Fall Art(NOT HALLOWEEN!!!!)

I do not do "Holiday" art. Holiday art is good for a day and then needs to be taken down after the holiday passes. Seasonal art can be hung for a few months with no problem! Plus, you avoid stepping on anyone's religious points of view on holidays(not usually a big problem in the south, but sometimes you have children that do not celebrate holidays). I had my forth grade class work on color blending with pumpkins. They really enjoyed themselves & did a great job on blending the crayons! I'm NOT so happy with their copy-cat ways! Their pumpkins ended up looking like the ones I created during the demo. I had encouraged them to draw different sized/shaped pumpkins, but...creativity seemed to be lacking that day. Usually they do not copy my demo's....I don't know what was up that day?!?!?! I'm hoping this idea(color blending)will carry over into their other work. WE SHALL SEE!!

LAKESHORE LEARNING STORE

Teachers...have you heard of LAKESHORE LEARNING STORE? If not...don't feel bad. They are not on every corner like Walgreens! ha ha There are only around 50 in the whole United States! Most of which are in California & Texas. My wife(a 3rd grade teacher) & I stopped at the one located in Atlanta, GA yesterday. She calls it TEACHER HEAVEN. I wouldn't go that far, but it is great!! We really need one in Nashville! If you are one of the lucky ones located near a LAKESHORE LEARNING STORE.....be thankful!! If you are not...check out their website!! *****http://www.lakeshorelearning.com ***** Yes...it is geared more for the classroom teacher, but they do have art, music, and p.e. resources as well!! I found a great book, some posters for my wall, and other random things I like to use in my classroom! They had a nice selection of supplies as well..but I was not really looking for those type of items. CHECK IT OUT!

Art Contests

I am not a contest kind of teacher. They often have no real connection to our curriculum & standards, and I do not have the time in my schedule to participate in such things. Sometimes though...a contest comes along that is worth my time & my students time to participate. This year I have submitted two amazing pieces to the Beautification Art Contest sponsered by Metro Public Works. The theme this year is PUT WASTE IN ITS PLACE: KEEP NASHVILLE BEAUTIFUL! I had some amazing pieces turned in by other students(thank you Micah, Joshua,Saige, Alison, and Samuel), but I could only pick two to move on to the next phase of the contest. I think Rowan & Kira have a great chance of winning! If they do win....the entries will be depicted on the sides of the Red River Waste Collection trucks for the next six months! That means over 9,000 people a day could be seeing their work!! Also, if the girls were to win...my art program would recieve money(amount depends on what place they recieved). HOW WONDERFUL WOULD THAT BE!! I told the kids that they could set down and help me pick out some items for the art room if they have the winning entry! CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!

....a color I'll need to get use to....

PINK

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

I have found a name brand product that is worth every penny!!! Mr. Clean Magic Eraser(Extra Power) lives up to any/all expectations. My art room tables are probably 20 yrs old(I've used them for 8 yrs..but a teacher told me they had been here since the school opened!). I'm not sure if my students are extra messy this year...or the tables are just beginning to show their age......BUT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!! I like my room to be nice & clean...and my terrible looking tables were starting to throw off my groove! I picked up a 4 pack of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers at CVS & thought they would be worth a try(they were on sale!). The first thing I did when I got to school this morning was try them out! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was such a drastic difference from my normal cleaning supplies. I am totally sold!!!! I might not use them every day.....but a once a week cleaning will keep my tables looking half their age(if not better!). TRY IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!!! You won't be disappointed!

SOMETIMES I USE DIFFERENT BRANDS FOR THE DIFFERENT COLORS. SOMETIMES I LIKE TO TEST OUT NEW/DIFFERENT PRODUCTS I HAVEN'T USED BEFORE. HERE IS WHAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT OIL PASTELS ON THE MARKET! I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU USE IN YOUR ART ROOM!

Here are the three types of oil pastels I use in my art room. I really like Crayola's Oil Pastels. They have a great hexagonal shape so they don't roll off the table while the kids are using them! They have a great color & go on fairly smooth. The paper around them are a bit tough to peal as they begin to run down. Worth the price!! Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels are an oldie but a goodie. They are pretty soft(which doesn't translate to smooth application unfortunately)...which can be a problem with heavy handed children. They do have a great variety of color & they blend well! Very affordable!

