Art With Mr. E

A Heart for Art!

2012-01-27T00:30:00.000-06:00

For some crazy reason...I decided I was going to make a crayon heart for every student at our school for Valentine's Day. I don't do holidays in my classroom at all.....so....it kind of makes this all the crazier?!?!!? I raided all my crayon boxes...other teachers gave me their broken crayons when they heard I going to do this....and I have some back up crayons that I don't normally use because they are not the brand I feel holds up the best in the art room. So....I think I have enough crayons to do this. Using hot water and soap...and allowing them to soak allowed the paper to fall right off(although sometimes Crayola paper is kind of booger to get off!!!!). I have a toaster oven in my classroom & my heart mold. So I'm good to go, right??! Well, with close to 600 students at our school...and a mold that only makes six hearts at a time... my class room smells like a crayon factory 24/7 right now!! ha ha Am I crazy?!?!?! Wait...don't answer that!

Paper Mache Masks: 2nd Grade

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

I discussed themes & inspirations with the students before they began painting their paper mache masks(students created the paper mache the previous week). I allowed them to select 4 colors (and told them they could create colors from the 4 the selected if they wanted to). There is something fun/whimsical about the masks. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week's work.

Hatching Dino Egg Pinch Pots: 1st Grade

2012-01-25T15:30:00.000-06:00

There are so many pinch pots you can make before you're like..."HOW CAN I JAZZ UP THIS LESSON!?!?!?!" I've made frogs & fish out of them in the past....but this year I've decided to do a dinosaur unit with my 1st grade. So our pinch pots became dino eggs!! The kids loved this idea....though the dinos were a bit tricky for some. I can't wait to see what hatches the rest of the week!

Bottle Cap Mural 4 Months Later

2012-01-24T22:44:00.002-06:00

One of my blog readers asked me how the bottle cap mural was "holding up"

out in the elements. GREAT QUESTION!!!

This was not constructed to be a "forever" piece in the beginning. 4 months into its exposure to the elements...I've had one repair session where I reattached about 30 caps that had come off(possibly picked off by neighborhood kids). A few of the caps came off because of my own stupidity. There were stickers on some of the milk caps...and that is were the separation occurred. I should have removed the stickers before letting the students attach them to the board. There is fading happening to some of the lids. You may be able to see in this picture that the oranges are looking a little peachy. For the most part though..the colors are staying true.

One way that this could have been(possibly still can be) a forever piece is if I would have used resin on the board. I may investigate this in the spring when the weather is warmer & I can use the resin outside! I'll let you know how it goes!!

For All My Bloggin' Pinterest Pals

2012-01-21T22:31:00.003-06:00

If you are a blogger & a Pinterest addict (ummm..I mean enjoyer of Pinterest)...here is some info you might find interesting. Though...you may have already known?!?!?! I found it by accident! I honestly have no clue how I did it...but I found out how you can see who is pinning your blog pictures! Honestly...since Pinterest came along...it has increased my blog traffic and followers a ton!!!!!!!!!! It is neat to see what people are pinning. Ok...so how do you do it?!?!?!

Type in ....

http://pinterest.com/source/ (AND THEN TYPE IN YOUR BLOG ADDRESS AFTER THE SLASH)

Here is mine as an example....

http://pinterest.com/source/artwithmre.blogspot.com/

I hope you find this info helpful/fun/interesting!!!

Keep blogging my awesome peeps!!!

Thank You for Voting!

2012-01-21T14:42:00.000-06:00

Thanks for everyone who voted for Art With Mr. E!
A.W.M.E. came in at #5...and that's not bad with the amazing art bloggers that are out there!!
Check out the link below to see the other blogs making the top 10!

http://theartofed.com/2012/01/21/announcing-2011-art-ed-blog-of-the-year/

More Dino Paintings: 1st Grade

2012-01-18T14:34:00.001-06:00

This group of 1st graders did a really good job with the colors(not so much painting...but that will come with time). Maybe Thursday & Friday will be even better?!!?! Stay tuned!!!

Dino Paintings: 1st Grade

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

I was originally going to do this in tempera paint, but when we started the project...I had yet to receive my order. There was actually a great variety of dinosaurs, but this group struggled when it came to painting. The three here were the best in regards to painting & the warm/cool color usage.

Cat in the Hat: ROYGBIV

2012-01-16T20:01:00.007-06:00

If you have been following my blog for awhile...you know that I'm a proud papa of two beautiful children. My daughter is almost three now...and we've started allowing her to watch PBS cartoons. While my wife is rocking our son(almost 7 months)..Margaret and I watch a video online from PBS Kids. Tonight we watched a video that I think could be fun to share with Kindergarten. It goes through the colors of the rainbow. The video is about 11 min. long...so it will not take much of your class time.

Chasing Rainbows

Vote for Art With Mr. E!

2012-01-15T22:59:00.000-06:00

Art With Mr. E has been nominated for the Art Ed Blog of the Year, by
The Art of Education website.
So many of the blogs I have on my list to the right were also nominated.
What great company we keep, eh!!!

Its another great way to get the great stuff going on at
Tulip Grove out there for the world to see!!

So if you have enjoyed Art With Mr. E...please take a moment to click on the link below.
Then click VOTE NOW. It will take you to a poll site...and just click on Art With Mr. E
and hit done! Easy as that.

THANK YOU!

http://theartofed.com/2012/01/15/finalists-announced-vote-for-art-ed-blog-of-the-year/

Books Coming to Life! AMAZING

2012-01-15T07:06:00.002-06:00

Stop animation I'm guessing....truly amazing!!!!!!

SUPPLIES!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-12T22:13:00.002-06:00

You may have seen my previous post about my supply situation. I'm happy

to report my order arrived today! Unfortunately...it came at the very end of the day

& now we have a snow day tomorrow?!?! So Tuesday morning I'm going to be walking into

new lessons...and a how bunch of new supplies to put away. Oh well..I'm just

thankful to have them!!!!!!

Tempera Paint Issues

2012-01-11T11:06:00.000-06:00

I really should have done this post before I ordered my supplies?!?!

What tempera paint do you use??? I have 7 different brands/types of tempera(well..out of the supplies I have left..almost out of everything). Several of them are extremely runny(no matter how hard I shake them!).

So....tell me...what have you found to be the best tempera paint out there??

ANOTHER GUY ELEMENTARY ART BLOGGER!

2012-01-10T20:14:00.000-06:00

(This is a picture from his blog!)

Mr. Lawniczak recently asked me to check out his blog. There are few men elementary art teachers out there blogging! Being that it is a female dominated profession...it isn't surprising. So I had to give him some blog time on Art With Mr. E....need to encourage the guys out there to blog & share their awesome lessons.

Mr. Lawniczak...keep up the awesome work, and we look forward to getting to know you & your lessons!

(Mathew..if you haven't realized..the art ed. blogging community is like a little family!)

HERE IS HIS INFO & LINK!!!

PLEASE CHECK IT OUT & TELL HIM MR. E SENT YA!!!

Mathew Lawniczak

Waupaca, Wisconsin, United States

I graduated from college with a degree in Art Education in 2010. My hopes are to document my success and challenges along the way teaching in Wisconsin.

http://lawnim19artisticfreedom.blogspot.com/

The Dinosaur Unit Begins: 1st Grade

2012-01-10T14:52:00.000-06:00

(thought these were funny..had to share)

Looking at the 9 weeks pacing guide for our district, I decided that a dinosaur unit might be a fun way to go about doing the lessons. I have this wonderfully old(from my first year of teaching..15 years ago) video that the kids LOVE! Now it does have some dino eating dino parts in it...which could be a little scary for young children. However, when that part comes up...I tell the kids it is like the dinosaur is going through the drive thru at McDonald's! That is usually enough to make the kids laugh & get through that part of the video.

The lessons in the 9 weeks pacing guide are Clay Pinch Pots, Drawing, Painting, & Printmaking.

