Comin' Attcha Live: Artsy Book Clubbin', Y'all!

My sincerest apologies for the very end of this clip (well, for the whole thing, really). I meant to edit out the part where I spin the camera around to turn it off. So, if you're prone to vertigo or dizzy-fainting spells, skip the end, kiddies.

Hi, cats and kittens! I hope that y'all have decided to join the Artsy Book Clubbin' Party because it's a-gonna be just that, a par-tay of epic book clubbin' proportions (cuz you know those book clubbers, they loves to party). Just so I can wrap my pea brain around who's in on the fun, I'd love it if you'd take a hot second to answer the poll on the right (sorry, smartphone readers, I believe the poll only appears if you are on your craptop). Remember! You can join this party any ole time, no pressure here. Shoot, I'll probably stop reading these books and completely forget about this whole thang in a matter of dayzz so, there's that. (Just kidding! Unlike my LAST Artsy Book Club book, I do hope to make it at least half way through these bad boys).

So, if you were brave enough to watch the above clip, I suggested that if you are reading Printmaking Unleashed, why not aim for 3 printmaking techniques a week? The reason I started this book club was so we could share our ideas and thoughts...so I'd love it if you'd share what you created on the Artsy Book Club Facebook page! This way we can learn from each other as well as the book. To get the ball rolling, I toyed around with 3 processes from the book this afternoon and thought I'd share 'em with ya here.

 If you are (also) reading Teach Like a Pirate, there are no "activities" (unless you count adding "arrr, matey!" after every sentence when reading the book). But I thought I'd throw some discussions questions out there. This week, I'm going to aim to read 1/2 of Part 1: Teach Like a Pirate! In Part 1, Dave Burgess breaks down the word PIRATE and gives meaning to each letter. I plan to read the "P"assion, "I"mmersion and "R"apport sections. I'd love to hear your thoughts as you read though these chapters. Whatcha say we chat about this:

*  The author is a high school history teacher (I think, I've not gotten that far!). Does this change the way you approach this book? Meaning, do you think that what he is presenting will not work in your classroom setting? Can you somehow make it work?

*  Dave Burgess begins his first three days of school without presenting rules, routines (well, not in the normal way) but by capturing the hearts and minds of his students. Has this gotten you thinking about a different way you might approach the start of your school year? What might you do differently with this in mind?

I'm so excited to hear your response! I do hope you'll take the second to drop a line...even if it is to say "PUH-lease don't make any more video clips. Ev-errrrrr." 

 Now, let's chat Printmaking Unleashed. Y'all. I'm a little, I don't know, bummed. I mean, I like the book a lot and the projects have me excited but...has anyone else had trouble rustling up the resources? I mean, the very first project called for Teflon sheets and I ain't got a clue where to get my kitten mittens on those. The projects after that also called for stuff I didn't have on hand which is saying something being that I am: 1. An Art Teacher and 2. A World Class Hoarder. That being said, I settled on three projects that I did happen to have the supplies for (well, mostly).

 Now, before we chat about this project, I have to tell you that I've decided to print on muslin instead of paper. I really have this idea in my head that the kids should create their own fabrics this year so that's why I'm on fabric and not paper. This first project called for lace and fiber paste (um, no clue) which I substituted for fabric paint. I first decided to use the lace like a stencil using a makeup sponge as my pouncer-thingie (what is that thing called, y'all?) and the results were pretty suck-tastic, if I do say so myself.

 In the book, the author recommends using an embroidery hoop to hold the fabric taunt so I gave that a go...

 And, again, suck-gasim. 

 On a whim, I decided to try this very thin and flimsy spider web lace I'd had left over from Halloween. I just knew this wouldn't work because I thought the paint would simply blob all over the fabric. Much to my surprise, it worked great! I really love the effect, don't you? And I think that the embroidery hoop is a great idea when doing this with the kids. So, even though I didn't have fiber paste nor did I go about this the way the author suggested, I think it turned out pretty cool. 

 Next up, gluing rando stuff to cardboard and making printing plates. Nothing really new here although the author did glue a buncha raffia and other odds and ends to her cardboard. I'm in the middle of a wacky weaving project (post to come!) so I happened to have all this fun leftover yarn for the cause. I hot glued the yarn onto the cardboard...

 And decided to use a stamp pad to ink them up. This worked great as it applied the color evenly, unlike brushed-on paint...

