Back in the Community!

It has been five years since I closed the art school and took a break. A lot has happened since then. I went back to school at University of Alaska Southeast and got my M.A. Ed. in elementary education. I worked at Butte Elementary and now I teach second grade and K-5 art at Academy Charter School. Going to work there has been a surreal but wonderful experience—surreal because my kids have been going there for 13 years and it’s strange to be on the other side of the table during parent teacher conferences; wonderful because I love teaching and now I get to do more of it!

The dust from the last five years has settled and I am so excited to be able to offer some summer camps. I hope to connect with summer students who are as invested in art as I am. In my classes I will continue to balance technical instruction, art discussions, and studio work time where students can make and execute artistic plans and learn to think like artists.

Thinking like an artists involves building habits of mind that artists have when creating. They include developing their craft, stretching and exploring, envisioning their work, persistence, expressing themselves, observing the world around them, reflecting on their work and the work of others, and understanding the art world. We will learn about these habits and try a bit of each one. Probably your students practice a lot of them already!

Learning technical skills is also essential—that is part of developing craft. Over the past five years, I have been exploring more and more techniques and trying more and more media, and I can’t wait to share it all with your students! Below I posted some pictures of some of my artwork from the last little while.

I hope to see you and your students in June! Happy arting!

In the Art Room

Every semester I say this, and every semester it’s true—this semester went by so fast! Twelve weeks seemed more like four. I am proud of the progress all of the students made. We looked at a lot of familiar artists and some new ones. I really liked the painting project we did about pets. The kids’ mostly painted “dream pets”…as in, the pets they would own if their parents (and the law) let them. We had penguins, kiwi, sea otter, narwhal, and alligators. We learned how layering works in paintings and did some comparing and contrasting between George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog and Anders Zorn’s Portrait of Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon. Another lesson I liked teaching was about architecture and the students’ homes. The students’ favorite, hands down, was the recycled sculptures lesson.

In the Art Room

Whaaaat??? Summer semester is over already?! We had a super amount of fun and art this summer!! I think my top three favorite projects this summer were marble painting (this never gets old to me, as my returning students know...haha), repeating patterns, and op art. The op art was so simple, but so dynamic! It was really fun to see the illusion jump off the page. As usual the students worked hard and I saw improvement in every single one. I saw a lot of ah-ha moments. Go students!

Did you know that I do free classes and activities around Palmer throughout the year? This summer the Palmer Public Library hosted an art class this summer and I also did some weaving activities at the Palmer Midsummer Garden and Art Faire. Be on the lookout for more community activities!

Rolling out some new style

Hey there! I am getting ready for the fall semester which is going to start in September. I have been tweaking the website and am excited to roll out a new logo and a new way to register for classes! So if you see some new style around here, you're in the right place--enjoy!

In the Art Room

Another fantastic semester has come and gone. Another art show at the library. More piles of artwork sent home. The end of a semester is always a little sad, especially winter because a lot of families transition to their summer activities and I don't see them all summer. But....the sadness doesn't last long because soon my returning summer students sign up and I get so excited to see them again! This summer is going to be so fun!

This last semester we worked hard. The middle and high school students completed their TAB project(s). Media choices were thoughtfully made, subject matter was explored, revised, and studied. I love to see the older kids do a series of the same subject matter! We also did two days of printmaking, which was pretty awesome. I also got to do a private fiber arts workshop with a middle schooler who wanted to try quilting, which happens to be my favorite thing. Yay! The drawing workshop did so many drawings, but I think my favorite was the "draw a monster" game we played. In early elementary we also played a fun game with Henri Rousseau's Surprised! We each told one sentence of a story about the tiger and lightning storm pictured in the famous painting. In the end our stories were pretty fun! This is a great criticism exercise that you can do with your child. Try making up a story about this one, this one, or this one! We also worked with paints, pastels, sculpture and did the traditional end-of-the-term bookbinding class. 

I'm so excited for summer! See you all around Palmer!

