oh my it's cold outside. we aren't use to this cold. this winter tree reminds me of this weather. the background was painted first with tempera cake paints and then the tree was added later after the background was dry. the tree was painted with black acrylic to give it the stark dark blackness that makes it stand out from the rest.

Wow, can you believe it! 2011! I just got used to writing 2010 and 11 will be here before we know it. I hope that's it's a creative year and that inspiration will be everywhere. I hope we can inspire each other as artists and art teachers, and pass on the wonderful gift of creativity to those who need it as much as we do. Go make art.

Here's an art teacher blog directory for other art teacher blogs

Before we left on vacation we were working on the backgrounds for our next project. The backgrounds are going to be either warm or cool colored tissue decoupaged onto white paper with watered down elmer's white glue. We will then add our subject matter (you'll see) on the top. More to come.......

My jr. higher's organized a gingerbread/graham cracker house building day before school let out for vacation and here is just one of several results. They really had a good time, and of course there was lots of candy involved so who wouldn't have fun.

Nothing like being home for the holidays. This idea came from Artsonia. The kids drew their houses for the holidays. and a line of pattern and the word home on the bottom. I like staying home on the holidays. I always think I am going to get so much done, and then the vacation just flys by. Happy Holidays. Hope your Christmas is great whether you stay home or take a trip.

The Christmas program was themed "home for the holidays" so we made some cute houses that showed signs of being home for Christmas. Construction paper and gel pens.

My 5th and 6th graders made artwork for the Christmas program. We got ideas from the website deepspacesparkle.com. Its a great site for art teacher ideas, and you can get lesson plans too. This snowman was created in oil pastel on blue construction paper and then we added snow with white tempera paint.

Baby Jesus all wrapped up in a warm quilt and halo and rosey cheeks.

Poinsettias sponge painted with tempera paints, also from deepspacesparkle.com

Art Sample

Art Sample

Wow! the school year is just flying by. Can't believe Thanksgiving break is here. We are inservicing for a couple of days, so I am looking forward to the team building and then, of course the break. I've been crafting for Mistletoe Mall this weekend, so I've got Christmas on my mind as well. Hope you are having happy thoughts about the upcoming holidays. Love, Jenn

Art Rooms

I went to a couple of other art rooms today at other schools and really got inspired and pumped. I haven't been in other art teachers rooms in a while and it was neat to see what others were up to. I love it and learn so much. So inspired. So I say, go out and visit something you are interested in, or need to learn more about to make you and your job more successful.

I spent the day here, at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It was an amazing fieldtrip with my jr. highers. We saw lots of paintings and sculptures and the gardens and the views. Can't wait to go back again.

Can't believe summer is almost over, it has gone by as fast as usual. Just a few more trips to the beach, and that will about do it. I made a list a week or so ago, of things I still wanted to get done, and now it's gettting down to the wire. Not going to complete it by the end of summer, but there is always the fall. hmmm.

It makes an art teacher proud, when her students are in Chicago on vacation and they come across a piece of artwork that they recognize from art class and they text her and tell her they saw Alexander Calder's "Flamingo" and they send her a picture. Well at least two have been listening. I have the best job.

Design Team challenge for the Red Bee: Create a 1 page layout using Smooch Spritz. I bought a wine purple color and sprayed a white sheet of paper with the word girl masked on top, then added stamps and paper and ribbons and buttons. Photo by Tara Whitney.

C-R-E-A-T-E banner for swap on Amusing Muses and...

These are a swap return on Zetti Twinchies. These were really fun, so happy with my returns.

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger. Just noticed it's been almost a month since I updated my blog, which is not normally like me at all. But then I got to thinking, it's the end of the school year and things get really busy, right before the summer break and that's where I am right now. Just 11.5 days left of school for this year, wow, it's flown by at usual. Looking forward to sleepin in and going to the beach a lot. This pic is from a girl's weekend in Lake Arrowhead a couple of weeks ago. What fun.

Happy Mother's Day to all my special mom friends and to my mom. You are the thread that holds us together.

Spent some time in down town Santa Ana this weekend. Actually had a photo shoot with Tara Whitney. Looking forward to seeing those shots. I didn't have much time to look around at the art, but whenever I go there it makes me want to go back and explore and immerse myself in the creativity.

Mixed up Zetti magnets for a swap. Fun, Fun.

Ok, finally, spring fever has hit me, wow! just two days before Easter. Well better late than never. The weather has been gorgeous, so excited for baseball season and Easter Vacation. Tomorrow, my neighbors are having a big spring fling with bunny races and egg coloring. Can't wait to hold a baby bunny. Looking forward to church and spending time with my family on Easter. What are you doing?

House Row: for a house magnet swap on Amusing Muses
This is a quilt my mother made of my kindergartner's Laurel Burch cat drawings. The border has real Laurel Burch material on it. So excited. This will be auctioned off at the Evening of the Arts on April 24th. Thanks mom.
My jr highers have made tape sculptures. This was such a fun project. We made 5 sculptures and used about 25 rolls of packing tape.
Fifth grader's art project for the art auction.
6th grade art auction project.

Have you heard of a zentangle? I hadn't until the other day. I think it's a fancy word for a doodle, in which you create patterns and designs that over and underlap and you don't know what the outcome will be until you finish. You just keep on drawing until you say, it's done.

Paint over practice. This was fun, I took one image and copied it four times and then painted over it with water colors first, and then with some acrylic paints too.

I feel like I have neglected this blog. I've just been so busy with life stuff, but it's all good. I have no complaints except for, maybe not enough hours in the day. Today was gorgeous outside and we got an extra hour of sunlight. I can feel spring is right around the corner, or maybe it's here. We've had a lot of rain this year, so everything is really green.

This is one of my favorite postcards from Roc. I reminds me of Spring which is just right around the corner. I love making art in the spring time, birds, flowers, bunnies.......can't wait for it to warm up.

Just was going through my postcard tub and looking at all the great postcards I have received in the mail, so I scanned a few of my favorites. The ones I like the best are the ones with quotes that are meaningful to me, like this one from Roc. I can't wait for Spring and the feeling of warm air and new growth. And, of course, I love to dance......
and this, I got in the mail for Valentines Day from jillzbop. Love it. Its so much more glittery in person. I didn't blog about Valentine's Day this year, it kinda flew by. I made some Valentines for the kids for school, but besides that it was pretty low key. I could identify with Ryan Seacrest, when he referred to Valentine's Day as Single Persons Awareness Day. I thought that was cute.
another favorite postie.....
And this one by Cathy, sums it all up. Life is Good!

Aren't these fun. My classes are doing some group projects for an art auction coming up in April. These flowers are from a second grade class
The busy bees in the hive are from first grade....
These art words were collaged by a 6th grade class...
Sweet cupcakes from third grade....
and these Laurel Burch cats are from a Kindergarten class. So cute.