Kindergarten Torn Paper Spring Landscapes

 

Kindergarten Winter Village Lesson

 

I handed out small squares of paper and taught students how to make 2 triangles out of one square. This lesson reinforces math concepts including halves, 2+2=4, diagonal line, shapes, above, below, in the middle, next to. Also science concept of an evergreen tree staying green all year. But most importantly of all, JOY!

Our New Marmoleum Kitchen Floor!

 

Cube Building Visuals

I've been busy hand drawing a series of cube building visuals to be laminated and utilized as a classroom activity resource. Here are some examples of my work. Students will use Unifix math cubes to build these 3-D shapes. This is for grades K-3 special education students. Supports early math concepts, STEM, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, and spatial intelligence. 
 

Homegrown

 

If you grew up in New Jersey, you'll get it! This is a very old mixed media piece I created while experimenting with Xerox copies of family photos in the 1980's. 

End of the Year Poem

This is a simple poem I wrote for my students (1st and 2nd grade special education students)

Front Porch Flowers

My Happy Place

EZ How to Draw a Pineapple

Handmade Card for Mom

This is a fun card I made for my mom in 1988, using 1950's magazine ads.

Homage to Picasso

Pencil drawing by me,  done when I was 18 yrs. old.  Glad I saved it!

Updated Hall Steps and Landing

I love the way this turned out! I wanted something dramatic, retro, and fun for our hallway steps. We got rid of old, worn carpet.

Getting Crafty!

I had fun re-purposing, (aka up-cycling), some old birthday cards and decorative scrap papers into Valentine's Day cards for my students and co-teachers. Would love to do this for every holiday, but it is a time consuming task. Luckily, we've had several snow and ice days this year, which has given me ample time to create! Also, I hate to just throw away expensive greeting cards!

Featured art work: Cousins

There's a Chris Christie in my Art!

Watching the Girls Go By

Lost in Abstract Thought

Remembering Dan Tereshko

I am so fortunate to have studied Studio Art and Modern Art History under Dan Tereshko at Moravian College in the 1980's. "Mr T." always talked in depth with his students about the cultural context of modern art movements like Impressionism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Da-Da, Fauvism, Pop Art, etc., to give them an understanding of why artists veered off in certain directions, or rebelled against the stuffy conservative French Academy.

I learned that the modern artists were responding to their culture and world. Jackson Pollock was not just randomly spattering paint, he was painting figures, and was a trained artist. Picasso could paint realistically, but he decided to experiment, and he changed his style depending on what was happening in his life, and how he felt. He was influenced by African art. Of course, these classically trained artists learned the rules before they broke them. Many of these art movements coincided with the writing and music of the time period. Kandinsky, an abstract expressionist, wanted to paint how music made him feel.

Mr T. encouraged me to explore my own ideas, and take risks, but I learned by first copying the styles of famous artists, and studying art history in depth. He covered A LOT of artists, and I remember most of them. He made them real. He was funny, and he was irreverent, and he dressed like a slob. The other art professors seemed to value realism/classical art over much non-representational modern and contemporary art, and were a bit snobby. I felt like they did not like him. But T was the real deal. He studied with Richard Diebenkorn in California. He showed his work at famous NY galleries.

Mr. T unexpectedly passed away at the end of my senior year. He was a heavy smoker, and suffered a heart attack. I think he was under a lot of stress at his job. I was awarded the first DW Tereshko Memorial Prize in Studio Art. When they cleaned out his office, I got this picture of him with his work, early 1970's, NYC. He inspired me to teach children to appreciate all historical art movements, techniques, and creative expression of ideas, to explore, and not be afraid to take risks, to connect with art on a personal level, and to find joy and meaning in their lives through art.

CORRECTION: I have learned that my photo of Dan Tereshko is from the early 1980's, thanks to an astute reader!

UPDATE 8/4/17: I have added color photos of T's work, thanks to my friend (also a former student of Mr T's) Philadelphia artist Benjamin Long. Thanks Ben! This is a nice collection of images of T's incredible mixed media work!

Lost and Found Art Shirt

To my surprise and delight, my mom has saved some art t-shirts I designed and painted in 1987! This 30 year old shirt is really well preserved, and still looks bright white. I don't even remember making this, and I had no idea that my mom had saved some of these shirts for me. I used fabric paint and puffy paint. The "T.O.P." at the bottom stands for The Owl Princess. So fun to look back!