Last week(which was a strange 3 day week) I had my 1st grade classes create dinosaurs in collage. It is going to be part of a mural that I'm collaborating with the 1st grade teacher I had growing up in Ohio. Her kids are making dinosaurs too in collage & we're going to put them together in a mural. It will go on display here...then I'll send it to her to display there! Very excited to give this collaboration a try!!!

Alright..now for the lessons that will go with our pacing guide.

Clay Pinch Pots - Dinosaur eggs with baby dino's inside!

Drawing - Dino in habitat.

Painting - Large dino in center with patterns surrounding it.

Printmaking - Incised Plate with baby dino hatching from egg.

I think it is going to be a FUN 9 weeks of dino goodness!!!!

IT WORKS!!!

2012-01-09T18:05:00.000-06:00

I had seen on a few other blogs that teachers were using magazine pages for paint palettes. I just wasn't sure about how well it would work. However, last week I went to my cupboards and found that my cupboards were bare( I had no small paper plates left ). So magazine palettes it was. IT WORKED GREAT! I still like using small paper plates, but magazine pages are free & I have an endless supply.

So teachers that posted this idea..THANK YOU.

From Blogs to Bottle Caps

2012-01-06T12:10:00.002-06:00

	look inside

From Blogs to Bottle Caps

Here is the artical I wrote that is in SchoolArts Magazine!

HOW EXCITING!

Snowmen Portraits: Kindergarten

2012-01-04T16:47:00.002-06:00

Today I had my Kindergarten students create these fun snowman portraits.

Wasn't sure if I wanted to have them use paint the first day back to school, but it ended up working out...and they LOVED IT!

BACK TO WORK...but before I go...

2012-01-03T12:01:00.001-06:00

My kiddos usually are asleep when I go to work, but the Christmas break has them off their schedule a bit. So before I left for work this morning...I got some sweet time with my beautiful babies!

Madeline at the Louvre

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

We're on Christmas break right now...so that means extra time with the family. Margaret(my almost 3 yr old) & I were watching Madeline: Meet Me in Paris. I was excited to see one of the episodes was Madeline at the Louvre. There was a lot of good things about this episode...and it really did share a great deal of information about art. HOWEVER...something that did not set well with me was that they showed the Mona Lisa being larger than Miss Clavel! I know..it is a kids show...a cartoon, but really...could they not be a bit more realistic with the size?

Do you have good art shows/movies for kids?? Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists.....Dropping In On are the best I've found. I have a Barney video on shapes & colors that is ok. Not that I really have time to show videos in class?!?!?!

SchoolArts Magazine: February Edition

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

(This is January's Edition Cover)

So I just found out that my article "Blogs to Bottle Caps"(at least that is the title I sent)will appear in February's Edition of SchoolArts Magazine! I'm so excited!!!!! They told me at first it would appear in the next 24 months. I was really surprised when I got the e-mail that it would be so soon. I'm more than happy to sign autographs!(HA HA HA...I'M KIDDING!!!)

SKETCH BOOK CHALLENGE : NASHVILLE ART GANG

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you need a challenge to get you to do what you should already be doing. As art teachers(and former art teachers) it is easy to become bogged down in the day today & forget our inner artist. This blog is to encourage the inner artist of the Nashville Art Gang!

http://theartgangcollection.blogspot.com/

Who is the Nashville Art Gang?

We started "The Gang" back in 1997 when Nashville,TN hired 80+ art teachers to fill the elementary schools. The gang was born out of a bus ride, Sour Patch Kids, & talk of Veggie Tales. Some have left teaching art, some new faces were added...but we are forever The Art Gang.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Ho Ho Ho!!!!!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

So here is a project several years in the making! The bird house gourd was planted by my mother-in-law in the backyard of my old house when she came over to help take care of my wife(she had the flu or something?) while I was at work. The plant took over the back of my garage and started going into my neighbor's yard. We were not really fans of this plant to say the least!! Out of this horrible plant came only two good gourds. I decided that my mother-in-law needed to have them both! The first one came out super cute...covered in sunflowers with a cat's open mouth for the hole(made to look like her kitty). For some reason...the Santa was trippin' me up. She collects Santa's..so that is why I wanted to do one for her...but the neck/head/hat area was challenging to make work. So after becoming frustrated with Mr. Claus...I put him away for a couple years. For some reason..I decided to pull him back out this year & have another go at it(another Christmas Break project!!) This time I felt the results were acceptable. I know she'll like it...and probably be a bit surprised that all these years later that plant is still providing her with gifts!! ha ha Hopefully that won't encourage her to plant one of those darn things at our new place!!!!!! HA!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

From the Edinger Family to Yours!!!!

?!?!?!?500?!?!?!?!

2011-12-24T01:26:00.002-06:00

Today I officially hit 500 followers!

THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS

Just last year I was hoping to hit 100 followers by Christmas, and now

to be at 500 seems unreal! I know Pinterest has played a large part in

getting Art With Mr. E out there!!
I appreciate you all for stopping by for a visit &

all the amazing interaction/conversations/comments/e-mails that have

happened through this blog! Keep it up!!! We all grow when we

share life together!!

Artfully Yours,

Mr. E

The Day _____ Came To Life : 4th Grade

2011-12-20T15:38:00.000-06:00

I was in the midst of grading & forgot to take pictures of this project. I only managed to snap these two. It was a lot of fun..the students enjoyed creating narrative pictures using real/unreal objects & situations.

Random Snowmen Doing Un-Snowmen Things!

2011-12-19T23:27:00.000-06:00

Bottle Cap Snowman Complete!

2011-12-17T13:56:00.000-06:00

Finally...the bottle cap snowman is complete!!!! This 5 ft tall papermache based bit of wonderfulness was created by using tacky glue to adhere the white/clear caps to the paper structure(that was done by students as they finished their work..or before/after school. All colored caps I hot glued on...on top of the white/clear caps. The stick arms were provided by mother nature:) ha ha

Completed Circle Weavings : 3rd Grade

2011-12-15T06:30:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the completed circle weavings. For those of you wondering about the loom...I buy the "craft circles" that are in Sax/School Specialty, Dick Blick..etc. They have one side cardboard & the other white. The white surface is great for using markers on(though the kids still need to "deal" with the ridges created by the cardboard)

Ugly Sweater/Vest/Tie Day At TGE!

2011-12-14T23:19:00.000-06:00

I don't wear ties. I don't believe fat people(me being a fat person) should tuck their shirt in.....but a tie with an untucked shirt just isn't right(normally). Soooooo...I don't wear ties. However, I could not be a fun hater on Ugly Sweater/Vest/Tie Day!!!! When I got to school today I broke out the felt, beads, crayons,and hot glue. In less then an hour...this beauty was around my neck! It is good to ooze creativity & be able to pull something this grand off! :) HA

OH...ALMOST FORGOT TO AWESOME COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS!

"MR. E...THAT TIE IS SO YOU!" (not sure how to take that?)

STUDENT: "MR. E..WHY ARE THERE CRAYONS ON YOUR TIE?"

MR. E: "SO I CAN COLOR WITH MY BELLY(SHAKING MY BELLY AROUND)"

Snowpeople Lookin' Here, There, & Everywhere!

2011-12-14T10:58:00.000-06:00

I don't recall where I saw this lesson, but I thought it was a fun idea! I had my 3rd graders make snowmen from three different points of view: Front, Profile, and 3/4 Turn. I didn't get pictures of a couple classes..which I'm sad about. It is so funny to see some of the personalities of their snowpeople. The one that is one up from the bottom on the right..with the red & green hat looks like an old cranky man to me! They used oil pastels to color..but construction paper crayons could have worked as well.

Pinterest Project : TP Roll Snowflakes

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know they kind of look like flowers, but use your imagination people!

We used paper towel & tp roll tubes, rulers, pencils, scissors, glue, & glitter.