 Yeah, not so much. Not only that, but moving my brush around caused my yarn design to get all jacked up. And don't nobody like a jacked up yarn design, y'all. If I were to do this with the kids, I think they could glue their own design with yarn scraps (regular glue would be fine) and use large stamping sponges. Then, when finished, they could cover their designs with foil and create a cool repousee-esque piece.

 Now, this last idea is an alteration of what is presented in the book. The author has this really cool idea of creating a designed surface with puffy paint. Her idea is to allow the design to dry and then use that as a rubbing or printing surface.

Recently, on one of my fave blogs, Alisa Burke used puffy paint to print with so I decided to give that a go. I thought the effect was fun...but you do have to be gentle as the puffy paint does spread considerable when pressing on the back side. You can see Alisa's idea here, it's fantastical. 

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Comin' Attcha Live: Opening the AOE Swag Box and an Artsy Book Order!

Hey, y'all! I was so excited to see these two boxes on my doorstep this afternoon (one from The Art of Education and the other my Artsy Book Club order, I made a wee film of myself opening them up! First up, the swag box from the Art of Education's online summer 2014 conference. If you aren't signed up for the conference yet, there's still time. I did make a BIG mistake in this clip when I said the conference is on Wednesday. It's actually Thursday, July 17th. I'll be there (with some art teacherin' rock stars) presenting at noonish. I hope to chat with you live at the conference! Now, let's talk swag, shall we?

Y'all, this box was amazing! You'll have to watch the clip to see what's inside...however if you can't stand the sound of my annoying voice (I promise within the first 30 seconds you will be so.over.it.) I did snap a pic of the loot. It's so good, you guys! Check it: 

 While I was oohing and ahhing over the contents, someone was makin' herself at home in the box.

"WHAT?! If it fits, I sits. DUH."

(that face. I don't even know.)

Anyone else gotten their books yet? I'm excited to start creating and pirating with y'all!

And, there you have it! I do hope you enjoy these completely unedited and obnoxious clips. I'd love to do more...but I'd also love to keep the handful of readers that I have. Thanks for dropping by, y'all.

I'll see you at the AOE Conference on Thursday. In the meantime, let's read some good books and watch kittens crawl in boxes, emkay? Chat with ya soon!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #104 and Let's Book Club, Ya'll!

I'm-a-Total-Fake Monday: Ya'll, don't let this photo fool you. I didn't wear this on Monday as I was in my pajamas feverishly stitching up my Frida Frock. I just so happened to have worn this a coupla weeks ago and never shared it with ya'll. Cuz I just don't think we're at that point in our relationship for you to see me in my Walmart-wear (aka, my jammie-jams). dress: vintage; belts and sandals: Anthropologie

 Hey, friends! Thank you for all the love on the Rambo Meets Frida Frock. It was a whole lotta fun to make even if it did challenge my weak sewing abilities. When that bad boy was complete, I spent the rest of my week catching up with my roomies from the NAEA convention in San Diego, playing tourist-in-my-own-town with my art teacher buds and teaching a Felted Pet Portrait class at The Skillery! It was another packed summer week and, although I'm pretty pooped, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Speaking of packed, let's just throw one more thing into the mix, shall we? A while back, many of ya'll joined the Artsy Book Club. If ya'll aren't familiar, I suggested some titles, took a poll and we settled on the artsy read One Drawing a Day. I really enjoyed the book (and I know many of ya'll did as well based on all the drawings you posted on the Facebook page) but in the end, I just couldn't keep up. Instead of simply sketching the "assignments", I would spend an hour plus each evening. I enjoyed it a whole heck of a lot and was beyond inspired by what ya'll shared...but in the end, I just couldn't give up that much of my sewing/crafting/felting/watching-survival-shows-with-the-hubs time. So, sadly, I let the whole thing go. And I feel pretty bad about that because we had such a fun little family of support and creativity going on! So, if ya'll are in, I propose we give it another go!

I've slapped together some books that I'd love to read from all walks of literary life: a coupla how-to's, an inspirational teaching book, an uber-famous art book and one from Disney. I've created a poll (look right, ya'll) so if you're interested, you can cast your vote for the one that piques your interest. I'll keep voting open for a coupla days and I'll announce our book club winner later this week. 

Until then, check out these titles and have a super fab week, kids!

