Snowman Art Project, Dog Portrait, Smiley Art Faces and More! (5 Fabulous Things) -

Colorful background with text: "5 Fabulous Things I’m Loving Right Now..." in bold black lettering, featuring playful smiley faces scattered throughout.

Hello! A long time ago I used to do round-up posts of random things I am currently loving. Some have to do with art, some are just fun! I decided to bring that idea back. Hopefully some of my current favorite things will inspire you.

1. My Dad’s artwork

My Dad has been making art for many years (mostly colored pencils and pastels) and recently I was reminded of how much I love this colored pencil drawing he did of our dog Linus, who sadly passed away. It is displayed in our living room proudly! Isn’t it amazing? This looks exactly like how our dog looked.

A drawing of a small black dog with a collar sitting on wooden planks, gazing up at the fabulous things beyond.

2. Snowman Shading Video

Did you know Artsonia has tons of free videos for art lesson plans? One project I have been doing every year are these shaded snowmen. Sara Farell posted a great video demonstrating how to do this. These pictures below were made by my 3rd graders. This is a fun and easy introduction to shading.

Three fabulous drawings of snowmen at night: left and right snowmen have hats and scarves, while the middle one sports a striped hat. Each stands in a snowy landscape adorned with trees and crescent moons.

3. Jimmy Paintz’ Smiley Faces

I learned about this artist from Wildcats Create! Share positivity with your students by learning about Jimmy Paintz and using the free smiley face handouts from Wildcats Create.

A colorful mural with abstract patterns features the words "THE HIGH ROOM" and "DREAM." Set on a brick wall with a handrail in the foreground, it hints at fabulous things just beyond imagination.

Various sheets with fabulous smiley face designs displayed on a colorful background, featuring an illustrated dog in the corner. Text reads, "Handout Smiles @Wildcats.Create.

4. Three Books I’m Reading

I have three books that I am looking forward to reading over winter break. They all look like quick reads and very interesting to me.

You can check them out from the library or if you prefer to buy a copy, you can visit the Amazon links given (Amazon Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you. I earn from qualifying purchases and the money earned goes towards maintaining this website.)

The Squad: a children’s graphic novel about a girl and her friends trying out for the cheerleading squad in middle school. Meanwhile, her parents’ marriage is collapsing. This is the second book in the series. Fun fact: I was a cheerleader for one year.
The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t and Get Stuff Done! Fun fact: I was in a Facebook group for about a year by this author and didn’t even know she wrote a book! I was just soaking up all the members’ tips on making life easier.
Show Your Work!: If you don’t know Austin Kleon, you need to check out his stuff. He is the popular author of Steal Like an Artist and writes all about creativity and discovering your artistic side.

Three fabulous books rest on a white surface: "The Squad," "The Lazy Genius Way" with its staff pick label, and "Show Your Work!

5. Podcasts!

I have been listening to podcasts a lot on my way to work. I have been enjoying the Art Ed Radio podcasts (which is an art podcast specifically for art teachers) and also the podcasts and videos by Cindy Ingram- Art is About Being Whole on Youtube. Also there is a highly entertaining one I listen to that is for adults only- mostly Q & A life advice and recaps of the Bachelor shows (if you are interested in that one leave a comment and I’ll send you a link.)

I hope this post gives you some ideas and inspiration! Maybe you can use one of these ideas in your classroom next week.