In the Artroom: Abstract Painting and Troubleshooting

I teach this abstract painting lesson to my kindergarteners every year and each time, these fun and funky paintings remind me of them: energetic, colorful and full of life.

 As the tiniest of artists that visit my room finish these paintings, I thought I'd share them with you. Each one painted is like a little celebration of life. They make me pretty happy. I mean, how can you not smile just lookin' at em?

"Wiggly snakes and a pokey tree." Seriously? I don't even think Picasso could have painted such awesomeness.

 Interested in doing a little abstract painting? It's not just for kindergarters, ya know. Although they sure do make it a lot more interesting. 

We began our paintings with black tempra paint on 12" by 12" squares of paper. We'd spent a lot of time talking about lines, learning their names and even sculpting with them. We chatted about avoiding the temptation of just painting our entire paper black (oh, the lure of the Dark Side) and simply filling our paintings with lines. Because many of the kids where just getting the feel of painting for the first time, we painted two line paintings. The examples above show the big difference between our first and second attempt at line painting.

We were all set to add color to our masterpieces when this happened...

You see that big empty spot on the bottom left? That's a hole in the paint tray. Notice the crack in the red paint spot as well. Yeah, no bueno.

I love to use tempra cakes with the little ones and as I was getting them out that morning, I noticed huge holes in the paint trays. This really bummed me out. The company that makes these cakes sells replacement ones with the idea that you can simply add refills to the tray. Sadly, the plastic they use for the trays is so thin that over time (like, one year) the trays crack and break. Obviously, that wasn't gonna work.

 Not wanting to waste any of the cakes, I had the idea that I could just add the bits and pieces of dried tempra paint to cups with water. My fingers were crossed that by the time the kindergarteners got to the art room, the paint would have dissolved a pinch and be ready for use.

 How I set up for painting: 

• One paint tray, cup of water and "dirty Ol' Sponge Bob" for every two students
•  Above supplies sit on a "messy mat" 
• Messy mat (which is usually just junky newsprint or manilla paper) under each painting

When I demo to the kids, I tell them that their paint brush is like a ballerina, she is always dancing on her tippy toes. We should never see our Paint Brush Ballerina scooting across our paintings on her bottom (you know, when they scrub that paint brush into their painting, ruining the bristles and their work). I also show them how to give their paint brush a bath in the cup of water (where no splashing is allowed) and dry off on Dirty Ol' Sponge Bob before changing to another color. To avoid drip drops, the kids learn to wipe excess paint on the lip of the cup with this little rhyme: "if it starts to drip, wipe it on the lip...(pointing to our own lips) but not these lips!"

We also learn that there are three parts to a paint brush: the bristles (aka Ballerina Toes), the handle (it's called a handle because that's where your hands go. If they called it a foot-le or a nose-le, we'd have a hard time painting) and The Danger Zone (technically the ferrel). We call that metal band The Danger Zone because if you put your fingers there, they are in Danger of getting mighty messy.

 The end result? I think the paint was actually more vibrant than previously. There was also less struggle with the kids when it came to loading their brush with paint. As you can see in the photo of the tray, they have a tendency to gouge out the middle of the paint  and claim they "don't have anymore" when there is obviously paint around the edge.

 Back to the project. When chatting about adding color to our paintings, I asked the kids if they would please add color to the white areas. The areas with black paint were already filled in, so no need to paint that.

 As they finished up adding color, we moved on to adding patterns. This proved to be a great exercise in fine motor skills for the kids. They delicately worked that ballerina brush with stripes, dots and lines.

Love the overlapping patterns.

I absolutely love this painting. This artist painted everywhere, skipped that part about Ballerina Brushes and avoided those fussy patterns. And it worked out beautifully.

Favorite part about this photo? That little red Mary Jane.

How do you know you've had a good day in the art room? Masterpieces on the drying rack and a sink that looks like this.

 And...since we are on the subject of the art room, I have a little something to share with you:

 I have a project idea in mind for all 400 of my elementary students: I want them each to create an animal sculpture out of clay. Once glazed and fired, these sculptures will be sold to their parents for a monetary donation of their choice. The funds we collect will then be donated to our local no-kill humane society called Happy Tales Humane. I really want my students to learn the importance of using their artistic skills to help others.

The problem? We lack the funding. We need close to $200 to purchase 200 lbs of clay and glaze. I'm using DonorsChoose.org to help raise the funds. If you'd like to donate any amount (there is no such thing as too small), you can visit this link. Also, if you enter the code INSPIRE, DonorsChoose will match the amount dollar for dollar. 

