100th post

The 99 has been stating at me for a while now as I've  contemplated  post 100.  It has to be something profound even spectacular, I've mused.  With school beginning on  the 3rd and summer winding down it just did not feel like THE time for post 100.   So I have put it off.   What does one write for a profounding 100th post milestone?  Most amazingly,  I have found 99 other things to post about since December.  Will I be able to continue to find new and interesting things to share or will I run out of steam?   I have followed other post where blogsters  have re posted previous entries.  I don't want to fall into that trap.  Just like with my teaching, I want to make every lesson or post fresh and new and to avoid mediocrity at all cost.    This is not to imply that I will not re- teach a lesson but I intentionally try to tweak and improve my lessons based on observations from previously teaching them.  Return  to the "what didn't work" phase if you will.
My biggest success with this blog has been personal growth.  I feel like the reflection employed when creating an entry has helped me to better analyze just what I do and how I do it.  Through that process, I've been better able to fine tune and improve my own teaching.
  The comments and support from fellow bloggers highlight my days and offer encouragement.  Watching a lesson pin and re pin and pin yet again on pinterest is validation.   My world seems a little more connected to other professionals of the Arts and the isolation begins to diminish.
Starting and working on this blog has created many positives for my professional and personal life.  With this 100th post,  I make a commitment to myself to continue and to strive to bring forth creativity and originality in every post I write.   Happy 100th blog post Art on my Hands!

Table buckets

I spotted an idea for a small trash bucket on each table for cutting activities on some one's blog last spring and began to search for some buckets of my own.  I envisioned the colors  of the color wheel for the buckets but have been unsuccessful in finding anything.  As I walked into the craft store yesterday, I spotted a bin full of sand buckets marked down to 50 cents a piece and decided I could make these work.  The color wheel was not present but I was able to purchase 6 green buckets and 6 yellow buckets. (I have two schools to outfit)  I've added an inspirational image to each bucket and using paint markers, labeled them with table color names.   I'm hoping they will help with the paper mess for cutting projects.   Now, I just need to come up with a use for all those shovels!

Finally ready at Capeless, too!

 Here is Kaileigh's i-Phone bulletin board for the hallway at Capeless.  It depicts a imaginary conversation with the iPhone owner and Peter Reynolds himself.  Since I will start the year off recognizing International Dot Day with a variety of Dot projects, we decided to make Peter Reynold's book The Dot the focus for our bulletin boards.  I had to ask her to translate the message for me.  I'm sure my students will all understand it but us "old folks" aren't always so savvy.   :  )

Bulletin Board 2 is inside the classroom and challenges students to make their own mark.  I will be using coffee filters with grades 2 - 5 to create dots to replace the white ones and of course fill up the empty spaces.  The colorful one in the center will be the lesson I will use with 1st graders.  I plan to use primary liquid watercolors and droppers and have the students create secondary colors.   It will be a review of our color lessons from Kindergarten with a new medium...liquid watercolor.

Back to School Bulletin Boards

You make the Purrrrfect Artist

Kaileigh has been busy at work on the bulletin boards over at Allendale.  Here are her new ones to kick off the school year.

Gallop Back Into Art

Let Your Creativity Bloom
and Your Inner Artist Shine

Liebster Award

Thank you to Aimee at One Happy Art Teacher for nominating my blog for the Liebster Award.
First, I am to answer the questions she posed for me and then I will nominate worthy recipients as well.  So here, goes

1. Who do you most admire and why?  This will sound kitschy but I have to say my Mom.  She is brilliant but in her day, the opportunity to go to college just wasn't there for her.  Despite many hardships, she managed to create a fabulous career for herself, retired comfortably and influenced the lives of three highly educated daughter.  She is extremely brave!
2. If you could visit outer space, what would you wear?  I would want to be comfortable and warm.  At this time in my life, it's all about comfort!
3. If someone wrote a country song about you, what would be the title or a line from it? It's a strong facade.
4. What's your favorite car that you've owned? I drove a white Ford Windstar for 10 years and never had any trouble with it.  It was a great workhorse car.
5. What was your first paying job?   I worked Saturdays at a Dry Cleaning Business when I was 15.  It was quiet and I had time to read and do homework when there weren't any customers.
6. Who's your favorite cartoon character? Garfield with the Peanuts characters right behind
7. What's your best childhood memory? Creative time with my Mom and younger sister.  We would cut paper dolls from our Sears catalogs and make them furniture from wallpaper books.
8. Are you a gum-chewer, a mint-sucker or something/nothing else? Nothing
9. Letterman or Leno? Neither, I turn into a pumpkin about 9:30 p.m.
10. Where do you see yourself in 15 years? I hope retired and working happily away in my own pottery studio out in the backyard.
11.  What's the best thing about your job? The kids, hands down.
    
