#turkeyaday21: Day 3

Do you know the reference for Day 3's turkey-duckie?  

 

#turkeyaday21: Day 2

 So my theme this year is an odd one.  I'm making turkeys ...that look like rubber duckies...that are inspired by something else.  Confused? ha ha  

HERE IS DAY 2

#turkeyaday21: Day 1

GOOD BYE OCTOBER & HELLO #TURKEYADAY21

I'd love for you to join me in creating a turkey a day during the month of November.  It is a silly art challenge I came up with 6 years ago.  Even though turtles are my favorite animal...turkeys have a special place in my heart!! ha ha They can be realistic, abstract, cartoonish, or however you want!  Join me every day or as much as you are able.  Post them to social media with the hashtags: #turkeyaday, #turkeyaday21, and #novartchallenge.

 

#turkeyaday21: THE FUN STARTS NOV. 1st

Join in as much or as little as you can!!!  It is just a fun way to connect with arty people on social media, and challenge yourself to create more frequently.

 

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: The Importance of Water

Water plays an important role in art.  The impact can be found in both the art, artist, and process.  It is a source of inspiration, makes the paint flow, cleans the brushes, cools the tools in glass & metal arts, helps the dye saturate the yarns & fabrics, and quenches the thirst of the artist. Without water, where would the artist be?  No Waterlilies from Monet, Cassatt's baby would not get a bath, and Venus's birth would have taken place in a desert (and she was not dressed for that!). The importance of water in art cannot be overstated.

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  John 4:14

Water is a huge reoccurring theme in scripture!  Without water there would have been no need for an ark, Moses's basket would have sat there, the Israelites would have still crossed on dry land (but it wouldn't have been nearly as dramatic), John would have been forced to sprinkle (with what?) , Jesus would have...walked?!?  See...water is important!

In John we are reminded of our need.  We are offered a water that allows us to never thirst again, and will yield eternal life.  That is HUGE!  However, I think we do not realize just how much of a need we have for this water.  We have become pacified by the things of this world.  We quench our thirst on things that do not truly meet our needs.  It leaves us feeling unsatisfied, unfulfilled, and searching.  Where in your life do you feel that you wrestle with such things?  What are you not allowing the Lord to quench?  Without THE WATER...your story is incomplete.  In John 4:10 Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."  All we have to do is ask. We need to pray that the Lord would help us to see our need...to recognize our thirst...to know the importance of water, and  from where to get our "water" from! 

Halloween Fun At School

 

Van Gogh Inspired Mixed Media

Things are different this year! Call it what you will, but students have not acquired the skills normally being implemented by their given grade level. I had over a 1/3 of my students virtual for almost a year and a half. I've determined what skills were lacking, and have provided projects where students can develop in these areas. This project focuses on cutting & gluing.

 

Pumpkin Tints

Students worked on creating tints for their pumpkins they created in tempera paint. Next class time we will create more pumpkins using watercolor pencil focusing on shades. I’m still trying to give students the opportunity to explore media & techniques they missed out on while we were virtual (our school was virtual for about 1/2 the year last year, and and 1/3 of our students were virtual for the entire year).

 

#turkeyaday21 is coming!!

JOIN THE FUN!!!

I wasn't going to do #turkeyaday this year, but my kids (the ones at home) just wouldn't hear of it!! They love seeing the turkeys I create, and often join in a few times during the month. 

I'd love for you, your family, and your students to join in as much or as little during the month of November. Post to social media with the hashtags: #turkeyaday #turkeyaday21 #novartchallenge #artchallenge 

I'll be checking on everyone's posts...and may repost some of your work on my social media!! 

 

Dollar Tree: Cake Tools As Art Tools

 Dollar Tree Continues to surprise me! 

The other day I walked in to Dollar Tree, and I found an end cap of cake decorating items! I instantly had an idea to repurpose some of the items. Check out my video. 