If money was no object, I would only use the Portfolio Series Water Soluble Oil Pastels. The colors are amazing & their application is smooth as silk! The two downsides to this product is price & the paper that refuses to peal off!!!! As a grown-up I had trouble trying to remove the paper from around the oil pastel!

Mr. E's Refrigerator Art

I often have students bring me art work that they have done at home or during their free time at school. I love to see that they are creating outside of the art room! However, I wanted to push my students to do more than trace pictures or draw Sponge Bob. So...Mr. E's Refrigerator Art was born! I created a life size refrigerator door from butcher paper(would have loved to use a real refrigerator door, but I don't think my principal have have approved it!). I have a list of rules for what can be placed on the refrigerator posted right beside it in the hall, and have spoken to my classes about what is or is not acceptable. The response has been AMAZING!!! I have kids that have the other art teacher asking me if they can give me art work to hang up(how can I say no?!?!). Maybe you want to try Refrigerator Art at your school! Mr. E's Refrigerator Art Rules:

• Art must be done by YOU at home or during free time at school.
• Art work must be or appear to be finished!
• Coloring Book pages are NOT acceptable.
• Art work must follow the rules of the NO-NO Board! (look at my bulletin board post)

Perspective Drawing 3rd Grade

Over the past few weeks my 3rd graders have been looking at place & space. They have drawn their dream home, busy cityscapes they'd want to be a part of, and have tried out 1-point perspective. Some of them get it, and others not so much. I decided to do an exercise with them to continue the idea of place & space. Atmospheric perspective is not always easy for this age group. I decided simple boxes would be an easier way for them to gain a greater understanding of this concept. Most of them really enjoyed it!!(well...one student cried for a half hour about it, but that's a story for another day). I thought Carson & Joshua did some nice work! There are a few things with each that need tweaking, but over all they are great examples of what 3rd graders can do. Gaining an understanding of atmospheric perspective is really important at this age so they can move forward in their drawing skills.

Draw It! Book Review

Draw It! (Series) Written by Patricia Walsh/Tiffany Peterson & illustrations by David Westerfield/Mark Adamic. Growing up in an area that did not have art instructors till high school, I’d often go to the library to find art books that could be my teacher. How To Draw books were the beginning of my “formal” art training! I gained so much from spending hours with those books, and will forever be grateful. This drawing series, Draw It!, provides young artists(and artists young at heart) an easy to follow...STEP by STEP…way of drawing anything from Dinosaurs(I LOVE DINOSAURS!!)to Fashion Design! Though it is not practical for me to use these books in the art room(other than maybe an art center), I would defiantly recommend Draw It! to my students to check out of the library! The use of simple line & shape allow most to find a level of success that will build confidence & interest in drawing. I believe by using these types of books, it will allow young artists to begin breaking down other objects mentally into shapes & lines. This is extremely beneficial, and I view these books as great exercises in art. As with an athlete, exercise is not the sport, but allows you to perform your sport to the best of your abilities by developing different parts of your body. The skills you gain from Draw It! can allow you to perform at a higher level within art by building different areas of your artistic skills & mind. I also truly appreciate the use of the art vocabulary within the series. I would say these are some of the finest How To Draw type books I have seen. If you have a student that loves to draw, please don’t hesitate to recommend a book from this series!

