TGE+ATC=Art Around the World

 Did you participate in MiniMatisse's Global ATC Swap??  If not...you have got to do it next year!!  It has been so much fun to participate, create, anticipate, and finally receive!!!  

If you have no idea what I'm talking about....RUN DON'T WALK over to MiniMatisse's blog & find out all about it!!!! (After you read this post on Art With Mr. E first!!! ha ha)

HERE IS HER BLOG ADDRESS 

http://www.minimatisse.blogspot.com/

So I used the ATC as a warm up for a unit I was doing with 4th grade on birds. You can approach it a million different ways...you just need to find out what works for you in your situation.

.....AND NOW FOR THE AMAZING ATCs WE RECEIVED!!!...

(I attached a map to each collection so students could see where they were from in relation to Nashville,TN ...where we are!)

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Hard Work

To be an artist, one must be willing to put in the time & energy to develop and refine their skills.  Though "natural" talent helps, there are no short cuts in life or art.  During my time in college, there were classes I took that truly were a struggle.  Ceramics was one such class.  At one point I had two professors who had dedicated their lives to the subject matter watch me throw on the wheel.   Neither could figure out my "issue".  They watched me create a bowl(or should I say attempt) over and over again, but could not pinpoint where I was messing up. I never gave up though.  I wish I could say that I magically became a master potter after my early struggles, but I can not.  Sometimes we can work with all that we are, and the end results aren't sunshine and roses.  Work isn't always about the outcome, but the attitude with which we work that matters. 

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Romans 12: 11-12

This journey of faith we are on takes work!  Things don't just happen.  If we want to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we must put time, effort, and energy into it.  Sometimes we neglect our spiritual life.  Maybe it is because we've never been challenge to work at our faith?  Maybe it is because we feel we don't have enough time? Maybe we don't feel it is that important....isn't being saved enough? The idea of sacrifice, time, and discipline are foreign concepts in our microwave society, but the investment is worth it.  It doesn't mean that our life will always go smoothly, or that we'll love where we're at physically, spiritually, & emotionally at all times.  Hard work isn't always about the outcome  However it does allow us to know & trust the One who will be with us through it all. God has called us to know, grow, give, and go....and this takes work. Are you willing to give up being comfortable....to be who God has called you to be?  

PRAYER

Dear Lord...

Help me to be work hard in all I do!

May I work hard at my job...my marriage...my friendships..

in order to bring glory to you.  Help me to work hard at my relationship with You so that may know  You & make You known!  May my work bring you glory & honor!!

AMEN

It Begins...

Every year I pick a theme for my all school art show....that is just how I roll.  I know many of you do not do it that way...and that is ok!!  Many of my friends hold back art work throughout the year, and put together a best of the best type of art show.  LOVE THEM!!  The themed art show works for me...and my school.  I love that it doesn't get "old"...I try to come up with new/fun ideas each year.  This challenges me in creating new lessons to fit within the theme, meet the requirements for our district curriculum, & fulfill the state standards!!  This year we're doing ROBOTS & ROCKET SHIPS!  With this being the first week back...I've just started into the lessons which we "might" use for the art show.  I say might...because I usually do at least three projects per grade level within the theme so I have choices!!!  I also start as soon as we get back...because you never know how many days you'll be out for snow/ice...or how many days kids will be out with colds/flu.  

Anyways..just thought I'd get you thinking about the spring art show early! 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: CHANGE

Change is an important part of the artistic life.  As we experience life, explore new facets of self, and grow mentally &emotionally, it is natural for our art to change with us.  We explore new media, new colors, new content that helps to express where we find ourselves & the ideas we wish to convey.  Picasso is an artist that we can easily see his artistic changes over time. Blue to Rose, Cubism to Neo-Classicism...we see Picasso changing. He could have fallen flat on his face as he changed his style of visual communication.  Change can bring reward, but it can also bring failure.  However, if he would have remained the same throughout his entire career, he would have been labeled ONE NOTE or ONE HIT WONDER.
 Changes grows us...we can learn from successes & failures.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  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: 18-19

