Pinwheels postponed, but glazing is coming!

Had to postpone pinwheels due to supplies.... however, it's time to glaze all the clay projects!

International Peace Day is coming

http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

We will either make pinwheels or hands for peace.... what fun!!!!

Let's All Join Hands

I'm adding a new project to my teaching line-up! It's based on tracing your hand, cutting it out and decorating one side. The other side will have a bit of writing about a word chosen by each student. If all goes well, I'll display the hands at school as part of a Global Art Project.

A rainy Sunday

Woke up to rain this morning. Fall crept in overnight. Makes me sad that summer is gone for the year. But, we're back in school where kids will get to create some great projects! Stay positive & have hope!!!!

First Day of School is here!

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008 --- the first day of my 19th year of teaching has begun!!!! We had a shortened day schedule so I only had one class. I did show them how to fold paper to make a hexagon.... most got it! Tomorrow I'll show them Jacob Hashimoto's inspiring art and we'll move along. 5:30 AM is really too early to get up.

Discovering artists

I must get back to work soon.... I've been spending all my spare time researching artists online and keep finding fantastic people! Jacob Hashimoto, Dorit Levinstein just to name a few. I'm even thinking about delving into something I've sworn off for many years --- papier mache. Anybody? Bueller?

Flat sculpture project

So, here's my latest sample.... I'm calling it the Flat Sculpture Project b/c it's cut cardboard glued onto a cardboard base. I painted the whole thing white first, then added some color. The last step was having fun with black Sharpie and black acrylic paint. I think my students will have fun with this one! I'll show some art by Elizabeth Murray and Frank Stella, maybe Keith Haring, too.

Color sticks failed

So, after starting this project, I decided it wasn't working - and wasn't ever going to.... there's an old expression from Art Center about never being able to make a failed design work. What's the point? I trashed it and am onto something in the style of Elizabeth Murray.

Color sticks project

Sunday ---
Gorgeous day to be outside; but art called... Today I'm painting sticks of cut cardstock using one primary color + white and black. Once dried, I'll position and glue onto a piece of mat board. I may need to paint with gloss medium once done - we'll see...

Mondrian Tape Masterpiece

Mondrian Tape Masterpiece
Originally uploaded by jbmontero

Latest project sample I created using colored masking tape. Tons of fun! Found the lesson from the Dick Blick lesson plans page online. Base board is a small piece of white foamcore.

Mixed up face 2

Mixed up face 2
Originally uploaded by jbmontero

Smaller face with more cardboard added behind and painted black. Don't like as much as first one.

Mixed up face

Mixed up face
Originally uploaded by jbmontero

First project I created using cardboard, acrylic paint, white glue, and gloss medium. Inspired by an artist I just found online: www.hillbillyartist.com

Sculpture project 1

Sculpture project 1
Originally uploaded by jbmontero

Here's a sculpture project I created using recycled materials and white glue.

The beginning of my Art Project

Here's my dilemma: Being an Art teacher is a great job, which I'm very lucky to have. Yet, I get a bit tired of repeating the same lessons year after year. With school budget constraints and scheduling issues, I seem to get locked into the same routine. Once summer arrives though, I I have time to come up with new ideas for the coming year...time to look back and evaluate which lessons worked, and which ones didn't turn out so great. Summer is my time, and I get quite possessive of it. I usually enroll our children in a few summer day camps so that I have time. Time to do a lot of "house" things, and time to sit at the computer. Time to think, relax, rest, walk around the neighborhood, shop, read, and, well, truth be told, I don't really do a whole lot of lesson planning.

This summer has been quite different. Here's a bit of how it's unfolded:

June: Out of school, back to sleeping later than 5:30. Took on repainting our finished basement. Ordered frames for our kids' art projects and created a 3 ft. X 4 ft. painting. I was inspirated by finding the work of an artist named Judith Rothschild. I'd never heard of her before, but saw one of her paintings in Art in America and just loved her style. Come to find out, one of her favorite places was Carmel, CA.... a place I love.

July: Only attended the Ann Arbor Art Fair opening day for a few hours before we headed west. Went to CA for 2 1/2 weeks with my family. Flew via SFO - spent 1 night near the airport, then 2 in Fresno, almost a week in La Canada, then to Danville, and onto Sea Ranch, with our last night in SF. I think of all the places we've been, Sea Ranch did it. Something about the scenery inspired me. LOVED the ocean, the beach house we rented, the nature around us - deer, barn owl, jack rabbits, huge gnarled trees. Just beautiful.

August: Home & beginning to work on various art projects. I don't really know what got me started, other than realizing that I'd taught the same projects for the past seven years... here's the math problem: Each project taught approx. 12 times each year X 7 years.... 84 times I've taught the same 15 projects! I must change things around. So, I've been looking online for ideas, found a bunch from the Dick Blick online catalog. Ordered some materials and got started. If I can figure out how to add photos here, I will.