What the Art Teacher Wore #130 and Artsy Book Clubbin'

Monday, Monday: Any Mamas and Papas fans out there? I went through a seriously intense hippie phase in high school (in-between my alternative and retro phases) and they were among my fave bands. In fact, I've been called Mama Cass a good amount of times in my life (along with Casserole and Caster Oil {huh?}) which is cool because I always loved the lady. But wait, how did I get here again? Oh, yeah, Monday, Monday. Wow. scarf: Charleston; painted dress: made by me, DIY here; pink tights: Target; World's Biggest Belt: Amazon; gold leafed booties: made by me, DIY here. 

Hey, how are ya? Feelin' good? Reading any good books? Hopefully you are tiptoeing into The Art Spirit with the Artsy Book Club and ready to chat! I know I am...

Now, last week I suggested we read up to page 51 but I only made it to 27 for a couple of reasons. This isn't a fast read. This is a slow read: take in some paragraphs, let your brain chew on it, stew it over, see how it might apply to your life and then read some more. I was really enjoying it, underlining nearly everything, destroying the columns with my notes until I got to page 20 when he wrote at letter to a class of art students. Don't get me wrong, it was all good but just not as easy to gobble up and swallow. I found myself having to reread several passages because my mind was starting to wonder. Did you all struggle with that portion too?

Prior to that, I have some super fave quotes that I just have to share. The man was like a Super Teacher. I can't help but thinking, "why have I never read this book before?!" It has so much insight on how to teach artists. Okay, some gems:

"When the artist is alive in a person, whatever kind of work that may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature".

I really wish I would have heard that quote in college when I was in painting school and thought that one was only an "artist" when painting. I had a serious love for batik and textiles that I pushed aside thinking that it wasn't "true" art. 

"Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible."

"The work of an art student is no light matter. Few have the courage or stamina to see it though."

I really think that all high school art students as well as their teachers need to be reading this book. Seriously, you guys. Robert Henri is amazing!

Okay, I have to know, because I could quote all day, what's been your take-away? Are you enjoying this read? I'd love to hear from y'all in the comments! 

Feelin' Catty Tuesday: Let's be honest, I'm catty every day of the week. I ain't braggin'. I come by it naturally. By the way, don't ask me what's happening in the photo. And to think, it was the best of the batch. sweater: made by me, DIY here; boots and belt: Anthro; dress: vintage; crinoline: Amazon; tights: Target

Wuz Up Wednesday: Aside from this here ensemble, I have no recollection of Wednesday. Is that bad? I can't even tell you what I had for dinner. My guess is popcorn. sweater: Free People, found at Buffalo Exchange; shirt and skirt: JCrew; Tights: Urban Outfitters

 Recording Studio Thursday: I remember this day! We had so much fun at the recording studio with the third graders (more here, in case you missed). The guys working the place were so great. One said, "Oh a dress of onomonopias!" and later one said, "Lichtenstein!" Either way, I was impressed. By the way, I don't think I ever shared a DIY post on this jacket with you! I bleach dot-dyed the top with a q-tip and added the appliqué the same way I did for the dress. Lichtenstein dress: DIY here

Fried-Day: So I have a good friend who is an incredible teacher (hi, Bethany!) and is super duper organized. She was telling me how she has her clothes picked out for the week. I do no such thing. I don't have an organized bone in my body (what would that look like?! Would I look like a blob?!). For zample, on morning I thought A. What will I wear? and then B. What am I teaching? I had 3 kindergarten classes learning shapes...so here's what I came up with. sweater: Target; skirt: Plato's Closet; necklace: Paper Source

Oh, one last thing! This goofball blog that you are currently reading is up for an award! That's right, I've been nominated for Wild Card Blog of the Year. There are some amazing art education blogs nominated so if you'd take a moment to go and cast your vote (good news: you can vote for as many as you'd like), that'd be swell. 

In the Art Room: A Recording Session!