In the Art Room

This semester has been great! We have been SO busy. Printmaking, drawing, painting, glittering, weaving, chalk pastel, oil pastel, colored pencil, collage, sculpture, charcoal, artist trading cards, Andy Warhol, Hollie Chastain, Dale Chihuly...these are some of the things (and artists) that have kept us busy! This semester I tried three "bootcamps" in the middle school and high school classes; colored pencil bootcamp, charcoal/chalk pastel bootcamp, and collage bootcamp. They. Were. Awesome. The goal of the bootcamp is to "level up" the student's skills, wherever they are when he or she starts. Good work, students!!

In the Art Room

What a fantastic semester we had this Fall! This is the first semester I have held classes for 12 weeks. The two extra weeks were really helpful. With the younger kids, it meant we got to cover more media and techniques. With the older kids, it meant more time to develop their ideas and finish their work. It also meant that I could offer workshops during the school year for the first time ever! The workshops are a great way to really dive into a medium. This coming semester we'll having two printmaking workshops, an art and story workshop, and a drawing workshop. 

These kids worked hard and learned a lot the second half of this semester. We had a great art show! I am so proud of all of their work.

In the Art Room

We're at the half-way point for the fall semester, and I am in love with all of this artwork these kids have done! We have covered weaving, action painting, found object sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking, and embroidery. We have looked at artists from the past like Louise Nevelson, Jackson Pollock, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Klee, and Hokusai. We have checked out contemporary artists like Alaskan-riased Eli Halpin, fiber artists Sarah K. Benning and Chloe Giordano, and printmaker Andrea Lauren. We have talked about how to define and identify art, we've discussed open-ended questions that have no right answer, we've walked through the critical thinking process. The middle schoolers and high schoolers just this week have dived deeply into their self-led artworks and I am, as always, in awe at their creativity and ability to express themselves. It was hard to choose just these few pictures to share! When we have the art show in four weeks, I'll have to leave some projects behind because there just won't be room for them all! 

In the Art Room

What a great summer we had! It went by way too fast. We did lots of drawing and painting, some fiber art, some collage, some environmental art, and experimented with process art. We even got lucky enough to have a few classes outside. As you can see, it was a fun and colorful summer!

Another busy semester is over! I can't believe how fast it went by. Everyone worked really hard. As some of the younger kids said, "Being an artist is hard work!" It really is...but it's so, so fun! 

We worked on landscapes, learned about Vassily Kandinsky, tried some screen printing, worked with watercolors, make some linocut prints, and of course finished the semester with bookbinding. Great job everyone! I am already super excited for the summer term to start in June! 

Using TAB lesson plans

Art lessons can range from a copying type lesson where the students create very much the same end product as the teacher, to completely open ended exploration. Different teachers do things differently in their classrooms: some feel strongly that students should be uninhibited and allowed to create at will, while others see a practical need for creating a drawing step-by-step with all of their students.

I float somewhere in the middle. Copying master paintings is a learning tool used by art students for decades and learning a specific technique with other students, I believe, has it's place too. But I also see a lot of growth when students are allowed to expand and explore on their own with me acting as more of a facilitator than instructor. I especially wanted my high school classes to be more student-led, but I always struggled to find the balance between instructing and facilitating. Too much instructing stifles exploration. Too little instruction leaves the students frustrated. Then I stumbled across this post about writing TAB lesson plans (Teaching for Artistic Behavior).

The answer is so simple: split up class time between the two! Genius! It has been working wonderfully! We have done some fun demonstrations, like this repeating pattern:

A theme for the student-led pieces is chosen. This term the theme is "compassion". The students did some mind mapping and thumbnail sketching to get the ideas flowing. Now they are piecing together what their artwork will be. 

They each come up with a lot of ideas. Some get thrown out, some get tabled, a few get used. Some of the techniques I demonstrated in class are used, but most are not. Some techniques (like airbrushing, how cool is that?) are thought up by the students. Whatever the means, the kids work hard on their art and can be proud of their final products. Their efforts result in a piece that is technically proficient and meaningful to them and others.

This type of teaching can be used in many fields. Where on the spectrum do you lie?

Midsummer Garden and Art Faire

I am so excited to announce that I will be hosting a community art project at the Palmer Midsummer Garden and Art Faire! I am going to be setting up a giant loom between two trees and anyone can stop by and help weave a beautiful piece of fiber art!