Thanks for reading!

A Review: Firmoo Glasses

Collecting leaves for my leaf press.

Well, hello there. I'm here today to review a nifty pair of shades that I was sent by an online glasses company called Firmoo. Firmoo's philosophy is "vision and fashion the frugal way". Guess they heard about my affinity toward all things cheap and chic. And my hoarder ways. This online store has over 300 different styles of glasses and sunglasses to chose from. That's enough to get a collector like me in a whole heap of trouble.

I promise you I actually spent more time than usual on this mop. Steam rollers, teasing comb, the whole nine yards. One moment outside and the Blistery Breeze of Fall undid it all. I like to call this look Unkept Windswept.

Now, I gotta admit, I had a real hard time picking out just the right glasses for me. They have this super cool feature where you can download a photo of yourself and virtually try on every pair glasses. After trying 'em all on, I opted for this pair of sunnies.  I contemplated picking up a pair of prescription glasses but...well...if you must know, my lenses are super thick. Think bottle caps but, like, more bottle-cap-ier. Firmoo calls itself the Global Online Optical Store, so I don't doubt that they could have came through with some featherweight lenses for me. However, I decided to go the sunglasses route.

The customer service was excellent. I received a confirmation email when my order was placed. This was followed by an email when my order was shipped (that same day) and another email that wanted to let me know that if I had any questions, feel free to ask. Shipping is free on orders over $39.

Just a couple days after my order was placed, I received my sunglasses. I was surprised that they arrived with both a soft and hard plastic case as well as a cleaning cloth and a wee little glasses repair kit (not pictured).

The quality of the sunglasses really impressed me. I ordered these in the bronzed finish. Check out that photo, can you believe what beauties these are?

Oh, John Lennon. Did these fab Firmoo sunglasses immediately remind you of him? Surprisingly, he wasn't who I had in mind when I ordered them. While I went through a pretty intense late 60's phase in high school and college (complete with bell bottoms, peasant blouses and some insanely terrible polyester plaid pants), my love for vintage fashion is more '50's thru early '60's. No, I had another 1960's icon on mind...

 That's right: Janis Joplin. I absolutely love her. Everything about her is raw, pure and just out there. Love it or leave it. Even though these shades of mine are smaller than her over-sized round ones, they still remind me of her funky spirit. 

 Another thing I like about these sunglasses is that they are perfect for fall. The color of the lenses is a light brown which is just the right amount of shade from the not-too-intense sunlight of this time of year. Not only that, but the coloring goes well with my often autumn-hued outfits.

Outfit details: blouse: Anthro, gift from a friend; dress: vintage, gift from a friend; tights: Target; necklace: vintage, my mom's; boots: Seychelle's

The glasses I ordered also come in prescription shades and black. I think the black sunnies would have looked great for a 1940's look.

So, the verdict? I love these glasses and was very pleased with the online shopping experience. And I have entirely too much online shopping experience for my own good, so I think you can take my word. I also just noticed on their website that they are currently offering a free eyewear. And suddenly, I'm in need of some more glasses...

Thanks for dropping by!

What the Art Teacher Wore #38

Tie Dye Tuesday: Yeah, I skipped Monday this week. Oops, my bad. This week marks the third year we dyed in the art room. T-shirts, that is. Our school colors our yellow and blue so I figured if I got dye on my clothing, it'd blend in nicely. sweater: vintage, thrifted; skirt: Anthro, coupla seasons ago; fishnets, tights, blue top: Target: boots: old favorite, be prepared to see them a lot, Seychelles

 Whut up, ya'll? I am currently trying to wrap my mind around the fact that in a mere 5 work days,  my fall break begins! And I'm pretty stoked. We're heading on another Halloween adventure which means I'll get plenty more wear out of my Horror Flick Dress. I just hope the other two Halloweenie/Fall-Themed dresses I'm working on also get finished in time. I've been spending entirely too much time online reading about Henri Toulouse Lautrec and all of his buddies at the Moulin Rouge. Which would explain why I'm sharing more of his paintings this week. I am currently in love with his paintings of Carmen Gaudin. I have a feeling you'll love them as well.

So apparently our friend Toulouse-Lautrec had a thing for red heads. Not only did he create many posters, prints and paintings of the famous red headed Moulin Rouge dancer Jane Avril, but he also painted artist Suzanne Valadon and laundress/prostitute Carmen Gaudin. That's her in the painting above.

