3rd Grade Clay Animals

I wasn't super excited after my 3rd graders had made their clay animals. They seemed to lack personality & had an overall boring appearance. However, after they painted them, I felt they came to life!

A tiger ready to pounce!

Frog relaxin'!

A very cool horse laying down! A crazy kitty standing up!

Lions and tigers and bears..OH MY(well..no bears this time)

Elephant with droopy ears.. One swan a swimming..

A duck going full steam ahead!!

1st Grade Self Portrait Collages

MAD AT WAL-MART!!!

I know that Wal-Mart is equal to evil in most people's eyes, but I have always appreciated the craft & fabric section at our local Super Wal-Mart in Hermitage,TN. I have purchased 100's of yards of fabric over the years from the $1 yard table....have obtained almost all my yarn through them(colors and quality is just as good as going through school catalogs!)....and many other last minute items I might need(they're on my way to school). Well, our location is going to begin renovations, and have decided to cut the craft section down to almost nothing. There will be no more fabric and the yarn is probably going as well. The rest of the craft section will be downsized. We have Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Jo-Ann's in the area, but they're prices are much higher!!!! I'm mad at Wal-Mart....but writing the company does no good. So I'm just venting here!!!

...end of the school year: teaching & grad school...

It's that time of year again...busy trying to get projects completed, art returned, grades filed, and classroom packed up(we have to pretty much pack up our classroom at the end of each year so they can clean our rooms top to bottom!!). With programs, awards, Fun/Field Day, field trips..etc.......this is not an easy task! I must say that it has been a challenging school year for me. Not so much because of the birth of my daughter, but that has taken some of my attention. Mostly, the challenge to keep my focus has been grad school!! I did not realize how time consuming it was going to be this past semester! Studio classes always take time, but I had no idea exactly how much time my aesthitics class was going to take!!! PRAISE THE LORD THAT'S OVER!!! ha ha The grade is still up in the air, but it's possible I could get an A!! I was praying for at least a C(that's how tough it was!!). I'm not sure about my grad for my studio class. The prof. did not seem as excited about my work this semester, but I liked them. I did the 4 seasons............winter is missing & a version of Fall that I

decided to try differently(my try to add it later)

Mayor's Art Show 2009

Group shot of the kids work hanging on the walls at the Frist Rowan's(4th Grade) mixed media abstract(watercolor pencils, colored pencils, acrylic paint)

Kira's(4th Grade) tempera paint sunflower

Lynis'(3rd Grade) seahorse is a mixed media piece( colored pencils, watercolor, & glitter glue)

Daniel's(3rd Grade) extremely funny picture is a mixed media piece(watercolor,

colored pencil, and glitter glue)

Veronica's(2nd Grade) flower picture is a tempera painting with glittler glue

on black construction paper)

Brilie's(1st grade) fish collage really stood out with it's amazing attention to detail and layering

Natasha(1st Grade) did an amazing job on her collage turtle with glitter glue accents

Zack's(Kindergarten) detail won me over in this work of pencil & crayon

The Mayor's Art Show is a big- ta-do for those of us art teachers in Metro Nashville Schools!! We're able to showcase some of the top artists from each grade level at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts( http://www.fristcenter.org/ ) . Here are the works I placed in the show this year. ]

THE STUDENTS THAT CAME TO THE MAYOR'S ART SHOW 2009

Rowan(4th grade) is smilin' pretty for the camera by her beautiful abstract sea form! Kira(4th grade) & I are hanging out below her sunny sunflower. Danie(3rd grade) is showing his choppers below his fun picture picture of a fish swimmin' for his life from a hungry shark ! Brilie(1st Grade) is beside her amazing fish collage. The details & layering is amazing!! Zack(Kindergarten) is looking very serious beside is charging elephant! He has so many wonderful small details in his picture, this photo doesn't do it justice.

***Images of students were allowed by their parents! If you are ever going to place student photo's on line, make sure you have parent permission!!!!!***

MAYOR'S ART SHOW

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools & The Frist Center for the Visual Arts cordially invite you to a reception for the MAYOR’S ART SHOW April 23–May 7, 2009 Featuring artwork from five Metropolitan Nashville Public School Clusters. Frist Center for the Visual Arts Thursday, April 23 5:00–7:00 p.m. Remarks at 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium $2 parking in Frist Center lots with validation. Space is limited. Free gallery admission.