My First Year of Teaching

In August of 1997, I packed up all my things in my Chevy Cavalier & moved from southeastern Ohio to Nashville, TN to begin my teaching career. I had only been to the city once to interview for the position, I knew no one, and I had no place to live(or even stay for that matter) . Great way to start things, eh?(sorry for the "eh?"...I did my student teaching in Montreal, Quebec & haven't been able to get rid of it all these years later!!). I told myself if nothing else I could sleep on my teacher desk until I found a place(I was joking..kind of). I quickly found a place...and amazing group of friends(the Art Gang)...and seemed to know or be known by many in the city! It helps to be an outgoing personality in a situation like that! My school was welcoming & supportive. My classroom however...was kind of a nightmare. I had the old ISS portable out back( no water!!). With 1st year teacher enthusiasm....I decided I'd transform that portable into an amazing place for my students to come. And over the next several months...I did just that!! Paint, a fun border, curtains I had made.....and even a trash can cozy(that matched my curtains....yes...I am a bit OCD). My classroom was my home away from home. I loved being there. However, April 16, 1998....that all changed. A tornado goes through downtown Nashville & surrounding areas(who knew tornadoes actually hit cities?!?!?). East Nashville was the worst hit. That whole week I had been staying till 6 or later trying to get grades ready for report cards. That morning though...in the terrible rains we were getting...a belt on my car was thrown, and I had to take it to the shop. So...as soon as school let out that day...a teacher took me to the mechanics to get my car. They said it wouldn't be ready for a day or two...so the teacher offered to take me on home. As we were driving...the weather was getting worse & it began to hail. As we looked ahead...we saw a funnel cloud drop out of the sky and go through a building...and then continue on across the road we were driving on. It was only about a quarter mile ahead of us. We watched in fear & amazement as the tornado crossed the road in front of us. We thanked the Lord for protecting us...and then continued cautiously onward. We had no idea that tornado we just saw moments earlier had hit our school. I found out later that evening that my classroom was lifted off the foundation & dropped on a car next to it. The roof had giant holes in it that allowed the rain to soak everything. Something had pierced the wall of my portable & went straight out the other side. One of the teachers was sure I was still in there, and made the police go in with dogs to try to find my body! I am extremely blessed that my car had issues that morning...or I might have been!!! After a week of not being allowed back in the area, I finally was able to go & see what was salvageable. There wasn't much. All of the kids art, my books, my art posters....ruined. I was extremely happy to see the supplies I had stored in Sterilite containers were ok, but that did not make up for the lose of everything else. For the rest of the school year my desk & supplies were on the stage, and I had to go room to room to teach art(or bring the kids to the cafeteria). It was tough...but I made it through. So, the next time you think things are tough...remember my story...and realize that things could be worse!

Clay Faces!

That's me with the go-t...hangin' out with my students!! My 4th graders made clay self portraits a couple weeks ago. They were so excited this past week to get them back to paint!! If you aren't a person in the know about clay....it takes a few days for the clay to air dry....then you have to fire it in the kiln(which takes about 7 hrs or so). I didn't want to fire the kiln till all my 4th grade classes had completed the project...so there was a delay in the painting of the faces. You could use a glaze & refire them, but I opted to have my students use acrylic paint.

Just a proud papa!

This blog post has nothing to do with art. It's just a picture of my baby! This image comes from our three month check up. At this point the baby is about the size of an orange. Look though..he/she is wavin' at us!!! Isn't that amazing. The face is a little distorted in the picture because our little one was movin' around & "talking"(the mouth was moving) the whole time. Hmmm...wonder where they get that from??? Just had to share with my art peeps!!!

University of Idaho: Master of Arts in Teaching On-line

Many who find their way to my blog are art educators(those who aren't...love you...keep visiting!!!). So I'm hoping you find this blog of interest. Those of us that are in the Nashville Metro area have had a hard time finding a grad program that we could feel good about. I'm not sure how it is where you are from, but there is nothing in our area in Fine Arts or Art Ed. With the recent popularity of on-line programs & their credibility being validated....that became THE option for my friends(the Art Gang) & I. There were a number of programs we looked into. Some were elemenated quickly because of $$. It is amazing how expensive some programs are...and I'm unsure how any teacher could afford them without a sugar daddy/momma!! We had considered Ohio State University's Mostly-On-Line Masters in Art Education. I had taken a summer masters "SPRINT" class a few years back, and really enjoyed it. The program is solid! Ohio State is one of the top Art Education schools in the nation. Check it out for yourself!!! ---> http://arted.osu.edu/programs/ma_online.php HOWEVER....I wanted more hands on art & less art ed theory. This is just a personal preference & is not a reflection on OSU's program!!! The Art Gang began researching on-line programs, and came across a new program starting through the University of Idaho.... Master of Arts in Teaching On-Line(completely on line!!!). The program was slated to begin fall of '08. The degree would primarily be a Fine Arts Masters with some Education classes. This sounded interesting....VERY interesting. The three of us(Janet, Julie, and I) applied...and were accepted! HOW EXCITING...AND SCARY!!!! ha ha ha We are now a few weeks in and loving it! It is going to be a lot of work, but totally doable. This program might be what you are looking for too. CHECK IT OUT ----> http://www.uidaho.edu/artdesign/mat/info.htmlesign/mat/info.html

Fiskars Scissors

The best scissor on the market today for school & home use is Fiskars! They will cost you a little more up front(not terrible if you find them on sale...like at the start of the school year), but the cost will be made up through their longevity! I am using some of the same Fiskars that were here when I started teaching at Tulip Grove for the '01-'02 school year!! That's pretty good when you think of how hard kids are on things! I also use Fiskars cutting tools in my scrap booking!! I teach Scrap booking 101 & Scrap Social at Jo-Ann Fabrics in Mt. Juliet, TN...and will often recommend the scrap booking/crafting cutting tools that Fiskars has there. If you wait for Jo-Ann's sales....or the coupons you can find in the paper/on-line....it is a wonderful investment!

http://www.fiskars.com/ will provide you more information on these fine cutting tools. The website also provides great information for TEACHERS, CRAFTERS, and GARDENERS!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!