These pictures from far away places have been my inspiration...the boys and I are going to try it in a few days and see what we come up with. See you this summer!

In the Art Room

I can. not. believe. that one half of our winter term is over already. These kids are doing so great! We've been busy learning new skills and techniques and exercising their creative muscles. How fun are these exquisite corpse pictures we made? Exquisite corpse is a fun surrealist game where each person draws a different part of a body without seeing what the person before drew. 

We started the term off with some bright and fun fiber art. We learned about Mary Everest Boole and her invention, string art. She wanted to teach kids about angles, and she thought this would be a good way to do it. I have to credit this blog post for the instructions.

Also, the middle schoolers tried some wire and paper sculptures.

We learned about the impressionist Mary Cassatt and her paintings of people, especially mothers and their children. We tried chalk pastel--a finicky medium--and created these drawings of families and pets.

Meanwhile, the middle schoolers did two lessons back to back in figure drawing. They came a long way in those two short classes. We talked a lot about skeletal structure and the major muscle groups. Knowing what's going on inside helps.

The early elementary students looked at the work of Henri Rousseau. We made up a great story about his painting "Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)" Then we did some paintings of our own exotic animals, like these giraffes. The late elementary students looked at the pen and ink drawings of Quentin Blake, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh. We talked about their very different styles. Then the kids tried their hand at drawing with pen--this can be daunting because there's no erasing! They did a great job.

We moved on to collages next. The early elementary students looked at the work of Reggie Laurent and we learned how to cut out shapes. The late elementary students learned about mosaics and made some of their own.

The middle schoolers also tried something new--screen printing! I've never done this with my classes before, and it was super fun! I try to do some sort of printmaking every semester, and I am glad this worked so I can add it to the lesson plan stock. We talked about Andy Warhol and his ideas about art and mass production.

In the Art Room

What a great term we had!

First of all, the high schoolers finished their projects. This term I taught TAB lesson plans (Teaching for Artistic Behavior). I did demonstrations of various techniques, which they could use or not, and then went through the brainstorming and research process to come up with a execute an amazing project of their own. I gave them the theme "happiness is", and that evolved for each of them into their own take on it. It was just awesome. I was so excited to see each of them own the creative process. Their strengths really showed.

One of the demonstrations I did was repeat patterns, which is always fun. When the project is done, the artist has a giant finished piece with their drawings repeated over and over. Somehow it's very satisfying. :)

The younger kids were also hard at work. The late elementary class did some Op Art and finished their Dale Chihuly chandelier. The early elementary students drew some animals and painted some bright and glittery fish.

All of the work the students made for the term went into the art show at the Palmer Public Library. It was a success! The librarians said it was great and they were right!

On the last day of class we always do some bookmaking. The oldest kids made some cool pop up books and the younger kids learned a simple binding pattern. They used real bookbinding tools like awls and bone folders. They did a great job!

In the Art Room

Lots has been going on over here! The Fall classes have started and already we have done so much! Printmaking, collages, painting, india ink, drawing...it's been so fun.

Printmaking week was a blast. Preschoolers made monotypes with a brayer, some brightly colored paint, and Qtips. They always love to see their drawing come off onto the paper like magic. Early elementary students etched into styrafoam with a pencil. We talked about Hokusai's "36 View of Mount Fuji" and land features that we see here in the Mat Su Valley, like Pioneer Peak. They made a series of five prints of their own familiar landscapes. The late elementary and middle school/high school students tried carving their own linocut plate! The carving sets are super fun. Everyone tried something different and everyone enjoyed it. They also talked about Hokusai and compared different prints from the Mt. Fuji series.

Preschool hand were busy glueing and painting and painting and glueing! 

Preschool through late elementary also worked on self-portraits. The preschoolers nailed down shapes, the early elementary students worked on detail, and the late elementary students learned the proportions of the face. They worked hard!

And now the middle school/high schoolers...

I am going for TAB lessons this term, like I did over the summer. TAB=Thinking for Artistic Behavior. It is such a great way to teach an art class. Basically, I do demonstrations for part of the lesson on various techniques throughout the term. The rest of the lessons are devoted to each student's individual project. We started off with some brainstorming practices. Lists. Mind mapping. (My favorite was when someone's mind map led abruptly from "trouble" to "mom") Then thumbnail sketches and more thumbnail sketches. 

