Friday, May 29, 2015

Artsy Bubble Wands

Pretty cool lesson...just need a few supplies...
 
You can pick up some of this at Walmart or Dollar Tree!
 
Just need some wire, glass beads, and a set of needle nose pliers
 
An bam...you have yourself an artsy new bubble wand!
When was the last time you blew bubbles?
Try it.
Enjoy - 1969

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Ice Cream Art Project

Third Grade makes Ice Cream even Ben and Jerry would envy!
 
Directions:
(2 class period project)
 
Color the background.  We used colored pencils and mostly circles.
Then, we took cardboard triangles and colored them with oil pastel to give the cone a texture.
Kids decorated with whatever we could find.  We used tissue paper, pom poms, pipe cleaners, and paper. 
Also, the kids used a glue gun on LOW HEAT to glue this project together.  Yes, they were third graders.  Yes, most of the kids had never used a glue gun.  Yes, many said my mom does not let me use the glue gun.  I said, "We have special glue guns that have a low heat setting.  We can so do this." And we did....See below.
 



Tom Hanks?
Well, I remembered the song from the movie Big that he sang: 
 
The space goes...
down down baby, down down the roller coaster.
Sweet sweet baby, sweet sweet don't let me go.
shimmy shimmy ko ko pop, shimmy shimmy rock,
shimmy shimmy ko ko pop, shimmy shimmy rock
I met a girlfriend- a triscuit,
she said a triscuit-a biscuit,
ice cream soda pop
vanilla on the top
oooo Shalida, walking down the street,
ten times a week
I meant it. I said it.
I stole my mama's credit.
I'm cool. I'm hot.
Sock you in the stomach three more times.
 

 
Here is another cool clip of Tom Hanks talking a little bit about himself as an actor.


So where did Shimmy, Shimmy Ko Ko Pop originate?  Little Anthony and the Imperials!
Way throwwwwwwwwback!  Check out Dick Clark in the beginning of the clip.  The Dick Clark Show (also known as Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show) was an American musical variety show broadcast weekly in the United States on the ABC television network 7:30-8 PM on Saturdays from February 15, 1958 through September 10, 1960, sponsored by Beechnut Gum, of course. 
 

 
1965

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Easy Art Lesson with Liquid Watercolors


It is the end of the year. I am trying my best to get my room cleaned up. You know it is one of those days at the end of the year that you have 3 options for kids in class, Art Games, Study Hall or Drawing. I have placed all painting supplies in the appropriate place for the summer. Low and behold, I am busy with paper work and I realize that 99% of my students are on task with options 1 - 3.  I start to watch this one 8th grade girl. She is just doing her own thing and mixing up concoctions of Sax Liquid Watercolor and Bubbles. Now, remember that was not one of my options for class. So, I am thinking, she has her art groove on...I am going to just let her be and see what she creates.

 

So glad that I let her create. Some of these pieces were stunning and way super fun for her to create!
 

You see, I am all about the teachable moment. I could have made her clean up it right then on the spot, but I wanted to watch her creative juices as they unfolded and I am so glad I did.

 

Some of the bubbles made no sense. Some were perfect with marbled textures in them.

 

This would be a great lesson to teach with anyone.
Creatively,
1969

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Take Me Home, Country Roads

During my fifth graders last year in elementary school, I wanted to introduce them to the T-square and perspective drawing.  As many of you know, a T-square is a very interesting object to kids.  They think it is a baseball bat, a hammer, or even a hacking tool.  So, I talked a little about the usefulness of the T-square.  Then, I explained to the kids that we would be using the T-square to make a perspective drawing.  Before I could hear sighs of fear and dread, I told the kids that we would be drawing country road scenes.  Bam!  Kids could relate to country roads.  Many of them drive down them every day.  We live in a rural area and country roads are a dime a dozen.  So, here we go.

Directions
 
Talk about perspective.
Get kids to draw a dirt road with trees and flowers surrounding the road.
Kids use oil pastels to outline.
Kids use watercolor to fill in and finish the painting.
 
The project took 3 (45 minute) class periods.
 
The results were pretty good. 


 
Throwing it back to John Denver and Take Me Home, Country Roads
 

 
Throwing it forward to Mike Doughty's version of Take Me Home, Country Roads
Mike is an interesting dude-Mike Info
 

 
And now back to Olivia Newton-John
 

 
1965

Monday, May 25, 2015

Shades Of Summer










Thank you to The Calvert Canvas: Adventures In Middle School Art for this super cool idea. Click here to see her lesson. We followed the same guidelines and produced these in Quarter 4 as we were  anticipating summer and what our plans would be. The portrait could be you or another person.

Enjoy! 1969

Friday, May 22, 2015

Salvador Dali's Butterfly Boats

Sail into SUMMER with Salvador!
 
 
Directions:
 
Show kids picture of Salvador Dali's Ship with Butterfly Sails
Tell them to draw a boat with Butterfly Sails.
We used colored pencil and marker.
Loved the results.
 
Dali's "Ship with Butterfly Sails" below
 
 
Kids' Art Below:





 
Love this. 
Love.
1965

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Expandable Drawings


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
Use 9x12 Paper
Markers or Crayons
Fold Paper
And CREATE!!!!
These were so much fun to watch them evolve =)
1969

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Ceramic Vincent Van Gogh Boat Art Project

1969 sis did a post a few weeks ago on Van Gogh's Boats
 
You can always take it to another level with clay!
 
Directions:
 
Show the students some of Van Gogh's
 boats.
 
Give the students clay.
 

 
Just mixing it up, folks.
 
1965

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

My HeArT is FULL!

I have been teaching art since 1991. I have taught many kids over the years. So, I taught at a school in Tallahassee for 10 years. This year I moved to a new school. I absolutely LOVE my new job but I really miss my art students. When you bond with kids year after year it tugs at your heart when you wonder how they are doing. What they are learning in art class now.  Yes, I do. I think about them...how could I not? And when you get a text that says 2 former students want a visit and an art lesson. Yep, it makes your heart full!

 You know every now and then there are just those students that leave an impression on your "ART and Soul". Well, my 2 friends MB and MCS sure did make me happy when they came by for a visit and a little art "therapy". I did love catching up with them and my teacher friend Renay-nay ;)
 
This grumpy cat cracks me up! Renee's husband loved the glasses and yes her art was placed on the refrigerator =) =) =) in her house!
 When your phone starts blowing up with social media alerts it just made my day! I was able to do an art lesson after school with 2 kiddos that I have not taught since last May! What a way to end a fantastic school year...getting to spend time with MCS and MB was a true blessing! I sat and listened as they talked about their school year from field trips to musicals. We reminisced about past art lessons and the organized chaos that happens in a hip hop happening art room.
 It just doesn't get better than this. Sweet kids. Wonderful parents. I will forever be these kids advocates.  I love teaching art!
1969