1st Grade Cityscape Collage

My first graders have been doing a unit on cities. I've been very happy with the projects & have been trying to add enough variety to keep them interested. This week we worked on Cityscape Collages. I thought this work was exceptionally good. Remember...this is a 6 yr old!!

I checked my Site Meter & found that Google pulled up my blog for someone who had "googled".....steps to beginning watercolor in the classroom. I'm sorry person who thought my blog might provide an answer for such a thing(google brought them to me because of my blog on Prang Watercolor). I hope you return...because I'm doing a blog just for you!!!

Watercolor for the Elementary Classroom(and beyond)!

FIRST THINGS FIRST....WHAT YOU NEED!!!

• Watercolor sets(I love PRANG!!). The Biggie Cakes are for Kindergarten.
• Paint Brushes(Pick your fav. I like the synthetic best..they seem to hold up better..it is an investment money wise..about $80 for a large set with a variety of sizes...but worth it!
• Multi-purpose paper 80 lb works well. If you go with 60 lb drawing paper, it bows & warps really bad. You could buy paper that is "watercolor" paper, but it is pricey & I'd save it for special projects only(unless you have an amazing budget!!)
• Paper towels(I have the custodian at my school give me the left overs from the dispensers. At least here...they pull the roll off as it gets close to the end)
• Tumbler cups! This is truly a personal choice. I have found in my room...if I give each child their own water cup that it cuts down on spills and arguments(and a need to change extremely dirty water). I have purchased my tumbler cups from Dollar General. I think it's a dollar for 4 or 5. They have a wide base that keeps them from spilling easily, and have taller sides so the brush doesn't "pop" out when kids aren't using it. As with any water container...make sure you tell your students to keep it above their picture. This cuts down on spills!!

I have my supplies...NOW WHAT??

1. What is the topic/subject matter? Of coarse you can do anything, but there are a few subjects that lend themselves well to beginning watercolor! I'd recommend Still Lifes or Landscapes to start with. With Kindergarten...I'd recommend a large object(flowers, teddy bear, animal...etc). Their fine motor skills aren't up for little itty bitty details yet! They will find more success with larger shapes to fill in! Success will build confidence...and confidence will build better artists!!!
2. Have students draw their picture first. Remind them to draw lightly!! Heavy dark lines make the painting appear too coloring bookish. Encourage details, but remind them that if they draw too small...it will be difficult to paint.
3. TEACHER DEMO! This is a must. Bring students around you...making sure they are all able to see what you are doing. Have the same supplies out that you are going to be using with them...set up in the same way you would like to have them set it up. This is not controlling...it is modeling good painting behavior!

• place paint & water cup above paper
• place paper towel under the edge of picture
• rinse paintbrush out by rubbing it on the bottom of water cup & then wiping it on the inside of the cup above water line(to remove excess water).
• hold paint brush in the middle of the handle
• gently rub the paint pats with the hairs of the brush(I always tell students to imagine they are touching a baby's cheek...which keeps them from digging into the pat if it is soft!)
• gently run the brush across the surface of the paper(not painting to long in one place, not pressing too hard and scratching the surface with the metal part of the brush
• rinse brush when switching colors
• Paint large areas first

CATCH PHRASES TO USE WHILE WATERCOLORING WITH STUDENTS

• "WATERCOLOR IS WATERY!"(help students remember not to get dark with their paint)
• "NO CHICKEN FOOT" (reminding students to not press their brush into the paper hard or the paint...the hairs of the brush look like a chicken foot when you press too hard)
• "NO TAP -TAP" (alerts students to not tap their brush on the edge of the cup to get rid of excess water!!! When they tap tap..it sprays water everywhere and can mess up theirs or others work.)

I HOPE THIS HELPS!!!! PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE WATERCOLOR QUESTIONS!!!

