Scrapbooking

New Christmas scrapbook pages.  I have a Christmas scrapbook where I make two or three pages every year with pictures from that years' Christmas.  I have done it for about 6 years or so now... it's fun to see how the family changes. 

Styrofoam Valentines Prints

Here are some Valentine's Day prints I made out of a styrofoam printing plate.  You can use those styrofoam meat plates or, like I did, order the styrofoam printing plates from an art catalog (like Nasco).  These are great for little kids to print with.  All you have to do is draw with a pencil onto the foam.  Then, using water based printing ink, roll it onto a tray using a brayer.  Then, roll the inked brayer onto the foam.  Place your sheet of paper on top of the foam printing plate.  Rub firmly all over with your fingers.  Lift the print.  It is fun to try different color inks on different color papers.  I love using white ink on various color papers.  I am doing this with my 2nd grade class.  Here are the ones I printed:

 

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aww thanks...

Aww I feel so special. ReArtingDotNet Blog like my journal page enough to put it on their Mosaic Monday post.  Mine is the first one with the apples and orange background.  Lots of pretty pictures....

One World One Heart-- Blog Hop and Giveaway

One World One Heart

One World One Heart was created in 2007 by Lisa Swifka as an event hosted to connect bloggers with one another.  Each of the blogs participating hosts a giveaway.  You can find a list of participants/blogs here.  


This year, I am participating!  Welcome to anyone who has stopped by my blog through this blog hop.


Here's a little about me:  My name is Marcia.  I am a K-6 Art teacher in Madison, WI.  I'm 31 years old, have a husband named Andrew and adorable little 1 year old named Daria.  My blog features mostly things about art teaching, collage making, art journaling and so forth.  I do a lot of my own mixed media art.  


As part of the blog hop, we offer a giveaway to people who stop by.  Anyone who currently reads my blog or visits this post can sign up.  All you have to do is leave your email address in the comment if you are interested in winning.  I will randomly pick one winner to win this book: How to Make a Journal of Your Life. It is a tiny book, but a fun little read.  One winner will randomly be chosen Feb. 17.  Thanks for stopping by!!!  

Pipe Cleaner Weaving

 

We made this with my first grade class.  I took mat board, and the kids stapled their own pipe cleaners to the ends and then weaved in yarn, ribbons and feathers.  The kids did a great job on their weavings, but I think I like this technique better. 

Collage Journal Pages

 

Many of these are pages in progress and I'm trying to figure out what to do with them.  For now they are saved in my journal, waiting for another day. I have a bunch of photographs I "warped" with bleach spray which I may put on top of the pages.  We'll see...

Sketchbook Pages

Sketchbook Pages

These are two pages I made while "taking" the online Strathmore Visual Journaling Course.  Pam Carriker led us through the process of using photocopies of some of our old collages, cutting them up and adding layers of gesso and paint prints.  The top one uses portions of old collages and the bottom page does not.  With the bottom page, I started by painting circular shapes with watercolor paints.  I did some writing with white pens and smears of chalk pastels.  The black lines are made with a thin Sharpie paint pen.

I am reading this book called "Circle of Simplicity" which is above more simple, mindful living and trying to back away from the lure of consumption.  It is a fascinating book which really has started to resonate with me as I have become more and more disgusted by consumer culture/advertising/tv.  I am lured into things (such as fun cameras), but on the other hand it seems every time I turn around I read about someone buying something else they don't need (like on facebook).  We are obsessed with our gadgets, tvs, computers, buying more and using more.  Anyways, this book is about trying to break away from that.  Not totally denying consumer culture or pop culture, but trying to really think more deeply about everything we buy and use and how we spend our time.  So the words on the collage above are inspired from that book and e.e. cummings.  "Today is the sun's birthday!"  I love that line..  it's about embracing the day and the life.  HE is all around us.  above and below and all around. 

Pointillist Trees

 

The 3/4s painted Pointillist Trees.  They have studied trees in Science.  We learned about the artist Georges Seurat by reading Scholastic Art magazine.  Students identified and described Pointillist paintings.   They created a Pointillist painting of trees showing dimension and form by color mixing.  Tips:  use the back end of the paintbrush, a q-tip or a small brush.  Keep the size of the paper small (9x12" is plenty).

Grandma Moses Landscapes -- 2nd Grade

The goals for this project are to

• Classify artworks as landscape, still-life or portrait.

• Identify and use foreground, middle ground, and background in two-dimensional works of art.

• Use size relationships and simple depth techniques to show space in an artwork.

We learned about the artist Grandma Moses and created a winter collage using various materials.  We read a couple books about Grandma Moses and looked at her artwork.

These are two books about Grandma Moses which are great for this project:












Grandma Moses (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Steps:  Day One-- I teach this as a step by step project so the kids don't get confused.

1.  Cut a mountain range from gray paper.  Tear a white piece of paper for the snowy ground.  Glue to a blue background.

2.  Draw and cut out houses.  Small houses go in the background, medium sized houses in the middle, largest houses in the foreground to create the illusion of depth.  Draw details on the houses with crayons.

Day Two:  Add more details with crayons:  animals, people playing in the snow, river or road (showing depth by going back into space), etc.

Day Three:  Paint trees and white snow with watercolor paints.  Finish up any remaining details.