Art Room Update

November! November! That was the last time I have posted! Can you believe it. Well... Since November so much has happened in Art Room 104. 

My group of 6th and 7th grade students completed landscapes in either tempera paint, colored pencils, or chalk pastels. I love the way they came out and I was so happy for my students. Two of them are below.

My group of 8th and 7th graders completed portraits using a grid method to transfer the image to their drawing paper. The kids then added zen-tangles for a decorative background. 

I was really please with the way they turned out and so were the students. 

Time of Change

Detail of new abstract painting c.2011

Each week sundays begin a new week. This new week brings a lot of changes for me. The first semester of school is done and with that closure I let go of my 8th grade classes (for in middle school art is only half a year). This new week brings to me 6th and 7th grade classes. I am so excited at the prospect of getting to know a new group of students and about the art we will create together.

The past few weeks I have been working hard to get ready for them. Sometimes so hard that I didnt spend as much time as I wanted to creating for me. However yesterday I was able to spend some time working on an abstract painting for a friend. She is having her house warming party next saturday and I want to give it to her as a gift. Hopefully I will have it finished in time.

Everyone has had a teacher.

Everyone has had a teacher.
Originally uploaded by mamklpx
As I sit here on a three day weekend, I am of course grading papers and tests.

Yes... there are exams in an art class. I know it is weird but I do give exams in my art classes.

As I am grading them I am beginning to understand the frustrated faces on my high school teachers when they handed back graded tests when the scores weren't what they expected.

But there are always those select few that have made grading these a joy. The smile that crossed my face when I realized that a few actually understand the material has really brightened up this dreary rainy weekend.

YEAH for three day weekends!

I feel like a bad blogger lately.

I havent painted in weeks. I have barely posed just to let everyone know that I am alive and kicking. But without creating.... I dont know if that is much of a life.

With the new teaching job everything is out of wack. my sleeping habits have changed drastically, my eating habit has also changed.. no more fast food but thank the gods for that one.

At least there is one thing I can be sure of... if i never leave my camera at home I can always find a picture to post here.

This one is part of a still life I set up for my all my art classes so that during a very hetic time in the school they would all have something to keep their minds off the fact that they couldnt get the classes they want or that they really dont have an actual class schedule yet. (the computer system is a really bad one and it just wasnt working correctly) but oh well.

In my painting and posting absence I have thought alot about my art and where I wanted to go next with it. I have decided three things:

1. I remembered that I really love to draw and havent done so in a long time. I am going to change that fact and begin drawing again. whether it is one drawing a month or one a week. we will just have to see
2. I love my mixed media artistic style but I also love my color and line based oil paintings.
3. so I will combine the two .... yup that is right... color and line mixed with mixed media collage and layering!

I cant wait to see where it will all lead and how it will turn out. I just have the finish the ballet mixed media painting I am currently working on and hopefully I will have a finished product to show you later on in the weekend.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe labor day weekend!

Adventures of an Art Teacher-- Part 1

For the past three years i never once believed that doing the simiple job of teaching art was a stressful pasttime or career. However, I was wrong.

These past few weeks to researching and lesson planning, all might I add without a safety net, has finally taken its toll. I have never been completely blank when thinking about a lesson for an art class; and the unbelieveable has finally happened. I have writers block!

I have been staring at the computer screen for the past week, at the same word document, at the same lesson plan; and I cant seem to write a single line. I even went against the rules and dragged my Dell laptop to work with me at the mall to try to work. And still nothing.

Just a lot of game playing, facebook and etsy (if only I had money!).

When will it end?!?!?!?!?!!!!

The only answer I have been able to come up with is -- never! Well I hope not but we shall see.

Blog Update!!!: as you can see I have not taken a step back from the blogging world... I actually had blogging withdrawal! it wasnt pretty.