Value ART ELEMENT - Elementary Art Project

Artwork Provided by a Kindergarten Student 

This Project was split between two class periods. The goal was to introduce students to the effect color value has on the mood of a piece of art. 

I was very specific on their colors, separating the light colored pencils from the dark colors so they weren't confused. 

Artwork Provided by a Third Grade Student

I drew the butterfly on a computer with Adobe Illustrator and printed it on card stock two-up so that each butterfly could be completed in a class period.

I encouraged the students to create patterns in the wings of the butterflies. When asked if they felt a certain way while working on each piece, quite a few mentioned they felt happier working with the light colors. I know that the colors effected me when I produced the sample. I was much happier working with the lighter colors.

Christopher Vogler and The Writers Journey

Vogler opened with, "The world is all about vibrations."

It's important as writers, its our job, to write words that cause our readers to have a physical and emotional response. Whether it be tension in the gut, causing someone to hold their breath, or feel a tightening in their throats, our readers need more than emotion they need their body to respond to the situation our characters are experiencing.

Seattle Writers Workshop

I'm in Seattle for a four day writing workshop. I think it's amazing to be at an age where my vacation time is spent learning. 

My kids can't wait to be done with school and homework and here I am begging to learn.

I'll take this opportunity to enter my workshop highlights in my blog.

The speakers at the Story Masters workshop are: Christopher Vogler, James Scott Bell, and Donald Maass.

Can't Pick My Favorite

Decisions, decisions. I can't seem to focus long enough to finish anything. SQUIRREL! I have a ton of new kid's art to post, yet I don't have time to do it. I have been writing and painting, but can't stop to say anything about it. I love to blog and share and it drives me crazy when I don't live up to my mental commitments.

Yes, I'm notorious for being hard on myself. If I didn't have goals though, it'd be easy to find a million shows on TV to watch, cozying up on the couch with a blanket and a kitty cat. I wouldn't contribute much to the world, but I know what cat that wouldn't mind that.

Elementary Art - CONTOUR LINES

Introducing Shape as an Art Element– Contour/Negative and Positive

Talking about positive and negative shape. The positive shape is the object. The shape of the
space surrounding the object is the negative shape. We will work with contour lines around the object.

Project: Glue a shape onto the middle of the page and draw contour lines around the shape.

                Goal: Fine motor skills

                Materials: Card stock, pencil, glue stick, cut shape.

Kindergarten Students exploring
contour lines around a solid object

Art Palette - 3rd grader - contour lines on the negative shape
Scissors - 1st grader - contour lines around the positive shape

2nd Grade Student - Combo of Insect directed draw
and contour lines

3rd Grade Student - Contour lines around
Positive object

Elementary Art - LINE

Art Elements: Lines, Shapes, Patterns
Grades: Kindergarten - Fifth

There can be three insects that look the same in shape and size, but can differentiate with patterns and colors. Exploring shapes and patterns together first. Repetition helps children remember lines and shapes.

Project: Using the repetition of three insect shapes initiated by a direct draw. Each insect must be unique in color and patterns on the body, wings, antennae, etc.

                Goal: Fine motor skills, memory

                Materials: Card stock, pencil, black marker, colored pencil or crayon.

Kindergarten Student

Kindergarten Student

First Grade Student

First Grade Caption

GUTGAA Rocks

You never know what kind of footprint you'll
leave behind, til you take a step.

At 8:01 a.m., just before I walked my kids to school, I pressed the send button on a very important email. I checked my email three times in one hour to see if there was a notification GUTGAA received my submission...none came...sigh.

I met my critique group for our bi-weekly meeting, something I look forward to for thirteen days every month, and forgot about GUTGAA for a while. I checked my email during a bathroom break thinking perhaps email notifications were sent later in the day. No email. Poop.

One of my critique partners told me to check Twitter for announcements, and sure enough Deana tweeted that the first round of submissions filled up in seconds. Well, I couldn't help but think congrats to Deana for running such a kick-ass event. I vaguely remembered the second submission window and checked my watch. I had 5 minutes to submit but was fifteen minutes from my home computer. Poop.

I searched my phone for my sent email, thank goodness for smart phones, and sure enough I was able to access and forward my submission for a second try. I pressed the send button...again. The cog wheel on the top of my phone twirled like a hamster running circles on its exercise wheel. I ran out of the cafe and held my phone in the air, yeah desperation gets us to do funny things. I dropped my head, it was 1:01 p.m. I told one of my writing partners that I'd probably missed the window.

Before heading to school to pick up my kids I checked my phone one more time for email, and smiled. I made it in. Thanks, Deana for giving me a story to tell today:)