Well, kids, today was beyond exciting as I took the kids to a recording session! That's right, they sang the lyrics to a song that will accompany one of my favorite art room books, Beautiful Oops!

So just how did something this cool come about? Well a wonderful guy by the name of Mark Meckel reached out to me and asked if this was something I'd be interested in. My first reaction was, YES! However, not knowing a single thing about teaching music to kids, I knew I'd need the help of our super fab music teacher. She immediately jumped on board as did the third grade team. Next thing ya know, we are recording a single!

And that's about all I can tell you for now. However, I just couldn't keep this excitement to myself, I had to share. MANY more details to come, kids!

We recorded at The Blue Room which is in the Berry Hill area of Nashville. The facility was super amazing and the guys working there were just the best. They made the kids so comfortable and were eager to answer their many questions. 

 But the icing on the cake was getting to Skype with the author of the book, Barney Saltzberg!

 Leading up to our adventure, we did put down our weavings for a bit and tried our hand at painting some Oops! I'll share more of these happies with you soon.

 When we returned from the trip, the kids worked on creating Thank You notes with an illustration of the experience on the cover. I love all the details in the one. Although I'm wondering why there's a kid on the floor! "Get Up!" says an unhappy adult. Hmm, might have to ask about that!

An empty studio after the session. I was so loving this drawing of The Blue Room.

 The kids had much to say about the experience. 

Quite a day, right? And one I'm sure they're not soon to forget. I know I won't! 

In the Art Room: God's Eye (Ojo de Dios)

Hey, guys! Can I just say how happy y'all have been making me? I've heard from so many of you that are weaving in your art room and beyond (I'm actually working on a weaving outside of the art room too, I can't wait to share that with you!). Thank you so much for your emails with helpful tips, tricks and projects as well as all the weaving love! Y'all are seriously the best.

Today I thought I'd share with you a weaving project that is great for a coupla reasons which I shall share with you in glorious bullet points as I'm feeling very bullet-pointy:

*  First, it can be as easy or as difficult as you decide to make it. Weaving a basic God's Eye is simple but Ima gonna show you some that'll blow your mind. 

* Second, it's a great project for those early finishers that still have the weaving itch. I use much of the same weaving terminology when explaining it to the kids which not only reinforces vocab but also helps the process click even more.

* You can throw in some culture and contemporary art while you're at it! The Ojo de Dios was originated by the Huichol people of western Mexico. Originally, they were created when a child was born. Each year, a new layer of yarn was added to the weaving. Once the child turned 5, the weaving was complete and hung in the child's home. It's believed to be the eye of God watching over and protecting the child. Cool, right?!

My kids have thought so. This weaving was completed by a third grader just this afternoon! I shared with the kids a wonderful God's eye I'd found at the thrift store and they were interested in embellishing theirs further. This worked out perfectly during art class as I had several kids finishing off other projects. 

So a traditional Ojo de Dios looks like this. I scored this beauty for a coupla bucks at the thrift store. The kids were so inspired by it today!

However, weaving Ojo de Dios isn't limited to the Huichol people. There are many contemporary weavers creating stunning versions. I'm so inspired by these beauties by Jay Mohler that I'm thinking of creating my own! Has anyone every tried their hand at this kind of weaving? I'd love to learn more. 

So, just how does one go about creating a simple Ojo de Dios? I created a coupla clips for you! So, get your kitten mittens on some sticks (or straws as I'll show you in the clip) and let's get started!

In my room, we didn't use straws but various sticks glued together. Like popsicle sticks, chop sticks and toothpicks!

The weaving comes together very quickly. You'll be surprised how fast and fun these weavings are!

 I mean, the majority of these were completed in one art class! These were created by my third grade kids.

 And these are by my second graders! We added brass bells to the ends of our weavings with Twisteez wire. A paper clips was hot glued to the top so that they could be easily hung for display. 