Angie and Bill Visit The Andy Warhol Museum

My Message of Hope for 2017

"A Bigger Splash" by David Hockney

Happy New Year friends! Last night my husband and I enjoyed watching the fantastic new Ron Howard documentary "Eight Days A Week" along with a really fascinating extra features dvd about The Beatles' touring years. And we recently enjoyed inspiring biographies on the lives of artist David Hockney, and music mogul David Geffen. 

All of these uplifting films shared a common theme about rising to the top of your chosen field through hard work and staying true to your vision.  I can't help but contrast this with the bizarre rise of a narcissistic, born on third base, reality TV vulgarian to the top position of leader of the free world. I will not accept Trump as my President. I believe that when someone shows you who he is, as Trump certainly has through his reckless tweeting, you should believe him. Narcissists don't want to change, because they love any kind of attention, even negative. Narcissists are unfit to be Presidents.

I wonder, will there be great art when the bar is set so low?  Right now we really need the arts to remind us of our shared humanity and to give us hope. It's frightening to think about the future, and although it's important to look to the past for inspiration, we can't be stuck there pining for the good old days. I think it is important during these uncertain times, to look within ourselves for hope, to continue to fight and stand up for what we believe in, and to enjoy living in the moment.  It is not healthy to be consumed by fear of the unknown. I have hope and faith in God that truth and goodness will always triumph over evil.

The artists and good people who care about our shared humanity and planet can teach our children that Trump's narcissism is not normal or good. Caring adults can model kindness, empathy, stand up for equal rights, and speak truth to power. I won't be watching a news media that normalizes and legitimizes Trump, presents false equivalencies, and only reports negative news for rating$. The corporate news media deserves most of the blame for this horrible fiasco. People have been duped into believing in a con-man. This is not acceptable. 

Wishing you love, hope, and happiness in 2017!  Surround yourself with those family/friends who show unconditional love and kindness towards you, who support and appreciate you for who you are. Look within yourself and lift yourself to create, to be you, and enjoy the moment. Artists look deeper and longer, to see in a different way not limited by the camera's eye. With a pencil and paper, paint, or whatever medium you choose, the possibilities are endless. You can make a bigger splash!

"I was aware that the teaching of drawing was being stopped almost 30 years ago. And I always said, 'The teaching of drawing is the teaching of looking.' A lot of people don't look very hard." David Hockney

‘When you photograph a splash, you’re freezing a moment and it becomes something else. I realise that a splash could never be seen this way in real life, it happens too quickly. And I was amused by this, so I painted it in a very, very slow way.’  David Hockney

Easy Winter Themed Art Lesson Ideas

Winter tree, cool colors

Allentown row homes, collage/painting 

Evergreen tree collage

These images are my lesson examples, which I made while modeling the steps and procedures during class. I teach young students how to draw a tree by asking them to think of an upper case Y, and imagine the branches are like the fingers on your hand. I demonstrate by holding my arms up over my head, like a Y, so they can visualize the larger trunk, and smaller branches. We use cool colors to paint on top of blue construction paper.

In the second example, I give students pre-cut rectangles in different sizes, and they glue those on blue paper, then we talk about the row homes in our city, types of buildings, and the shapes we can draw to make windows and doors, and decorative details. I simplify for younger grades. Then we add white paint with Q-Tips.

In the third example we tear paper for snowy hills, and use pre-cut triangles and rectangles to make the trees, and I show them how to cut a slice of a circle for the crescent moon. We add snow with construction paper crayons or oil pastels. I've had success with all three of these lessons, at varying grade levels Pre-K-6. All of these lessons can be completed in one 45 minute art class.

Easy Fall Elementary Art Lesson Ideas

Kindergarten art work, Pumpkin Family

Grade 5 art work, Fall Still Life Collage

Grade 2 art work,  Still Life with Pumpkins

Autistic Support K-2, Fall Tree Collage (torn paper)

Cityscape

Oil pastels on black paper

Owl over Spain

Mixed media collage

Elvis

Pop-Art lesson example for middle school students, mixed media collage

Art Time with Angie at TPT!

Here's a sneak peak at the kinds of lessons and activities I will be sharing at my TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) store. I am still working on this one, but it will be done soon. This is my cover page and preview. In the mean time, you can download my "E-Z Draw Bird" for free. Also check out my clown fish in coral reef, paper guitars, and circus clown lessons. All tried and true and created by me! I'm still learning how to do the fancy graphics for my products, but it's the content that is most important! See link to my store at my right side bar, or click here to go to "Art Time with Angie."

E-Z Draw Bird Family

For grades K-2, and autistic support. Read more about this lesson here.