In the Art Room: Printmaking Made Easy!

Hey, y'all! I'm in the middle of lesson planning for some upcoming fall-themed projects in the art room. Since my third graders are getting ready to embark on the above printed leaves project, I thought I'd share the lesson video with you as well as my fave printing projects. By the way, I often update my YouTube channel before sharing here. So if you wanna see some art teacherin' videos as soon as they launch, you might want to subscribe here. 

Every since I learned about marker prints from my art teacherin' buddy Don over at Shine Brite Zamorano, I have been in love. The technique is so simple and yet so impactful. I think my third graders will have so much fun creating their leaf collages. We are going to be tying in science by discussing just why leaves change colors. The background will be a lesson in glue resist and watercolor techniques. I'll be sure to share the complete lesson when we are finished. Until then, here are some of my very fave printing projects!

Last year, my first graders explored printmaking with these LOVE collages. They did both marker and ink prints and had a great time doing so. 

In this video, I share with you some more tips on marker prints as well as printing with ink. When I first started teaching, printmaking was a daunting teaching task for me. Over the years, I've come up with some things that work for me...maybe you'll find 'em helpful as well.

I love the powerful impact of these positive and negative leaf prints. The amount of prep time needed to make these printing surfaces is well work the results they produce. 

Last year, third grade got their toes wet with this printmaking project that explored cityscapes, depth and watercolor techniques. I created a couple of videos to walk the kids through the processes.

By the way, I create these videos for the following reasons: 1. my sanity; 2. so that all of my students can see my demos and 3. for anyone else who wants to use them! Seriously, feel free to play my videos in your art room. It's the reason I share them on my YouTube channel.

Last year, I was super smart and did printmaking with all grade levels at once. That meant all supplies were out and ready for the entire day. No switching visuals, supplies, etc. It really made printmaking a snap for me. Second grade worked on these sweet printed winter selfies. 

Fourth grade created these amazing Egyptian god portraits a couple of years ago. So much in one project: drawing, printing, metal tooling! 

A fun variation on traditional printing are floating chalk prints. If you've not tried this, I highly recommend it, so fun, easy and beautiful!

Why not print on fabric? My third graders not only enjoyed the printing process but also stitching their fabric pieces together. 

Making your mark with untraditional materials like cardboard is fun too. My third graders learned about the history of the Eiffel Tower while creating these beauties. 

And, of course, I've been sharing these fun radial prints that my fourth graders just wrapped up. 

Kids love printmaking because it's good, messy fun. I love teaching printmaking because it is a wonderful medium that allows the kids to see that art is not just a one-n-done. But it is all about trying over and again to create something awesome. 

I'm always looking for fun printmaking projects for my students as well as helpful tips and tricks. If you've got 'em, please share 'em in the comments below! 

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What the Art Teacher Wore #65

Hubs and I bright and early at the Eiffel Tower. We thought we were so clever by getting there early to "beat the crowds". Yeah, it's the world's most famous monument. There is no crowd-beating.

 And just when you thought I couldn't possibly share any more Parisian vacation photos, I load up some more. I'd apologize but this city is just too amazing not to share. I've also got a smattering of Germany photos as well...but I'll save that for a future update. For now, let's focus on La Tour Eiffel.

I'd read in my travel book that some of the best views of the tower are across the river Seine from the Jardins du Trocadero (that's be Trocadero Gardens to you). Turns out that every tourist on the planet owns a copy of said book as we encountered each and every one snapping away. But really, who could blame 'em?  I mean, even naked statues gotta stop and stare.

 By the way, since this is kind of a "what I wore" post: scarf: Target; sweater: made by me, DIY here; bird blouse: Old Navy; velvet pants: Anthropologie; boots: The Walking Company. We managed to get a couple of photos that didn't have a tourist or twenty in the view. It was actually fun watching them taking photos as they did all sorts of cheesy things like pretending to touch the top of the tower or holding it between their hands. I thought I was so above all that until hubs snapped this photo of me...

 If I told you that this was completely unintentional, would you believe me? Seriously! I had turned my head to do some lipstick-on-my-teeth clearing when hubs snapped this shot. So it turns out I'm just as cheesy as the next tourist. As if that wasn't obvious.