Last week these students were ready to start on their projects. We have a watercolor salmon, watercolor landscape, india ink figures, anime-style drawings (don't write it off--it's awesome and definitely some hard work), and a series on pillows that explores all of the media that I can make available. (Next week that student is going to experiment with canvas, batting, fabric, and paint) It is so awesome to see these kids thinking critically and creatively.

Art Show Winter '16

I am excited to announce that the art show will take place at the Palmer Public Library, April 25th - 30th. It is always a treat to show at the library because almost all of my students are regular patrons. It makes them feel so great to see their art displayed in a public space. 

Thank you, Palmer Public Library!

In the Art Room

A few more busy weeks have gone by! We are inching closer to the end-of-the-term art show, which will be at the Palmer Library. Here is some of our latest work.

We had an addition to the preschool class; a brother and sister, one five and one two and a half. We worked with oil pastel and watercolor and talked about architecture. When I asked them if they could think of any buildings, they said, "Towers!" I asked them if they knew of any other buildings. "How about your house? Maybe the store? How about the library?" I suggested. "No. Those are not towers." These castles definitely have some towers, though!

These elementary girls are such a treat to have over! We worked on some mixed media fish and talked about Ezra Jack Keats, author and illustrator of The Snowy Day and Peter's Chair.  We also looked at lots of examples of fiber arts and did some weaving.

The high schoolers have been busy creating their student led projects, but they're not ready to unveiled yet, so stay tuned!

In the Art Room

Here's a look at what we've done in the art room recently.  

The early elementary students worked on self-portraits. We looked at some great self-portraits and talked about why someone would want to draw or paint themselves. They are trying out the new liquid watercolors here. They're not bad, but I'm still on the hunt for some better watercolor options.

You might notice that class has temporarily been moved to my kitchen. Our basement is under construction, so we will be finishing up the term in the kitchen. It will be so nice have our room back when the work is done.

High schoolers tried out a repeating pattern. This project is turning out really cool. I'm really excited about this high school class because we are trying student-led projects. This was the demonstration part of the lesson, when everyone tries the same technique. The rest of the time, each student is working on something different. I can't wait to show pictures of what they're doing for their individual work!

Lots of busy art students!  

Five of my favorite books about art

I've tried to gather a modest little library of books about art in my classroom.  If you're looking for some books to read to your child about art, or just looking for some great books to enjoy with your child, give these a try.

"Ish" by Peter Reynolds

Peter Reynolds is a fantastic author who writes mostly books about art.  In this book, a boy loves to draw until a critical older brother makes him doubt himself.  A great book promoting the idea that art doesn't have to look a certain way to be great.

"The Dot" by Peter Reynolds

In this book, Peter Reynolds tells the story of a girl who overcomes her I-can't-draw mentality with a dot.  This book shows that hard work, exploration, and lots and lots and lots of practice equal success.

"Art and Max" by David Wiesner

Art is a rather stuffy, self-righteous artist who believes that art should be in one particular style.  Max is an accident-prone, excited artist who turns Art's beliefs about painting upside down.  Beautiful illustrations and a funny story line will get your kids laughing.  And by the way, if you haven't read any of David Wiesner's books before, you'd better get to the library immediately and check some out!  Besides "Art and Max", I especially love "Flotsam".

"The Iridescence of Birds" by Patricia MacLachlan

This book is about Henri Matisse, the great Fauvism artist, and his love of colors.  It is a lovely portrait of what some of his childhood thoughts and ideas might have been.  It does have a copy in it of his famous painting, "The Dance", which is of nude figures dancing. 

"Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist" by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

This book is for junior high and high schoolers. And parents, for that matter. It is well written, comprehensive, and understandable. The authors do a great job helping the reader relate to Van Gogh. Van Gogh has always been one of my favorite artists. These writers do him great justice in this book.

Bonus: My favorite illustrated books (not necessarily about art)

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak (super awesome surrealism)

"Squid and Octopus, Friends for Always" by Tao Nyeu 

"Wonder Bear" by Tao Nyeu

"Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown

"One Cool Friend" by Toni Buzzeo

Happy reading!