Popsicle sticks are the perfect thing for first time weavers. The flat surface of the stick gives the kids plenty of room to number each stick (see video clip for complete details). And, for some reason, I found that the kids grasped the process of weaving much better on these sticks as opposed to other sticks. I've no clue why. Whatcha y'all think about that? A kid-mystery, says me.

 I just wanted to give you a sneak peak at the backside. The front and the back of the weavings look very different. I stress that to the kids over and again. This is the key to knowing whether or not you are doing it correctly. Again, if you watch the clip (they're short, I promise), you'll get what I'm saying.

I'd love to hear about how your weaving adventures are going! Have you had your kids create Ojo de Dios before? What tips and tricks do y'all have?

For more weaving goodness, feel free to check these posts out, y'all!

The Weaving Series: Paper Loom Weaving (perfect for first grade)
The Weaving Series: Straw Weaving (second grade and up)
The Weaving Series: Circle Loom Weaving (second grade and up)
The Weaving Series: CD Loom Weaving (second grade and up)

What the Art Teacher Wore #129, More Weaving and Artsy Book Club!

 Welcome Back, Monday: Oh, don't let the smile fool you. It was so hard returning to school this week! Two weeks of staying up late, catching up on shows, hiking, eating a nightly popcorn snack and sleeping in 'til 10am was just so hard to give up. Thankfully, Monday we didn't have kids which was a nice ease back into art teacherin' land. Keith Haring jacket: DIY here; dotted scarf: Old Navy, maybe?; Betsy Johnson Dress: found at Buffalo Exchange; dotted tights: dunno, Target?; leg warmers and crinoline: Amazon; Frye boots: lucky $39 score at Journey's years ago. I know, sometimes, I hit the lotto. 

Well, howdy, kids! I hope everyone's return to the real world has been a good one. Mine had it's ups and downs to be honest. I'd have this great burst of energy in the morning but by midday, I was just spent. This coming week, my plan is to go to bed a lil earlier and start poppin the vitamin B like it's popcorn. What do y'all do when you hit that sluggish slump?

In other news, have I completely wore you out with all of my weaving posts? I sure do hope not as I've got more coming your way! Stay tuned this week for a simple weaving project for those early finishers and a project for your middle and high school kids. In the meantime, I thought I'd share my weaving prezi with y'all! I created one that showcases weaving from around the world. My students have really enjoyed it, I hope you and yours do as well. 

Just click on this link and it'll take you right to the presentation! I'm working on another presentation of contemporary weavers to share with my students next week. I'll be certain to post it here so you can borrow it as well. 

Now, let's talk Artsy Book Club! In case you didn't know, we'll be reading The Art Spirit by Robert Henri and I'd love for you to join the fun. Here's all I ask:

*  Get your kitten mittens on this book! I found mine used very cheap on Amazon. 

*  Read the first 51 pages! This book doesn't have chapters like your average book. Instead, it's full of commentary from Henri given during talks, articles and fragments of letters. I noticed that page 51 seemed like a good place to press the pause button.

*  Let's chat! I'll be sharing my thoughts (my apologies in advance) as well as posing questions here. Please do chime in, I'd love to hear from you! 

So, are you in? I'd love to hear who is reading this classic with us. It seems like the perfect art teacher read, dontcha think?

 A better glance at that Keith Haring jacket. You know, no one ever touts the benefits of pleather but I'm hear to tell you, a pleather jacket will keep you pretty warm, kids. It ain't gonna breathe at all so you will sweat your socks off but, by golly, you'll be warm!

