Altered Book

Altered Book: Take a discarded book and turn it into a work of art.

-Open up.

-Be Honest.

-Be powerful

-Make thumbnail sketches.

-Make your mark.

-Lightly gesso some pages.

-Use different mediums.

-Be funny.

-Make a social comment.

-Editorialize.

-Conceptualize.

-If you don't know what to say just start and it will come.

Include all of the following:

-Start with a 'me' collage and a handprint.

-Create a found poem.

-Create collages from magazines or your own drawings.

-Create a cool cover for your book.

-Include some of your own drawings. Draw right on the page.

-Write your own poem. Illustrate it.

-Carve it out.

-Include political satire or a comment on our government policies.

-Create a collage using found content other than magazines.

-Punch holes, tie it together.

-Use white glue or gesso to create a raised texture.

-Glue a small picture on a page. Draw or paint all around the the sides of the picture to extend the picture.

-Create some watercolor paintings.

-Use mixed media on the same page.

-Your own creation.

What do YOU want to say? How will you say it? Go further, further, further. Above all, have fun and let your creativity out!

A fellow teacher from South Jordan Middle introduced us to the concept of altered books during district collaboration. I haven't had so much fun with art in a long time. I've really gotten into the process and it has inspired me to get back to into making art for myself, not just for my job. I'm really excited to start this project with my Drawing 2 students in a few weeks.

I found this book in one of my storage rooms at work. The binding was a little iffy, so I drilled holes and sewed the book together with embroidery floss.

Right inside the front cover.

An homage to skiing and winter.

Quotes I love.

I work on this page when I'm craving things I can't have.

Rawr!

Starry Night interpretation plus a found poem. 

This is the second time I used these lyrics and this imagery in the book. Apparently there's a strong connection there.

Drawing right on the page.

Fun with watercolor and colored pencil on a gessoed page.

Snowflake stamps I made for my Christmas cards this year.

The Pinch Pot Conclusion

A little over a month ago I taught a pinch pot lesson to Aven's preschool class. The kids had an amazing time and a few weeks later I went back to have them glaze their creations. The pinch pots just came out of the kiln this morning and they turned out super cute! The ceramics teacher I work with was impressed with how the glaze came out. It turns out that letting small children layer copious amounts of four different glazes onto one surface creates some pretty cool results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

I'm trying a new approach to Abstract art in my Drawing 1 classes. I came up with a more structured way of having the students complete their Abstract designs because the way I've done it in the past was so open-ended that a lot of kids really struggled and constantly second-guessed themselves.  Here are the two examples I came up with:

Non-representational

Abstract landscape

Pinch Pots with Kids

I had today off, so I decided to teach a pottery lesson in Aven's preschool class. I practiced the lesson on Aven last weekend since I had never taught a group of three-year-old kids and wasn't sure what to expect with their fine motor skill abilities. Some kids were naturals and got it right away, other kids just pinched way too hard and ended up with less of a pot and more of a plate with holes in it.

It was SO much fun. I'll have to think of another art project I could do with her class in the future. My favorite kid quote of the day: "So, we can eat soup out of here?!" Me, looking at his rather flat pot with a couple holes in it: " . . . maybe not soup, but you could probably put some kind of food in it".

The results, drying on my fireplace mantle.

We Belong

"We belong to each other." A painting to serve as the centerpiece of my family photo wall. It perfectly describes how I feel about my family.

Stick Horse

Aven has been really interested in dressing up and role play lately. She's been having a lot of fun with the cowgirl shirt and hat my dad got her for her birthday along with other dress up clothes. Recently, while playing cowgirl, she's been "riding" a stuffed horse from Build-a-Bear which is hilarious but looks terribly awkward and not very fun, so I decided to make her a stick horse with some leftover fabric and a wooden dowel I bought at Home Depot. Here are the results: 

Birds

As part of this whole nesting phenomenon, that I did not experience while pregnant with Aven, I have been compelled to do all sorts of creative projects. I have been making teddy bears and blankets and was even inspired enough to make a painting for the room that Aven and baby sister will share. It's watercolor over an acrylic gel base- my favorite way to paint. My mom was jealous that I wasn't painting it for her. Hope you enjoy: