In the Art Room: Packing Our Bags

Bags packed? Check. Passport and identification? Chickity check. Good. Let's blow this popsicle stand.

My mom can't sing but she likes to. She also only knows bits and pieces of songs. I remember this from when I was a kid. And every since we started creating these passports and suitcases, I find myself singing one of mom's song-bites: "I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again...(repeat a good 5-6 times)."

And, that's all I got. Sorry 'bout that John Denver.

When I was passing back the kids' suitcases so they could start filling them with their masterpieces, one of them weighed it in his hand and said, "What did I pack in this thing, it is so heavy!" They so silly.

Each year, the kids create a portfolio to hold their small 9" X 12" artworks. These smaller works are usually sketches for their larger masterpieces. The bulk of their 2-D artwork is usually 12" X 18". These little folders come in handy when passing back a group of their sketches without riffling through their classroom's art box. 

This year, to go along with our travel theme, I decided that their portfolios should be suitcases. One with a pocket to hold their passport, of course. And with a luggage tag to I.D. the bags. Oh, and a handle to carry it around. Don't forget the travel stickers to show where we've been. Whew! It ended up being a larger project than I imaged...and one that really has captured their imagination and enthusiasm.

Remember my traveling companion Jes? Well, the kids and I have been having so much fun following his adventures in Paris. And I'm thrilled to say, he's just finished a lovely trip to Strasbourg, France. I love living vicariously through a stuffed tiger.

Our world traveling adventure has been enhanced by our Flat Stanley-esque school mascot, Jes, the little stuffed tiger. The kids and I are traveling the world through his eyes. He informed us by postcard that we'd need a passport in order to leave the country. So we began the school year by creating passports. We also created a school-wide self-portrait map so we could see just where in the world we were going.

To create these simple passports, you'll need the following:

• navy blue construction paper
• light blue copy paper with the same information typed up that is inside of a passport. Scroll down to see what I'm talking about because I know I'm not making any sense.
• a photo of every student
• stamps of countries and black ink pad
• passport stamp (optional). I picked mine up at this awesome etsy shop: stampoutonline
• gold stamp pad
• thin black sharpies

Yeah, have you EVER seen a customs agent smile? I need to work on my cranky "I hate you, go back to your own country" face.

After a nice long chat about passports, what a surname is versus a given name, nationalities and the meaning of  "date of birth" (if only it said "when's your birthday?", they'd get it so much faster), we were nearly finished. We signed the contract that is on each passport, added our photo and then made our way to Customs and Passport Control.

There each child stamped the cover of their passport.

And stamped the places they have traveled to. Because we learned about Egypt last year, we stamped that country as well as France.

A passport sneak peak.

This young artist is from New Zealand. She wanted to add that to her suitcase as apart of her travels. I love the kiwi bird.

Supplies for the suitcase portfolios:

• 12" X 18" construction paper, folded for the suitcase
• 5" X 6" construction paper for the pocket
• strips of paper to help bind the pocket
• two pieces of 5" X 6" paper for the handles
• price tags found at an office supply store
• shapies
• glue

1. Fold large construction paper in half. We added texture to our papers  by using rubbing plates and naked (aka paperless), sleeping (aka horizontal) crayons.
2. Put glue on the sides and bottom of the rectangular shape and press onto the folded edge of the construction paper. While glue is drying, squeeze the sides of the paper together to create a pocket. Add the vertical lines on the sides of the pocket to secure. 
3. Pick any color for the handle. Fold those two papers in half, create a half handle shape and cut out. Glue one handle on the inside front and the inside back of the suitcase.
4. Add luggage tag.
5. Round corners of the suitcase if desired.
6. Use the other elements of art to create your travel sticker.

So love this sweet, carefully drawn travel sticker.

And there you have it, bags packed, ready to go! Our French adventures have already begun, complete with pink poodles and an introduction to a foreign language. More details on our projects to come. Until then, we're leavin' on a jet plane (and I'm off to find out the rest of the lyrics to that song!).

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What the Art Teacher Wore #36

Every Dress Should Have a Gradation Monday: I mean, holy moly. It's the ultimate waist slimmer! dress: vintage, picked up in Orange, CA; belt: vintage, gift from a friend; key tights: best little tights shop on etsy!; shoes: Ninewest, thrifted

 I hope you all have had a great week. Mine, particularly the weekend, was just wonderful. I made the long drive from Nashville, Tennessee to my hometown of Wabash, Indiana. It's about a 6 hour drive and I'm the World's Worst Car Traveler. After about hour two, my butt goes uncomfortably numb and my eyelids become exceptionally heavy. Thankfully, I had a frightening book on CD to keep me going (I find that the spookier the story, the more awake I stay) and plenty of candy, gum and caffeinated bevies to keep me going.