 Nothing can describe the awesomeness that is this tower. Nor can anything describe the insane amount of people there. Thankfully, I'd done a little homework and found that the line to climb the 669 steps to the second level, where one could purchase a ticket to the top, was significantly shorter than the two hour long straight-to-the-top elevator line. The trick was finding the correct line. If it's one thing I noticed about Paris, it's that they don't make anything easy. After asking a half dozen other confused tourists (bad idea, by the way), we found our way to the correct ticket booth and huffed it to the second level. Walking the steps of the Eiffel Tower was very exhilarating for me.

Aw jeez. I can't even look at this photo without feeling a little light headed. After we purchased our tickets to the top and crammed ourselves inside the glass elevator with two dozen strangers, hubs and I both realized we have a fear of two things: heights and small spaces. "Then what are we doing?!" I asked. Hubs said, "I thought you wanted to!" This is the view of the Parc du Champ de Mars. And the view of all the tour buses that visit the tower daily.

And this would be the place where we took those photos seen at the start of this post. We didn't stay at the top too long. For one, I swear I could feel the tower sway in the wind (this is unlikely as the thing is pretty doggone sound. It only moves 9 centimeters max). And I found this constant announcement unsettling: "Ladies and Gentleman, pickpockets are active in the tower. Please guard your belongings. Thank you for your vigilance." Yikes!

 Once back on solid ground, we toured the Parc du Champ de Mars. Everything was blooming so beautifully.

After the tower, I wanted to explore the Latin Quarter (called such because the students of a local university spoke Latin until the Revolution). Just moments after getting off the metro, I was thrilled to see this famous cafe. Sadly, their vegetarian menu was limited so we dined at another cafe just down the Boulevard Saint Germain.

After lunch, I wanted to explore those famous booksellers that my tour book bragged on and on about. I did enjoy strolling this area and even picked up a French fashion magazine from 1937 for just 4 euro.

Have you heard of the Paris love locks? It's this thing were lovers can show their undying love with a lock inscribed with their names. This is a view from the Pont des Arts. That bridge in the distance is Pont Neuf, which means New Bridge. Which is kinda funny since it's the oldest surviving bridge in Paris, having been completed in 1607.

The following day, I wanted to explore Montmartre. This area is the one made famous by artists such as Toulouse Lautrec, the above joint being his fave hangout. But before all those artists descended upon Montmartre, it was an area of mills and vineyards. Currently, there are only a few of the original "moulins" or mills still standing. And this one is still a cabaret.

We took a self-guided walking tour of the area which lead us to the apartment of Vincent van Gogh and the villa for homeless artists that once housed Renoir. I loved this area for it's steep roads and amazing views of Sacre-Coeur, the Church of the Sacred Heart. Since we had to leave our kitty at home, I wore her around Paris (which was met by more than a few odd glances). Crazy cat lady sweater diy here.

Sacre-Coeur sits on a hill above the city. So the views are killer. Just ask any one of the bajillion tourists. The church was built as a memorial to the 58,000 French soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian war (thank you, tour book). I was a little wore out from all of my waiting in lines at the Eiffel Tower to do the lines to venture inside. Maybe on my next trip.

 What I really wanted to see where the artists at place du Tertre. In fact, before we even made it there, the caricature artists were walking the streets, looking for subjects to draw. One gentleman came up to hubs and said, "Ah! You look like van Gogh! Let me draw your picture." Needless to say, my van Gogh declined.

Holy French Fry, can we just pause for a moment and talk about The Sweets in Paris?! I've never had better. And, if you know me personally, than you know I know my sweets. I've got a little reputation for partaking in dessert first. However, neither I nor my sweet-toothed hubs were prepared for the amazing delights we sampled. My favorite were the macaroons. His was the freshly made raspberry waffle. Or was it the scoops of gelato atop a freshly made waffle? Or the chocolate croissants? Dude, I'm drooling.

I think my favorite part of our trip was this part of town called Marais. A girlfriend had told me that it was a less touristy area full of cafes and boutiques. Walking around here, I actually felt like I was a Parisian. Minus the unchic cat sweater and my hillbilly French. I do believe we sampled every treat and I dove into every boutique this area had to offer. When we found this sweet cat eying us from his spot on the window sill, we couldn't help take a picture (okay, 15 pictures) of the little dude.