Cut the tubes in 1 inch sections...you'll need 6 of them to make each "snowflake". One of the key things is to not use too much glue in attaching the sections together. I glue & stack all six pieces together...holding for a minute or so before opening it up. Then glue the end pieces together to complete the building of the piece. Then have a plate of glue and dip it from there...into a plate of glitter. Rinse and Repeat! :) HA!

I had my 4th graders do this..but it could easily be done by 2nd or 3rd as well.

TIRE ART?

2011-12-13T07:25:00.002-06:00

So this morning I dropped my car off to get a tire replaced...and this is what I saw when I walked in! I LOVE IT!!!! If any of you are in the Nashville area..come to Gateway Tire..they are awesome(an not just because of the cool tire tree!!)

Gateway Tire

209 Jackson Meadows Drive

Hermitage,TN 37076

More Clay Masks: 3rd

2011-12-12T15:35:00.001-06:00

Though not as funny as Zombie Elf Pig...these are fine examples of my 3rd graders clay project!

Zombie Elf Pig

2011-12-10T00:13:00.001-06:00

REASON # 837 : WHY I LOVE MY JOB

Mr. E: "What is this?!?!?!"

Student: "A Zombie Elf Pig"

Mr. E: "Ummm...ok?!?! Is that an arm hanging out its mouth?!"

Student: "He was hungry!"

Clay Masks: 3rd Grade

2011-12-09T13:22:00.001-06:00

So several years ago I took a clay class where the instructor said that he often used acrylic paint with his younger students. Being a professional clay artist....I felt he gave me permission not to glaze everything! That was a weight off my shoulders. I have over 100 students in every grade level...20+ student in each class. It is so time consuming to glaze everything and fire it(and $$$). So...whatever you do...awesome...but I use acrylic paint for most of my clay projects. My 3rd graders did these fun masks..most with an animal influence. I'm praying my kiln holds out awhile longer...it is OLD...and I have no idea where the money would come from for a new one. I may try Donors Choice out.

The Sink From The Black Lagoon

2011-12-08T17:00:00.000-06:00

So every year...usually twice a year...THIS HAPPENS!

I was told I could not use Drano(but I have..didn't work). I was told they won't replace the

elbow join under the sink(cause I'm pretty sure since this room has been an art room for the past 20+ years..it has some gunk in it that will NEVER come out). I don't put anything down it that is questionable..but have to pay the price(cause Lord only knows when they'll come and "fix" it??!?) Any tips? Ideas? Money to have it all replaced??? :) ha ha

Line Design Explained : Deluxe Edition

2011-12-07T14:30:00.000-06:00

I was asked if I could go into a bit more detail concerning the Line Design "process". I think the easiest way is with a few more pictures than my previous post on "how to". I hope this helps...and as always...if you ever have questions about anything on my blog...e-mail me at artwithmre@yahoo.com

The materials you need for this project are good drawing paper(9x12...but could be done any size), Sharpie Marker, and your choice of media(see the bottom of this post for some ideas).

Start with a gentle curve line across the paper. Don't go too crazy hilly with the line...it will make it difficult in the steps that are to come!

Place eight dots on the line spaced at different distances.

Go dot - to - dot across the entire line. Do not continue to do this however...or it will create a kind of boring column like work(going straight up & down).

As you are going dot -to- dot, you need to "camp out" on some of the segments. This will help them to balloon out & look oh so cool! This will also cause others to be "pinched off"...and that is fine. The lines need to continue off of the paper...and should not just stop cause they are close to the edge. As it gets bigger and bigger, the lines will have to be shared going back to the dot...and yes..they should really go back to the dot. Going back to the dot each time creates the darker shadow"ish" areas that help create depth.

The two pictures above are the WRONG way to do this. The lines should NEVER criss-cross each other. I tell my students that the lines can share a path...but never cross over another line. The second picture is the "RAINBOW CONNECTION". It is a lot easier to do it that way..but it is not correct.

So here you see the results of the ballooning out, pinching off, and going off the edge of your paper.

I thought I'd show you how different media works in this project

1. Watercolor Pencil - A little labor intensive, after you color it..you have to go over with with a brush.

2. Watercolor - I like this a lot, but you would need to make sure the students understood to not put color beside color because of bleeding.

3. Crayons - This works much like colored pencils, but they are a bit chunkier so it's hard to get into the small spaces.

4. Colored Pencil - This is how I usually do the project with my students...I love colored pencils!

5. Marker- This kind of takes the shading element out of the project, but if you were going more for color families and such...could work!

Weaving With Ribbon: 2nd Grade

2011-12-06T16:30:00.000-06:00

A few years ago I was given a TON of green ribbon. Small skeins of it....probably around 40+. I've really not known how to use it....but didn't want to get rid of it. Well...with my crazy busy life...I decided I'd use it for fabric weaving with 2nd grade. The looms are not huge I'm using so it actually worked wonderfully. It was a big time saver for me....cutting the fabric down for this project last year took forever!

Penguins Make Me Smile: Kindergarten

2011-12-06T08:39:00.001-06:00

This week my Kindergarten students have been working on patterns. We read one of my many winter penguin books & created this wonderful works of art. I had encouraged them to give the penguin a little personality...and to my great joy...they did!!!

Snowball People: Faculty Project

2011-12-01T13:23:00.001-06:00

Last year the faculty created snowpeople! THEY WERE AMAZING!!! I had found the link on another blog...and "borrowed" the idea. Here is the link to what last years creations looked like.

http://artwithmre.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowmen-st-at-tge.html

This year we're going 3-D. SNOWBALL PEOPLE!! I had my practicum student stuff & tape white lunch sacks for the body. The instructions are to create a "creature" that looks like/represents them...or something that they enjoy. I can't wait to share the results in the next month!!!

Bottle Cap Snowman: Sneak Peek!

2011-11-30T16:56:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you get a million white bottle caps?!?!

MAKE A SNOWMAN!

Practicum Students Rubric Bulletin Boards

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

My practicum students from MTSU are required to create a bulletin board as part of their placement. I had shared with them that I was wanting to make very graphic..easy to follow rubrics for my wall so students could do self assessment. Here are the results.

Over all this was a beautiful display. The only thing I would have changed was having consistant colors for the YES! Kind of.. & Needs More Time(YES! all blue..etc)

This was created for 2nd grade, but I feel could be used through 4th grade.

Winter Mural: K - 2nd

2011-11-28T20:31:00.001-06:00

The past few years, I've tried to do murals with my students...but mainly when it serves my purpose. This usually being those odd weeks during holidays that would throw the flow of my projects way off because the weeks are only 2 or 3 days long. The inspiration for this piece comes from Pinterest...and I've posted it & the links below. I'm still thinking about having some classes create a few more pieces for it, but we'll have to see.

The boarder was created for a print making lesson by Kindergarten using toilet paper rolls.

The sky is a watercolor lesson created by 2nd graders after studying Van Gogh

The houses are greeting card envelopes & collage(I had received a large box of envelopes last year, but wasn't sure what to do with them...I think this worked out well!) The two story one is two envelopes. That was created by my practicum students(the three people in the windows are dead on them!!)

I had one another Kindergarten class do tints to create the snowy landscape. The cars/trucks and trees were created by a second grade class.

Like I said...I really would love to add to this, but we'll have to see if I can find the time before Christmas break.

This is the inspiration piece I found on Pinterest!

http://pinterest.com/pin/212865519857041246/

It originally comes from Gallery 2404.

http://gallery2404.blogspot.com/2011/01/five-finished-winter-murals.html

BLACK FRIDAY

2011-11-25T22:05:00.001-06:00

Greetings my bloggie friends!! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving(those of you in the US), and that you survived Black Friday. This picture(a dramatization of how tired I was) was taken upon my return from Black Friday shopping. I never do this(once before in all my years..but it was nothing like this). I got in line at Belk at 12:30ish in the am...for its 3am opening. I love my wife that much!!!! :) ha ha I had the paper with all the items she circled. Really...it was worth it. The savings was AMAZING. After that I went to several other locations. My personal fav. place I went to this crazy shopping day.... JO-ANN'S!!!!!!!!!

