Other art blogs

This is a list of blogs that are from other students who were in my Art 3700 class at USU. They have a bunch of great ideas and lesson plans :) 

http://mrsjohnsonsart.blogspot.com/          http://classroomartwithmrst.blogspot.com/ 

http://jpopeart.weebly.com/                        https://ourclassroomcreation.wordpress.com

https://artspring2015.wordpress.com          http://potterselementaryart.blogspot.com/ 

     

http://theartistictimes.blogspot.com/           http://artisticbeginnings.blogspot.com/      

 http://jencro.blogspot.com/                        http://audreyelart.blogspot.com/ 

http://creatinglittlemasterpieces                 http://artsiesforsmartsies.blogspot   

http://natalieartsblog.blogspot.com/           https://alaskagrown21.wordpress.com 

AlisonPowersArt.blogspot.com                  sarah-paul-art.blogspot.com

http://lets-go-on-an-artventure.                   http://trevonseledartmethods.blogspot.com/

http://nicholesorensen.blogspot.com/         http://artisticcreativity1.blogspot.com/ 

http://eledartclass.blogspot.com/                http://art3700.blogspot.com/?m=1 

Paint-Print-Portrait 

For this printmaking project I chose to do the type used with a plastic bag. Of these two I like the one on the left better. I feel like it's more fun compared to the right one. To create these I painted the pattern onto a small plastic bag and laid it onto the half sheet of paper. To make the print I used a brayer. One thing I didn't anticipate, but like what happened, was how the paint would spread out once I pushed with the brayer. I like the way it turned out but I didn't expect it to spread the way it did. I guess I thought it would some what stay the way I had painted it. The like the color combinations of each and the differences between the two. You can't see it in the pictures but using the bag adds texture to the paint. 

Learning about printmaking was really fun and there are so many different types and things to try. If you'd like to see these you can view these links: 

25-cool-printmaking-ideas

ideas-kids

teach art at home 

I made these prints with items that I found around my house, which made it more fun because random objects making art is more creative in my opinion. For these prints I used a toilet paper towel roll, bubble wrap, and string (I didn't use the string on the bottom one, instead I used a toothbrush). So for the top one I taped the bubble wrap around the tube and rolled it in paint and then onto the half sheet of paper. With this artwork I went with the less is more approach because I think it makes it stand out more. The blue and black lines were produced from the string that I put on the tube. I wrapped the string around with twists and different lengths apart. 

For the bottom print I did the bubble wrap in pink and blue. I then took the toothbrush and made black flecks all over the paper. For the circles I used an end of the tube and put half pink and half blue. Some of them had more paint and so it added texture. To add the orange I used an old paint brush that has rough bristles. I just held it straight up and made blotches/splatters on the paper. 

Lesson Plans

K-2  

3-4 

5-6  

Notan- Black N White Doodle

A notan is very fun to make and brings out a lot of creativity. For my notan I got a 9x12 piece of white cardstock paper and a piece of black cardstock. The black paper is half of the white so 4.5x6. I used a pencil to draw out my pattern on the black paper. To make a notan the black pieces have to basically fold out and form a reflection. One thing that I realized after I finished the artwork was that I didn't align some of the pieces as well as I should have. So the next time I do this I'm going to make sure I align the pieces better, and I also want to try doing the colors opposite and having the white be in the center. Other than the pieces being slightly off I really like the way my artwork turned out. I like my design and how it all goes together. My favorite part is the diamond shaped object on the left side of the paper. It stands out the most to me and I think it looks the coolest because of the effect it gives. 

Lights, Camera, Action!

This project is so stinkin fun!! My husband and I had an absolute blast creating this artwork. I bet you won't believe that I did these with my camera! All you have to do to make a light painting is change the setting on your camera and get some flashlights. To do the picture on the left I flashed the light at my face turned it off, took two steps to the left and flashed the light at my feet. The picture below was done with a blue laser pointer. The square that is defined is a mirror in my living room.

This video will show you how to change the shutter setting on your camera so that you can create light paintings too.

