Mother Earth Group Show

I feel like an official artist as I was in my first Art show at the end of April. I know we are nearly through May, but with school wrapping up so quickly I haven't had a chance to post any of my pictures from the show. I displayed a lot of my ceramics that I hope to be making this summer in my studio, but I also showed some paintings, crafty art magnets and barrettes, and my mom displayed her new diaper creations (she has expanded from the diaper cakes made for showers, to tricycles and tractors).  It was great to see so many people out for the event and get my studio name and my name out there to the public. It's a wonderful start to a new adventure. Here's some pictures from the event.

Art Show!

On April 20, 2011 our school district put on display our annual Spring Art Fair. All grade levels were represented in a display that always fills our commons area at our junior high. The lower elementary art teacher has her K-3 classes vote on the artwork that is displayed for their school. I teach at the upper elementary classes and the 4th and 5th grade students pick out their favorite artwork to display, every student is required to put a project in the show. I have devised a pretty cool curtain system using pvc pipes to create the stands and 12x12 sheet protectors linked together to display their 9x12 projects. Every project we do at the upper elementary is on 9x12 for this purpose. I do 1 project per grade level on 12x18, just so they have at least 1 project on big paper. The junior high classes are split this year between me and the high school art teacher. I require my students to put in at least 1 project into the show. If they want to put in 2 that is fine as well. I also add in a few other projects per class that I feel are outstanding and need to be shown. The high school art teacher allows her students at both the junior high and high school to choose if they would like to participate in the show. She had some very outstanding work shown at both levels.

 

We also include the Family and Consumer Science (FACS) classes and the Te 

chnology Education (Industrial Arts) classes from the junior high in our art show. Our FACS teacher does amazing work with her students creating quilts, tie blankets, pillow cases, etc. The pieces they create are beautiful and we welcome the added pop of color her projects bring to the commons. The students in Technology Ed. classes do really create woodworking projects as well. They make drag race cars, rockets, shelves, magazine racks, pop up chairs, etc.

 

Of course I am bragging on my students and highlighting my student's work in the show. The kids made the local newspaper as well, twice in a week! They had two full colored pages of the show, which I know made the students feel good to be recognized.

The evening was a  complete success and everyone enjoyed the show. I was super proud of all the students in the district, they did a fantastic job!

The Weekend is Over!

First off a big Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I have spent most of the weekend with my mom, so I am sure she has enjoyed in all of our fun.

Not only have I been shopping and just hanging out with my mom all weekend. My dad and I tackeld into the task of cleaning the walls at the studio. Yes I said cleaning the walls, two of my walls are created strickly from old glass windows. I fantastic idea thought up by my friend Mark who has worked on building the walls for me. However, the windows were extremely dirty and covered with cobwebs. The two of us spent two hours cleaning about 12 windows and we aren't quite done yet. Especially for the right level of clean according to the "Voegel Standard" of clean windows. I'm getting to learn alot about the creation of my own studio as well as what it will take to clean out the old window sealant and putting in new window sealant. That will be my next task after they are spotless.

I loaded in more art supplies to my space, I was shocked to find how many boxes of clay I have brought home from my days at college. I thought it was just a few but I have quite a bit to get myself off and running. I'm very excited, as this is one less expense I will have to purchase to get started. I also carried in my pottery wheel. It's an awesome device called a "Throw n' Go", where all the pieces and parts stack neatly together and you can carry it anywhere and make wheel thrown ceramics pretty easily. The next task is to sit down and re-teach myself how to actually throw on the wheel again. It is just like riding a bike, you don't forget it, you just need to re-learn it. I have a few seats now as well, so I can go up there and relax as well as just hang out. I can't wait to get a couple of tables up there, my last wall up and I can really start using it as a studio. We are just weeks away from that happening.  

Although the weekend has turned into quite the productive one, it has been exhausting and I am looking forward to the week ahead. I more week closer to summer, summer paychecks, and the sound of relaxation. :)

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend, best wishes for the week ahead!

Happy Friday!!

As usual it's the best time of the week, Friday!! I'm a super huge fan of Fridays, in fact its a ritual on Friday afternoons to call my sister and wish her a "Happy Friday!" on my drive home from work. I'm pretty excited to get through this week as it is just getting us closer to summer break at school. 14 days left with the kids and 16 left for the teachers. I think I'm just as excited and ready to be done with school as the kids are. With the school year wrapping up I'm finding it is time to get busy photographing all the artwork for our Artsonia website and I hope to post projects and lessons here on my blog as well. I get lots of ideas for projects from fellow art teachers who have blogs, so its a necesssity I keep in the trend and post projects as well.

I just picked up artwork from the last art show of the year, that took place in a local mall. My students proudly brought home Best of Show, 1st-4th Place finishes in many catergories that were judged, and a handful of honorable mentionings. I'm so proud of my students, they worked so hard all year long and deserve to come home with awards like this. Everyone who participated in the show from the other school districts did an awesome job as well. I took lots of pictures to show the students what others are creating in their programs. Seeing the work of others their age seems to help boost the level of creativity and level of difficulty. Always push for more, Art is limitless in abilities and talents.

That's it for now, I hope everyone has a Happy Friday themselves!