Sometimes change is scary.  We get use to things being a certain way.  Even if they aren't perfect...knowing what to expect brings about a certain level of comfort.  What if things change and they aren't any better? What if things change and they are worse?  What if things change and I don't really like it?  What if things change and I'm not good enough?  Change is a part of life that we must learn to embrace.  As Christians, we can approach change differently.  We don't trust in change for our joy...because it can bring us sorrow.  We don't trust in change for our significance...because it can leave us feeling insignificant.  We don't trust in change for life to be better...because it can make life worse.  Our trust is in the unchanging God...WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME!  When we place our trust in the unchanging truth of God's love...we can approach change without fear.  Sometimes God wants to do a "new thing" in our lives.  A "new thing" is an opportunity to trust God in new ways...to grow in our knowledge of Him...and to let others know about Him.  We may face failure or we may face success.  No matter the outcome God is still God, and He is still in control (even if we feel we are not).  We need to embrace change and trust God.  Each experience allows us a fuller picture of who He is....and how much He loves & cares for us.  

PRAYER
Dear Lord, Thank you for never changing in this ever changing world.  Thank you for being my rock...my firm foundation.  I can embrace change knowing that my foundation is strong.  I can grow in You by trusting You with "new thing"(s) in my life.  Help me to turn away from fear's lies..and allowing Your truth will see me through any and all of life's challenges & changes.
Thank you Lord for this life You've given me.
AMEN

Happy New Year!

                      

Kindergarten Penguins

                     

There are a million kids books with penguins as their main characters! A great one day lesson during the winter months could involve a great penguin book of your choosing, paper, pencil, crayons and imagination!  They are also I great for reinforcing collage skills!!  The simple shapes used to make penguins allow students to find success while mastering basic skill we need them to have!!

Interesting Gifts

                           

After posting about an interesting gift on the Art Teachers Facebook page...I had a great response from other art teachers about the fun/funny/great/crazy gifts they had received.  Here are some of those gifts.  I'd love to hear from others about the interestings gifts you have received! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  

                           

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: DON'T DRINK THE PAINT WATER!!

Most of the artists I know tend to be nocturnal, and paint late into the night or early morning.  Though this time can be some of the most "inspired" for an artists, things can happen in this tired state of creating.  I have to admit that on more than one occasion I have drank my paint water by accident. Usually the mistake is quickly noted & little paint water is actually ingested.....USUALLY! ha ha   It doesn't help that we often use the same cups/mugs for both our caffeine & rinse water.  Maybe if I used something different for my paint water I could avoid this horrid mistake.  Maybe if I kept what I was drinking out of my painting area all together I'd not have to taste "watercolor juice" again.  Maybe if I was more awake & aware of my surroundings this would not occur. 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2

God has called us to live a life that is vastly different from the world's standards.  However, when you look around it is often hard to tell the difference between those who believe & those who do not.  Compromising our beliefs for the sake of belonging, comfort, or ease shows a lack of transformation.  I am more than grace filled for new/young believers that are still finding their way & growing in the Lord!  I understand when others fall short & make mistakes.  We all do!  However, I'm wondering when we as true believers will stop making excuses, and start making changes in our lives that will allow us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God.  We have to set ourselves up for success if we ever want this to be our true and proper worship! 

What can we do?  None of us are perfect.

True, none of us are perfect.  We all make mistakes.  Praise the Lord for His grace!!  However, we can do things in our day to day that will help us avoid conforming to this world.  Ask God to reveal areas in your life that take your eyes off of Him.  There are different things that distract different people: people, music, tv, internet, money, power, possessions, self medicating..etc.   You need to be aware of what takes your heart & mind off of the things of God.  We need to place things in our life that will point us to the Lord.  Prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers, music, and Christian books can be transformative activities in a believer's life.  

The most important thing is a true relationship with the Creator. Through the Holy Spirit, we can live this life God intended us to live.  We have choices to make in our life that allow us to have a deeper & more meaningful relationship with our Lord & impact on our world.  Will you make the choices needed for this to happen?  Will you refuse to conform to the patterns of this world?  Will you stop drinking the paint water?