The Imagineering Workout by Disney Imagineers, 2005 Here's a summary from amazon: You've been told how to think "out of the box," and even been told to throw the box away, but really, isn't it time someone taught you how to create your own box in the first place? The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape your Creative Muscles, will do just that, with interactive, ingenious, and practical exercises that will stimulate your imagination, tone your creative muscles, strengthen ideas, and, most importantly, inspire new approaches. The Imagineering Workout is for anyone who wants to learn new ways to problem-solve challenges, whether they're creative, logic-oriented, everyday, or event-inspired. The ingredients Imagineers use are simple and contain a large measurement of fun, which contributes to shapelier thinking and stronger solutions.

No Excuses Tuesday: Errand-running demanded I actually look human and leave the house.  I was all, "whuh? what's with all the sunlight and people?!". After having spent all Monday at home, I felt a lil vampire-esque finally leaving the house. I'm a homebody so I was glad when the running-around was over and I could return to my sewing lair. dress: vintage; sweater: thrifted; shoes: Anthro; bow and belt: dunno

Printmaking Unleashed, Traci Bautista, 2014 Not gonna lie, this one totally has me interested. Here's the down low: Unleash your inner artist and join Traci Bautista as she shares inventive ideas for making marks with handmade tools, nontraditional materials and simple DIY printmaking techniques. Pulsing with exploration and whimsy, Printmaking Unleashed features 60+ step-by-step demonstrations and countless possibilities for creating original prints, fabrics, art journal pages, mixed-media collage, and so much more.

Wednesday Wannabe: I'm such a sewing wannabe. Did ya'll check out those other sewing blogs in the Frida post? I wish those chics were my neighbors, as I'd be at their house getting help all the time! 

Paint Mojo, Tracy Verdugo, 2014 Deets: Break free of your comfort zone, sharpen your senses to perceive the world around you and find happiness in play. On this painterly journey, Tracy Verdugo leads you from self-doubt to self-appreciation by helping you find your voice through a myriad of vibrantly-hued mark making, painting and self-reflection techniques. There are no mistakes here, only opportunities to learn and grow.

"I LIKE YOUR DRESS!" Thursday: I was on my way to meet up with some buddies when my wee your-a##-is-outta-gas light popped on. As I was filling up my tank, the gas station attendant lady got on the intercom and shouted, "I like your dress!". Being embarrassingly flattered as I was, all I was able to do was shout back a weak, "thanks!" and a wave. It truly made my day. dress: vintage; shoes: old, Target; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Teach like a Pirate, Dave Burgess, 2012 I actually have started this book but since hubs has hijacked my kindle, I've yet to finish. It's a great read, super inspiring. Here's what amazon says: Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Outrageous Teaching" and "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You'll learn how to: • Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher • Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet • Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom • Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students.

Nashville Tourist Friday: I don't "do" N'ville enough. It's so much fun with friends. In case you find yourself in my neck of the woods (gimme a shout, ya'll!), here's what we did that was totes 'tactical: Eighth and Roast (you could cut the hipster air with a chainsaw but the service was super and the coffee, dreamy); The Fabric Studio (gah, the most gorgeous prints ever and the owner was super sweet); The Haus of Yarn (offers an amazing selection of yarn and a decent amount of wool roving); The Hip Zipper (vintage clothing on a budget); Fannie's House of Music (don't let the name fool you, the have a good selection of vintage clothing too!); I Dream of Weenie was our lunch spot and they offered veggie dogs! Don't make that face, they were delish!; Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream...so amazing, gah; Tatyana's Vintage-Inspired Clothing (my buddies and I have been dying to go there...and, while the clothing was amazing, the customer service was unbearably rude. We left empty-handed, sigh.) Can you believe we did all that in one day?! When it comes to shopping and eating, we totally got this. dress: vintage

The Art Spirit, Robert Henri I talked about Henri and this book here.  I've never read it but it's like a staple in the art book world. Details: The Art Spirit represents the best of the collected words, teachings, and letters of inspired artist and teacher Robert Henri. Filled with valuable technical advice as well as wisdom about the place of art and the artist in American society, this classic work continues t be a must-read for all aspiring artists and lovers of art. --Publisher's description.