If you didn't go today..don't worry...sales there are going on till Sunday!!!!

http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp

I got a 3 pack of pre-stretched 2 ft. square canvas that normally runs $34... 60% off...and then another 25% at the register with a coupon!!! Gotta love that!! Now to find the time to do something with them?!?

Have You Heard of This?

2011-11-23T00:14:00.001-06:00

The Miami Beach Art Basel

I've never heard of it before...but it sounds AWESOME!

Wish I could go.

http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/

MonoPrint Fish: 2nd Grade

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

So here is what you need to do this project (though there are many ways to do a monoprint..this is just the way I did it this time around!) : waterbottle, water soluble oil pastels (Portfolio Series are AMAZING), brayer, and some 80 or 90 lb paper.

This project lends itself to any theme really...you just don't want to do anything with really fine details because of the thickness of the oil pastels(and the bleeding/smudging that happens during printing).

Welcome My New Best Circle Weaving Friend: The Cheat Plate

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Last year my student teacher decided to create a "cheat plate" for some of my students struggling with marking their circle looms. I have always made my students mark, cut, and warp their own looms. I feel that gives a better understand of the total weaving package!! It isn't ways fun & games...sometimes it is frustrating....sometimes it is more math & science than art. However, with only seeing my students one day a week...and the holidays eating into my schedule a little...I needed a time saver. The "Cheat Plate" was exactly what I needed to speed up the process a bit so we could actually get to weaving. It still is in their hands to do...but saves a lot of time and frustration on their part. I made enough to have one at each table.

If you aren't a "circle weaver"...the reason you might need a cheat plate is to evenly space your marks around the circle. If the marks are not even...the weaving will take place off center...which means a smaller weaving for the student. The wedges are cut out around the "Cheat Plate" so that students can take a marker and draw from the center of the wedge out.

This creates a near perfect balance of lines around the circle...there are always little mistakes here and there, but over all...this worked like a DREAM!

They are doing a great job so far...and should be done weaving next class time..and will be able to start decorating the plate.

If you are new to my blog...and have not seen me do this lesson in the past...here are the links. I give a lot more info on how to do the warp...and other info you might think useful on weaving. The circle weaving is toward the bottom of the weaving posts...so you'll need to scroll down for this weaving project.

Check it out!

http://artwithmre.blogspot.com/search/label/Weaving

Old Mother Hubbard Went to the Cupboard

2011-11-17T11:46:00.001-06:00

Actually...Ol' Mr. E went to the cupboard....and this is what I found!?!?!?

I am thankful for all that I do have....don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to worry about what I don't have so far this school year....MY SUPPLY MONEY!! I know many schools have little to no budget for their art teachers, but I have always been blessed with at least $2 to $3 a child(depending on budget cuts given years). Now...that is still a challenge to buy supplies for 550+ students that have art once a week for 36 weeks (think about doing a quality project for $0.06 a child each week). Go to Michael's or Jo-Ann's and see if they can find a project that can be done for that!!! :) ha ha ANYWAYS!?!?!?!?!? The money is at the school now...but has not been "released" to be used yet. I'm good on most of my supplies....but my tempera paint, good drawing/painting paper, glue, and my construction paper(some colors) are starting to run dangerously low. For those of you who get nothing...I'm sorry if I'm sounding ungrateful. I know I am blessed!!!! But for me...at my school....for my program....I am not use to this. Even if they released the money this week....I probably would not get my supplies till almost Christmas break. That being said...I am an art teacher...AND I WILL BE CREATIVE IN MY TEACHING & THE SUPPLIES I USE!!!! :) ha ha That is what we do...we make it work(thanks Tim Gunn for letting me use that).

The Gift of a Bulletin Board

2011-11-14T22:31:00.001-06:00

So I posted about my friend Mrs. Forney returning the world of art teaching...and I want to thank everyone that went and posted a note to encourage her in her teaching & blogging!! You all are the best!!! I had told her some time ago that as a welcome back present that I'd create a bulletin board for her. Ya know how those things go sometimes....best of intentions, but teaching...family...LIFE?!?!...and time seems to get away from you. So after a well placed jab on Facebook...I FINALLY created some bulletin boards for her! Sometimes I think I'd love a side job of doing boards in a bag...think I could make some money?? ha ha

ps..I hope you like them Melissa!!!

Great Color Theory Website

2011-11-13T20:49:00.001-06:00

I was just random Googling Color Theory and came across this wonderful site!

http://www.worqx.com/color/index.htm

New Blog/Old Teacher

2011-11-12T01:00:00.000-06:00

HA HA HA!!! I wanted to feature an ol' friend of mine, Mrs. Forney. She was part of the original art gang here in Nashville(this was a group of 5 of us art teacher that adopted each other after leaving our home state to move to Nashville to start our teaching career back in 1997). She moved to Ohio with her husband's work & has been out of the profession(because there are few art jobs in Ohio) for several years. Now she's back and blogging(peer pressure from the Nashville Art Gang)!!! Check out her site...she's just getting started though...so if you can stop and give her some encouragement...that would be awesome!!

Tell her Mr. E sent ya!

http://learninglifethroughart.blogspot.com/

Art Night for the Teachers: Winter Wreath

2011-11-11T11:51:00.001-06:00

You will need a wire circle form to create your wreath. Yes..you could use a coat hanger, but I just didn't have time to unbend/rebend all of those hangers for each of my teachers that were participating. Plus, the size was a bit bigger than our time frame would allow for creating the wreath. I picked up the wire from Wal-Mart for about $4..and had a ton left over!

Once again..because of time....I precut all the fabric(though some teachers brought there own to add into the mix). This took a large chunk of my time....but ya do what ya gotta do! ha ha I purchased everything on sale...and Wal-Mart had tulle for 97cents a yard. I had blue, white, and several types of tulle(some sparkly!!). The teacher were encouraged to mix and match the different colors & textures.

You knot the fabric around the wreath. One knot will do. The fabric needs to be twisted here and there a bit as you place it on the wire so that the fabric is FLUFFY! Packing it tight helps make it extra fluffy!!

You can get the do-dads of your choosing to your wreath. I found wonderful small shatterproof balls, snowflakes, and jingle bells all 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I encouraged the teachers to bring in their own though to make it more personal.

This was my example for the group. This was done on a regular hanger I bent to a circle..a bit larger than I'd like....live and learn!

This was created by a teacher friend ( and close personal friend) for her daughter. Though honestly...she is pink & sparkly too!!! ha ha

(I forgot to take pictures that night...so I'm going to add more pictures to this post as I can collect them!!!)

Color Blending Pumpkins : 1st Grade

2011-11-09T22:00:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I like to shoot for the moon....many times it never leaves earth's atmosphere...and sometimes it goes far beyond my wildest imagination. Many times this is the same lesson..and the same class!!! This lesson is an example of that. I like to push my students to think beyond grabbing one green to color the grass...or in this case...grabbing one orange to color the pumpkins.

And you'll always have those that march to the beat of their own drum...

Last Set...I PROMISE!!! (& more info on the lesson)

2011-11-09T10:11:00.000-06:00

Ok, so last week we had parent teacher conference...so one of my 2nd grade classes was not able to finish their project. So here is the last set...I PROMISE!!!! Some of you asked what I was teaching/asking for from my students...so I thought I'd repost the info from when this saga first began! ha ha

My 2nd graders spent most of 1st nine weeks learning about & creating abstract art...in all its forms! They loved it!!!! I revisited the idea of non objective art & focal point(a lesson we did during the 1st nine weeks). We reviewed radial symmetry and discussed circular design. Then I dropped the bomb...YOU WILL NOT BE DRAWING WITH A PENCIL FIRST...YOU WILL BE DRAWING WITH BLACK PAINT!

