It's that time of year...

Well well well, look what Santa brought, just in time for supply orders!

To date, I have received FOUR copies of the latest Sax catalog. FOUR! One is addressed to my maiden name and one to my married name--mmkay, I get that. I guess.

Number three is addressed to the strings instructor, and the fourth (and final? time will tell) copy is addressed to the band director, who, by the way, is a man.

After each name the address reads, ART TEACHER. Some little elf at Sax must think we are way overstaffed, with 4 art teachers for just 300 children small children.

And did I mention the other 2 copies I got at my other school building? Someone did not check their list twice.

More metal tooling

Some more fourth graders have completed their metal tooling project (shown here last week). I'm feeling better about this project after seeing more results.

Now I just have to figure out how and where to display them, as I have no display cases to my name.

Also, how is it December? The time is getting away from me this year--I must be getting old.

Go vote for your favorite blogs!

Voting has opened for Art Ed Blog of the Year! Go on over to The Art of Ed to vote for the blogs that inspire you! Some of my favorite blogs are nominated and I have great hopes for them! Congrats to all nominees!

Metal tooling medieval style

Please heed my warning: this post is extra long. Also, I meant to post it on Monday. It's been that sort of week.

Each summer, my district invites teachers to create their own week-long classes for local kids. So guess who's asked to do art classes?

This past summer, we used cardboard, glue, and foil to make some cool foil plates based on those I found here (via Pinterest). The kids LOVED them and they looked great (note: we opted to use tempera instead of shoe polish), so I decided to proceed with something similar for this school year.

The gluing was a challenge for some students and did take up a lot of time due to drying, so I decided to do a simpler metal tooling, same premise minus the glue. Then I stumbled upon Ren's metal tooling project here and declared that the subject for this project must be illuminated letters, as this was a genius idea. And because I have an affinity for medieval art. And because I may have become slightly obsessed with illumination after reading this book. Movin' on.

I cut down cardboard boxes with an old(er than I am) paper cutter. I used a 6x8" size. I pre-ripped aluminum foil, too.

We discussed illumination and I talked way too much (which is probably so shocking, considering my concise blog posts, mmhmm). Students spent the remainder of that first day sketching out ideas.

Next class, kiddos wrapped their cardboard with foil. I had them use a glue stick to glue one side of the cardboard before adding their foil, then wrapping the back edges and taping them down for added strength.

With dull pencils, the little illuminators transferred their compositions onto the foil. We had a few rips and tears, but those were covered up with the next step.

With some tempera paint down in the cracks, the letters popped.

I didn't have special foil, but some heavy-duty aluminum foil was on hand. And I think that's why these aren't as fabulous-looking as those on Dali's Moustache. I'll be ordering heavier gauge and various colors for next year to see if that alleviates the problem. On the plus-side, this was a fairly quick project, taking up just 3 classes (45 minutes per class). And the kids enjoyed looking at illuminations from long ago.

And now it's Friday, and it's super rainy, and ohmagoodness, someone get me a cup of caffeine. Happy weekend, all!

A very delicious value project!

In my experience, some of the most successful and enjoyable projects are those chosen at the last minute. This is one of those projects!

One of my third grade classes was a full day ahead of the others and I wanted to slow 'em down to keep everyone on the same project. During my morning hallway duty, laptop in hand, I did a fast Pinterest search for lessons on color value (to reinforce the previous leaf project).

I found this gem and was sold (and hungry!).

My sweeties drew sweet triangular cones and their desired number of ice cream scoops, which they painted using a range of values of one color. Chocolate chips and cherries were optional, though very popular!

As they finished painting, I told the kiddos to come up with a name for their new flavor. Some of my favorites: Green Mint Moon, Bluberry Jam, Bubblegum Chocolate Chip, Polar Bear Super Chip, Spicy Pumpkin, and Biggiblue!

We took a few minutes of the next class to cut and assemble the tasty treats.

 

How refreshing! Hahaha!

Now who wants to go to Dairy Queen?

2nd grade fish

Years ago, I began doing a project with my second graders that involved drawing and painting fish. One year, we added seashells and pipe cleaner seaweed, and wiggle eyes for a 3D effect. This year, after seeing this project at There's a Dragon in my Art Room (can you tell that I love this blog?), I decided to have the kiddos cut out the fish and work with perspective a little bit.

We started with a drawing period. I wouldn't call it directed drawing, though I did suggest an egg or oval shape for the body, followed by a few key pieces: a mouth, a fin, gills, an eye or eyes (depending on the perspective, which we discussed).

Students added patterns--first with pencil, then with construction paper crayons.

After the fish were cut, out came the watercolors! My youngsters love watercolor resist.

To add some flair and to FINish (har har) the fish, tissue paper was added for fins and tails.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

They're colorful and playful and really brighten up the hallways. While they aren't seasonal or holiday themed, at this time of year, I'm all about bright projects for cold, dull, wintery halls... and quickie projects to keep the kids learnin'.

Also, I enjoy projects that give me an excuse to re-visit my childhood.,,

An art ed contest and more

Good Monday morning, friends! Not gonna lie--this morning has kinda kicked my tush. This is the first full week we've had in awhile and I've had to re-check my attitude multiple times already. We can do this!

I'm hoping to get a fourth grade metal tooling post up later tonight. Till then, I have other things to say (type). Shocking! I know!

First, go nominate your fave blog(s) at The Art of Ed! I follow the blogs of some amazing ladies and gents and really hope they get a nod this year!

Go nominate your favorite art ed blog! Go! Go now!

Second, there are few things I've loved as long as I've loved art. Other than the obvious exceptions--my family and sweet Baby Jesus, which aren't really things at all, if we're being technical--probably the only thing I've been lovin' for close to three decades is reading. Anyone with me?

When you find time to read, do you escape into fiction, biographies, or perhaps something more attune to your craft, a la art ed theory? (Yes, I'm serious about that last one.)

Currently, I'm staying up way too late reading book six of Harry Potter (!!!!!!!!), working my way through Steal Like an Artist (an easy and humorous perusal that I definitely recommend), obsessing over Young House Love (there's a blog by the same name), and keepin' it real with various Joyce Meyer staples.

And to keep myself somewhat well-rounded in my literacy choices, most days I also read several blogs, including those dedicated to art ed, home improvement, and food. I love me some DIY and homemade donuts.

Today, I wanted to send a shout-out and link to Andrea over at Dream.Pray.Create., whose post about social media and its ties to creativity really has me thinking this morning (when I should probably be thinking about pouring paint for my next class). I think it's a really interesting topic and I encourage everyone to head over to Andrea's blog to join in on the discussion!

Make it a great Monday!