PRAYER

Dear Lord... We all fall short.  We all have areas we need to give over to you where we've conformed to this world or taken what seems to be the easier way.  God, we want to be people that walk in THE WAY...THE TRUTH...THE LIFE!!!  Help us to make the choices we need to grow deeper in our relationship with you.  Thank you Lord for loving us & making THE WAY for us to come to you!

AMEN

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

                   

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: CONSISTENCY

I've always been amazed at cartoonists.  They draw their characters week after week, and they always look amazing.  They have develop such a consistency in their work and how they render their drawings.  I've tried to create and recreate characters.  I'm not very good at it.  I can get things "close", but they are not consistent & look a bit "off".    

In my life I try to be consistent. I try to be the same person in all situations...at home, work, online, talking, typing, painting, or whatever else I do.  I believe living any other way would be completely exhausting.  However, no matter how hard I try to be the same person in all situations...I fail.  I'm not consistent.  There are times I'm much more patient with my students than I am with my own children.  I want people to hear me, but I do not have the time or patience to listen to others.  I will give more grace/understanding to co-worker than my own wife.  I will work harder & spend more time on my lesson plans than I will in God's Word.  I do long to be consistent in my life, but I fall short.  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  

John 1: 1-5

God is consistent.  I know so many people long for something they can trust in...something they can believe in, but the world has failed them time & time again.  Lets be honest...WE HAVE FAILED THEM TIME & TIME AGAIN!  You ask non-Christians or non-church goers(who claim to believe) why they do not go to church....THE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH!  Now I will say that there are hypocrites everywhere.  However, shouldn't the church be different?  Shouldn't we live out the life we say we believe?  Our God....from the very beginning...has been consistent.  He has consistently loved us.  He has consistently made a way for us to know Him.  In the beginning...The Way was in place for us to know Him.  He has never stopped pursuing a relationship with us!  

When the world seems out of control, and you are struggling to continue on.....know He is there! He has always been there!   He loves you.  He has always loved you.  It did not start on a "Silent Night"...it started IN THE BEGINNING!  If that's not consistency...I don't know what is?

Dear Lord, we praise You for who You are!

We praise You for always being there for us...loving us.

We ask that you help us to be more like you

in every area of our lives.  We want to be 

consistent.  Help us to be the vessels your light 

shines through...not perfect... but willing to be used.

In Your Name Jesus

AMEN

Circle Weavings: 3rd Grade

I think I probably say this every year....but oh well!?

I LOVE CIRCLE WEAVING!!!!!!

It hasn't always been that way.  I took no weaving classes in college (personality conflict with the professor...she didn't have one).  I don't remember even doing paper weaving as a kid (I didn't have art till high school).  So when I started teaching and saw that weaving was a part of every grade level's curriculum...I freaked!!!  I quickly mastered paper weaving...but it took me awhile to warm up to the rest.  Circle weaving was part of that curriculum back in 1997...and it scared me to death!!  Thank goodness I had friends to help me along...and after a couple years I started to fear it less and less.  Now it is actually my favorite lesson in all of third grade!!!  It is magical!!  The kids might struggle for a day or so...but then they get hooked!!  I open up my room in the morning the two weeks before semester's end so they can come in and work extra on them if they want.  I room is usually FULL (see picture below!).

                 

HERE ARE THE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR WARPING THE LOOM & GETTING STARTED!

http://www.artwithmre.com/2012/12/circle-weaving-step-by-step-guide-tips.html

HERE ARE ALL MY POSTS ON 

CIRCLE WEAVING!!

http://www.artwithmre.com/search/label/Circle%20Weaving

                 

                 

                 

                 

AFTER READING THE LINKS I PROVIDED....IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS..LEAVE ME A COMMENT OR SHOOT ME AN E-MAIL!!! I'LL TRY TO HELP!! 