Masterpiece Wednesday: On this day one of my third grader girls told me I looked like a masterpiece. How sweet! This was quickly followed up by one of the boys looking me up and down and asking, "Wait, what's a masterpiece again?" When informed it was a really good work of art, he continued to look at me with an "Oh...huh. Hmmm." dress: vintage, thrifted; sweater: thrifted; belt: Anthro, you must check out their mad belt sale going on now; tights: dunno, Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Carmen Gaudin Red-Haired Woman The Toilette, 1889 The story goes that Toulouse-Lautrec spotted Carmen coming out of a Montmartre restaurant and was immediately struck by her red locks and her hardened been-around-the-block-a-few-times air.

Chilly Fall Temps Thursday: I missed a couple of days of school recently. When I walked out of my room to greet one of my classes, the kids cheered and said, "Where were you?!" Before I could respond, one student said "I bet you were gone getting all of those tattoos on your legs." Yeah, no. sweater: vintage, thrifted; scarf: Amsterdam; skirt: Marshall's for $3!; tattoo tights: I forget; shoes: John Fluevog, my fave shoe designer

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Carmen Gaudin After having met Carmen, Lautrec wrote to his mother that he was "painting a woman whose hair is absolute gold." I'm guessing he left out the part about her being a prostitute. Lautrec's family were aristocrats and Carmen was definitely not.

More Details Thursday: Since I skipped Monday, I thought I'd share another photo of Thursday's outfit. blouse: Anthro, gift from a friend

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Carmen Gaudin At Montrouge. 1886-87. I had a copy of this painting on a postcard hanging in my painting studio when I was in college. I love her body language, the pursed red lips and those red bangs that are always in her face. I've always wondered what was on the receiving end of that hard stare.

Rainy Day Friday: The spooky storm started early in the morning and continued on through the day. It made it so hard to get out of bed. But, I'll do just about anything for you, Friday. dress and sweater: vintage, thrifted, DIY applique here; fishnets and tights: Target; Hunter boots: ebay; belt: made by me

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Carmen Gaudin as The Laundress. 1889 I can't seem to find much more about Carmen online. Despite this, I feel like these paintings by Lautrec tell us so much about her.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Carmen Gaudin Red-Headed Woman in a White Blouse in the Artist's Studio From this painting alone, I think you can tell she was probably guarded and cautious. I'm sure her experience with men lead her to be that way. Look at those hands. You can imagine their roughness from her work as a laundress. There is nothing dainty or traditionally ladylike about her. Yet she has a kind of unique natural beauty. The kind a guy with a penchant for red heads, like Toulouse-Lautrec, would appreciate.

DIY: Applique Your Way into Fall

Dude. Seriously. Sometimes I just don't know when to call it quits with a DIY. I always start out with a simple idea: I'll just add a coupla flowers to my dress. Next think ya know, I'm swapping out the buttons on my cardi, adding a matching flower and topping it all off with a big fat gingham bow. The fashion police have given up on me and just planted a "condemned" sign in my craft room. Which I promptly bedazzled.

Well, fall is upon us here in Tennessee. I knew it was coming when the mornings became so crisp that the hard wood floors in our house were like walking on ice. And in preparation, I spent a good two hours over the weekend swapping out my happy summer dresses for heavier darker frocks. With my hoarder ways, it's quite the undertaking and I dread it so. Mostly because it forces me to come to terms with the fact that I have waaaay too many dresses. And sweaters. And stockings. Pants, not so much. But I digress. 

The hardest part about packing things away is what to do with the clothes that fall in the middle. You know, the ones that aren't necessarily winter or summer clothes but something in the between. Clothing limbo, so to speak. This dress DIY that I crafted last fall fits into this category.

I scooped up this retro-stylin dress from the sale rack at Urban Outfitters. And while I loved it's fit and finish, I never seemed to reach for it when it came to getting dressed in the mornings. Seemed to me that it was missing that certain je ne sais quoi (which in the Cassie translation of French means: sumthin tacky).

It's summery with it's light weight fabric but fallish with it's color palette. Seeing it in my closet reminded me that it's a DIY from last season I never shared with you. Wanna add a little something to a snooze-fest of a dress? Here's what I used:

• One dress
• Vintage floral fabric from the '60's
• Black thread and an applique stitch on my sewing machine

1. I began by cutting out a variety of flowers from the fabric. I chose a floral fabric with a color palette that I thought complimented the color in the dress.
2. I tacked the flowers into place with some Stitch Witchery and began the slow process of using the applique stitch around the flowers.
3. I'm not kidding, that's all I did. Which is why I absolutely love applique. You can change the look of something in just an hour. You can see more of my Applique Madness here and here  Oh! And the Rock Star apron I appliqued here.