Usually we rent a car where ever we go. Which, in Germany, meant a sweet BMW. However, after reading that the Parisians were some of the world's worst drivers, we opted to take the metro. And it really wasn't too hard. Which was good because sometimes help was hard to find. I'm just gonna come on out and say it: I didn't find the majority of Parisians we encountered to be particularly friendly. But, to be fair, I've not always been treated warmly in NYC either. Or any city for that matter. Regardless, we got around without incident and that was nothing short of a miracle for this directionally challenged gal.

On our last evening in Paris, this was the last photo taken: La Defense. It was the most amazing trip to the most incredible city. I've got a huge list of things I want to do next time...but I have a feeling that might be a while. Until then, au revoir, Paris! Je t'aime!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #30

Marvelous Monday: What a great day, the kids finally came to art! For the occasion, I wore my DIY Embroidered Eiffel Tower Dress. It was fun chatting with the kids about sewing and embroidering. The idea of one creating their own clothing seemed to blow their mind. shoes: Indigo by Clarks; necklace: Target; flower: H&M

Well, it has begun. The invasion of the art room by the Wee Ones, that is. We managed to pack in as much as possible during our first week: a chat about Jes (whose adventures to Paris will be shared in an upcoming post); a geography lesson; an art room scavenger hunt; a brief French lesson (Parlez-vous francias? Um, not so much); a mini-self portrait and the rules of the art room. 

During our study of all things French-y, we will be covering some of the biggest and baddest French artists that there ever were. I thought I'd throw them in among my outfits this week. Since we will be studying France for a while, you can expect to see a coupla weeks of French-themed looks. Pretty sure the kids and I will both be French-fried by the end of our study. C'est la vie.

I know that there are a million silly perspective photos of the Eiffel Tower, but this one really got me. A Young Man "Painting" the Eiffel Tower, 1970.

"Are Those Real?" Tuesday: Yep, I was asked that question this week...sadly, he was inquiring about my eyebrows. Huh? I explained I had on eye makeup, like what his mom might wear. I was informed she doesn't wear make up...like that. Er-kay. French smock: vintagedame via etsy. So much cuteness in one shop!; pencil skirt: Target; mini-beret: made by me from a doll's hat

There are all of these super cute mini berets on etsy and they are seriously in the one hundred dollar range. That's just crazy talk. When I was decluttering one of my storage closets at school this week, I found this doll's beret. I cut a piece of stuffing to place inside and give it some form, covered the bottom with a circle of stiff felt and hot glued a giant hair clip to the bottom. It was received with wildly mixed reviews but I kinda love it.

Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1881 by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The story goes Renoir was tired of just painting these commissioned works of society women. The owner of a local cafe suggested he paint the river-facing terrace of his cafe. So for several Sundays, Renoir picked up the lunch tab for his 13 best buds while they wined and dined. I love the festivity he captured. Remind me to get invited to one of these painting parties, would ya?

"Hello, Crazy Art Teacher" Wednesday: As one of my first graders was walking past me and a group of teachers in the hallway, she greeted each one by name...except for me. Although I suppose it could be argued that while it's not my name, it's a pretty accurate description. top: H&M; belt and skirt: vintage, thrifted; necklace: Pangea; shoes: Frye, TJ MAXX

Because the hair just wasn't tall enough, I had to throw in a bouquet of flowers. I can't explain the logic, it just seemed to make sense.

So lovely. The Girl in the Red Beret, 1906 by Harold Harvey

New Dress Thursday: I was surprised how curious the kids were about how I created this dress. My working mom did not have time to sew when I was a kid and I'm guessing some of my students have a similar experience. dress: DIY I-See-London-I-See-France Dress; headband: Peachy Tuesday; sandals: Target

Self-Portrait, 1890, Henri Rousseau. Henri was this toll booth collector turned self-taught artist. During his life, he was ridiculed for his naive style...which, of course, is now what makes him so famous. It's said that Pablo Picasso saw paintings by Rousseau being sold on the streets as canvas to painted over. Recognizing Rousseau's genius, Picasso bought them up and had a banquet in his honor.