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What the Art Teacher Wore #90

Primary Colors Monday: Because I saw three of my four kindergarten classes back to back on this particular day and we were (re)learning about the primary colors, I decided to dress for the occasion. top and tights: Target; dress: I forget; shoes: Anthro; belt: thrifted; palette hair clip: made by me

Ya'll. Trust me when I saw I had much bigger plans for this here blog post. Howevers. I currently feel as though I'm carrying half my body weight in my head and nasal passages. Without getting too graphic (which is a ridiculous way to start a sentence as you know I'm about to get all sorts of graphic), I'm more snotty than a cheerleading squad. (Aw, former cheerleaders, don't hate. I speak from a sad 8th-grader-who-wanted-to-be-a-cheerleader-but-my-dad-made-me-play-basketball-instead place.) For that super snotty reason, I've only got the energy to share wit ya what I wore and what I drew this week. I'm hoping to be back again with you soon with a post on a vocabulary update and maybe a DIY...if I can manage to pull myself off the couch. Until then, enjoy your weekend!

There have been so many amazing drawings pouring into the Artsy Book Clubs facebook page that it continues to surprise and thrill me everyday! It's such a motivation and inspiration to see what these artists have created. If you'd like to join the fun, it's okay to begin drawing and sharing your work any time. You can go here for all the details.

Poodle-tastic Valentine Dress Tuesday: My plan had been to wear something Valentines-y all week...but I actually have so many heart-themed ensembles that I shoulda started the week before. Sad but true. Oh well, next year. poodle dress: made by me, DIY here; sweater: made by me; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; tights: Target; hair clips: DIY here; shoes: Sofft

I'll be honest with you, I don't always love the assignments in the One Drawing a Day book that we are using in our Artsy Book Club. And because I'm drawing for myself and the desire to get back to more fine arts work, I've decided to only take the drawing assignments as suggestions and then draw what I want. If I want. I don't want these drawings tasks to become just that, a task. So I'm enjoying the process if it speaks to me. On this day we were to draw a picture of someone in a variety of pens. I drew my grandpa from his senior high school photo.

Our First (and probably only) Snow Day Wednesday!: Well, what a happy surprise that turned out to be! Granted, it woulda been a whole lot more exciting if it had actually snowed but I try not to ask for too much. A day of sewing, drawing and blogging turned out to be exactly what I needed to make it through the rest of the week. dress: Betsy Johnson, used; sweater: Target; scarf: Urban Outfitters; leg warmers: I forget; boots: Frye, Journeys

This drawing I definitely wasn't feeling. The assignment was to just basically doodle a bunch of stuff, trace your hand, write words and numbers...I dunno. I wasn't into it. I found myself drawing things that I thought I should draw like a cupcake and other stuff. I think I'd actually have to create a couple of these drawings to really get to the root of what would inspire me. I was also not in love with drawing in crayon...but that has since changed after the last two assignments.

Dots and Leopard Print Thursday: We had a two hour delay on this day which basically means my day is gonna be jacked up. Sure I get to sleep in a pinch but then I spend the rest of my day runnin' like a crazy person trying to figure out just what in the world my jumbled schedule is gonna look like. But it was fine, we made it though and even created some masterpieces to boot. Looking forward to sharing them with you soonish. sweater: Old Navy; belt: thrifted; dress: I added the leopard to this too-short number that I bought at the thrift store; scarf: gift from a student

Self-portrait in crayon. I sketched it out first in yellow marker and then built it up with crayon. I enjoyed working on this a lot...even if the perspective is off and I have a super large side-forehead.

Happy Valentine's Day Friday: Our school has a tradition where the kids are allowed to spend about 10 minutes in the morning delivering Valentine's to their teachers. I love getting sweets, cards and gifties from the kids. My favorites are always the handmade cards with the personalized notes. Those I keep forever. dress and sweater: DIY here; shoes: Modcloth

Still life in crayon. Seriously, ya'll. I don't even use crayons in the art room because I'm kind of a snob about them. But I might be inclined to change my mind after working so much in crayon these last couple of days. 

And that's all I got, ya'll! I'm off to go take a Vick's Vapo-Rub bath and soak my head in a bucket of hot water!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #87

A Relaxed Kinda Monday: I loved my Monday off. I spent the day shopping with a good buddy and devouring sushi with a my ole student teacher. I'd do that everyday if I could. dress and sweater: Anthro label picked up at a second hand shop; tights: Target; boots: Frye, bought at a second hand shop

I don't know how ya'll spent your Saturday, but I spent mine chillin' out and chatting with over 1000 art educators. At my mother-in-laws. In Birmingham. Whilst wearing my pajamas. 