Light paintings are so much fun and easy to create. As I was doing this project I couldn't stop because I was so amazed at each picture. All these ideas kept coming to me and I wanted to try all of them. I had to stop because it got late and cold. I wanted to add color to some of the pictures so I took the laser and put paper over it so that the light would be thicker. The picture below is what it looks like. I love the way my artwork turned out and I'm glad I was able to
 learn about light painting.

Putting The Zen in Zentangle

This artwork is called a zentangle scratchboard. It combines two different art forms and makes it one. For this project you'll need watercolor paper, (it's stronger and thicker) oil pastels, black tempera paint, and dish soap. The first thing to do is color the paper with the oil pastels. I did random colors all over because I didn't want it to be just lines of colors. It works better if you make the pastels thicker instead of lightly coloring. This makes it better for the scratching later on. After you've finished coloring the paper you'll need to make a mixture of the black tempera paint (non-washable) and the dish soap. I mixed mine in a plastic cup, about 1/4 cup of each. It'll take about 3-4 coats of the mix. I did one coat and let it half of it dry and then did another coat and let it fully dry. It still didn't get quite dark enough so I did another coat. If you don't put enough on it will chip away once you start scratching. I let it dry for a day after the third coat. I used the following tools for scratching: plastic fork, bobby pin, toothpick, and a pen lid. The one that worked best was the bobby pin because I could angle it and it was sharp enough to scratch with just the right amount of force. The scratching should be patterns that have nothing to do with each other but have something in common at the same time. Make patterns that flow throughout the entire paper, there shouldn't be a lot of empty space. I like to think of it as combined organized randomness. I just made patterns as they came to my mind. It didn't have one in particular that I was trying to copy I just wanted to do whatever. I really like the way it turned out and I had a lot of fun making this artwork. This is something that I will for sure do with my future students and own children. 

Here is a link zentangle  that gives some great examples. 

Milk Jug to African Mask

Ok so honestly I was a little nervous to start this project because I didn't want to mess it up, but I think it turned out really awesome!! I used a milk jug to create my mask and as I was looking at the jug I wanted to incorporate the handle and the top piece. I thought these two focus points would be really fun. As I was cutting out the mask I thought of gladiator helmets and how some of them have a small piece covering the mouth. I like this concept and I think it makes the mask look even cooler. After I got the mask cut out I covered it in masking tape. The placement of the tape is what adds texture to the mask. Since it didn't go on evenly when I put the brown shoe polish on it showed darker in certain parts. This was my favorite part about the mask. I love the way the shoe polish ended up looking. I let it dry for a day and then I began painting. I used tempera paint but I would suggest using acrylic or some other type because parts of the tempera started peeling as it dried. I used the design of the paint to bring out the "african style" as well as the placement of the raffia grass. It worked out really well to have the grass sprouting out of the hole at the top. I learned that african masks can be made in several different ways and the best way is to just wing it and have fun. There isn't one way to do but you just have to try. 

Plate Mask

As I approached the creation of the artwork I wanted it to be made of things that are inexpensive and easy to use. I used a white paper plate, construction paper, black tempera paint, and an art stick. I made this with the mindset that I was in elementary school and how I thought children this age would create a mask. For the outer edge I cut up strips of purple construction paper and curled them on a pencil. I think if I would have made the strips a little longer they would have curled better. For the cheeks I just cut out the pink paper and rolled it, same with the smaller purple rolls. The black marks were done with the tempera paint and I made it look like little skiffs. The only reason I used an art stick was because I had it right there leftover from another project so I just decided to use it. I like the way my artwork turned out and I feel like it is perfect for k-3 grades. 

Batik Gone a Freak

I gave my artwork this title because it didn't really work out like it was supposed to. What I had in my mind was not what ended up happening. I used clear washable elmers glue and it didn't hold up very well. It would have turned out better if the glue would have stayed solid where I drew the lines, but instead it spread out and didn't keep the form. I think the paint I used also had a negative impact because it didn't scrub off as well. I used acrylic paint and it would have been easier to use tempera. I didn't use tempera because the only kind I have is washable and so it would have been pointless because it would've washed away. I put this on an old white shirt that I cut up. My favorite part is the middle silver and maroon part. I think it turned out the best. To add the red splotches I took an old paint brush that has hardened and pushed the bristles directly down (so I was holding the brush straight up). Doing this project I was able to learn about the Batik concept and it is really cool and interesting. 