    
    Random Facts about me:
    
    
    I've been a owner of two business in the middle of my teaching career
    I am a lifetime Girl Scout
    My biggest vice is dark chocolate
    My second job is face painting
    I married a clown, literally
    I'll always be a Southern Girl in spirit
    I always wanted to be an archaeologist
    I'd like to have a beautiful garden but am a little clueless, I try
    I live with a hedgehog, but not by choice
    I was in one of the test groups for Ken Cooper's jogging programs in the 70's
    I had an article published in a trade magazine in the 80's 
    
    
    
    

    Questions for my nominees:

    
    
     1. What is your favorite activity for your down time?
     2. What one thing is most important to your personal success?
     3. If you could make one wish and have it come true, what would it be for?
     4. Why did you decide to be a blogger?
     5. What do you do for yourself to nourish your creativity?
     6. What is the hardest thing about your job?
     7. What is your simple pleasure?
     8. What one person most influenced your life choices?
     9. What makes you most proud in your life?
    10.What would make it feel like you had felt ultimate success or has that already happened and      why?
    11.What is your favorite project to do with your students?
    
    
    
    
    My nominees:
    
    
    www.talesfromthetravelingartteacher.blogspot.com
    Heidi O'Hanley
    www.anartteachersfairyteal.blogspot.com Katherine Ludlow
    www.rainbowskiesanddragonflies.blogspot.com Mrs. C. 
    www.artwithmsk.com   Mollie Katzin
    www.itisartday.blogspot.com    Mrs. Carter
    
    
    And here are the steps to accept your award:
    
    
    1. Link back to the blog that nominated you
    2. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator. 
    3. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
    4. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
    5. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers. 
    6. Contact your nominees and let them know that you have nominated them
    
    
    
    
    
    Everyone else reading this post, check out these terrific blogs.  I have been following them for awhile and I know you will enjoy following them as well!
    
    
    
    

Give with Target for Allendale or Capeless

I just discovered that Allendale and Capeless are signed up for the Give with Target on Facebook donation project. Please take the time to follow this link and vote for Allendale or Capeless.  You just type in the name of the school you want to vote for.  Make sure you are in Pittsfield Schools before you vote.

change school

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Allendale Elementary Sch...

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Thanks for your vote.

What one school supply did you beg for each year, and why?

Final night of class

I previously shared with you that I was taking a class on writing and illustrating children's picture books this summer. Tonight is the last class and I'm shocked that it is over.  It's been a rocky few weeks for me.  Week two I was so frustrated that I was ready to call it quits.  My all wise and wonderful daughter sternly reminded me that I would not allow my students to get away with quitting and put me back on track.  She is right.   "I can't" is a bad word in the art room.  I am sharing with you the tentative cover of my book.  This is a dummy book.   All the illustrations are in pencil at this point with the words written on the pages by hand.  I have pulled two of my illustrations and added color using Photo Shop.  It is a very tedious process for me, I'm not very fluent in  the program.  I'm not sure if I will continue with photo shop for color or turn to watercolor.  My plans are to finish a copy of the book to share with my students and then make a few photo copies as well.  I have learned a lot and hope to put together a unit on picture book writing for 5th grade students this year.    So, off to class tonight to meet with an author/illustrator, Emily Arnold McCully for the final critique!

Fun crayon collections continue!

 Crayons  has done it again with the special box issue of crayons.  These came fromTarget and are only a few of the varieties available.  I wouldn't have bought so many, although they were priced at "only" 79 cents a box, but I had my daughter with me and too many boxes shouted out at her.  No, she is not six but you would have thought so from her reaction!  Great marketing by Crayola this year and as always, I reach for Crayola brand crayons first.

Fun picture book on my wish list

"Outside the world is bright and colorful, but Lydia's family is too busy with their gadgets to notice. She says Hello to everyone. Hello? Hello! Her father says hello while texting working on her laptop and her brother doesn't say hello at all. The T.V shouts Hello! But she doesn't want to watch any shows. Lydia, now restless, ventures outside. There are so many things to say hello to! Hello rocks! Hello leaves! Hello flowers! When Lydia comes back home she decides to show her family what she has found, and it's hello world and goodbye gadgets!"






This is the summary on Amazon books for the book hello! hello! by Matthew Cordell.  In our gadget attached world today we can all too quickly identify with this clever little story line.  I've added this one to my wish list for fall and highly recommend it to everyone.  Head off to the bookstore or library and read a copy,  you'll be hooked as well.

International Dot Day

I started off the school year with projects for International Dot Day in 2012 and they proved to be a nice transition into a new school year.   I know many of you are back at school, even though I have a few more weeks of summer, I am beginning my planning.  Dot Day will be back on the plan book.  I had students from grades 1 & 2 participate in the dot day with original dot creations using crayons and markers.  Older students created small dots on a large group poster during the week of September 15th.  Everyone was able to be a part of dot day as teachers were also encouraged to "make their mark".    So, I'm sharing this because it is that time again.   You can join in the celebration by visiting  the International Dot Day web site.   Sign in and you will have access to download the informational guide as well.  I've already signed up for my students, I hope you'll join in the celebration.