White Ribbon !

I took 10 pieces from HS to the Four Rivers conference art show, and one of my girls placed third! This showing was great overall for STJ- several other students in the adv. classes placed too.

The whole experience of hanging the show brought back memories from helping my art teacher- Barb hang in high school.

Sometimes I feel fairly old, and mature -and then times I feel really young. The other school districts had 'older' teachers. I felt like a child amongst them, it was strange. I think that with my students being young is a great thing- I can relate to them, and with the 'more experienced' teachers they act as my age hinders me.

I went again to the show for the reception, with Barb, it was great. We both noted we didn't think we would be back there again! Ha! Recalling the great times we had was very nostalgic, and now I can honestly say- everything happens for a reason.

Wow. How true is that?

Great day at the gallery - as happyville travels! :o)

wind socks

Project: Wind socks - Klimt inspired
Materials:tons and tons of rolls of crate paper cut to 15 inches for perfect dancing/twirling in the wind :o)

Final outcome: Apparently cute enough to be decorations in the kindergarten class. The teacher said I could hang them from the ceiling to show off for the spring fling- parent teacher conferences. At first the kiddos didn't want it hung because they wanted to take them home, but once I started climbing up and hanging some, they all wanted theirs hung (in specific spots!)

envelope

A 5 yr old had finished up his Klimt inspired wind sock and was coloring a free draw. I looked over to see him licking the paper. I watched him for a few more seconds and he was running the edge of the folded paper across his tongue - this was really strange to me so I had to ask what he was doing. He said he was making an envelope, I told him to just use a glue stick that licking it wouldn't make it stick. He then told me " it works with mail!" HeHe

new energy

So the spring break was much needed!

I re-organized my lesson plans, came up with new ones, and stayed at my favorite 5 star resort all the while. This resort I am speaking of -is quite the deal, I stay there for a week ( house sit) and it's all inclusive! -food, clay, paint, great views, and no disruptions- ahh-mazing!
-oh! did I mention free!!!

I went back to school today with:
-a hand full of papers to copy- check
-a tub of pre cut wire for sculptures- check
-a new seating chart (for the darling class who needs it) - check!
-several bag fulls of pre cut streamers- check
- and a spring in my purple shoes - check :o)

The hs is now working on wire sculptures, they finished paper sculptures right before break.
The elem. is finishing up a Klimt inspired wind sock . They glued the streamers on and danced around the room. cute. and loud. very loud!


The art show is coming up- soon! April 21-24- I have to matte every piece entered. - one from each student. I have 400 students!!



All is well in the art room- aka Happyville :o)

So I wanted and needed something new-something different-

New hair color- of course! This would do the trick- a box a red - my favorite color would be just the thing :0)

This hair color happened during the week and I loved the result- so much I decided to leave my hair down and straighten it (this never happens). The kiddos on Wednesday definitely noticed!! High school was much more observant about my hair color than about their color wheels!

At the elementary the babies were saying things like: "wow- you look pretty," "did you cut your hair?" and "your hair is red like mine!"
The free draw images of me now had red straight hair - how darling!

The funniest comment was after school when Ms. Danetra (my sister and cadet) and I were walking- and a 1st grade boy called out from his yard "you look a lot like my art teacher!"

Hehe



-this red straightened hair caused quite the confusion and gained a lot of attention in the art rooms!.

guess what character !?

hint: a kindergarten boy who plays too much Nintendo !

Elem drawings!

( I am on the back of the train & this is by a 5 yr old boy !)

At the end of the project they can have a 'free-draw' paper and a lot of the time I get it given back to me as love notes- I love my babies!

artist: Ann Preston

http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=36393



My hs students will be working on embossing next. I am enjoying looking up examples and playing with the metals.

Tomorrow I will take a trip to the cob house to inhale the smell of creativity, throw on the wheel, and emboss with the master - Barbie!


EXCITED :o)

pockets

At the elementary I work with 2 other art teachers, a male who works the first semester and a female who works this semester both who were my teachers in grade school. the female is out for a new grandbaby and the male is subbing for her.

a month or so ago-one day a first grade boy noticed we both share the art room and saw me in the hallway and informed me that my husband was waiting for me in my room. I am not married, dating some one - no...who could this boy be talking about? WAIT! Mr. Male Art Teacher who is 65+? oh geez ! thanks!

today: same male art teacher- we are chatting in the hallway as his third grade students are filing into the room. since he was subbing the students were really excited he was back- this one girl said "yay look at my new pants!"- who then turned around and semi bent over to show the butt pockets of the jeans! -they were pink and purple rhinestones in the shape of a butterfly! The male art teacher blushes band I start hysterically laughing! He says "oh yes, just want I wanted to see" :o)

Funny day in Happyville !

American Gothic, The Scream !

