Bringing Everyday Objects to Life

Yep, I've totally been MIA, but ya know--life, it happens. I have so much stuff I will be sharing here someday. I've taken on a new endeavor these last couple years as I've been teaching a Digital Art & Design class. AND DO I LOVE IT! Photoshop is pretty much my middle name. Recently, I came across this video and I knew my students had to try it! We simply recorded video footage using iPads, Airdropped those files to our computers and used Photoshop to edit the videos. We then took them into iMovie to add sound! I will share a few of my favorites:

Value Still Life with a BONUS

I don't know how your students are, but when we get started on a still life project it takes awhile for my students to remember and know what a still life is.  I find it so beneficial for my students to draw from observation, especially as young developing artists.

For this project 7th graders were required to draw from observation.  If they wanted to incorporate something in their drawing it needed to physically be sitting on the table in front of them--no reference photos.  Many students chose to bring in their own objects, but for those that didn't they got to choose from some of the awesome props I keep in my classroom.

As an added bonus, students were to invent an area of their drawing where the color wheel would be incorporated.  So they did get to do a little inventing!

Here are some of the awesome results:

In other news, I started writing for the Art of Ed! Make sure to check out all of the awesomeness they have going on over there, but don't worry I'll still be sharing my classroom happenings here!

The Alphabet Challenge

Yeah I know, my absence on here has been real--BUT good news everybody--I made it through my first semester of Middle School!

This 8th grade project was all about themes. The idea for this lesson came from a hashtag. That's right a good ole hashtag on Instagram: #kolboalphabetchallenge. This challenge was started by a high school teacher in Nebraska, but people were participating around the world.  I even dabbled in it a little bit.

S is for Sprinkles....duh!

My middle school students are OBSESSED with Instagram, so when I told them about this they were just excited that I was using Instagram as a learning resource.  I had everyone's attention.  We did our own challenge by drawing a letter of an alphabet from a bucket. Luckily my largest class size is 26 so no letters had to be repeated!

 Check them out--I love the variety, simplicity, and complexity of each!

O is for Office Supplies

N is for Nightmare

A is for Aerospace

Y is for Yarn

 T is for Teen Titans

M is for Moon Phases

V is for Volcano

E is for Earphones

W is for Waste

Q is for Queen

F is for Fish

W is for World

L is for Leopard 

 Z is for Zap

I'm Still Here, BUT Things are a-changin'

I've been MIA, and that's because I've had a gazillion and ten things going on.  It's common knowledge in teacher world that summer is for relaxing and getting caught up on all those other things that get thrown into the corner, right??! WRONG.  Guys, most days I'm lucky if I leave the house with pants on.  This week I may or may not have worn two different shoes to school (in my defense they were the same, but different colors--I just told everyone it was a new trend, duh.)

Which brings me to school.  This year I am so excited to be taking on a new job description.  That's right folks, I've moved on from the elementary world to the land of the tweens, or more commonly known as middle school. I'm 3 weeks in and I'm still here--I shook my magic eight ball and it responded with "Reply Hazy, Try Again Later,"  I'm not sure whether I should be concerned or not yet.  So with this change my blog name obviously can no longer be: Exploring Art: Elementary Art.  

I now welcome you to the middle school edition of me: Art. Eat. Tie Dye. Repeat.

Now all you elementary folk, please don't scurry away! It'll still be the same ole me here coming at you with my bizarre ideas and thoughts.  I've still got PLENTY of projects I need to catch up on from last school year (grad school is killing me).

My school year is off to an extremely busy start (as I'm sure yours is as well).  Not only do I have a new job, but 9 hours of grad school (I'll be done in May!!!), and coaching volleyball sure have me busy.  No time for sleep, because there is not rest for the rad!

THE GOOD NEWS: I FIT RIGHT IN WITH THOSE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL US A PART!