Mr. Sketch Markers -scented or unscented

For years I tried to get rid of the Mr. Sketch Markers the previous art teacher had ordered. YEARS!! They just wouldn't die...and I couldn't bring myself to throw away markers that worked. Why did I not like Mr. Sketch Markers? Well, the kids would spend way too much time sniffing the markers or sniffing their paper & it w them from the task at hand...their art! Plus, I got tired of my students leaving the art room witmarker on their noses(elementary children obviously can't control their sniffing!!!). A year or so ago, I finally was rid of the last Mr. Sketch Marker(I honestly had these markers for 4 or 5 yrs!!!). Ya know what??? I MISS THEM!!! I have not found the same quality in other markers...the same color....or the same life expectancy. Mr. Sketch does make "unscented", and I think this year I may purchase them for my art room. They are a SANFORD brand product( http://www.sanford.com/ ). After looking at Sanford's web site, and seeing the other products that they make....SANFORD IS QUALITY!!! A brand that we all can trust! Check them out...and pick up a pack of Mr. Sketch and see for yourself just how good they are(my fav. is the red...smells like cherries!!!).

A Dog Lover's Work of Art

I am not a dog lover. However, I appreciate a great idea even if it is dogcentric. My friend Shotsie brought in a piece of art that she & Zeus(her French Bulldog) created. She saw the idea on Greatest American Dog(once again, I am not a dog lover..so I have never seen the show). She placed his paws in brown paint & had him walk over the canvas(a large stencil was placed on the canvas so that the paint would go in the desired area). She had old sheets laid out & kept him in the area by playing with his fav. toy...a green tennis ball. After he had covered the area with brown paint(you can see some of his little paw prints within the brown), she cleaned his paws & sent him on his merry way. Then it was time for Shotsie to flex her artistic muscles. I think this collaboration ended in a dog gone good piece of art.

Just Duckie!

As you know...I love my job. I have the joy of developing the creative side of students, refine motor skills, instill an appreciation for the aesthetic, and aid in the creation of masterpieces.

Yesterday I read to my kindergarteners, Duck On A Bike by David Shannon(the kids love this book!). Then we went back to our seats to have our first collage experience. After reviewing the shapes that make up a duck, going over safety rules with scissors, instruction on how to use glue, and a quick demo...my students began to create! The 3 shown here are some of the best(I had everthing..from blank pages where they finished nothing to these lovely pieces of duckiness!!). They just make me smile!!!!!!!!

Sizzlin' in the Art Room!

I have now gone a week with no air conditioning in my classroom(well...not counting the week before school started when I didn't have air & was working in my room...and then the first week of school when I didn't have air). I am so thankful that it has not been as hot as last year(a little over 100 degrees for a week or two!!). However, it is still really warm!!!! My art room only has two small windows, and they provide little to no ventilation. I tried leaving my classroom door open, but that doesn't seem to be letting in anything except for noise & the smell of the bathroom across the hall! I was planning to fire the clay self portraits my 4th graders made early next week, but if the air still isn't fixed...the clay will have to wait!!! To put a positive spin on it...the clay is air drying EXTREMELY fast!! ha ha

Art Room Organization PART 2

Here are some more images of my room & my organizational efferts!! Comment if you have any questions!

Art Room Organization PART 1

I am a bit OCD. My friends find great joy in coming into my classroom and moving things to see how long it will take me to figure it out! Usually...NOT LONG! ha ha It seems that many art teachers have a reputation of being a bit messy/disorganized. I'm not sure how much of this is part of the artistic character.....or is it just a self fulfilling prophecy. Whatever the case may be, I'm here to tell you...ORGANIZATION IS YOUR FRIEND!! Every room has a different set of issues when it comes to organization. I have been in every type of room imaginable....and I'm here to tell you...IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ORGANIZED NO MATTER WHAT!!! Now, you don't have to organize your still life objects based on colors, but making some simple changes in your room can allow you to be a more efficient & more affective teacher. Take a look & see if some of these ideas can work for you in your art room!!

Art Room Set Up/Bulletin Board (from a few years ago)

I pulled these images from my old website. This was the year I used primary colors as my "theme". As always, if you have any questions about anything you see....PLEASE ASK!(and don't forget to leave a way for me to get back to you) The turtle thing I can't really explain...I just like them!!!!! :) ha ha

LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP!!!!

