Making Trees

Today the girls collected a bag of pine cones to make Christmas trees to hand out on Christmas to family members. First we painted them green and added glitter. Forgot to take pictures, it was a bit messy, but we did it outside!

 Then I just mixed up a bucket of plater of paris and plopped a glob for each tree and let my daughter stick the trees in the "snow"

Plaster is so easy to use, just mix water and stir in a disposable container and it dried very quicky! We did it on wax paper. They were dry in about 20 minutes and ready to decorate. The tree sticks right it perfectly! It is inexpensive and dries nicely like snow!

We cut old necklaces to make the ornaments

They glued the ornaments on with Tacky Glue

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!

And a very Merry Christmas!!

...And here's the cutest little 4 day old Santa you have ever seen from my newborn shoot Friday! I don't think you will need to leave him any cookies, he's pretty ridiculously sweet!!!

Tea Cup Candles

The past few weeks, my classroom has been buzzing about George Rodrigue and the blue dog! I cannot wait to post all the Blue dog inspired animals they have been painting! I am absolutely in love with the blue dog and dream that some day Mr. George Rodrigue would come visit our school!!!!!

So a few days ago I got the idea to make candles for some gifts. I collect tea cups, so my idea was to put brown wax in tea cups like it was coffee or cocoa but make it into a candle.

If I could do it again, I think the easiest thing to do would be to find some old brown candles and melt them. I, on the other hand bought wax and scented oil, and melted it. My genius idea was to add brown liquid  watercolor BUT that did not work!!

First I went to several thrift stores and picked up lots of old tea cups and saucers.
 I melted the wax and scented oil in a pot inside an electric frier filled with water

I used a paperclip to hold the wicks

then poured the melted wax in the cups

I bought the wicks in a small package at a craft store

I also bought some apple cinnamon scented oil

When they dreid, they weren't brown so I added brown crayons to the wax

and poured the crayon wax mixture on the top

 I just love how they turned out! It was SO easy and I can see turning the kid's pinch pot animals into CANDLES next year! I have already ordered the wicks!!

Vote for my Blog :-)

Great news! I just found out from Jessica over at The Art of Education that my blog has been selected as one of the finalists to win "Art Ed Blog of the Year!" Very exciting.

Here's the thing though... I need your help to win! Voting is open this whole week from today through Friday the 14th. Could I ask you to take 30 seconds, follow this link, and vote for my blog to win?! All you have to do is click on the name of my blog in the poll, and click vote! It's that easy. We've got the best fans out there, so I'm confident that if you all take just a second to vote, we’ll be promoted to one of the Top 10 Art Ed Blogs of 2012! 

Thank you so much! 

Seascapes

 I got this idea from Christie over at Fine Lines...if you don't follow her, go check out her blog! She is incredibly creative with so many awesome lessons to enjoy and be inspired!! Here is the original lesson! http://kids-finelines.blogspot.com/2012/11/santa-monica-seascapes.html

We started with my favorite liquid water color. 

We learned about analogus/intermediate colors. They used blue for the sky and mixed turquoise and green to make blue-green for the water.

paint with water first, then apply the watercolor. They had to leave white spots for the clouds, and needed to have as many different VALUES of blue green (dark and light) in the ocean

Some added salt for a cool splashing effect

 Then we used white tempera to add the foam of the waves

they could also tap their brush to make the waves look extra splashy!

 Students had the option to add decorations, but it was not required. They turned out really beautiful

Seeing Artloud with Your Heart

SO Excited to PUT the Blue DOGS on the blog soon! We are making Blue dog inspired Animals and let's just say I have a pile of paint stained clothes...we are making visual music to the eyes in here the past few weeks and George Rodrigue is our inspiration!!!
For now...I will leave you with this...
She came in with this little drawing inspired by something she saw on the internet and drawn at home...(I love when they draw at home)

ANd she LefT with ThIS....
I love when they use their imaginations to sing a song with their paintbrush!

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

AND here is my daughter with a friend she found "Stripe"

That inspired THIS painting "Blue Lizard"

Creative Inspiration

I am always saying that Art is an emergent curriculum in my class. This morning a student came in with the beautiful Fall leaves Poinsettia that you see below and a Fall leaves Christmas tree she had made at home. It immediately got the kids VERY excited and INSPIRED!!!

When they get this way, it means lesson plans go out the window and we direct the class towards the inspired ideas of the students! We went outside and collected handfuls of beautiful leaves and they went to town!! Everything in these artworks is made out of leaves with a few crayon embellishments

I don't usually do "Christmas" projects in November, but that is where their little creative minds lead them, so some of their artworks were adorned with holiday decor!