "ideal" time to create.  If our heart, mind, and creative spirit truly have something that needs to be said....then we will be able to see it to fruition. 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

Colossians 3: 1-2

 We often feel pulled in a million directions.  Sometimes those things pulling us are all "good" things.  Sometimes there are difficult things sprinkled throughout which cause challenges.  Sometimes it seems like life is crashing in on us, and we don't know how we're going to keep going.  Distractions can come in many forms..from the dramatic to the mundane.   Distractions shift our priorities.  So how do we keep our head above water & our priorities in check.  It may seem cliche to say "Keep your eyes on the prize!"  However, it is simply that which will keep us from succumbing to all of life's distractions. What is the prize?  Salvation?  Heaven?  Those are benefits of "the prize" in my mind.  The real prize, to me, is knowing God & making him known.  If we keep our heart, mind, and life about those things...it will allow us to be our best, do our best, and handle things to the best of our ability.  Not because we have it all together, but because we know for whom and why we live this life. .  

Clay Masks:3rd Grade

Third Grade Emotion Masks

In our curriculum our third grade clay project is "masks".  I try to change it up each year...sometimes underwater themed, animal, crazy faces, self portraits..etc.  This year I asked them to consider an emotion.  We talked about exaggeration, expression, color...everything that goes along with emotion/mood art.  I really loved how most of them turned out this year!!  I do not glaze...no hood/kiln room.  Maybe someday...but for now we're happy painting them!

Snow Globes: Teacher/Staff

Every year I try to do a winter project with the teachers & staff. This year we are doing snow globes. I have received less than half the ones that were taken...so I'm hoping this wall will grow!  I will post again & try to get some close ups!! 

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Prepare for the Mess

Art shirts, old clothes, aprons, table cloths, drop cloths, rags, plastic bags....and a host of other things.

Artists prepare for the mess.  Now some art lends itself to being neater than others, but usually to get to the beauty...you go through spills, drips, scraps of this or that, glue everywhere, and so much more.  Because experience has taught us, we prepare for these issues before they happen.  I know that when I don't have a towel by my side....that is when I'll need it the most.  Being prepared for such things doesn't mean I'm trying to be careless or that I'm not applying craftsmanship at its finest.  It just means I'm not going to allow myself to be in a position where I'm unprepared for the possibility. 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  

Ephesians 6: 13-17

Life is messy.  Things happen that can take our focus off of the Lord.  One day it seems our walk with God is going great.  The next day we find temptation all around & old sin/struggles that can cause us to stray from the path.  We are in a world where temptation is all around us & sin/personal struggles can be indulged in a moment's notice.  If we do not plan to protect ourselves from succumbing to such things....then we are planning on cleaning up the mess they create in the near future.  Salvation does not keep us from dealing with struggles, but it does give us a way to handle them when they come our way.  Ephesians gives us a call to put on the full armor of God. Armor isn't needed if life was an easy cakewalk of an experience.  Armor is needed for battle.  Armor is needed for those who serve the King.   If the Lord saw fit for this to be in scripture, don't you think that the armor of God is something we must consider each & every day?  It isn't a "magical" fix to the battles we'll face.  It is however a reminder of who God is...and who God made us to be!  If we remember those things, when temptation/sin/struggles come up against us...we can claim the truth of scripture and overcome the battle.  However, we must remember that the battle rages on continually, and we can not become too comfortable when we experience victories.  We may learn things that will help us in the future, feel we are stronger in some areas than before, but we can never let down our guard and allow ourselves to become too comfortable.  We must plan for the messes of life.  We must be prepared even when we aren't expecting things to get messy.  

#TURKEYADAY16 : IN REVIEW

Some of you may have seen my #turkeyaday16 art challenge.  Seems mostly it was a challenge for me...because I didn't have many participate.  That is ok though...I was crackin' myself up all month long! ha ha  Here are all the turkeys for your viewing pleasure!  

When I first started the challenge...I was only planning on doing a week of art related turkeys.  I was thinking that there were so many other fun subjects to put my turkey in...how could I just keep it to one topic.  However, as the week progressed...I had so many art related ideas to create...I just couldn't bring myself to switch to another topic!!! ha ha  

Check back in February...I think there will be a return of the #aheartaday challenge from last year!