I really enjoyed the reaction of my students when I said this. We discussed what could be some of the issues with doing this...and worked through our fears. The first day consisted of them "drawing" their circular design, and then receiving 2 colors of their choising to paint part of their picture. They were told they'd be finished the work the following week with 3 more colors (so they needed to make some choices about what color goes where). The main thing was that there had to be total coverage...NO WHITE! We looked at art work by Kandinsky & Miro.

Even More Circular Design Paintings: 2nd Grade

2011-11-03T21:14:00.001-05:00

I really hope ya'll are not getting tired of these...because there may be one or two more posts as the rest of my classes finish their work. This group I felt has done the best so far. I placed them outside my room as soon as they were dry, and the response from the students & faculty has been amazing!

More Circular Design Paintings: 2nd Grade

2011-11-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

This was my Wed. crew. I was as happy with the finished project as a whole, but over all these were pretty good. It is amazing how you can teach the same lesson from day to day...and the results are so vastly different. (wait till you see Thursday's work...WOW!!!)

Fall Tree Painting: Kindergarten

2011-11-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

This project involved a lot of prep work & a lot of me running around like a crazy man, but the results were great...and the kids loved it. We talked about watercolor paint & its qualities. After a demo..students went back to their seats and did a watercolor wash background. Then we discussed tempera paint & its qualities. I demo'ed the tree trunk & branches...then sent the students back to create. I passed paint & new(cheapy brushes). I've found that the black is the devil to get out of my multipurpose brushes I usually love to use for everything. While they were working I picked up the watercolor supplies. I then brought them up for a third demo on how to pounce their brush...and use yellow & red to make orange. The results are beautiful!

Circular Design :2nd Grade

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Can I just tell you how in love I am with these paintings!?!?! The color is AMAZING! I am sure as the week goes on I'll be posting more of this project.

SO WHAT IS THE PROJECT?!?

We first reviewed radial symmetry and discussed circular design. Then I dropped the bomb...YOU WILL NOT BE DRAWING WITH A PENCIL FIRST...YOU WILL BE DRAWING WITH BLACK PAINT!

TAEA CONFERENCE: Award Winners

2011-11-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

I love that our trophy is actually a mug created by a TN artist!!! It isn't attached to the base at all....functionally wonderful!

TAEA STUDIO CLASS: Book Making

2011-11-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

These first three pictures are of my fall book. I did not add all the extra elements because I decided I want to put fall pictures of my kids in the squares. I really enjoyed this process though, and like the elements others added in to their book(mine were just going to be seperated). The pictures that follow are from other teachers that were in my class...appreciate them letting me show their work here on Art With Mr. E!!!

These last two elements are added into some of the other books, but I thought that they could make fun Christmas ornaments! I'm going to have my daughter handpaint paper...then I'll turn them into ornaments for the grandparents. Amazing how we see things differently once we have kids of our own?!?! :) ha ha

TAEA STUDIO CLASS: Fabric Collage

2011-10-31T23:05:00.000-05:00

So we had some amazing choices of studio classes to select from....I really had trouble deciding! On Friday I had a 5 hour class on fabric collage. The main thing in this is that you place tulle over the image and sew that down. It keeps everything in place. Not really something I'll be able to do with my students, but sure did have fun!!! I'm thinkin' of breakin' out my sewing machine and continuing on with this. These examples are from several of the teachers in the class with me. Some AMAZING pieces.

TAEA CONFERENCE 2011 : Memphis College of Art

2011-10-31T15:46:00.000-05:00

I had never been to Memphis(having lived in TN for 15 yrs...shame that I had not been!), and was so excited to go to this year's conference there!!! It was held at Memphis College of Art....totally in love with this building! What a beautiful fall weekend to have it too! The trees were amazing & the air very brisk(which I love). However, most of my time was spent inside. I took two 5 hr studios(more on that later), went to several "sessions", enjoyed eating with new & old friends, got my award for being State Elementary Art Teacher of the Year, and enjoyed BBQ Nachos at Central BBQ(AMAZING). I'll have seperate posts for the studio classes & the awards ceremony over the next couple days. Hope many of you were able to attend your state conferences...what a joy to gather with like minded people & share the good, bad, and the funny! To all my new blog readers from the conference...welcome!!! Don't be a stranger...comment/e-mail/share!!!!!

Observational Drawing of a Shoe w/ a Twist!

2011-10-29T23:25:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a unit with forth grade this nine weeks that deals with reality & fantasy. We discussed the need for fantasy to possess elements of reality so that our minds could more readily grasp the information being presented. We looked at & discussed surrealism...as well as different examples from literature. Students were asked to pull one shoe off and create a realistic observational drawing of that shoe. After a half hour(half of the class time), students were asked to turn their realistic picture of a shoe into a fantasy drawing that had to include an environment. The results were amazing! The old tired shoe lesson now has new life!!!!!!!! Oh...and FYI...make sure you open your windows/doors when doing this lesson!! 4th grade feet are terribly stinkie!!!!!!!!!

Pittsburgh Children's Museum

2011-10-27T08:09:00.001-05:00

During our fall break(we get a week off) trip to see my family & friends in KY, OH, WV, & PA we were going to spend a bulk of our time outside of Pittsburgh, PA. I was really hoping to get to the Warhol Museum (he was from Pittsburgh), but wanting to spend time with my family...I went with them to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! So many fun interactive things throughout the museum (non-art), but they have a GIGANTIC art area. I mean....dreamy big!!!!!! Here are some pictures with my daughter enjoying the art experience! If you are near Pittsburgh...or are going to be visiting..make time to go to the Children's Museum. (also a bunch of Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood stuff..he was from Pittsburgh too!)

http://www.pittsburghkids.org/

Bottle Cap Art At the Cincinnati Zoo

2011-10-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

I was told about this mural at the Cincinnati Zoo when we were working on our bottle cap mural. I was excited to see how they went about theirs. I loved that they used old CD's in their design....what a great idea. The sun reflected beautifully off of them! This was our first stop during our fall break. One of my best friends from college(and groomslady in my wedding) lives just out side of Cincinnati. She has 3 kids(all girls)..and expecting a boy any day now! We had a great time at the zoo...and getting to see this was an added bonus!

400!!!!

2011-10-19T11:21:00.002-05:00

400 Following Art With Mr. E!!!!

SO EXCITING!! THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO CHECKS IN!

We are on fall break right now...and I have some fun pictures to post when

we get to use our own computer!!

Finish Up Day: How I Grade

2011-10-13T01:36:00.001-05:00

The last day of the 9 weeks I have "Finish Up Day". The students get all their work back from the 9 weeks and have a chance to continue working on several pieces. I do not get out glue, scissors, paint.....but will give the students markers, crayons, colored pencils. Students are told to start with the picture that need only a little more attention to be complete. Then they move on to the other pieces. While they are working, I bring students up to my table to review their work. We talk about the fav. pieces, hardest pieces, things they could improve...etc. It is more or less a portfolio review. I love having the chance to ask questions, encourage, and challenge my students in their art work. I also love letting them know what I am thinking concerning their work. A grade on a report card is very "detached". This makes it personal.