The Many Sides of Cardboard

This art project was a lot of fun because I got to be creative with something as simple as cardboard and being able to use its different elements. My favorite part was the wavy middle because its the part you  usually don't see because its covered by the outside piece. As I began this artwork I wanted to incorporate the idea of puzzle pieces and that's what the top three pieces are supposed to be. As I was working through the project different ideas just kept coming to me and I just tried whatever popped into my head. I wanted it to be organized randomness and allow for several interpretations so that the viewer could make it whatever they wanted it to be. For the color I used markers and I actually had to go over it a couple of times so that it would become dark enough. I wouldn't change anything about my artwork because I like the way it turned out and I wouldn't have done anything different. My favorite part of the artwork is the little pieces on the bottom (rolled up cylinder looking thing, square and rectangle cut outs). I learned a lot from this project because I have never thought about using cardboard to make art. 

Art practicum experience presentation

Beauty is Unmeasurable

The purpose of this artwork is to show that beauty comes in many different forms. I think it is unmeasurable because what I think is beautiful is different from what you think is beautiful. My alien is beautiful because she has six eyes and is purple. Her amount of eyes makes her unique from other aliens. Her planet is beautiful from all the colors and cool waviness to the land and mountain formations. This artwork demonstrates foreground, midground, and background that occurs within a picture. That is one thing I learned from this project, how to create the different levels. I also learned that art and beauty can be whatever you want it to be. As long as you have confidence in what you're doing that's all that matters. My inspiration came from things that I like and components of art that I prefer. The medium I used was gel pens, colored pencils, and markers. I wouldn't do anything different because I really like the way it turned out. My favorite part is the vibrant colors and curves of the mountains. 

My Version of Georgia

This is my attempt at making artwork like how Georgia O' Keeffe does it. She focuses on one part and makes it bigger and some-what exaggerated. The first time I tried this I did it with a calla-lily but it didn't work out very well so I tried again with a daisy. I wanted it to work out but my artistic ability didn't reach that far. For the most part I think it turned out some-what decent. If I were to redo this project I would research the ideals more and let the paint dry for a longer period of time before I painted the next part. I think that was a big problem I ran into. The colors could have been more defined if I would have let each one dry and then do the next. I chose to do this particular flower because I love love blue and I like daisy's. I feel like the yellow makes the flower stand out a lot more. For this artwork I used all watercolor. I didn't use a lot of water so that the colors would be deeper and darker. 

Sweet Emotions

This project was an absolute blast!! It let me be messy and creative all at the same time :) I used watercolor paper because it is thicker and specific for watercolor painting. To create a border for my boxes I used masking tape. It is very important to take the tape and put it on your shirt or pants so that some lint attaches and makes it less sticky. If the tape is too sticky it will rip the paper. This happened to me and it is very upsetting because it ruins the artwork. Each box is a different emotion and uses a different item to create the given effect. The first box I used salt and it turned out quite well. I put the blue watercolor down with a little bit of extra water (to absorb the salt) and then sprinkled salt onto the paper. It gives a crystallized affect and is really fun to watch as it soaks up the water. The second box I used a white crayon. I first rubbed on the white crayon and then painted yellow over it. I could really see the effect from this so I let it dry and then added more crayon to it. Then I took the orange and did back and forth swishes with the brush. The third box on the top was probably the easiest but still a lot of fun. All I did was dots with black, red, yellow, and blue. This is simple but unique at the same time. On the bottom row, the first one is my favorite out of all six of them. The effect was supposed to be a plastic bag print but I didn't let it dry long enough. It mostly did it in the bottom left corner where the purple is. I wanted this box to be a variety of colors with different styles. The next box goes dark to light with red to show a lightening of the emotion. I took hydrogen peroxide and dripped it on the paper and thats where the fading comes from. The last box I combined two things to create the effect. The white circles occurred because of the white crayon and I dropped hydrogen peroxide on this one as well. I didn't different colors to show that it is a mixture of emotions. The medium I used was watercolor for everything and then the little added things to change it up a bit. This project would be great for elementary students. It's simple, easy, not super messy, and inexpensive.

