Mixed media collage

I have been teaching some lessons at a small charter school. Our lessons thus far have focused on shading and using light to dark colors with smooth transitions. These collages use construction paper and scrap vinyl sign adhesive.We used oil pastels and  focused on blending.

We also discussed organic shape, geometric shape and pattern. 

Imaginary still lifes

At a resent sub substitute teaching job the assignment was still life. the students were not drawing from a actual still life but instead were looking at reference images of vases of flowers for still life and creating their own. I gave points on were to put the line so that the vase is not "falling off the table" The students looked at Vang Gogh's painting of Irises and we talked about color blending and I gave examples of how to blend colors with art stix and with markers.

Above are student examples and my examples are below. as we as my class board for the assignment.

Some of the students really had fun with the still life and started to create carnivorous flowers. I had to start to remind some of these kids that Still life's are to be still and not moving and are to be of everyday living objects but are not to move.

More kids making artists trading cards

 

I  taught a day of art day school at the Memorial Art Gallery during February recess. We dedicated this day to a day of making Artists Trading cards. I love teaching this art lesson.. one of the many things that i love is that there is no wrong way to do it. As long as the card is 2.5 by 3.5 inches and you trade it-- It' s a trading card. I explained to students the difference between an ACEO which is a original 2.5 x 3.5 inch card that is for sale and not for trade.. We had a little "test" where I
held up several items and asked them if it was an artist trading card of not and how it could be one..

The other thing I really like about artists trading cards for kids is that it is a quick project it hold there attention span for just long enough and you can move on and make another.. I challenged students to make 11 cards within a 2 and 1/2 to 3 hour time. I presented a materiel and how to use it and then let kids loose to make their own.. This time we used Bristol board, watercolor paper, and some of the kids made fabric cards which I ironed a fusable interfacing onto white cotton blend fabric that I had. I also used a very old box or playing cards that I found in my parents basement. We sanded the protective coating off of them them colored with markers on the card.We also had some scratch art cards to make our own images on.

We got some plastic trading card sleeves for kids to keep their cars in and I gave them a template to make their own envelopes to keep cards in.

I first showed kids how to use colored pencils then how to use paper punches and aluminum foil. I showed them how to use watercolor along with sharpie and or crayons.

This students was really into Doctor Who can you tell?

From the teaching tables

 I have been trying out so of my tricks of the trade this week with my after school care kids. I learned  years ago from a old elementary art teacher book this trick... Drawing with melted crayons. There is some safety concerns involved with these one but it is so much fun.

 You go to the thrift store and get an old plug in electric  buffet food warmer. This one cost me 2.99 at the thrift store. Use copy paper of construction paper and the old stubby crayons.  Remove their papers and make them "naked crayons". I have done this before using large crayons and been able to draw more elaborate designs. The kids used a Popsicle stick to move the way around and were given elaborate safety instructions so as not to get burned. As you draw on the hot surface of the board to crayon starts to pool and puddle it gives the image a very painterly effect. The kids really loved it I let them work alone or in a group of two. The process id very experimental and the images can be scratched into and colors mixed.

Silly Sandwhich

 For the after school program today. We made a silly sandwich. I had a lot of tan construction paper to use up. I first folded the paper in half length wise then a second time in half width wise. I cut the paper in half length wise then left the paper folded but cut rounded corner and a curved notch for the bread top.

We crumpled and tore green construction paper for lettuce then added sheets of craft foam in pink yellow and orange cut into squares for meat and cheese. We used the tan construction paper and drew on in it scribbles of white red and brown for bacon. We added red foam circles for tomatoes and green foam circles for pickles..The kids loved it and could have kept going adding more things... I considered olives with black paper.. but that was enough for one day

Guest art teacher atHamiedye academy

Over this last  school year I have, amongst my other jobs, been working at a small private Islamic academy as the guest art teacher. I went in to the school using their lunch room to teach in. I brought all the art supplies with me. The first session met at the art gallery and students looked at works of art as well as working on a brief drawing of objects discussing contour and gesture drawing styles.

Other future sessions included poetry along with painting, cartooning, painting with tempera, drawing and clay work.The cartooning session I had posted earlier in the year and was  the one post with the snowmen.

