What the Art Teacher Wore #85 and Book Club Contenders!

Welcome Back, Tuesday: So we managed to score an extra day of winter break because of the weather (thank you, Mother Earth, you're a dear!) which pushed back our return to Tuesday. It was a no-kids-all-day-faculty-meeting kind of day in the gym...where the heat had not been on for two weeks. It was definitely a BYOBEBandEC affair (that'd be: Bring Your Own Electric Blanket and Extension Cord...which I totally did). scarf: I forget!; sweater: DIY here; dress: TJMaxx; tights and leg warmers: Target?; boots: Anthro, last year

Hello, ya'll! I hope you all have had a great week. I went back to school for a coupla days this week...which happened to be just the right amount. Too many nights of staying up until the wee hours partyin' (which, around here, means crafting) made it super tough to get up and get moving. One big motivator for me this past week was introducing my first and second grade students to the art of suminagashi (which is Japanese for "floating paint"...or paper marbling). We had big fat slimy fun with that and I can't wait to show you the results.

A week or so ago, I ran the idea of a book club past ya'll and what an enthusiastic response I got! So I spent some time searching for books I thought looked promising and I've put together this list. Some books are about teaching, a couple are about exploring drawing/painting, and a few about creativity. I tried to give you a variety to choose from. I've added a tiny blurb about each book with a link to amazon where you can read the full description. If you are interested in joining the fun, read these descriptions and cast your vote on the right hand side of the screen. You don't have to type in a code or any other silliness to vote. Just pick and click. I'll leave the voting up for a week and then announce the chosen book.

 Once we've chosen the book, then we can read and chat! If you happen to have a blog and you'd like to let others know about our book club, that would be great. I say, the more the merrier, don't you think? 

And then I got ANOTHER idea...if you happen to join the book club AND are attending the NAEA Conference in San Diego (like me, eeee, so excited!), what do you say we have an actually book club meet-up? Details on that to come, just wanted to throw that thought atcha.

Okay, without further a do, here's the Book Club Contenders!

Why Are All The Good Teachers Crazy? by Frank Stepnowski A refreshingly honest look inside the teaching profession, Why Are All the Good Teachers Crazy? is a captivating collection of hilarious stories and unreserved observations from one man’s odyssey in the classroom. 

Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire by Rafe Esquith Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods.

Easter Egg Wednesday: I know, I know, I look like the Easter Bunny exploded on me. In January. I can't help it, I need color to deal with all this gray! dress: The Limited; sweater: DIY here; tights: Target; shoes: thrifted

The Artists Way by Julia Cameron  The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life.

One Drawing a Day by Veronica Lawlor Through 46 daily exercises which make up a complete 6-week course, you will keep your artistic skills sharp and your imaginations fertile by doing One Drawing A Day. Each spread in the book features a beautiful drawing by one of 8 professional illustrators, with a description and comments by the illustrator as well as a companion exercise.

One Watercolor a Day by Veronica Lawlor  Spark new ideas and increase your creativity with One Watercolor a Day. This enchanting art book contains six weeks’ worth of daily watercolor paintings and exercises to help you cultivate your imagination and develop your style.

Thursdayness: I got these amazing bakelite bracelets from my mother-in-law for Christmas. They are my new favorite thing and I wear them all the time. Bakelite is like super duper pricey...and I lose every ebay auction I attempt. So I'm glad to have these lovelies! felted sweater: DIY here; blouse: gift; skirt and tights: Target, old; boots: Anthro; necklace: thrifted

Out of Our Minds by Ken Robinson In this extensively revised and updated version of his bestselling classic, Out of Our Minds, Ken Robinson offers a groundbreaking approach to understanding creativity in education and in business. 

 

Friday, You Got Here Fast!: Thank you for hearing my prayers. By the way, did you notice I wore a felted sweater every day? Yeah, it was kind of my theme...which I've noticed that having a theme makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier. For me, anyways. sweater: DIY here; dress, belt and boots: Anthro; tights: Target; necklace: gift

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.