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Tag Archives: blogging

Artists That Inspire Us — Art Ed Blogger’s Network

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Artists That Inspire Us — Art Ed Blogger’s Network

Hi! Are you interested in learning about artists that inspire?  Are you looking for new contemporary artists to teach your students? One of my favorite parts about blogging is connecting with other bloggers online.  Some art education bloggers recently formed an Art Ed Blogger’s Network.  We are planning to post once a month about the same topic. This month’s topic is Artists that Inspire Us.  Most readers probably know about the most famous artists that are typically taught in an … Read more… →

Blogging with Students: A Guest Post

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Illustration of a ship on waves with three figures aboard. Text reads "The Logonauts" around the circle.

Hi friends!  I have a treat for you today.  My very intelligent and dedicated co-worker Katie McEnaney is guest posting for Art is Basic today.  She was previously our 3rd grade Language Arts/Social Studies/Drama teacher and this year she moved to the 6th/7th grade level.  She also created the blog The Logonauts, which focuses on a variety of literature related topics. Many readers have asked me for advice about blogging with students.  Since my time is so limited with my students, I … Read more… →

How to Get Traffic to a Blog: Blogging Basics, Part Four

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How to Get Traffic to a Blog: Blogging Basics, Part Four

  Are you interested in starting a blog?  Here are some tips for you! If you missed the other posts in this series, be sure to read: Blogging Basics Part One:  Why Blog and How to Choose a Platform Blogging Basics Part Two: Choosing a Blog Name and Getting Ideas Blogging Basics Part Three:  How to Write a Blog Post People will Read A big concern from new bloggers is “how do I get anybody to read my blog??”  That … Read more… →

How to Write a Blog Post that People Will Read: Blogging Basics, Part Three

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How to Write a Blog Post that People Will Read: Blogging Basics, Part Three

If you missed the other posts in this series, be sure to read: Blogging Basics Part One Blogging Basics Part Two So, you started a blog, picked a name and have a great idea for your first post.  Here are some tips you need to know. 1. Pay Attention to Permissions & Copyright Before you write your blog post, think about whether or not you got your idea from somewhere else.  Did you learn about this technique at a conference?  … Read more… →

Blogging Basics, Part Two: Choosing a Blog Name and Getting Ideas

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Blogging Basics, Part Two: Choosing a Blog Name and Getting Ideas

  If you missed the first post in this series, check out Blogging Basics for Teachers and Other Creatives, Part One.  In that post I share reasons to start blogging and how to choose a blogging platform. In today’s post, we will talk about how to choose a blog name and where to get ideas for your blog.   My blog was originally called Vivid Layers (raise your hand if you read my blog back then!).  The header is the … Read more… →

Blogging Basics for Teachers and Other Creatives: Part One

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Top-down view of a desk with a laptop, notebook, and watercolor set. Text reads "Blogging Basics for art teachers and other creatives."

So… you want to start a blog about teaching or art?  One of the questions I get asked frequently is how do you start a blog?  I asked the experts (other popular art bloggers) to share advice about getting started with blogging.   The bloggers, in no particular order: Me from Art is Basic, of course Lee Darter, from Art Room Blog Phyllis Levine Brown from There’s a Dragon in My Art Room and The Artful Advocate Don Masse from … Read more… →

Art of Ed Blog of the Year Finalist

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Finalist 2015 Art Ed Blog of the Year Contest banner featuring colorful text and a splash paint effect.

I am so thrilled to be a finalist in the Art of Ed Blog of the Year contest!  What a honor!  There are a lot of awesome blogs in the line-up and I know it will be stiff competition.  I’m just happy to be included in the top 9 for elementary art.  If you have found my blog valuable, please consider voting for ART IS BASIC at the voting page.

How to Use PicMonkey to Make Photo Collages for a Blog

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How to Use PicMonkey to Make Photo Collages for a Blog

Today I am going to show you how I use Picmonkey.com to make header images for blog posts (like the one shown above.)  I make these headers because it’s visually appealing, it makes it clear for the reader what the post is about and these images are great for getting traffic from Pinterest. I figured out how to add a voice narration! Hurray. I love learning new things. If you are reading from a blog reader or email, you may need … Read more… →

Photoshop Tutorial: How to Create Photo Collages for Your Blog

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Golden-themed graphic titled 'Photoshop Tutorial: How to use Photoshop Elements to make blog pics' with colorful artwork below.

Nora asked, “Hi Marcia,  I love how you lay out photos on your blog! Could you please tell me how you do this? Thanks! My blog is http://www.waitsfieldart.blogspot.com” I use either Photoshop Elements or Picmonkey to create the collages of artwork for my blog posts.  If I want to share several examples of artwork I often shrink them down and place them side by side or in a grid layout, like this: I also create photo collages as a “header” … Read more… →

Reflections on Intentions

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A colorful display of student artwork on shield-shaped banners arranged in a row on a wall.

I was honored to be included on a list of recommended blogs from Art Mouse House.  I have just recently started following Art Mouse House and it is a very new blog.  It already looks like it’s going to be a wonderful blog with lots of fresh ideas and clear explanations. I read her post about setting an intention and found myself nodding my head in agreement the whole time.. thinking, yep, that’s totally what I believe too!  I’ve been … Read more… →

  • Banner with colorful artwork promoting an art shop featuring kindness coloring pages, artist activities, and resources for teachers.