I rarely make it home but I just had to this weekend. We celebrated a family reunion on Saturday and the fall weather couldn't have been more perfect. That evening, I caught up with some high school buddies for casual class reunion. I also had a chance to catch up some of my favorite friends and stay with my wacky mom. She and I always have too much fun together. 

But enough about me, let's talk about...well...me. And what I wore this week. I'm also throwing into the mix a fabric designer that I can't believe I'm just now discovering: Celia Birtwell. I love her designs...as well as the story of how she and her then husband revolutionized fashion in the last 1960's. I think you'll like her work as well. 

Until next time, have a great week!

Celia Birtwell was a fabric designer with a strong love for Picasso and Matisse. I think you can see that influence in her work. What I think is especially cool is that later, she and her (then) husband Ossie Clark designed clothes for Picasso's daughter Paloma. That must have felt pretty incredible. Images via pinterest.

Celia was the fabric designer and Ossie crafted the clothing. Aside from Paloma, such amazing folks as Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles wore this couples haute couture designs.

That In-Between Time Tuesday: So it's been cool in the mornings, warm in the afternoons, cool in the evenings. I'm not so sure I'm ready to pack up all of my summer duds yet, so I'm doing this in-between thing: sweaters with summer dresses. It's not going to last much longer...but it's allowing me to put off the dreaded Closet Season Change that is sure to happen within the next couple of weeks. You know, packing away all of the summer clothes and getting out all of the fall/winter. It literally takes me a weekend to make the change. sweater: Anthro, thrifted; dress: vintage, thrifted; tights: dunno, Target?; headband: Peachy Tuesday; shoes: Dolls by Nina

To showcase their designs in the late 1960's, Celia and Ossie came up with the first concept of a catwalk fashion show. They created a runway, had music playing and invited as many folks as possible. Their flowy frocks and tops were best showcased by moving models.

Poochie and Paris Explosion Wednesday: Complete outfit details here.

The artist David Hockney was completely smitten with Celia and considered her his muse. Many drawings and paintings of Celia and Ossie were created by Hockney.

Pencil drawing of Celia by David Hockney.

Flower Power Thursday: I scooped up this Very Brady dress on my trip to St. Louis. I wish I had the pattern for this dress, I love the design. Maybe one day I'll be able to figure out how to create a pattern from a dress...any of you sewing geniuses know how to do that? dress: vintage; shoes: Indigo by Clarks

Ossie and Celia in the late 1960's.

Painting of the couple by David Hockney.

Headin' Home Friday: After school, I hopped in the car and made that trek home. It made for a long day but it was totally worth it. sweater, dress: vintage; belt: gift from a friend; boots: old, Seychelles

Celia and Ossie are no longer together. After their divorce, Celia dropped out of the fashion scene for many years. She's back now. And I highly recommend you check out her designs here, they are simply amazing. Love the fabric, love the flowy romantic designs.

And I love her sketches. These especially remind me of early Betsy Johnson sketches. Another of my fave designers.

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In the Art Room: Jes in Paris!

La Tour Eiffel: The Eiffel Tower has got to be the most iconic symbol for Paris and France. Named after the engineer who designed and built the tower, Gustave Eiffel, The Iron Lady was the tallest structure in the world until 1930. That's when our Chrysler Building overshadowed her. The tower was built in 1889 for the entrance of the World's Fair. Do we still have those?

Well, would you look at who is in Paris, France! That's right, our school mascot Jes. In case you aren't in the loop, I created this little stuffed dude to take on my trip to Europe this summer. I snapped photos of him in Germany and the Netherlands with the intent of sharing his adventures with my students in art class. You know, like the concept of Flat Stanley. Only cuter. 

My students are currently creating passports in art class and packing their suitcases (which entails the kids writing an item on a  Post-It and sticking in our paper suitcase. Best one so far? "My family")  Our first stop? Well, if you've seen my art room, you know it's the City of Love.

In preparation for our adventures, I've been doing my homework. So I thought I'd share a little history behind each Parisian monument. I also rediscovered the art of my Favorite-Artists-at-the-Moment: Brothers Jean and Raoul Dufy.

Special thanks to Sophie who traveled with Jes and snapped all of these marvelous photos. And to Sandy, the wonderful parent that put me in touch with Sophie. Merci beaucoup!

 Raoul Dufy was the older and more famous of the two artist brothers. Raoul said:“What I wish to show when I paint is the way I see things with my eyes and in my heart.”  La Tour Eiffel, 1935

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris or Sacré-Cœur Basilica. This Roman Catholic church sits high on hill of Montmartre, a popular artsy district. Because of it's height, it can often be found in the background of paintings of Paris. In fact, I included it in my own Parisian landscape. 

L’église Saint-Pierre de Montmartre et le Sacré-Coeur, 1953, Jean Dufy. Both brothers were considered Fauvist painters. The Fauves, which included artists like Henri Matisse, where given their name by an unflattering critic that found their colorful style akin to that of a Wild Beast. These painters loved the term and it is now associated with their bright works.

