I am working multiple jobs now and I will have things to post for all of them they are:

1. I am working on a grant and community mural project.
2. Working in the AM as a lead teacher for a before school program.
3. Teaching two different Saturday art classes in drawing and painting at the art gallery.
4. Working on an Etsy shop.
5. Working as the coordinator and a teacher for school breaks at the art gallery.

In addition to this i am taking tribal belly dance class, taking a painting class, working on art shows and trying to keep the house clean... Whoa I am tired already!
Oh yeah and having a social life!!!

Still lifes for younger crowd

Started with a new class last week and some of the kids were the same ones had taken my class last time so. I came up with new projects. We went into the art gallery and looked at still life paintings.We then went back to the classroom were I had several still life objects laid out. I let the students help me choose what objects to put in the arrangement with a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.From the fake food assortment they were not huge on fruits or vegetables. No eggplant and no onions. I took put some dress shoes to and they were not into those either.We ended up with two glass bottles an apple, a banana and a ukulele

I demoed drawing the objects and how we look at how they overlap. Many of the students did well only one got upset. I talked with her again and how to look at the objects and overlap them. I worked with several students about how it is okay to make mistakes and how to not be to hard on yourself. These were 1st through 3rd graders. It was a tough assignment.

I told them to take a moment and walk around and look at other peoples drawings. To notice how they were all different.

Oldie but Goodie

I was called in for a last minute sub job. The teacher calls and says. "They have been drawing a lot.They are bored with it, I don't want them using clay today....."I mention. I have drawing challenge cards, with items on them like draw a neighbors shoe. This brings me back to projects I did in middle school.

1. Using pencil,Draw a shoe outline first use contour and draw only the outside, use pencil
then move to details.
2.Next outline in fine point sharpie.Erase remaining pencil
3.Then add pen and ink techniques.
4.Fill in areas with watercolor. One color per section.

Things I found helpful to demonstrate to students.
Simple contour outline beginning. to count number of details that fit into the space they are drawing. ie:grommets, holes for lacing.

How much water to have on your paint brush and how much is too much.Explaining that without the correct amount of water the paint is hard to control.