GradeSpeed: Online Grade Book

2011-10-12T08:41:00.000-05:00

So this year we are full out using GradeSpeed. Last year many schools piloted it, but not it is everyone's baby! So far...not a fan. I'm sure once I get use to it...things will go faster & I'll enjoy some of the features. HOWEVER...yesterday I about punched the computer screen. After doing portfolio reviews with my 4th graders and getting their grades entered in....the screen flashed and everything was gone! I lost a whole class worth of grades(and an hour of my life). So I had the students leave their work, and I came in extra early today to redo their grades...hitting save after every student. We think the issue could have been that I was working off of WiFi ...and it is kind of hit & miss at times. So today the cable is hooked up..and I'm ready to go!! OH...also...my student teacher is done today...so after fall break you will hopefully see more Mr. E posts of amazing art work by kids!!!!! :)

Teacher Art Night: With A Purpose

2011-10-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

Last week at our Brushes & Beverages night with the classroom teachers it was suggested that we get together again before our annual Fall Festival (this week!!!)to paint another picture for the silent auction. They were thinking the kids might want to buy paintings done by their teacher. Extremely short notice...and lack of funds....I sent an e-mail to the teachers Tues. that Wed. I'd be in my classroom till 5 & that I'd host another painting time for the purpose of auctioning them off at the silent auction. However, I'd need $2 a person to be able to buy canvases for the teachers. 9 teachers came!!!!!!! I think that is pretty awesome. Once again...we had a great time, and some beautiful pictures were made!! I'll let you know how the silent auction goes next week.

?Cost for Private Lessons?

2011-10-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Alright...I need some thoughts on this. I have been contacted by a former parent who would like for me to give private lessons for her two daughters. The older girl was one of my students...and was WONDERFUL. I never taught the younger sister....they moved from our zone before she was in school. Amazing art lovin' family...it would be fun to do!! Then they are talking to another former student to see if she would like to join the fun. She to was great & loved art! STILL FUN! THEN....they have talked to two other students that go to school with the youngest girl. So 5 kids...2 I know well. The age range is 7-12(I think 12). What do you charge for an hour in this situation?!?!?! I really have no idea. THOUGHTS/PERSONAL EXPERIENCES PLEASE!

Why Aren't More Involved?

2011-10-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

I'm wondering if other states are having the same issue as us....membership? Why aren't more art educators involved with their state organization? How do we encourage others to join? WHY SHOULD THEY? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? I have been a member for most of my career (there has been a year or two where I let my membership lapse), but I love belonging. I don't need a reason other than I'm an art educator & these are my people. However, others need to have a greater understanding of why they should join, what is the benefit of membership, and how does it make a difference in our profession. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

IT'S AN HONOR JUST TO BE NOMINATED...

2011-10-03T12:07:00.002-05:00

BUT IT IS SUPER COOL TO WIN!

You are looking at the Tennessee Elementary Art Teacher of the Year!

In the midst of an extremely crazy roller coaster week last week...I got the news.
I'm extremely excited...very honored...and kind of in disbelief!
When I started teaching in 1997, this was never even a thought!?! I was happy to have a job I loved. Over the years, so many doors have opened for me to do things at the local, state, and national level. This blog has allowed me to interact with other amazing art educators on a global scale. This has kept the job interesting & challenging...but at the heart of it...I am happy to have a job I love.
This award is just icing on an already delicious cake!

(the pic was just a silly attempt at me being pageanty! ha ha)

The Mayor's Project: Mayor Dean & 1st Grade

2011-10-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

So the project was a mixed media folk art landscape. Knowing that the Mayor's time in my room could cause things to not go according to plan...I precut the fabric for the ground & the blue tissue paper for the sky....as well as boxed up the puzzle pieces & sticks for each table(I'd normally not do all of this). I was mostly interested in seeing students' construction. After students had finished gluing all their pieces down, I gave them a plate of red, yellow, orange, and green tempera paint to go over their puzzle pieces. If students finished with painting their leaves, they were allowed to get wood circles to create pumpkins.

Mayor Dean was in my room for about 20 minutes...so he was unable to finish his picture. I truly appreciated him getting in there and working along side my students though!

Here is Mayor Dean's work!

Nashville's Mayor Kicks Off Artober at TGE

2011-10-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

This is "The Arts" team at Tulip Grove! Mr. Atkins & Mrs. Turner

are our music teachers(and they are amazing!).

Mayor Dean speaking to the press in our media center(I left the pics out of me speaking!!ha ha).

Lots & lots & lots of media! All of Nashville's news crews & several papers!

Mayor Dean joined us in the art room for a lesson(the art work for this lesson

will be in my next post). We did Mixed Media Folk Art Landscapes(I like wordie lessons!).

Mayor Dean joining the kiddos...ready to work!

PEOPLE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! It was like a day at the zoo in the art room....and I

was the animal they came to see!!! ha ha

Seemed like he was getting into it right before he had to leave(did not get to finish..had to

go to the music room...tight schedule).

Artober at TGE: Channel 5 Nashville

2011-09-30T13:23:00.002-05:00

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/15581167/mayor-dean-kicks-off-artober-nashville-thursday

This is Channel 5's report! (thanks to Tiffany Johnson..the online news producer for getting me the link!)

ARTOBER at TGE: Channel 4

2011-09-30T11:32:00.004-05:00

This is the footage from Channel 4 News from the Artober Kick Off that was held at my school.

Bottle Cap Mural: COMPLETE!!!!!!

2011-09-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

I arrived at school before 7 this morning so I could "install" the mural before the Mayor came. My amazing friend who cut & base coated the wood also drilled holes along the sides of each board. I was able to wire the panels together once I leveled them out in the mulch. The response to the project was AMAZING & IMMEDIATE !! As I was wiring it together.... people slowed down & yelled out their car windows telling me how awesome it looked. I had students & parents coming to take pictures before I was even finished! Our school secretary snap a picture with her iPhone and uploaded it to Facebook before she stepped foot in the school. I hope that it can stand up to the weather & children(I have a fear of kids picking the lids off!). I have plans for bottle cap murals inside the school too....but it is going to be awhile before I can replenish the supply!

Dino Babies Have Hatched At Tulip Grove: 4th Grade

2011-09-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

BRUSHES & BEVERAGES: TGE TEACHER ART NIGHT

2011-09-28T22:37:00.002-05:00

There were 20 teachers/staff in the art room by 3:30 today...ready for our first ever Brushes & Beverages! My principal had asked me if I'd be willing to organize this event for our faculty. I was not realizing it was going to be in the midst of a very crazy week for me, but I AM SO GLAD WE DID IT!!! What a wonderful thing to come together & create....leaving the worries of our job/life behind (if only for a couple hours). At the area painting places...the instructor usually has a very scripted teaching style & the art work tends to look exactly the same. I am not that type of teacher. THANK GOODNESS!! Take a look at the paintings & check out how different & wonderful they are. Amazing how the personalities came out on many of them. My instruction was to create a sunflower(ish). Stencils were provided for the fearful. Before every arrived, I plated basic flower colors for everyone, but had other colors. I presented options but left it open for people to create their own original work My role was to help, encourage, and answer questions.

Fall Prints : 2nd Grade

2011-09-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

My student teacher, Ms. Piper, deserves a lot of props for this project! She spent an amazing amount of time collecting leaves so the students had an interesting variety to use. I love the results. I have to be honest, I had never tried this with my students before. I'm amazed by the detail that actually come out!!! We used tempera paint to print with.

Bottle Cap Mural : In Progress

2011-09-23T09:44:00.001-05:00

This 1st panel is complete for the most part. We are leaving the gray capless. It is an exterior house paint(about three coats to protect the board)...and I like the look of it with the bright colorful caps.

The 2nd board is well underway, but I've got an issue. There are not a lot of purple caps out there!!! I had a large bag full of purple from all the caps my students had been bringing in since the start of the school year & my dumpster diving at the recycling drop off near my school. However, what I wasn't realizing was I was only getting a few purples here and there. So now I am left with a large purple section that is uncovered. I went dumpster diving last night...and only found 4. So now I am thinking I'll use fun foam & cut circles from that to finish off the purple section. Cheating...maybe...but I really want to have this complete by the time the mayor comes next week!!

ARTOBER IS COMING!

