When I first started distance teaching, I tried all different types of camera arms and stands. This is the one I found that works best for me. It is not perfect, but it works pretty well for my needs. First, the stand is an Arkon Pro Camera stand. It is sized to fit cell phones. This is perfect for when you want record a video of your hands making art from overhead. The cell phone sits securely inside the clamp. … Read more…
Here is a great project for the first week or day of school. I put up these directions in my Google classrooms for my students and they completed them in their own time, asynchronously. Here is my example of a Name Design NOT using block letters if that is too difficult for your students. Here is a book I read to go along with this project.
I apologize for not regularly adding to the blog lately. It’s been a bit overwhelming here and I haven’t had the motivation. With the day off today, I felt like sharing one cool new book I bought that I have been using with my little students (grades K-2). This book called Studio, A Place for Art to Start is perfect for the first weeks of school. (Affiliate link has been used at no extra cost to you.) This book shows … Read more…
This is Part 2 in my blog posts about the Black Lives Matter murals in downtown Madison, WI. There were so many of them, lining the streets of State Street. See my first post with more murals here.
After the death of George Floyd, protests happened here in Madison, WI (as well as all over the country). Some businesses had windows broken. Artists covered the boarded-up windows with beautiful murals calling for justice and equality. I will have two posts of photos of some of these murals, because there were so many amazing artworks.
I wanted to point you to this great place to start your journey on becoming a more inclusive, anti-racist art teacher. The new Anti-Racist Art Teachers website has loads of resources to get you started with reading, listening, learning and reflecting on how to remove stereotypes and false narratives in your art curriculum. They even are starting a collection of lesson plans specifically designed for the art classroom. You can now download these posters for FREE at these three TpT … Read more…
I found two new collage books that I thought were pretty cool! If you know me, you might know that I love stickers! The first book I found is called the Antiquarian Sticker Book: Over 1000 Exquisite Victorian Stickers. (Amazon affiliate links have been used at no extra cost to you.) I made a video flip through of this book so you can see all the cool stickers inside. The next book I discovered is brand-new, just published. It is … Read more…
Here is my Art Choice Board from last week for Distance Learning! Each week I am trying to do something a little different.
Like most of you, our in-person classes have been changed to distance learning and we need to come up with challenges and projects the kids can do on their own at home. The first week I had my students create stuffed animal still lifes or still lifes with objects that were meaningful to them (depending on the grade level). The following week we made found object color wheels, like this one below. This week it is all about going outside … Read more…
I thought I would share with you some of my favorite art journaling supplies. These are supplies I use for my own personal art journaling, not with my students. Many are higher quality (more expensive) for more advanced artists (like you!). First you will need an art journal. I prefer to use a book with thick, sturdy pages because I like to use a lot of paint and collage in my art journal. Here is a great book from Strathmore … Read more…
I wanted to let you know about some inspiring and informational professional development that is starting this week! I am recommending this Un-Conference to energize art teachers. While you are at home this week, be sure to check out this Call to Art: A Free Un-Conference for Art Educators. I know many of these presenters and they are amazing art educators with a passion for what they do. I’m sure you will leave with some new ideas to implement when you return to … Read more…
I realize I had never shared these amazing Notre Dame watercolor and ink drawings my 4th and 5th grade students made at the end of last year. We learned about the architecture of the building and the kids used watercolor and Sharpie pen to create these beautiful pictures. This technique can be used with any architectural lesson or perhaps a lesson on Medieval gargoyles.
I haven’t posted much lately because I’ve been focusing on other things– I’m in charge of the cookies for our Girl Scout cookie sales and that is like a part-time job! Also, I’ve been getting ready for my presentation at NAEA. If you are going to the NAEA conference, let me know.. I would love to meet up with new people! I have a lot of fun art journaling exercises prepared, including this one- using watercolor circles as a launching … Read more…
Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and restful holidays and are ready for the new year. Today I have some cardboard shape pictures to share with you that my 2nd graders created. We first looked at the artist Marcus Oakley and his cardboard shape pictures for inspiration. Students could create an abstract picture or a picture that represented something. We used pre-cut shapes as well as shapes the students cut on their own. Thinner cardboard … Read more…
What kinds of artworks have you done with the theme of Thanksgiving? I wanted to do a mixed media fibers project with my students so we made these gratitude mobiles. Students wrapped and twisted strips of fabric, yarn and wire with beads on embroidery hoops to create hanging mobiles. They attached card stock tags with words written to show what they are thankful for. Have you made any “thankful for” art projects? Please leave a comment and share!
