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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What the Art Teacher Wore #86 and Our Artsy Book of Choice!

Still-Life Dress Monday: So I totally know what you're thinking: Geesh, Stephens, that dress is a lil short doncha think? Yeah, looking at this photo, I totally agree. That's the prob with being a little on the tall side, clothing is often a little on the small side. Regardless, when you teach little kids, I swear to you, they don't notice this kinda stuff (mine don't anyway). What they did love was the photograph of the lady and the examples of still-life paintings which inspired several convos. dress: scored cheaply on Modcloth; tights: Target; boots: Frye, picked up at a second hand shop; necklace: DIY embroidery, details here

Hey, ya'll! I hope you guys are having a super amazing weekend...AND looking forward to a lovely Monday off in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. If you DON'T have the day off, my apologies. I'll stay in my pajamas and craft a little bit longer in your honor. 

This past week was my first 5-day'er since the holidays and I can't believe I made it! I tried out some of your vocabulary suggestions this week (an updated post with your amazing suggestions to come), continued stencil marbling with my third and fourth graders, and wore my Starry Night light up dress for kindergarten town. Then yesterday, hubs and I went on a 12 mile hike on which I decided to wear my new hiking boots which weigh, I swear, five pounds each. I felt like I was walking with overweight koala bears clinging to my ankles. Which sounds cute. Trust me, it wasn't. All that jibber-jabber to say, I'm beat and I think Ima need Monday just to recover.

Or, MAYBE, I'll spend Monday purchasing our Artsy Book Club book of choice: One Drawing a Day by Veronica Lawlor (available on amazon here)! Thank you to all of you that voted -- it was a seriously close race between this book and two others. Perhaps if this book club idea takes off, we'll read those other books as well. 

Now, I've done a little homework and I found that the author, along with several other illustrators, has a blog that might give you an idea of what we'll be creating. I've been trying to dream up ways for us to share our drawings with each other and chat back and forth about our experience. AND how we art teachers can share this experience with our students (Drawing Club, anyone...?).

For that reason, I've created an Artsy Book Club Facebook page! Please feel free to join the page whether your reading the book and sharing your drawings or not. I hope that this will be an inspiring and fun experience for all of us.

For everyone to have enough time to purchase their book and begin thinking about when in the world they'll find time to create a drawing a day, let's begin reading this book Monday, February 3rd. Of course, you can begin at any ole time...I just wanted to give those of you that love deadlines and such, a deadline and such. Oh, I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to getting started!

Starry Night Tuesday: Once every six days, I have three kindergarten classes back-to-back for 45 minutes at a time. I drink a tall cup of patience, have a couple of amazing assistants on hand and try my very best not to grow any more gray hairs by the end of the two plus hours. On this day, I had 'em in the palm of my paint-splattered hand when I sit the switch on my dress. Granted, that moment didn't last too long...but enough to get their attention and have 'em interested in all things Starry Night and van Gogh-y. dress: DIY Starry Night here; tights and top: Target; boots: Marshall's

Sweet or Savory? Marilyn Murphy, 2010. Since we'll be drawing, I wanted to share with ya'll one of my favorite artists whose medium of choice is pencil, Marilyn Murphy. Ms. Murphy is a local artist who is also a professor of art at Vanderbilt University. I have been in love with her work since discovering it a coupla years ago. It's so retro, Twilight Zone-y and simply amazing.

Hot Java, 2007. One thing I really love about her surrealist work are the stories that you can create just by looking at her drawings. She creates a mystery in her drawings and leaves you to solve it. And what fun it is to unravel the strange elements.

Security Tag Wednesday: So I have wanted this Anthro dress since the beginning of time. BUT it was always, like, one million dollars. When I found it at a resale shop for $20, I flipped out! Until I got all the way home (from Cali) only to find they'd forgotten to remove the security tag. WHUH? So hubs and I spent some time watching youtube videos (some by folks who OBVIOUSLY did  A LOT of shoplifting, le sigh) and using a lighter, a knife and some tweezers had the thing off the dress in a matter of minutes. Future DIY post...? sweater: thrifted; dress: Buffalo Exchange; boots and belt: Anthro

Profiterole, 2008. Ms. Murphy has created many of these lasso'ing-things-from-the-sky pieces and I absolutely love them. I'm really drawn to the color sky blue so that could be a reason these pieces are some of my faves.

Hair Cuttin' Thursday: Ya'll, I NEVER get my hair cut. Only because I'm lazy. But it's gotten so long and gnarly on the ends, I just had to do it. Now you know your hair is too long when they make you stand up for your hair cut. Seriously? She took off 3" and did a fab job...but you cannot even tell the difference. dress and shoes: thrifted; blouse and necklace: gift; tights: Target

The Getaway, 2005.

Friday!: Marbling papers with 4 classes of 3rd and 4th graders will seriously wear you out! But they loved it so much. I had one boy tell me that this was his "new favorite day of the year" and several others come up to me and say, "thank you for teaching us this." Totally worth the mess. sweater: Old Navy; dress: vintage, thrifted; boots and belt: Anthro; tights: Target

Haunted by Tradition, 2010.

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