Sunday Devotional With Mr.E: Risks

As an artist (and I'd say many other fields/professions), stepping out of the "norm" is a part of growing.  However, risk taking isn't always valued.  People often value routine & those that "get with the program".  I know this sounds absurd in relation to the arts. In college, I was told I should switch to oil because my themes were not appropriate for watercolor. This professor was of the mindset that "proper" watercolor was all about nouns (people, place, things), and should not express anything deeper. This truly bothered me because I felt art was about pushing boundaries & taking risks. Why would I be told that my risks were not appropriate for a specific medium?  I found a way to continue pursing the themes/subject matter I wanted, and feel that I grew personally & artistically because of the challenges I encountered along the way.  Risks have a way of doing that! 

 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  So he came down a once and welcomed him gladly.  All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."  Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke 19: 1-10

Jesus did not always make "popular" choices.  In the case of Zacchaeus, Jesus truly went against "acceptable" behavior by going to his home.  Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and a pretty self serving one at that.  No one would want to go to the home of someone known to basically steal from everyone in that community.  However, Jesus could see beyond what others saw in Zacchaeus.  He knew that if given the chance Zacchaeus would change his life around.  It just took someone taking a "risk".  By going against what was "acceptable", Jesus showed love to someone who was in desperate need!  Am I talking about Zacchaeus now...or us?  Before Jesus, we were just as unacceptable as Zacchaeus.  Sometimes we forget that we were/are just as much in need of a Savior.  

Do you know someone that needs you to take a "risk"?  A friendship, an invitation to church, a kind word or deed done in the name of Jesus.....could change someone's world.  Be the risk taker the Lord created you to be!  Be willing to stick your neck out.  I bet you will see a change...in yourself!(it is in God's hands regarding the heart of the other person).  

Pop Goes The Projector Bulb

 

Dollar Tree Pumpkin Glow Up

I found these cute wooden pumpkins at my local Dollar Tree.   They were nice as is, but I wanted to spice them up a bit. To the “M” I added some deeper orange, some highlights, and a brown stem.  The “R” was rounded off using a Posca paint marker, tealish blue to the sides, and a brown stem. The “E” was a complete redo. They did not have an “E”so I started by painting over the pumpkin with a darker red orange. I then used my Posca paint marker to create the “E”, and topped it off with a brown stem. The students really liked them. It is something I can put up at the end of September  and leave up till the end of November.  I’ll have to see if they will have snowmen I can reimagine!

Picasso Scarecrows

I love doing Picasso Scarecrows in the fall. I don’t do holidays in my classroom because I do not wish for any child to be excluded because of their religious beliefs/practices. We will do leaves, pumpkins, and scarecrows.  With Dora Maar by Picasso as our inspiration, the students creat their wacky scarecrows. They are each so unique!! 

 

TN Art Education Association Fall Conference

TN FRIENDS!!!  ARE YOU GOING TO THE FALL CONFERENCE? 

It will look different than years past, but still a wonderful time for connection, great workshops, and a whole lot of fun!! 

http://www.tnarteducation.org/fall-conference-2021

 

Just a friendly reminder...

 I decided to place a mask on the mannequin head in my classroom, and see how long it took for my students to notice!! Every class there was one(or more) that noticed the change right away. Now I want to start making little changes around my classroom to see just how observant they are! Haha 

Vinyl From Dollar Tree

 My classroom is right outside the 3rd/4th grade bathrooms. Besides being a stinky location...it is high traffic. Students in the hall look in my room like they are visiting the aquarium. It can be extremely distracting at times. I didn't want to completely cover the window, but just break up the area so my students don't notice the students looking in because the visual noise. I found vinyl at Dollar Tree, and thought I'd try that out! It isn't the thickest sheet, but for my needs it is totally fine. I know a lot of people use vinyl with their Cricuts, but I'm curious for what other purposes I could use it for in my classroom! 

Full Circle

 This is Ms. Baker. She finished up her elementary practicum this past week. I've had many practicum students over the years, but Ms. Baker is not an ordinary practicum student!! She was actually my student when she was in 1st grade!!  I'm hoping she'll be back for her student teaching placement!!! 

Creative Fun From Our Librarian!