Greetings to all you on the other side of the screen! I've really enjoyed blogging about all things art, and hope to continue for a long time to come! You may have noticed that I have a site meter on my site. Through this tool, I know that people from all over the USA & WORLD have stopped by for a visit at ART WITH MR. E. Many have been brought here through Googling an art related topic(like Art Room Bulletin Boards or Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). If you would be so kind, leave a comment and let me know where you are, who you are, & what you do. If you have an art related website...leave the address!!! I'd love to know who stops by for a visit!! Also, if there are some topics you'd like me to cover on my blog...LET ME KNOW! Thank you for visiting!!! Artfully Yours, Mr. E BEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art Vocabulary

I THOUGHT I WOULD POST THE VOCABULARY SECTION FROM MY OLD WEB SITE. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO LOOK THROUGH THE WORDS THAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE USING IN THEIR ROOMS. I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS LIST COMPLETE...BUT A WORKING LIST THAT I'LL CONTINUALLY ADD NEW WORDS. The following words are only a part of the vocabulary we use daily in the art room: Abstract, Architecture, Assemblage, Asmmetrical, Background, Birds Eye View, Cityscape, Clay, Collage, Cool Colors, Details, Environment, Expression, Exterior, Geometric, Hatching, Horizontal, Imagination, Interior, Landscape, Loom, Media, Mixed Media, Monument, Mosaic, Mural, Neutral Colors, Ornate, Organic, Overlapping, Palette, Perspective, Portrait, Primary Colors, Realistic, Relief, Repetition, Sculpture, Secondary Colors, Self Portrait, Simplistic, Still Life, Symmetrical, Texture, Warm Colors, Waterscape, Warp, Weaving, Weft, Worms Eye View These art words are grouped in a user friendly way: Land, City, Water Scapes- Foreground, Middleground, Background Cool Colors- Blue, Purple, Green Warm Colors- Red, Yellow, Orange, Peach Neutral Colors- Gray, Black, White, Brown Primary Colors- Red, Blue, Yellow Secondary Colors- Green, Purple, Orange Weaving- Loom, Warp, Weft THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM THE MNPS VOCABULARY LISTS. I PERSONALLY USE MORE VOCABULARY THAN ARE CONTAINED IN THESE LISTS, AND INTRODUCE SOME WORDS EARLIER ON THAN THE LISTS HAVE HERE. YOU KNOW YOUR STUDENTS & WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM. AS ALWAYS, USE YOUR DISCRETION. *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Kindergarten artist, background, coil, color, cool colors, craftsmanship, detail, draw,horizon line, illustrate, imagination, line, museum, pattern, primary colors, sculpture, self-portrait, shape, slab, space, texture, warm colors *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade One abstract, architecture, balance, collage, composition, contour line drawing, contrast, culture, diagonal, genre painting, horizontal, medium/media, mood neutrals, original, outline, palette, portrait, realistic, secondary colors shade, tint, vertical *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Two asymmetry, cityscape, depth, emotion, environment, focal point, form geometric shape, gesture drawing, landscape, motif, movement, negative space, observation, organic shape, overlap, positive space, repetition, scale, sequence, sketch, still life,studio, subject, symmetry, tactile texture, three-dimensional, two-dimensional, unreal color, visual texture *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Three aerial view, artifact, creativity, critique, description, design, embroidery, emphasis, exhibit, foreground, frontal view, functional art, kinetic art, mask, middle ground, monoprint, perspective, portfolio, print, printmaking, proportion, radial symmetry, reflection, rhythm, style, unity, variety, viewpoint, weaving ************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Four abstraction, additive sculpture, atmospheric perspective, brush strokes, coil, color wheel, complimentary colors, craftsmanship, embellishment, exterior, facial proportion, interior, intermediate colors, judgment, linear perspective, mixed media, monochromatic, neutrals, organic shape, perspective, portfolio, profile, relief print, shading, subtractive sculpture

Art with Special Needs/Life Skills

By any other name they are still the same....our special little kids that we love, but aren't always sure how to meet their needs the best. Many art teachers are given little to no training in working with special needs children. Yet...from day one we find them in our classroom(often mainstreamed in with another class). How can you provide a meaningful experience for these precious children?

Know your audience!! When you step foot into a school, you need to find out what special programs are offered & who participate in them. Usually the teachers that work with these students will be more than happy to share with you the needs/abilities & special "tricks" of their students. They will be happy that you have shown a personal interest in their kids!!!! Plus, it will let you know what kind of modifications need to be made for each child.