Notre Dame de Paris translates Our Lady of Paris. This Roman Catholic cathedral suffered some damage during the French Revolution (gah, I just spent entirely too much time reading about that revolution, fascinating!). Thankfully it has been restored and it's one of the best examples of Gothic architecture.

You know those people that take great ideas and totally claim it as their own? Well, you do now. Meet Pablo Picasso. What a guy. Did he ever have a single original thought? Here is he doing is best Dufy brothers impression. Notre Dame de Paris, 1954

Statue Equestre d'Henri IV, Pont Neuf, Paris. Henri IV was one of the most popular of the French kings whose reign lasted from 1589 to 1610. Equestrian statues are quite popular everywhere. I've heard that “when one of the horse’s hooves is raised it indicates that the rider was wounded in battle, when both of the horse’s hooves are up it indicates that the rider was killed in battle and when all four hooves are on the ground, none of the above.” I'll have to do some digging to find out if this is true of Henri IV.

Raoul Dufy's La Vert Galant, 1926

Jes at L'Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. Designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806, this monument honors those who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

So it turns out Raoul Dufy was also a textile designer. I can see that. And I see a pin board on his textile designs in my future. I absolutely love this chair, L'Arc de Triomphe, 1933

I know there are some serious mixed reviews of I.M. Pei's pyramid outside the Louvre, but I love it. I.M. Pei also designed the art museum at Indiana University (the best college on the planet...not that I'm biased or anything), so I have a soft spot.

Spring in Paris poster by Raoul Dufy. I was really hoping I'd come upon one of these on my garage and thrifting adventures. No dice.

Don't you just love this sweet photo Sophie captured? She did such an amazing job taking Jes around...I can't thank her enough! Not to mention how excited the kids are to see the photos and hear about his adventuring.

So while Jes is off galavanting around Paris, I'll just sit here and dream. About the sights, the sounds and what I'd wear. This adorable Dufy-inspired number outta do the trick. You can see it and more vintage goodness here, you like.

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson. Putting this post together helped me learn so much more about Paris. Jes will next be traveling to sweet Katie over at The Little Red Squirrel in the UK! How exciting, thank you, Katie! From there, I'd love for him to travel to Italy...but I have no connections. If you happen to have a contact, I'd love to send Jes that way. Thank you!

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In the Art Room: Actually, Outside the Art Room

Outside of le Cafe Artiste!

 With mere hours before the wee artists return to school, I managed to finish the outside of my art room. Giant sigh of relief. And collapse on the couch. I'm a little concerned about the inside of my art room as I have yet to put supplies out and rules up (gasp!). However, I've always been told it's what's on the outside that counts. Or did they just tell me that because of my crummy personality?

My van Gogh-spiration. The Yellow House (Vincent's house in Arles), 1888

 I am not one of those artsy types that can just have an idea pop into my head and then knock it out with a paint brush and paper. Oh no. I've gotta have something to look at and steal from. Which is where van Gogh stepped in. I sketched his street scene onto brown bulletin board paper with a charcoal stick and then painted over it...with my paint brushes! That's right, I found 'em! They were...sadly...right where I now remember putting them. In the kiln room. Don't ask.

Dunno about you, but when I hang things on the concrete blocks at my school, they don't like to stick. I've tried it all: blue sticky tack, gum, a plethora of tapes, you name it. The best sticky stuff for the job? 3M Double Sided Tape. It's pricey but this should stay up all year.

 From there, blue paper was hung across the top, the street scene was added and I set to work on the entrance. I knew I wanted it to look as though the kids were walking into a cafe so up went the awning and the door decor.

That's supposed to be Paul Cezanne in the open window there. Or George Costanza. Your pick.

This door actually leads to my office. I'm thinking I may have to put some sort of "Closed" sign on the door otherwise I'll have lots of friends stumbling into my messy lair.

When the kids enter my room, here's what they first see. So at least this part of the inside of my room is finished. I'm not showing you the rest...yet.

 So I'm pretty excited, I think it's finally coming together. Now, I just need to revise my rules.

If you recall, they were:

Rule #1: Find Mrs. Stephens paint brushes.

Rule #2: What? Have you found my brushes yet? Then you need to revisit Rule #1, kid.

So everything was done. Finished. Complete. And then I did it. I added a poodle.

 Here's what I'm thinking:

Rule #1: Help Mrs. Stephens off the couch.

(note to self: move couch to school.)

Rule #2: Wait, why am I up? Help Mrs. Stephens back to the couch. She was confused.

Can you tell I'm still borrowing heavily from the Gladys Presley Poodle?

...And that I'm totally on a poodle kick? Thank you, art teacher buddy, for picking up this sweet poochie for me.