2011-09-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

Tulip Grove is the offical site for the ARTOBER kickoff!!!! A week from today, the mayor(with Nashville's news community..paper/tv in tow) will come to Tulip Grove Elementary to participate in music & art classes...and to make the formal announcement for the first ever ARTOBER for our city! This is an amazing honor & I've been busy getting everything in tip top shape! I'll put up pictures once everything is completed & report to you how the day went!

WHAT IS ARTOBER?

Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have designated October 2011 as National Arts and Humanities Month. In recognition of this month-long celebration, the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and Now Playing Nashville will host Artober Nashville to inform and inspire the community’s awareness of and participation in an array of arts and cultural activities throughout Nashville.

The goal of Artober Nashville is for every Nashvillian to experience the arts during the month of October. The Metro Nashville Arts Commission is partnering with dozens of arts and cultural organizations to highlight the depth and breadth of arts activities with official Artober Nashville events. Activities include visual and performing arts, music, craft, film and commercial businesses presenting arts activities (such as restaurants that curate art exhibits).

TO LEARN MORE & FIND OUT ABOUT ARTS ACTIVITIES, CHECK OUT THE ARTOBER NASHVILLE WEB SITE!

http://artobernashville.com

Watercolor Fish : Kindergarten

2011-09-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

Kindergarten has been working on an underwater unit with my student teacher(something I usually do at the start of the school year). We've been mainly looking at fish and the shapes used to create them. We've worked in marker, crayon, collage, and watercolor. They did do a crayon resist first, but letting them explore watercolor was the primary objective.

Special Art Room Guest

2011-09-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

NO PICTURES PLEASE!!!!! :) ha ha He doesn't get this from me. I'm all about the pictures!!

*****************************************************

Tuesdays are a special day for me...my wife has a mom's group at church(which is right around the corner from my school)...and she & Eli come and visit me during lunch! I get some time with my little guy & get a chance to show him off! (no..not a proud dad at all!! ha ha)

The Capping Begins!!!

2011-09-20T11:49:00.001-05:00

So after school yesterday I spent about an hour in Home Depot reading the back of every bottle in the caulking and adhesive section. I know so many of you said to use screws, but I just didn't feel that was an option for me. Limited budget, limited ability, and limited use to power tools! Plus, I'm having students do this during classtime & pulling kids out from other classes to work on it. Using a powerdrill in my room would not be a good thing! My first thought was Liquid Nails. They use that stuff all the times in the schools here in MNPS to stick things up!! However, after reading the back...it said something about keeping out of temps below 40 degrees. I want this outside through the winter....so that is just not an option. I ended up going with DAP Dynaflex 230. It is an indoor/outdoor sealant/adhesive/caulk. It is waterproof & paintable(so I can touch up if the kids get a little too much on the caps). I'll let ya know how it goes long term. Right now though...it seems to be stickin' them one pretty good!!! Oh...on a side note...be careful what Home Depot person you talk to about your crazy art projects!!!! The dude last night looked at me as if I had three heads...threw up his hands and said "I have no idea what would work for your artsy thing".

I had two teacher kids(and also amazing artists) come in this morning and give it a try! They enjoyed it & handled the adhesive well! So exciting to see it start to come to life!!

Bottle Cap Mural T.G.E. Style

2011-09-19T22:01:00.002-05:00

Bottle Caps still coming in!!!! (I think I'll keep on collecting them for the next project)

I sent home this worksheet with my 3rd & 4th graders on Friday. I explained what I was looking for & that I wanted it returned Monday morning (wow...so glad I don't usually give homework...80 out of about 200 students returned it.) On the worksheet there is a 2in. x 7in. rectangle for them to draw their design(corresponds with the 2ft. x 7ft. boards that we'll be using to attache the caps).

Here are the results of the worksheet! I went through and selected what I found to be the

most interesting designs.

My friend Michael O'Neil donated the boards, paint, and labor! THANK YOU MICHAEL!!!!!! If any of you are in the Nashville area...call M & M PAINTING!!!!!!!!!!!!

I transferred the designs onto the 2ft x 7ft boards.

I painted in the designs using the colors that will correspond to the colors of caps we have. The students will start putting the caps on this week!! I'm so excited!!!

This is where the mural will be going when it is all finished. I've never been a fan of our sign outside our school. It is boring, and the little blue post holding it up just looks out of proportion(it is a little over 7ft tall...but way to skinny).

I'm A Reading Teacher!?!?!

2011-09-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

I am a big believer in art being cross curricular in the art room. In my mind, it would be ridiculous to try to teach art isolated from the other subjects...where would we get our inspiration! I read to my kindergarten students every time they come to me. I read to other classes when I can. I have a large library of reference books for students on animals, geography, art...etc.

HOWEVER....I am not a reading teacher. I am not trained how to be a reading teacher. As much as I love to read, I was placed in slow readers when I was in elementary school & I have a learning disability (more with my spelling/writing than reading...but I think it is all connected when it comes to such disabilities).

Why do I bring this up?!? Well, the special area teachers at my school are now part of "Learning Labs" in the morning which are reading focused. They have taken away our morning duty so that are planning time starts at 7:45. That allows us to have from 8:45-9:15 for these "Learning Labs". I have 16 students in my group. I'm not looking forward to this. In the art room I am confident in my ablity. I know my subject matter & never fear trying new things because I have enough background knowledge in the arts to make any project "work". Reading however...I am not confident. I love to read. Before I had children I read all the time(I still read...but now kids books...not really anything for me). This does not make me qualified for being a reading teacher. They have a "program" for us to use...and we don't even have to plan. Yet I still fear being asked questions I am unable to answer....or doing something that isn't proper reading etiquette. I fear screwing these kids up!!! I feel like a legless man being asked to teach people how to run.

Do any of you have to teach outside of your subject area????

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...Alien

2011-09-18T12:01:00.002-05:00

Do you remember Big Mamma Alien from last year's art show? Well, she has found a new home...as well as some of the other bulletin board pieces I used for the show.

Ms. Malone (one of my best friends...Janet) is using a space theme for her classroom this year. So she adopted Big Mamma(I think she renamed her?)...and is using some other things I created. It's nice to know that they have new life in a new place. That is the upside to living in a district with so many art teachers...we can share!!! Check out her room(if you haven't already)!http://msmalonesartroom.blogspot.com/2011/08/bulletin-boards.html

Dinosaurs Are Not Extinct at Tulip Grove

2011-09-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago Dr. Rushlow (prof at MTSU & former NAEA pres.) e-mailed me and asked if I would be interested in a 9 ft long dinosaur. Ummmm....how does one respond to that? It isn't like you're asked that everyday?!?! She & her husband "rescued" it from Craigslist. A teacher had made it for something at her school and decided she wanted to get rid of it. It has wood & chicken wire armature, but was in need of a total body lift! The little boy in me said....YES!!!!!!!! DINOSAUR!!!!!!!!!!!!! But once I got it...the OCD in me goes...OH MY GOSH...DINOSAUR?!?!?! I repapered the entire thing with magazines & liquid starch. I then painted it using acrylic paint, and finsihed by giving it a clear polymer coat. I really wish I had a before picture so you could see just how much of a "lift" I gave my Artosaurus!!! So this is my big and beautiful 9ft dino.....NOW WHAT?!?!?!

I decided that Artosaurus needed babies! Kind of like how my big mamma alien last year! ha ha They are using TP rolls for the trunk of the dino, magazines, tape, and glue. They are turning out ok...but taking longer than I hoped! The mayor is coming to our school on the 29th of this month to kick off ARTOBER for all of Nashville(not just a school thing...the whole city is involved!). I'm going to be pushin' it to get these sweet little dinos ready!! Cross your fingers & wish me luck! :) ha ha

Abstract 3-D Paper Sculptures: 2nd Grade

2011-09-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

Ms. Piper is continuing with my abstract unit in 2nd grade. This lesson was so much fun & the kids really did a great job. I've hung some of them vertical in the display case & they look amazing! These are the wow factor when you have visitors coming to your school(the mayor of Nashville is coming in just a couple weeks..so this is on my mind! ha ha).