                     

Tacky Sweater Day 2015

I love my school!  I love that when I come to school dressed a-fool....they don't even bat an eye! In fact...I'm one of many that was THIS tacky today!!! ha ha  I really think I need to go to Kroger afterwards just to see people's reactions!!!  

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Be You

Have you ever seen those artists that seem to be able to do EVERYTHING?  Me either!  Now there are artists that have found success in multiple disciplines, but it is impossible for one artist to master everything.  I have students that often get frustrated when some projects cause them more struggle than others.  They feel defeated.  They feel confused.  They were able to be so successful in drawing/painting, but struggle with clay/sculpture. Some conclude they must not be a "good" artist because of this.  We all have strengths and weaknesses.  Though I believe weaknesses are an opportunity for growth, I also believe that we need to embrace our strengths and pursue them wholeheartedly.  If you try to do everything, you quickly find you are not really great at anything. I'm going to be more effective painting/drawing to share my heart & vision than if I walked into metal studio and try to share those same ideas through a medium I'm not gifted in or trained to do.  

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  

1 Corinthians 12: 17-19

God has wired each of us with gifts, talents, and abilities.  Knowing our strengths & weaknesses will allow us to serve  & minister in the most effective way.  I once went to church with a man who truly looked up to the pastor.  He wanted to be just like him.  He began signing up for everything he could within the church, including the praise team.  If the pastor was on the praise team...then he would be as well.  Unfortunately, he was tone deaf.  I also found him to be very unhappy.  Instead of finding that area where he could pour his heart & soul into....he was divided.  He was doing things he really was not designed to do.  Now we can all help out in areas outside our "gifting" (if someone needs you to push a broom...pick it up and do it!), but knowing what we were designed to do will allow us to serve with more passion and purpose.  We will not only see ourselves grow when we do this, but the impact that we are having on those around us & those we serve.  

PRAYER

Dear Lord, Let me know who You created me to be.

Lord, allow me to use the gifts & talents you've placed in me for Your glory and honor.  

Allow me to serve with all that I am.  

May I find joy in being exactly who You created me to be.

AMEN

Soft Sculptures/Sewing: 4th Grade

Here are the amazing 4th grade Crazy Birds!!

Some of you have seen the progress of my soft sculpture/sewing project on Facebook & Twitter.  I've had many questions, and have tried to answer them the best I could in those formats.  I thought I'd do a blog post...where I can hopefully share a bit more information & answer any questions you might still have!  If not...as always...please feel free to ask me anything!

My students start by selecting the color of Smart-Fab they want for their bird's main body.  They fold that in half(you will need to precut if you get a large roll).  Then they will use the fold as one side of their bird...and draw a desired simple shape...triangle, oval, rectangle, circle all work well.  This will allow one less side to sew...which is a good thing(TRUST ME!).  Regular classroom scissors cut through it pretty well. They then sew the the rest of it together using a large plastic needle and yarn (color of their own choosing).  Remind them to leave about two inches to stuff their birds body.  After it is stuffed..they can finish sewing it up.

Between classes...my students store the body/parts in a lunch sack with their name one.  So helpful!!

Now for the rest of the bird, I have the student use felt.  They will use tacky glue to adhere it to the surface.  This will work if the students use enough tacky glue.  Get the gallon refill ready friends..you will go through a lot.  BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!!!   

SmartFab
This stuff is AMAZING!  Non-woven material....works so well for young inexperienced sewers.  The big plastic needles go through super easy.  

Plastic Needles
I buy these through School Specialty by the dozen.  Expect several to get bent up by student who are doing the wrong thing every year!! (order extra...order some each year)  

The Felt/Supply Station!
I have colors separated out in aluminum roasting pans(they are so handy & cheap!).

Tacky Glue Rules!!!!  I like Elmer's version, but

any good thick tacky glue should do! After keeping after my kids forever about not using too much glue when doing collage....the rules change for this.  More Glue/More Better! :) ha ha

STUFFING!

So after Christmas last year I found "snow" on sale for .50 a bag!! I snatched up several bags knowing this project would come around again!  So keep your eyes open after the holidays.