No, moms-in-law and I weren't hosting some sort of Art Teacher PJ Party (although that does sound like a rip-roarin' good time), I was attending The Art of Education's 2014 Winter Conference! It was such an amazing day with so many presenters and so much information that my little head is still spinning. Thankfully, Jessica of The Art of Education has allowed attendees access to the presentations so that I can go back and watch what I might have missed. 

Did ya'll attend? What are you excited to try in your art room? Me, I just went out and bought 10 dry erase boards today to use as free draw and sketching as was suggested by Art Teachers Hate Glitter...genius!

Now if you happen to have found me and this blog after viewing my (painfully goofy) presentation on Saturday, welcome! On this here blog, I try to share a DIY project, an update of what's happening in the art room and a wrap-up of my weekly outfits (along with a featured artist) each week. To keep up with all that crazy, you can find me on facebook here.

Also, if you're into reading books and drawing pictures and chatting with other artsy peeps, you might consider joining in on our Artsy Book Club! We will be drawing our way through the book One Drawing a Day by Veronica Lawlor. Our start date is next Monday, February 3rd but you can join the fun and begin creating any ole time.

To set the mood for our upcoming drawing adventure, and because he's the Artist of the Month in the art room, I thought I'd share drawings from Vincent van Gogh...

Self-Portrait 1887 oil on panel ...who, with his read beard and long skinny nose kinda resembles my hubs. Although, not gonna lie, van Gogh actually looks a little less hobo than my man. But whatcha gonna do. So, ya'll know the sad story of van Gogh's life, right? He became an artist in his late 20's after trying his hand at selling art (which his brother Theo was successful at doing), teaching and preaching. I have a feeling his manic personality frightened many and prevented his success at those chosen careers. So he decided to pursue his childhood passion of art.

1888 Fishing Boats at Sea pen & ink...looking at these drawings, you have to admit, van Gogh was a master mark-maker. I cannot believe the amount of depth and value he's able to create in this sketch with just pen and ink. Looking at his paintings, I don't often think of van Gogh's work as detailed and intricate...but looking at this drawing makes me think differently.

Tuesday: I haven't a clue what we did on this day, isn't that the saddest thing ever? I've started keeping a little book where I write a couple of sentences of what happened that day...but that would mean I'd have to get off the couch, find said book and read what happened. And there's currently a cat planted on my arm...so I'm not going anywheres. dotted sweater: thrifted; dotted shirt: Old Navy; skirt and shoes: Anthro; dotted tights: Target

Two Hands and Peasant Woman Stooping and Gleaning black chalk on paper...so I've read that when van Gogh initially decided to become an artist, he took tons of drawing classes and just drew continuously. It's amazing when you look at a body of his work, his drawing improves drastically. I'm hoping that the same will happen to me during the course of our drawing book.

Wednesday, Already?: The lovely thing about a short week is that it's, well, short. sweater: Anthro, picked up second hand; skirt: J.Crew, very old; tights: Target; shoes: Anthro

1884-85 Head of a Young Man with a Pipe pencil...I love his portraits. They remind me of Alice Neel's work. And I love her stuff.

Sunflowery Thursday: On this day after school, a buddy and I drove to Nashville's art museum, The Frist Center for Visual arts to drop off student masterpieces! It's always an exciting time for the kids. I have 10 students whose work will be on display there and I know they couldn't be more excited. sweater: DIY here; dress: vintage, thrifted; tights: amazon; shoes: Anthro

1888 Arles, View from the Wheat Field pen & ink...again with that off-the-chain amazing mark-making. There's so much going on in this drawing and he's able to capture it all. Nutz.

Feelin' Snippy Friday: Okay, art teachers...isn't this the best dress ever?! I wish I could take credit for it...I found it on Modcloth a week or so ago in their sale section. Sadly, it's no longer there. But I do think it could easily be replicated. It's a sweatshirt so it's just about the coziest thing ever. dress: Modcloth; tights: Target; boots: The Walking Company

1888 Fishing Boats at Sea pen & ink...and while the other drawing was so busy, I love all of the feeling of air and space in this piece. It's interesting that by not making marks, he's able to say so much.