**notice the superbowl art with the arrow pointing out the score :o)

fairy tale

Once upon a time there was a boy who told a girl that cardigans were for 65 yr old women. This girl always wore cardigans over her short sleeve shirts. This boy always made her feel frumphy by pointing out she had over one million cardigans. Then one day came a huge bundle of flowers with a note to the girl who wore cardigans all the time. Attached to the flowers was a card that said:



The artroom had flowers. The girl was happy. The end.

sharks

5 yr old boy: "Sharks are very dangerous,(in my picture) they are going to eat all these people who will fall off of a roller coaster!"

Me: "Oh no! I'm scared of sharks!"

5 yr old boy: "No, don't worry Miss Nelson, sharks eat all sorts of people but sharks don't eat art teachers."


- Thank goodness sharks have a distaste for art teachers ! I will survive after all :)

hair and earrings

My elementary students occasionally decide to draw me in their pictures and I always have a bun or dangling earrings ! Quite darling if you ask me :o)

-artwork by a kindergardener- impressive!

first projects of (semester 2) finished !

The hs classes finished the doodle drawing, and initial sculptures- they are displayed in the case right outside my room.

It is a treat for the students to help decorate the display, they love being inside the glass case for passer-bys to see.

The next project- Arts & Crafts : African masks. Art 1 : famous artwork parodies.
Elem : balance designs (symmetrical and asymmetrical)

All is displayed nice and cute in the art room aka Happyville.

sweet

A boy brought me a hot pink flower that he was growing in the green house! This made my day :o)

All is great on this Thursday in the artroom - aka Happyville.

Too Old?

One of my 1st graders told me that my painted shoes were 'high schooler' shoes...


What are high school shoes?

Am I too old for certain things?

outside drawing

Today I took my babies outside for art. The kindergarden loved being outside and drawing what they saw. Clouds, playgrounds, a jet, trees, people, students, buildings, and even some colored me and my shadow. How darling!

graffiti

Banksy gets points in my sketch book :)

www.banksy.co.uk

caffeine from sculpture

http://www.artdaily.org/

missing bird since last week

My high school students love to put my things in weird areas and tape random things to the ceiling, there are several golf pencils taped to various things. One day I walked in and my fake mushroom bird inside a small cage that is hanging from the ceiling. It actually looked good and I kept it there. Then one day I walked in and the bird was missing! I have felt this horribly sad feeling before when my parakeet actually escaped her cage! Blossom my parakeet came back chirping to me. :o) This mushroom bird I knew would not come hopping back to me. This missing bird should not have made me upset, but thinking that the students would be mean enough to hide or steal the bird was unsettling. Then yesterday I noticed this strange thing on the floor in a corner behind my desk and picked it up and it was the bird! So the kids had dropped it and couldn't find it. What a relief! The kids are honest and I have my bird back! The bird is back in its cage and hanging from a long green yarn string to the side of my desk.

All is well again in the art room aka Happyville :)

converse shoes

Last night my sister and I went shopping- this turned out to be a 4 hour trip that consisted of paint markers, pillowcases, iron ons, and 4 pairs of shoes. We decided to make gifts for valentine's day...and the shoes were just a perk for us. During this eventful night- we were in our own little world- we forgot to: feed the cat, put wood in the stove, eat, and laundry, but our shoes got painted! Mine has peacock feathers down the sides, and her's has cherry blossoms. They are very new, white, painted and on my feet right now!

I am at school and can hear the Beatles playing in the back artroom. I have the new pencil sharper up and ready to use!! It will be a good-good day!

All is good in this artroom- aka Happyville :)

pom pom chair

This is the chair I recovered - I love the poms and the kiddos must too, they want to sit in it each time I'm not looking!

Semester 2...

So this is absolutely ridiculous that I am blogging, but I figured this would be a great way to remind myself of the crazy days with art and students. So far this semester is wild to say the least!

Yesterday I was very excited to go home after classes and rest, and then I saw them... large brown cubes in the corner of my art room!
They must have been placed there while I was at the hs. (like a suprise -how sweet of the delivery men!) They were not wrapped in colorful paper, or placed under a tree- but I ran to them like it was Christmas! Yes, it was my order I placed only a few days before. I ordered tons of things for my darling babies (k-2). I ripped open the cardboard boxes and was over joyed to see all the things that they would get to experience in the next few months. Scratch boards, water color pencils, payons, and oil sticks. It's very strange to look at nessecites as rare pieces of gold, such as glue, pencils, erasers,#90 lb paper! The most needed and appericiated was an Ultra Quiet Delux Amazing Super Awesome $65 pencil sharpner! (Thursday consisted of sharpening until I had blisters! )

Today I woke up and I am still excited about all the goodies that were put onto nearly empty shelves.



All is good in the artrooms- aka Happyville!