Fiskars Redeemed

2011-09-11T02:57:00.002-05:00

So a few posts ago I expressed my frustration with Fiskars classpack scissors. From your responses, I realized I was NOT alone. I thought that I should share this with the company. Well, the response I got was not exactly what I wanted. They simply said..."were you aware of our guarantee". The truth was...I did not until I had read some of the comments from that post. I figured that was the end of the dialog with Fiskars & my frustration had no true resolution. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I got home last night, there was a box on my front porch. Fiskars sent me a replacement set of scissors!!! They are a different model than the ones that kept breaking. So I am going to give Fiskars a second chance. I really do admire that they will stand behind their product(and that they will redesign when they realize they've gone in the wrong direction!). They still don't seem as good as the old ones I had 10 yrs or so ago, but they seem better than that last batch!!!

Skyline/City Scapes Mixed Media : 1st Grade

2011-09-10T09:45:00.022-05:00

Ms. Piper was finishing my lession I had started the previous week. The first day students watched a Power Point on Skylines/Cityscapes. They then drew a skyline and used tempera paint to create tints & shades. The this week they used construction paper to create layers of city buildings ontop of the tempera paint skyline. I really love the results.

Looking at Matisse : 2nd Grade Collage

2011-09-09T09:43:00.001-05:00

This is an actual collage by Matisse. It was in Ms. Piper's(my student teacher) Power Point she created to introduce the students to Matisse's later work.

Here are the student's version. I think this was a great first project for Ms. Piper! The only direction I gave her was that I wanted the unit on abstraction to continue!

Frank Gehry

2011-09-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

Thought You Might Need A Smile!!!!

2011-09-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

In case you needed a smile....here ya go! This is my sweet baby boy Eli Edward. He is 2 months old now...and growin' like a weed!! He's 13 lbs and 23 inches long!!

TN New Evaluation System: One size Does not Fit All

2011-09-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if other states are going through what we are ( TN is a Race to the Top state & to be that we have to jump through some hoops ). I am attaching the link of the teacher rubrics so that you can see what is being expected of us. You will see quickly that this was not designed for art, music, P.E, or any other special area teacher. CLICK HERE --> TN TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM

However, it isn't just unfair to special area teachers...the whole thing is unrealistic. The word on the street is that the principals were told not to give 5's. In my opinion if you are unable to get a score..than the system is unfair. That is like us having an A-F scale for grading, but never giving (or being able to give) an A. I'm pretty confident in my teaching (knowing I..like everyone...has room to grow). I personally feel I'm a 5 in many aspects of teaching...not being cocky...just know what my strengths are! However, as I look at the rubric...I could never score a 5 in many of the areas because of the nature of what we teach! In assessment & evaluation of my students under the heading PLANNING.....I received a 3. Even though I had 3 forms of assessment listed that I'd be using...and they saw 2 of them in action during my observation time.....because I did not having writing for included for this lesson...I received a 3. Oh...what was I teaching in that lesson??! Tints & shades skylines to 1st graders!!! Because in my one hour a week that I have the kids...while teaching a new concept and using tempera paint...I have time to break out the pencil and paper for my FIRST GRADERS to write about their project?!?!?!?! Oh my. Anyways.

Another result of this is unholy lesson plans!!!!!!!!!!!! The first week it took me about 4 hrs. I've heard classroom teachers working over 8 hrs! 9..10 page lesson plans are not unheard of under this new system. And those aren't getting teachers 5's! One teacher was informed if she just had written more to her plans she would have gotten a higher score....but it was fine if she wanted to be a 3 teacher. That is enough to really anger a person...because in our minds...a 3 is a C. My school is full of amazing type A personalities that expect much from theirselves and their students. No way in the world would they want to be considered a C.

Do you wanna see what others are saying about our evaluation system...read/watch this...it was on our local news. The principal says it will take him 300+ hrs just to do the evaluations this school year. Does your principal have enough time to spend 50 days out of the year just doing evaluations and nothing else?!?!?! click HERE to see the artical

Bottle Caps

2011-09-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

So I am going to try a bottle cap mural this year (hopefully this fall if I can get enough caps collected). Have any of you done this project for an outdoor piece? I am going to have my students work on a 7 ft tall...3ft wide(on all 4 sides) box. This will go around the pole that holds our school reader board sign up (a sign & pole I feel is super boring/unattractive). I was thinking about using caulking?!? Any other thoughts??? I want it to survive the winter...into the spring. Any tips/experiences shared would be welcomed!

Nonobjective Abstract Collage w/ Focal Point - 2nd Grade

2011-09-01T14:01:00.001-05:00

That's how we roll at The Grove....Make a project at the start of the year that uses as many vocabulary words as humanly possible to give the students art whiplash! ha ha ha I'm doing(and my student teacher will be taking over) a unit on abstract art work. I realized that I sometimes stay away from the topic because I'm afraid they won't "get it". Last week we created Cubist self portraits, this week these lovelies, next week we'll look at Matisse's later work, and the following week we'll create paper sculptures. The kids really seem to be enjoying looking at & creating this "crazy" art!

I've actually been pleased with how this project has been turning out. I've really enjoyed teaching the many ways focal point can be accomplished. Many have gone in the same direction in their collages, but if asked...they could name at least 4 different ways to achieve focal point(some maybe more).

Student Teacher

2011-08-30T12:13:00.001-05:00

I have a student teacher pretty much every year....but I've never had one this early! As much as I like to have my classes for the first few months to get them into shape, I think it is good for a student teacher to see the start of a school year. I being the control freak that I am...struggle to give up control of my classroom to someone else. HOWEVER...student teachers really bring a new flavor to the classroom. It allows you to reflect on your teaching practices as you watch them....they bring new project ideas to the room(usually)....and it is almost always nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of that actually knows what you are talking about!!! If you every have a student teacher...and want to talk things over with me...please drop me a line!!

Smart-Fab: My Review

2011-08-26T23:09:00.001-05:00

http://www.smartfab.com/

I was contacted by Smart-Fab to see if I'd like to try their product. What is their product?

Smart-Fab is an alternative to paper and cloth. The product is a non-woven fabric that comes in a range of bright, non-fading colors, easy to cut, fold, glue, sew and staple.

So they sent me some samples, and told me that I was under no obligation to write a review for them. However, I thought after takin' their product through the ringer...I wanted to write a review.

The first thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the package was that it was rather transparent. I placed it on my woodgrain tables and could see the woodgrain. This is not good or bad, just something I noticed. When I held it up to the light, I noticed that the color was a bit irregular and that there were light & dark "patches".
Once again, this is not a judgement...just the facts.

The blue sky & orange ground in the above picture is Smart-Fab. I glued paper on top of it, but it required a lot of glue to actually stick to the product.

I also used acrylic paint & Sharpie. The texture of the Smart-Fab came through when I used other media on top of it.

I tried using it instead of newspaper for paper mache. I dipped it in liquid starch and placed it on a face form(covered in plastic wrap). The Smart-Fab is soft so it did not want to hold the shape once it dried. I added a layer of glue & this gave it more rigidity.

The best use I found was as a textile. It was extremely easy to sew two pieces together. Good for quilt lessons or soft sculptures.

I use to do embroidery with my 4th graders every year(real needles & embroidery floss!). I never really had any issues with them stabbing themselves or each other, but for some reason...the fear of such a thing led me retire that lesson. HOWEVER...and I think this excites me most about this product....plastic needs & yarn go through with no issue! I can do embroidery again!!! I know you can use burlap, but YUCK..have you cut 100+ squares of burlap before??

So there ya go! I have a few other ideas I'd like to try with Smart-Fab, but those will have to wait. Have you used it? If so..what did you do? What did you think?? LET ME KNOW!