Our wonderful school librarian is encouraging creativity & I'm here for it!!! She challenged the faculty/staff to decorate a pumpkin like one of their favorite book characters. I made mine from tag board and cardstock (some people are using real pumpkins & others plastic. I love the Pout Pout Fish books. So this was an easy choice for me! I love things like this that bring our faculty together in creative ways. Maybe you can encourage your teachers/staff to do it as well? Ours are on display for the month of Oct, but you could just do it for a week.

Kev Munday Inspired

If you are not familiar with the work of Kev Munday.....please check out this link! 

 

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Model Encouragement

Encouragement is such an important part of my job as an art educator.  Though you have to give students honest feedback to help them to grow/improve....you must be careful to do it in a way that will not cause them to become discouraged.  Discouragement is often the reason people stop pursing artistic endeavors (visual, music, writing, and performing). There are times that this can be challenging.  We don't want to lie. We don't want to overly inflate elements of the work that truly need greater attention and exploration.  The encouragement needs to be directed toward the artist. 

 "I really like the ideas you're sharing through your work." 

"Your perspective is unique and special."

"I love the effort I see you are putting into that project."

"You are making interesting choices."

Your goal is to build up the artist.  When they feel valued, encouraged, and cared about you are able to address the parts of their work that needs extra attention, without discouraging them.  It does no good to tear down an artist to the point that they feel they are no longer unable to to improve upon their work or doubt their skills.  The goal is to impower students to create & improve upon their creations.  

A beautiful side effect to actively encourage the artists in my classroom is having students begin speaking words of encouragement to their peers.  They may mention something about their work, but often it is directed toward the artist and their efforts & ideas.  Though many are natural encouragers, modeling this behavior to our students will build a foundation of encouragement in their lives. 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

EVERYONE is in need of encouragement. It seems to have become a lost "art".  Words of affirmation, admiration, and appreciation are greatly lacking. This is not only in "the world", but within the church and amongst believers.  Our world has become obsessed with negativity. Spewing hate, hurling insults, and divisiveness creates a toxic environment where no one wins. People feel more disconnected, dissatisfied, and disenchanted. Growth & progress are hard to come by in such an environment.  Love, kindness, connection, and encouragement are needed so desperately.  

As believers, we must live differently. We have been called to be & do not as the "world".  We need to look at situations & individuals through the eyes of Christ. Our response should be one of love & compassion.  Encouragement should flow from the core of who we are because what the Lord has done for us.  If we do not see it happening in our own life, we must make a conceited effort to make it happen. If we do not see it in the lives of those around us...we need to model encouragement to others through a genuine heart for the people God has placed around us.  If we don't "feel" it, ask God to give you a deeper appreciation for those around you.  Ask him to let you see their gifts, talents, and skills, and their past, present, and potential impact.  As we become more purposeful about encouraging others...the behavior will become a habit.  This habit will be noticed and begin impacting those around you. Can you image your circle of friends/family/coworkers all encouraging and appreciating those around them. How would that impact individuals, groups, and communities? 

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Old & New

Many artists are inspired by the things of "their" past or the things of "the" past. Events, both good and bad, can yield amazing inspiration.  It can provide content and context for amazing artistic endeavors.  There is a "comfort" and working from what has already taken place. Ideas, symbols, mood, individuals, circumstances, and even color can be already prescribed and easily adapted.  Others artists live for invention and innovation.  The new excites them, and they want little to do with things of old.  It could be that that they don't want to be accused of doing what has already been done, they have a deep desire for what is to come, or that "their" past  or "the" past is not something that they wish to explore or exploit through their work. Whatever the case might be, the challenge of creating something new is stepping into the unknown boldly.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

Psalm 77:11

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 

Isaiah 43:19

Reflecting on the past can be both painful and empowering.  Many have experienced traumatic events (even within the church) that changed the course of their lives. Though this is understandably painful, so many find strength and mission through the overcoming.  God is able to redeem our struggles, and helps us to flourish despite our past pain.  Some use these experiences to connect with others in similar situations, and help them to process through the past & find peace in the present. The past also allows us to see when God met us where we were.  Seeing his faithfulness allows us to approach new situations knowing he is there.