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I'll have pictures posted after the show next week! I'm so proud of my student's work. Congratulations to Lynis, Zack, Brilie, Veronica, Daniel, Rowan, Kira, and Natasha for being selected this year!!!!

4th Grade Weaving

At the end of every school year I do a weaving project with my 4th graders. This project is a blessing in so many ways. #1 THE KIDS LOVE IT!!! #2 BECAUSE THE KIDS LOVE IT...THEY ARE TOTALLY INTO IT AND USUALLY HAVE THE BEST BEHAVIOR OF THE WHOLE YEAR! #3 IT'S SOMETHING THEY REMEMBER & KEEP FOREVER!(I've had students now in high school tell me they still had their's!!!).

An April Fools Story

I didn't tell you the joke I played on one of my students April 1st. I like to joke around with my students year round, and don't usually do anything on April Fools Day...just don't want to model bad behavior!! ha ha However, you have those students that you know you can joke around with...and when the opportunity is right...you go for it!!! So this student missed the day her class recieved their coil pots back. The next time I saw her she asked..."WHEN AM I GOING TO GET MY POT BACK!?!?" I told her if she bothered to show up for class she would already have it, and now would have to wait till the next class time. Everyday till her class came she would ask me.."CAN I HAVE MY POT NOW?!?!" I informed her if she continued to bother me about it..she would not get it back till the end of the school year! When it was her art day(April Fools Day)...she walked in my room, "CAN I HAVE MY POT NOW!" I told her to wait till the end of class & to remind me then. So at the end of class...she reminded me. I went to the clay shelves & saw that I had a pot that looked just like hers that belonged to a student that had moved away. Picking that pot up and walking from behind the shelves...I "trip" and drop the pot..shattering it into a million pieces. Her mouth dropped open...and without missing a beat she says.."I guess you'll have to let me make another now!" ha ha This is a child I knew I could joke with..and that wouldn't start crying!!! I quickly told her it was only a joke..and gave her her real pot!!!! BAD MR.E!!!!!!!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Easter....

I was getting in the Easter/Spring Spirit, and thought I'd change the colors on my page. It won't last, I'm not really in love with these colors....and will probably go back to greens soon!! :) ha ha

...a new resource...

Well, it actually isn't "new"...just new to me! The Art Daily...is an art newspaper on the web. It isn't always child friendly...as you know the art world can kind of push the boundries a bit. However, it is a great resource for artists & art news!!! Check it out!!!!!!!!

http://artdaily.org

...back in the swing of things...

Hey everyone out in the bloggie world! I just got back to school yesterday after being out for two weeks with my baby girl!! She's amazing...and I miss her so much, but like it or not...I'm back at work & trying to get back in the swing of things. I hope to have some new art posts up soon!! Don't give up on me. It has just been a busy season!!

...My Greatest Work of Art Yet!...

Margaret Danielle Edinger was born March 9th, 2009 at 6:12PM. She weighed in at 8lbs 7oz & is 2o 1/2 in long! Mom & baby are doing GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ART & ECONOMY

I found this artical interesting & thought I'd pass it along to you! ************************************************************************** As economy tanks, art works put up for collateral By ULA ILNYTZKY NEW YORK – Owners of expensive art are increasingly using their collections as collateral to obtain a much-needed cash infusion. Works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol are among the pieces collectors have been leveraging in recent months. The Metropolitan Opera put up two Marc Chagall murals in its lobby as collateral. And renowned photographer Annie Liebovitz recently borrowed $15 million against her entire collection of images. Art brokers say people are doing it for a number of reasons. They include financial issues, raising money for businesses or buying more art.

DIVE INTO ART - Pictures from TGE's '08-'09 Art Show!

The art work is from Kindergarten(posted first)to 4th Grade(posted last). If you have any questions, comments, or concerns....leave me a comment!!! ENJOY!!! I'm SO proud of my kiddos!!! AMAZING ARTISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!