 Orange You Glad It's Tuesday?: Whilst teaching kindergarten on this particular day, I felt a little tickle on my leg. I looked down to see a sweet girl just barely touching my leg. "It's so orange!", she said when I looked at her. "Too much carrot juice," says me. "OH! I hate carrot juice!" was her reply. "Good thing." I'm so gonna get fired one o' these days. sweater: Urban Outfitters, old; skirt: vintage, thrifted; tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

 Not Appropriate, Mrs. Stephens! Wednesday: I was informed by a fourth grader on this day that my attire was, "not appropriate, Mrs. Stephens! It's too cold out for tights!" I believe she was right, I nearly froze walking out to my car! blouse and sweater: vintage, thrifted; skirt: super old, JCrew

 Two Hour Delay Thursday: Temps dipped so I enjoyed myself a couple extra hours of sleep. Which was great because I'd enjoyed myself a couple extra hours of stay-up time the night before. I watched the movie Gone Girl while attempting to knit. Have y'all seen that movie? I'd not even read the book so I walked in cold. It was so good! I think I only got about five rows knitted and dropped about 10 stitches in the process! dress: ModCloth, last year; brown fishnets: TJMaxx; yellow tights: Target

Welcome, Visitors! Friday: So I vaguely recall my principal mentioning that the superintendent, a handful of board members, my administrators and a state representative where gonna be in the school on Friday and would pop in the art room. And by "vaguely recall" I mean I totally forgot! I had my lovely first grade friends in the room who had just finished learning about Picasso's Blue and Rose periods and there thusly painting with cool and warm colors. The kids did great but I gotta tell you, I was a nervous wreck teaching in front of all those folk! Whilst wearing this craziness, of course. blouse and shoes: thrifted; sweater: old, For-never21; skirt: DIY, details here; tights: Target; belt: Amazon

Until Tuesday, y'all!

In the Art Room: CD and Embroidery Hoop Loom Weaving

I hope this blog post finds you either A. Experiencing a Snow Day; B. Enjoying an electric blanket/hot chocolate combo or C. Somewhere other than the subzero temperature land the rest of us seem to be enduring. As for me, I'm enjoying myself a two-hour school delay with a cat on my lap and a cuppa hot tea. And weaving. Because that's what days like this are perfect for!

In case you didn't know, I've declared January the Wonderful World of Weaving month (or something like that). Here's what I've shared so far:

The Weaving Series: Paper Loom Weaving (perfect for first grade)
The Weaving Series: Straw Weaving (second grade and up)
The Weaving Series: Circle Loom Weaving (second grade and up)

In my last post, I shared with you Circle Loom Weaving which, if you go about it like I do by having the kids spend a couple of classes painting their plate, can be a long project. If you don't have that much time to invest in a project, then this CD weaving is just the thing for you and your kids. It's fast and fun and teaches the same weaving skills learned in circle loom weaving!

Now, I gotta tell you, everything I learned about CD loom weaving came from my friend Julie O'Brien who has the super fab art teacherin' blog Art Matters. In this particular post, she does a great job walking you through the steps of CD weaving. I'll be sharing with you a coupla short clips today but go to her post for detailed photos and printable step-by-steppies. 

Supplies:

CDs: Send out a school-wide email and you'll end up with more than you could ever image.

Yarn: A lil for warping and a lil more for weaving.

That's it! Let's get started:

In this short clip, I'l show you how to warp you loom. I always avoided CD weaving because I thought the warp strings would move around on the circle of the CD. Surprisingly, it doesn't! Well, not much anyway. And if it does, you can easily just slide it back into place. 

And there you go! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments. I'd also love to hear some alternatives to teaching CD weaving you might have. Or what you've done with the finished result!

Another alternative to circle loom weaving would be weaving on an embroidery hoop! I shared this technique this summer if it looks kinda familiar to y'all. 

I think this project would be great for an art club since it would require each kid to have an embroidery hoop. Again, ask around. I bet you'll have embroidery hoops comin' out yer ears. 

I made a bunch of these guys this summer and currently have them hanging like a mobile in my art room. I'd love the kids to weave a collection of them and hang them in front of my school's large bank of windows. Wouldn't a bunch of these kind of weavings in a variety of sizes look great? Here's the method I use to create these weavings:

Very similar to circle and CD loom weaving, right?

And there you have it! Stay warm, kids. Looks like my two hour delay is just about up, time to get ready for the day. Enjoy yours!