In other French-related news, guess who made it to Paris!? I just got this photo, along with many others, from the sweetest young lady who agreed to take on Jes. He's traveled all over Paris. I'll share more of his adventures with you soon. In the mean time, he's packing his bags to England. The kids are going to Flip. Out.

 Thanks for dropping by, friends! Wish me and my students luck for a great day tomorrow (you might wanna throw in an extra penny at the wishing well for the kids...with me as their guide, they're gonna need it!). 

And for all of you teachers out there, my thoughts are with you. Enjoy your days with those sweet kids!

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In the Art Room: Weaving, Part 4

Finished weaving, complete with cord and coordinating background.

Now that your weaving is finished (ahem, you did finish it, right?), let's get to everyone's favorite part: cord weaving. My students as young as second grade absolutely love weaving these cords. They weave mounds of them, fashioning them into necklaces, bracelets and belts.

If you need a refresher course on the woven pouch, you can catch up on that with Weaving, Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

For this project, you'll need:

• two colors of yarn, four strands of yarn each, all of them approximately 24" in length. 
• thick cardboard
• scissors
• pencil

Begin by cutting out a circle. I traced around an old plastic lid with a 4" diameter. 

Make four equally spaced marks on your circle like a compass. We do a short geography lesson in class while marking our loom.

Make four more marks in between your North, South, East and West.

Make eight marks in between each of the aforementioned markings. You should have a total of sixteen equally spaced marks. Cut them. 

At this point, I ask the students to bring me their looms and I stab the center of their loom with a pair of pointy-end scissors. While I'm loom stabbing, I send them off shopping (our art room word for supply-gathering) for yarn. Students will need eight strands of yarn, four of one color, four of another.

Have the students tie all eight strands of yarn into an overhand knot like that shown above. Push the knot through the hole in the loom just enough so that only the knot is peaking out from the bottom and the rest of the yarn is on the top of the loom.

With those long strands of yarn coming through the hole in the loom, feed them through the cut notches you made. Set your loom up like a compass. There should be a vertical "X" and a horizontal "X" of yarn.

To weave, you will follow the same three steps over and over. Begin with vertical "X". Using your left hand, remove the bottom left string and place it on the top left side of the loom. Now your "X" should look like a fork.

See the fork? Easy.

Now using your right hand, begin at the top right side and remove the right string. Place it at the bottom on the right side. Now you should see your "X" again.

It should look exactly as it did a moment ago. If the "X" becomes off-center, do not worry. You can correct that by shifting the strings on your loom if it bothers you.

I promise I am not flipping you off, I'm trying to point you in the direction that you will turn your loom: clockwise. Once you have turned your loom clockwise, you will do the same steps over again, this time with the other yarn colors in the "X". And that's it. Really. You'll repeat this pattern continuously until you have completed your cord. We have a little poem in art class that we say to help us remember the weaving instructions: Right string to the top, Left string drops, Turn it like the hands of a clock.

Now let's talk trouble shooting. As you are weaving, your cord will come out of the bottom of the loom, shown in the photo below. The long strings around the loom can sometimes become tangled, shown in the photo above. To prevent tangling, I usually have my students stand while weaving. This allows the long strings to hang straight and not tangle. If they do become tangled, pull one strand of yarn out of the tangled mess at a time. Do not run your fingers down all of the yarn in hopes of combing out the tangles. It will only make it worse.

After just five minutes of weaving, you should see your cord coming out from the whole in your loom. Yippie!

More trouble shooting: if your cord keeps popping out of the hole as you weave, as shown above, tug on it gently from underneath the loom to bring it back down, as shown below.

The entire time you are weaving, it's a good idea to tug gently on the cord to keep it from popping up.

How do you know when you are finished? When the shortest of the eight strings is no longer long enough to make it to one of the notches. You can see my peach colored string at the top is now too short.

Taking it off the loom is very easy. Just remove the strings from the notches and pull it through the hole.

Viola! A finished cord! Often the kids will ask if they can use strands of yarn longer than 24" so they can create longer cords. I have found that this causes a lot of tangling so I try to avoid the question by changing the subject, "Oh, look, a unicorn riding a rainbow!"

Depending on the time, I'll either show the kids how to sew in their cord or have one of my awesome mom helpers give us a hand. Simply feed a knotted strand of yarn through both ends of the cord...

And attach with a couple of whip stitches. The students are give the option of having the cords sewn on the side like mine or across. Most boys tend to go for the cord on the side as the across one looks a little too purse-y for them.

And there you have it! Because I've thrown so much at you today, I thought I'd do one final installment of this weaving series. In that, I'll show you how to sew on a button and hide that pesky warping tail. I'd also love to share with you my favorite weaving books and how I manage to get these pouches woven in the 30 minutes of class time that I have. Yeah. 30 minutes. We have Fingers of Fire! Chat with you soon.

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