Artsy Book Club

Did you join the Artsy Book Club on Facebook? It was started by Cassie Stephens. You should come join us! We are starting to work through the book One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration…

Did you join the Artsy Book Club on Facebook? It was started by Cassie Stephens. You should come join us! We are starting to work through the book One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration…

These paper mache masks by the 3rd/4th grade received lots of compliments when they were hanging in the hallway. The class was studying Native American history in their Social Studies and we looked at some Pacific Northwest Coast masks and…

Our 100th day of school was this past Friday and I thought I would participate with a 100th day art project for the first time ever. If your 100th day of school has already passed, this might be a project…

My students made maps of their hearts! This is a charming project that gives you a window into the lives of your students. First, they drew a large heart and then inside the heart they included things or people that…

Hey readers! I’m happy to announce I’m in the running for the top 10 art ed blogs of the year over at The Art of Ed. I would be so honored to have your vote for Art is Basic.…

The week after winter break was up in the air. Due to construction, we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to use our art room and we didn’t know if we would have easy access to supplies. …

What did I do on our two “cold” days off school this week? Well, besides snuggling under the warm covers and working on some school work, my 4 year old and I made some canvas collages for her bedroom. While…

How many of you have also been off of school Monday and Tuesday this week? This is our 4th day off of school because of cold weather. It is supposed to be -45 windchills tomorrow morning, so we already know…

Our school is building an addition! The addition will double the physical size of our school. Included are several more classrooms, a teacher’s workroom, a performing arts center, multi-purpose room and AN EXTRA ART ROOM. Over winter break, the construction…

In the “better late than never” category, last Spring we made these super fun faux stained glass paintings in the 5th/6th grade class. For this project, you will need clear transparency sheets, Sharpie markers, Gallery Glass Paint (the kind used…

I wanted to show you the winter food drive bulletin board with lots of snowflakes! It was a great community project for the kids and our Student Council.

This is a clay lesson that has been a big hit with my students. You can see my previous posts about this project here and here. The 4th/5th grade class studies ancient Egypt in their social studies class and they…

We are coming up with lots of good ideas for Spirit Days at our school. The first post on Spirit Day ideas was popular with Google searches, so I must not be the only one who is always on the…

I was happy to receive a review copy of I Heard You Can Draw: A Story for Class Artists Everywhere, written by M. D. Savran, who is an art teacher and author/illustrator in the Tampa Bay area. I’m always happy…
Another year is rapidly coming to a close, so I thought I would spend some time reviewing my favorite projects and blog posts from this year. Here are my favorite posts, in no particular order! 15. How to Paint Gorgeous…