As much as the past can guide us in our present and future....God often wants to do a "new thing" in our life.  This too requires us to trust in him.  We know that when he guides us in new circumstances that he will provide a way.  When we find ourselves outside of our comfort zones, we find ourselves before our God in a new way.  We can no longer rest on what we know.  We must rest in the arms of our Lord.  

In the old & the new....God is there. 

Anything interesting happen at school today?

 Oh...there was that one thing at bus dismissal. 

I've been at my school for 21 years.  This was a first!!! ha ha  

We think it is a TN River Otter. We are a good mile & a half from the river, but there are streams near our school.  

Inspired by Kev Munday

It has been challenging to record YouTube videos this school year! Lots of reasons, but I won't go into all that in this post!  If you have not looked at the work of Kev Munday...please check him out! 

 https://www.kevmunday.co.uk/

My students LOVE his art. 

This project is great for reinforcing overlapping, theme, and host of other concepts in art! 

Sunday Devotional With Mr.E: Don't "Brush" It Off

 Most painters rely on traditional tools to create their masterpieces. Brushes are crucial tool for a majority of painters. The size, style, and quality of brush are of paramount importance.  However, brush maintenance is also a crucial element to a successful painting.  If you do not take care of your brushes, you will shorten their usefulness & life expectancy.  Allowing paint to dry can create an unbending non receptive surface for paint to transfer to or from. Paint brushes left to soak to long can begin to loosen the hairs and cause shedding to occur. It can also ruin the finish on the handle of the brush which makes it extremely uncomfortable to use. Improper storage of one's brushes can cause the bristles to bend in a way that causes great difficulty.   An artist knows that to be their best they must not neglect the "house keeping" aspect of their craft. It cannot be "brushed off".

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  

2 Timothy 3: 16-17

With all my heart I have sought You: Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.

Psalm 119: 10-11

Believers can become neglectful of important "disciplines".  Some believers may just not like "disciplines" of faith because they feel too much like work.  However, if we neglect reading God's Word, praying, fellowship with other believers....we are setting ourselves up for a life that does not have the power, impact, or the vibrancy God intended.  Like the ridged bristles of a brush that has not properly been cleaned....we become ineffective in our faith.  We are not able to be used by God as he designed us to be.   Even though discipline may feel like work at times, you quickly realize the importance, impact, and joy faithfully seeking God out in His Word, through prayer, or even having a mentor relationship can bring to your life.  Like the artist knows they must be disciplined in cleaning their brushes to be able to use them to their full potential...so the believer must know that Christian discipline allows them to live out their life of faith to its full potential. 

Do you want to learn more about Christian Disciplines & deepening your walk with the Lord?

Check out Celebrations of Discipline by Richard Foster & 

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney. 

Scarecrows At Cheekwood: Nevelson

Cheekwood's annual scarecrow display is now up!!  If you are in the Nashville area...stop by and check them out. I'm hoping it lasts.  We've been getting a lot of rain in Middle TN, and it seems like that might continue for a few days.  Though I painted it, tapped it, glued it, and top coated it with quality product...at the core it is still cardboard! The other one beside mine is my best bud's scarecrow. We decided to be inspired by the same artist (Nevelson), and are playing tug-of-war. 

 Here is what we contributed to the event! 

 

Staff Fall Paint Night

It has been 2 years since we had a faculty/staff paint night at my school.  I had cellulitis, we had a tornado, a global pandemic...lots of things kind of got in the way!  One thing I knew...we had to bring paint night back!!! It is such a wonderful time for faculty/staff to enjoy one another's company, decompress, laugh, and a whole lot more!!  I have my teacher donate a couple dollars and I furnish all all the paint and canvases.  I create stencils (this year with the help of my practicum students) that allow those a little less confident with their drawing skills to feel successful.  I encourage everyone to do their own thing, and I float around the room and help them if they run into trouble.  We have hair drier stations set up so that they can do a quick dry to get to their next layer.  If you aren't doing paint nights at your school...think about giving it a try!  It really allows others to see you as an art educator...in a new light! 

Ms. King was so proud of her beautiful painting!! She has always come to the paint nights but struggled to finish her work and get it to a place that she really loved.  This was her paint night though...she finished her work and it was wonderful!!!