The most recent completed project was ceramic clay tiles I rolled slabs in advance with a slab roller. I cut the slabs into square and rectangular pieces then I also used a pencil to make holes in the top of each tile shape.

We used red clay for the tiles then used white clay and a dark brown color clay. I showed students how to slip and score how to roll coils and how to use premade hand carved ceramic stamps on clay to make texture. These clay tiles are currently on display at the Memorial art Gallery's Creative Workshop Lucy Burne gallery.

My blog post for the Memorial Art Gallery

 As the coordinator for the Memorials Art Gallery's Creative Workshop Art Day School pram. I have a unique and long title. This unique job of occasionally teaching classes to 40 something kids all day from 8:30- 5:00. When I am not teaching I am working with fantastic teachers and trained artists, meeting talented and fun kids. I make art with them telling stories to them and hearing stories from them. I also deal with kids when their behavior needs redirecting. I  also make parents feel welcome and that their child is cared for and having fun while they are away. Read my Democrat and Chronicle blog post about Art Day School

http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/rochesterarts/2011/01/26/february-break-art-day-school/

Why do I write about art shows I have attended and what is my media

 I hate labeling people but I guess you could but a bunch  of labels on me if you wanted to. I like labels on my bins of art supplies however just fine. I consider myself and art teacher and an artist. Some people would say that I am a Substitute teacher and therefore not a "real teacher" I hear that one a lot an it hurts. I write my own lesson plans I conduct art lessons even though I currently do not have my own classroom within a school. I have heard people cal me a painter, a jewelry maker but I consoder myself an artist plain and simple. I do not want to pigeone hold myself in to a specifc media. I actually fimrly belief that anyone who wants to teach art for k-5 should not specialize in  specificmedia because the best way to reach your student is to let them sample them all. Id students learn to use several materials and you as a teacher feels comfortable with several of them I think this is the best way to reach students.

I also belief strongly that  art teachers should know what is going on in there local community especially within their arts community. It keeps you from not getting trapped in a bubble of teaching, grading an lesson prep. It gets you outisde you classroom.  It gives you relevent thingsto talk to students about that are happening right in their community that they tocan be involved with. It takes learning outside of the door and makes it relevant to students in the "real world"

 I also do beleif that besides being a teacher that I am an artist to my core. This is why  I am not certified to teach another subject althought I have considered it and have taught preschool before. I love to look at art and talk  to other artists it gives me inspiration it gives me a sounding board, it gives me ideas and it gives me hope..

Everyone knows that the arts are the least appreciated field in schools and often in our communities. I think that artists need to support one another and not treat each other like competition....  I think that Good Karma is a good way to go. I give shout out to artists whose work I have enjoyed in order to help continue to promote the arts to advocate for the arts and because I hope that some "good Karma exchange will be put out there.

It has been awhile

I have been behind on my blogging, and my ETSY. Our internet is down at home by the time I come home from work I am too tired to get up and get on my bike to go to a computer lab at
U of R. I have been checking my emails during my lunch break which ends very soon. I Have been working full time at the art gallery. I just finished teaching a week of camp where we created our own art show and opened it up for friends, family and gallery staff to come see.

The mural is still rolling along and We should have an unveiling event in the last weekend of August. From 4-7 on Sundays.
We our currently painting on Sundays from 4-7 and all our still welcome to come partcipate. At this point in time the work at the bottom of the mural is mostly finished so the work at this time would be scaffolding work and I would like to limit this to adults.

The local children artists that came and worked on the project were a huge help and so much fun to work with. I have enjoyed thier company.

I will update with pictures once I get a chance to upload and thumbdrive pictures.

Cupcake jewelry made by kids

So I was wearing my cupcake jewelry to work and the kids would see it. Now, I know I am selling my products for money. Many of the kids wanted to by it from me. I felt weird asking my kids for money. So instead I asked my supervisor for some polymer clay and I showed the kids how I make cupcake jewelry.


They really enjoyed it.Some made striped beads, some made small animals.

I lugged my toaster oven back and forth each day and brought in my tools and shared my jewelry making supplies.
So what? I did not make money. For the kids I made memories and they were so proud of there work.