Friday!: I'll admit, this dress is more Mexican Fiesta than French Soiree, but I figured if I put on a beret, it'd be okay. I'm thinking that's going to be my new Portlandia-inspired philosophy: Put a Beret on It. dress: I.M.P. on etsy...a seriously sweet vintage shop. This is absolutely my new fave vintage dress!

Allies Day, 1917, Childe Hassam Hassam was this American Impressionist that was in love with all things French-y. So you can imagine that he was just a little freaked out when the Germans invaded France in 1914. He began painting depictions of the American flag hanging alongside the French even before we entered the war. His painting is like some sort of Impressionist premonition.

Thanks for dropping by, friends! I'm curious, which look to you think is the most French-esque? Do you have a favorite? It's been fun getting French-tastic in the mornings, I'd love to hear what you think.

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DIY: The I-See-London-I-See-France Dress

I am a bit of a haphazard seamstress. So I have this fear, when I wear my own sewn dresses, that  some rogue seam is gonna come loose and the end of the phrase "I see London, I see France..." will actually become my reality.

 Bonjour, compadres! What you are looking at here is an example of Pro-Cass-tination. Oh, you didn't know I was the Queen of Puttin'-Off-Everything-'Cept-Candy-Eatin'? It's true. And this dress is no exception. After months of sitting on this half-finished dress, I finally knocked it out. And just in the nick o' time, as me and the wee artists are about to be neck deep in all things Paris, France. Oui oui, ya'll.

Um, did you know I have a bit of a Mary Blair obsession? Have you seen the movie Single White Female...? Just kidding, my therapist and I have it way under control. As long as I take my meds. This photo of It's a Small World was taken last Christmas at Disneyland.

 So I picked up the Parisian-themed fabric over the summer. I knew I'd be taking the kids on European adventures in art and wanted to create a dress for the occasion. When hubs said, "that fabric looks very It's-a-Small-World," I knew I'd made the right choice.

If you are thinking this dress design looks  familiar, then you might be thinking of my Empire Strikes Back dress and the Presley Poodle Dress. Yep, all three are from the same vintage pattern. I'm a repeat offender.

 After sorting through my mountain of dress patterns I went with the same ole dress pattern I've used before. I really like this pattern for a couple of reasons: that giant band around the waist is super slimming and, because of the three parts of the dress, I can have fun playing around with fabric combinations. For the top half, I decided to go with my two favorite colors, salmon pink (with polka dots?! yes, please!) and turquoise blue. The skirt fabric is from Hoodie's Collection "L'amour de la vie" for Timeless Treasures Fabrics.

You remember my embroidered poodle from my traveling DIY? Well, this was also completed on that same trip. For this I used an embroidery design from Stitcher's Revolution.

Now if only Mary Blair paintings were made into fabric designs, I'd be oh-so-happy.

To top off the look (like literally), my friend Jen of Peachy Tuesday created this awesome Eiffel Tower headband. I love it! And I know the kids are going to as well. You can find Jen's shop here...and you can preview her designs before they go up for sale on her Facebook page. Merci, Jen!

The gorgeous Mary Blair. A little bit of history on her: she and her hubs joined Walt Disney Studios in the 1940's where she worked on concept art for movies like Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. The designs for both are beautifully published in childrens books, along with a couple others she illustrated (if you have not seen the adorable I Can Fly book, please check it out). She is most famous for creating the designs for It's a Small World. Sigh. If I could live in that sweet world, I totally would.

Now that I think about it, this seems like the perfect dress to wear the next time I ride It's a Small World. Given I don't experience the dreaded butt-blowout before then.

 

 Oh, look, there's me attempting my best Mary Blair pose. Yeah, I'll keep workin' on it. The beautiful portrait of Mary was created by comic book guru Michael Netzer.

 Whew, I-See-London-I-See-France-Please-Lemme-Be-Wearing-Clean-Underpants Dress complete! Next up on my sewing table: my Halloween Horror Movie Dress to be worn at the countless haunted houses we'll be attending this fall (yes, seriously). When I mentioned that upcoming dress to hubs, the following convo ensued:

Hubs: I know you haven't started on that dress yet.

Moi: Oh yeah, how do you know?

Hubs: Because it's not the night before you need to wear it.

Hey, they don't call it pro-Cass-tination fer nutin'.

Au revoir!

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