As art teachers our hands are covered in glue and paint all day. We are on the go and juggling so many different tasks. We definitely need our own creative outlet. We need time for ourselves… to play, to relax, to express ourselves. Keeping an art journal is a great way to de-stress.
I am taking the 21 Secrets online workshop. Obviously, with a limited amount of free time along with a limited amount of disposable income, I have always been choosy about the classes I can sign up for. I want to make sure I have the time to devote to the courses I purchase.
If you haven’t heard of 21 Secrets, it is an online art journaling playground with 21 instructors giving 21 different video workshops. A forum for the participants and instructors allows for lots of interaction. If you don’t keep an art journal, there are still loads of techniques that can transfer over into other art areas. Plus, it is just plain fun. It is well worth the price. I have only watched Cathy Bluteau‘s workshop so far and it was fantastic! I love her art journal pages and have always wanted to see her process. The art journal page shown above was one that I made this week using the same process she does. 21 Secrets will be open until the end of the calendar year, so you have plenty of time if you want to sign up.
I was debating whether or not to take an in-person painting class for fun this summer, but it gets tricky with childcare. I stay home with Daria all summer and do take her to daycare once per week for “me time”, but the painting classes I really wanted to take did not work out with the times I had available. So, I decided that I would sign up for 21 Secrets and then work through the video workshops on the days that Daria is at daycare this summer. (I did not get compensated for posting about the workshops, I just thought you might be interested in them.)
Share the Link Love
Daisy Yellow has set out a mission to share the link love. List your favorite recent blog posts and then join in the group at her blog.
1. First, I’m really enjoying the Coffeeshop Blog. She shares free downloadable Photoshop actions to transform your photos. Awesome! I’m surprised it took me so long to discover Photoshop actions.
2. One of the language arts/social studies teachers at my school has started her own photography blog. She is very talented! One of her posts is about found poetry photography.
This is also like Marit’s found book Haiku poetry! Marit is the founder of Featuring magazine. Our 4th issue is wrapping up shortly and should be finished in the next few weeks.
3. I subscribe to a lot of blogs about.. what else, but… BLOGGING! You can get a lot of good ideas from those pro-bloggers. This article, 5 Keys to Writing Excellent Blog Posts, was useful. I still have a lot to learn!
4. I really like the Lenkerville Art Room blog. I recently discovered this one and I enjoy her “Friday Photos” posts… just snippets from the art room. I might start that up on my own blog.
5. Aren’t these the cutest paper mache pets? From Artolazzi.
6. Colorful paper sculptures from MVM Art room. I will definitely be doing this with my little students to use up our huge box of paper scraps!
Thanks for the mention Marcia and I will go an check the other links out… have a great weekend!
You’re welcome, Marit! You too, have a good weekend!
Thanks for this post. LOTS of good ideas to think about. I ended up spending half an hour visiting the sites you suggest!!
Christie, I’m glad you liked it!