I've had this plain brown vintage cardi in my closet for ages. Because the dress is sleeveless, I decided to create this sweater to match. I added one of the fabric flowers and swapped out the brown buttons for vintage pink ones.

Shortly after completing the dress, I  followed it up with another applique cardie. Because I'm not only a DIY-over-doer but I'm also a repeat offender. It's a sickness.

When I scored this sweet vintage dress at the thrift store, the hem was out. Way out. So, I took up the dress by several inches. This left me with fabric aplenty. So you know I had to put it to good use. Applique cardie and headband. Das right.

I've currently got another applique project underway in my sewing room. This one is inspired my students' latest art project. I can't wait to share it with you. Oh, and I've been asked by some of you just what exactly a hoarder's clothing closet looks like. Well, you asked for it. I've started snapping embarrassing photos. I'll try to get the courage up to share it with you sometime soon. Until then, go applique something!

In the Artroom: Hangin' with the College Kids

Excusez-moi, but we moustache you a question...should art teachers really have this much fun? Also, do I look constipated or is it just me?

Let me introduce to you who has been hanging out with me for the past month or so: some totally awesome art ed students from Middle Tennessee State University (that's MTSU to you, monsieur). I have been so lucky to work with these ladies. They've hung up art work, created beautiful bulletin boards (that I get to keep!), taught and worked with students and kept me in stitches. I really dunno what I'm going to do without them now that their time with me is over. I mean, who's gonna teach these kids?!

The witch is Rebecca (I promise, we only gave her the witch apron because of her hair, not her witchy personality), the skeleton is Katie and the pumpkin is Erin. They jumped right into my kind of art-teacher-crazy by donning my Halloween aprons.

MTSU has an amazing art education program. I've had the great opportunity to meet and/or work with several of their students and they've always been excellent. I find that I learn just as much from them as I hope they do from me. The art ed department is headed up by Dr. Deborah Sickler-Voight and Dr. Bonnie Rushlow. Both of these women are incredible educators and the students that come out of their art education program are always well prepared. I mean, just check out these awesome bulletin boards the girls created...they tie in perfectly with my current lessons, they are interactive and just plain beautiful.

Ah, a bulletin board dedicated to my latest artist crush Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Thanks, Rebecca! She created the boarder for the bulletin boards with the kids' "messy mats": the paper mats I use under their paintings in a feeble attempt to keep the tables clean. I love the way it turned out.

I especially love the heading of the bulletin board: Artist of the Month. I attempt to highlight an artist each month and now I have a bulletin board that will hold me accountable. Gee...thanks, Rebecca.

Does this bulletin board remind you of anything? Madeline, perhaps? That's right, Katie is a huge fan, read all the books as a kid. I love that she took to this idea and ran with it. And while it's Madeline-inspired, it's all about the Eiffel Tower. How perfect. Wanna know what's double awesome? The fact that our world traveling friend Jes hidden in the bulletin board. Can you find him?

But wait, there's more...this bulletin board is also interactive. Lift up the flag and the leaves and you'll find all sorts of facts about la tour Eiffel. Funny, "Iron Lady" is also my nickname as I'm the only one who stomach my mom's cooking.

After reading this to the kids the other day, one of them asked, "So, why did they call it the Eiffel Tower?" Another student just looked at him with her best boys-are-so-dumb face and said, "Really?"

How beautiful is this bulletin board? The kids are learning about all of the most famous places and faces in Paris and this bulletin board of Notre Dame is just perfect. We've already been reading over the facts that she attached to her board. 

Erin poured over the details of the cathedral in her rendering and it shows. She used oil pastels to achieve the look of the cathedral. Several of the kids have asked who created the drawing. After I tell them, they always say, "wow, she must be an artist!" So true.

The girls told me that they were doing a fundraiser for the art ed department at MTSU and would I like to purchase a painted pumpkin. Well, of course. When asked what I wanted on my pumpkin, I said Fifi, the art room's talking poodle with attitude. Thank you for creating this for me, Katie!

Such a wonderful group of young art-teachers-to-be! I am excited to see what awesomeness lies ahead for each of them. Thank you, girls, for all of the wild and crazy times in the art room!