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In the Art Room: Self-Portrait in a Kimono

Konichiwa, ya'll! 

My second grade students have been wrapping up their Self-Portraits in a Kimono collages this week and I just had to share. Because, well, look at 'em. They are, like, totes adorbs (so sorry. With my {gulp} 39th birthday approaching in a month and a half, I've decided to hit mid-life crisis mode and talk like a 13 year old. Mostly because I still act like a 13 year old.)

We covered so much with this project from traditional Japanese clothing to portrait drawing to collage techniques.  We even learned how to write a couple of Japanese characters! It was a whole lotta stuff crammed into one masterpiece and the kids are so excited with the results.

One of my favorite things about displaying these pieces together is that they often appear to interact with each other...like Capt. Spiky Hair and Samurai Scar Face. Scar Face doesn't look too enthused. Maybe the scar is from a bad run-in with a certain spiked hair dude.

Students could create a fan to include in their collage or not. Some students decided to get all FANtastic and spring for two fans. Notice the one tucked into the obijime (which is that little yarn belt).

Now, ya'll might recall that our theme for the school year is Asia (even if we did take a wee detour to Norway to study all things Viking when my student teacher was with us). You can catch a glimpse of my Asian-themed art room here. I've worn this kimono a couple of times and chatted with the kids about the different elements of the outfit. This really piqued their curiosity and got them excited about creating a mini-kimono of their own. Now the boys did take a little convincing...that was until I showed them examples of samurai in their kimonos. Then they were totally on board. 

BY THE WAY...if you are attending the Art of Education's online conference this Saturday, this here is one of the four different costumes you'll get the chance to see. Please BYOC (Bring Your Own Crackers) because my presentation is full of some serious cheesiness.

The first thing we did was create our kimonos. We chatted about the tradition in Japan of having four different kimonos, one for every season. I asked the kids to pick their favorite season and color two coffee filters with colors that reminded them of that time of year. Once colored, these filters were placed on a styrofoam plate and painted with water. NOW, this project was delayed a bit because I did switch gears and have them use their painted coffee filters for a temporary installation for International Dot Day (see here). Once that installation was down, coffee filters were returned and we were back to work.

Our next order of business was creating the body. The children were given a template that was about 3" wide and 9" tall with a round head shape at the top. After selecting their flesh color, they traced the template for the head portion only and began drawing out the features of the face.

We did chat quite a bit about the placement of facial features. The children drew their portraits in pencil, traced with thin sharpie and then erased their pencil lines. Color was added with colored pencils. We then worked on the kimono. The children learned that a collar called a eri sugata is often worn under a kimono. They created one with a small piece of origami paper. Next we folded the kimono over the body...in just the right way with the left side first, right side on top. Folding the kimono the opposite way is how it is worn when buried.

Hair was added with a choice of decorations for the ladies. Arms were created with the second coffee filter folded just like the kimono. Hands were made with the aid of a template. Then came the belts: the obi, which is the large belt and the obijimi, the small cord that goes around the obi. I happened to have some snazzy fabric for the obi and some funky monkey yarn for the obijimi.

Here's a group of first grade creations before arms were added.

Because white toe socks are usually worn with the wooden clogs called geta, the students were given white paper the same width of the body. They were told to draw two curved lines, cut out and slip inside the bottom of the kimono. The top of the geta clogs were created with the letter "V".

I really wanted the background to be interesting but not take away from the awesomeness of the self-portrait. For that reason, the kids used Mod Podge to adhere a piece of tissue paper to white drawing paper and then proceeded to cover that with Mod Podge I had added glitter to.

Once the sparkly background was complete, the kids added their self-portraits. Then they were to write some Japanese characters that best described them (based on a handout that was on their tables) and glue to the bottom of their piece. Once complete, I have the kids my "red stamp of approval": a stamp I had created in Japan that has my name on it. 

Whew! I'm exhausted just explaining all the elements of this lesson...I know the kids are happy with their work. And probably even happier still to move on to something new. Next up: Sumi-e Brush Painting! I'm excited to share this art with the children. Have you taught sumi-e before? Any tips?

OH! And thanks to all of you that have joined in on the Artsy Book Club! If you've not done it already, you can join our facebook page here. And you can join this blog's facebook page here! 

Chat with you soon!

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