Opening Centers: Drawing

Between Monday and today I have opened our first art center of the year. The first center to be opened is the drawing center. In this center the students get to use various drawing materials from pencils to colored pastels to ink and calligraphy pens. 

I spent the first day of the drawing center opening explaining to the students what materials were there, what they can be used for and the rules for clean up. Since we are a 1:1 iPad 2 school, once the kids receive theirs there will be qr codes also on the board that will lead the students to various google docs and youtube videos that will help them or inspire them with their artwork.

Below are some of the posters that I have on display for the students in this particular center.

This poster I created to show the students what the materials look like on paper and I even blended some of them to show the students what the materials can do.

One thing my students love the create are 3D letters. Linear Perspective is something that my students have trouble with but they love the outcomes once they are finished with their artwork. 

This particular poster was created by the art teacher that was here before me but I really like it so I had to keep it. The students always want to draw people but tend to always draw stick figures and that is one of my NO NO Rules. 

This is my NO NO Board. These are all the drawing and painting techniques that the students tend to do however they are very elementary and since we are middle school art students, these are not allowed in my room. We spend about 10 minutes going over this so that the students really understand what I am expecting of them. This year I had to add the No Tracing rule to my board since students tend to do this more then anything. 

I hope you enjoyed our little journey through this years Drawing Center.

Inspiration

This week I was writing a design unit for my 8th grade classes based on the design movement known as Art Nouveau. Artist like Gustav Klimt, Mucha and Louis Comfort Tiffany come to mind when thinking about this style in both painting and design.

I always characterized this style with the simpliest forms and shapes. The use of geometric shapes in Klimts paintings and the use of flowers and peacock feathers in Tiffany's lamps and vases. It is such a graceful style of art.

So I decided to create my own Art Nouveau inspired piece. But what colors to use? This is always the hardest part for me.

Art Nouveau Poppies
Watercolor, Ink, stamps, prisma color pencils
Art Journal c. 2011

Well... I came across another blog that I fell in love with! The Play Date Cafe does a color challenge that really spoke to me as an artist with no clue when it comes to choosing color.

The color challenge this week was for petal pink, coral and antique gold. When I heard that I automatically thought flowers.

What inspires you?

Teaching Inspiration

I have been MIA lately for several reasons. Between family visits, the beginning of the school year and my computer crapping out on me life has been a bit hetic.

Week one of the school year is down and I cant wait to see the amazing work my students will create this year.

Working with my students has been such a creative inspiration to me. The joy on their faces when they finally get it! It is such an amazing feeling. And that is what makes being an art teacher so great!

Inspiration 5: Kindness

kindness
Originally uploaded by littlelakey

The idea of kindness as inspiration has always facinated me. The concept of being kind to another acts as inspiration for all who see.
With the school year rushing up on me I think back to the past year of my teaching. The kindness of my fellow educators both in my subject area and out; the suprising kindness of my students -- those select few who let me into their lives and opened their hearts and minds to me. I just hope that I can continue to send and recieve such kindness in the future.

This school year I change locations and age groups but my desire for educating is the same and hopefully I can bring with my the inspiration of kindness.

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!