My Colors of the Rainbow

I decided to make my own rainbow using 100 different colors! First thinking about 100 different colors from black, white, red, yellow, and blue is a little overwhelming and I had no idea where to begin. To make it a little easier and more creative I used watercolors for the first 50 colors and tempera paint for the other 50 colors. I started with the watercolors and tried to do a different colors for each row. At first this worked but it got harder as I went on so I just decided to start mixing whatever color I wanted. Using the watercolors wasn't as easy and I really didn't like it as much. The tempera paint was so much more fun and I was able to make a lot more creative colors with it. I loved being able to make 100 different colors from five. My inspiration came from previous colors. I would make one and really like it so I would make that same color and then twist it with another so that it created a whole new color. Something I would've done differently is try to be more creative with the watercolors and figure out how to make the colors better. I didn't have white so I didn't have as many options compared to the tempera. Doing this project I realized that I really like tempera paint. I've never used it before and I think it's fun and gives you a lot of options. 

Foil of Life

For this project I experimented with tin foil and making a print out of it. So what I did was cut out a piece of cardboard that was 6x6 inches. I then decided on what I wanted to create. Initially I tried making a sun with drops to signify that you have to look for the sun when it rains because life is hard but there are still good things to look forward to. After I completed it and was looking over the artwork I decided that it really wasn't very good and it wasn't what I wanted to portray. So I decided to start all over and try again. I cut out the cardboard and glued a picture of a tree to it. I then took hot glue and outlined the tree. I placed tin foil over the cardboard and pressed onto it to outline the tree into the foil. This part was really fun because I got to see the tree come alive out of the tin foil. It looked like a real tree and like how the picture beneath portrayed the tree. The glue oozed out more in some place than others and so it added more texture and uniqueness to the overall artwork. I love this version/style of trees and the look they display. I think it adds a different feel and dimension to trees and what they show us.Something I learned from this project is that messing up is good because it makes you want to do better and then you try harder the next time. Once I finished I really liked the way it turned out and I loved the plain foil look because it seemed to make it stand out. I ended up adding color to the tree with a blue sharpie marker. I have put both pictures so you can see what I am talking about.

Love At The Center

This project is called a "Mandala" and I created it after things about me and how I feel. The center of my mandala is a heart with a peace sign in the middle. I try to put love into everything I do and make people feel that love from me. I put the peace sign because one, I absolutely love peace signs and two, I try to be an all around optimistic person. My inspiration for the corner pieces was whatever I was feeling that day I worked on it. I feel good about how my mandala turned out. One problem I came across was everything wasn't aligned and even like how it should have been. It would have gone better if I had a protractor or other measuring tool. The mediums I used were markers, crayons, colored pencils, and lead pencil. I learned from this project that I need to have more confidence in my art and not always think that I'm going to do badly. I feel like it turned out very good and I'm proud of what I did. It took me several hours to complete this artwork and every minute of it was worth it. I had a lot of fun doing this once I got started and was able to get my ideas onto the paper my creativity was flowing. 

Teacher Thoughts

My junior year of high school I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. I was doing career experience and I went to an elementary school and helped in a kindergarten class. I loved every minute of it! I had so much fun interacting with the little kids. My favorite part was when the students would run up to me and give me hugs and be so excited to see me. It made my heart fill with love and from then on I knew I wanted to be a part of this and be in school the rest of my life.

The teaching philosophy I plan to use is the constructivist style. I think this will work best for me because I believe the students should be involved in the decisions that occur within the classroom. They need to feel like this is our classroom, not my classroom. The control should be shared because I don't want my future students to feel like they are going to bootcamp or something. School should be productive and FUN.

I only have 2.5 semesters left until I receive my degree! I am very excited but nervous at the same time. I know it will be great and I can't wait to have my own students to teach and grow with. The following links are some teaching blogs that I liked and think will help me with future endeavours.

art ideas

busy bees

we are teachers