Know how they will be coming to you. Will they have an assistant? What class will they come with? Will they come in one large group without any other classes? This will help you plan. There are many children who are classified as special needs, but are extremely high functioning. They can set with the other students & be expected to perform almost like any other child. This allows them to interact with others...and rise up to the expectations placed on the "average" student. WIN WIN situation. I have found that the students from the "regular" class will kind of adopt the child with special needs. Now you will need to address your "regular" ed students about what is and is not appropriate if they are going to be helping your special needs student.

Provide alternate activities for your children with special needs. I have created an area where the assistant can obtain materials for her students to work on once they have finished the project I introduced to the class as a whole(SIDE NOTE: not all of my special needs kids come with an assistant...and not all of them need alternate activities). I like my special needs kids to at least try the project that the other kids are working on. Some of them truly surprise/amaze me with what they are able to do. However, some of my special kids can not work for an hour on a project. They work for awhile, and once I see they are beginning to "overwork" their paper, I then provide the alternate activity. You should never have to "search" for something for your students to do....having these materials on hand also allows me to keep my attention on the 23 other students in my room.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have questions or thoughts to share about working with special needs kids!!!

My Buzzing Little Kinderbabies!!

Kindergarten is an amazing grade to teach! Of course I can say this because I only see them for one hour a day!! ha ha At the beginning of each school year, I always forget how tiring they are though!! A million questions(most having nothing to do what you are teaching or doing at the time!!), not knowing how to get along with a classroom of other children, not having much experience drawing, coloring, or painting(and being asked to do it every time they come to my room!!!), not knowing the rules that they now must follow, and not realizing that they aren't the center of the universe anymore...but a planet in the midst of other planets...all equally important! They come to us babies....and we see them grow so much over the coarse of the year! The transformation is unreal & so exciting as a teacher. I wanted to show you some of the work I'm seeing so far this year...PRETTY AMAZING!!!!!!

ART BOOK(S) REVIEW: DROPPING IN ON ......

The Dropping In On series of art books & DVD's(author Pam Stephens/Illustrator Jim McNeill) are wonderful. If you haven't had a chance to see them, you can find out more information at Crystal Productions ( http://www.crystalproductions.com/). You can also find out more about the author, Pam Stephens, at http://www.artresourcesforteachers.com/ If you want to learn more about the illustrator, Jim McNeill, check out http://www.jimmcneill.com/ .

The story line of Dropping In On is Puffer the art interviewer( he's a Puffin)....falling out of the sky into the world of an artist. He interviews them...and interacts with them in their time & environment. The author, artist, and voice actors have done an amazing job capturing some of the interesting nuances of each of the focus artists. My favorite is Dropping In On Andy Warhol. I had a few of my art friends watch it with me, and I must say, we laughed ourselves silly!!! It was dead on Warhol!!!! They also place actual art images from that artist into the book/dvd. This is worth your time & money to get for your students. The books are more toward mid/upper elementary I feel, but the DVD's are from K- on up!! The only one out of this series that I wasn't real excited about was Dropping In On Matisse. It had nothing to do with the content. No disrespect to the illustrator(who only did this one book in the series), but I do enjoy the illustrations of Jim McNeill a great deal more. I just found out that they now have Dropping In On Grandma Moses! I will be using some of my classroom funds to purchase it this year(yes..that is how much I love this series!!!!!).

So..check it out...DROPPING IN ON...

ART SUPPLY DRIVE 2008

Did someone say ART SUPPLIES?!?!?! Dr. Ed & those at Total Body Health Care who participated in the Annual Art Supply Drive AMAZE US!!!!! Julie(aka Ms. O'Brien) & I(aka Mr. E) feel so blessed...so fortunate to receive this out pouring of support in the form of supplies for our students! Do you realize that because of these donations...I have not had to buy crayons or glue in the past three years!! I've been able to replace my old, dull, & rusting scissors!! As well, the construction paper, colored pencils, tempera paint, paper plates, markers, and other craft supplies that have come in allow me to spend less of my limited budget on the basics! I(well really..we..I think I can speak for Ms. O'Brien) can not begin to say THANK YOU enough for your generosity. Dr. Ed, THANK YOU for CARING about our KIDS, THE ARTS...and US!!! To all of you who brought in supplies....THANK YOU FOR CARING...THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Know that you have made a difference.