Earth Art and the Darndest Things

As promised, here is the result of my Earth Day art challenge. Just had one participant who sent a picture. but others made sand art at the beach. They just forgot their cameras. 

Red Star

It was created on a back porch. True to the nature of Earth Art, it blew away little by little.


I just got back from teaching some little guys about Alexander Calder. We made stabiles and I had to share the wonderful things I overheard while they created their masterpieces.


A  new student introduced himself by saying "My name is _____ and I really love art. I draw every day before breakfast!"


His buddy complained that coloring wasn't his favorite because he had trouble staying inside the lines. Well I had to jump on this.
Me: "You can color however you want. I hardly ever stay inside the lines myself."
Him: "Yeah. I had that feeling about you."


And my favorite for today: "This is great! It's like we're real artists already!"

Versatile Blogger Award - Yay!

Versatile Blogger Award

THANK YOU to Ren at Dali's Moustache and Christie at Fine Lines for sending me a Versatile Blogger Award. Yay! :]

As requested, 

SEVEN INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. I hold my breath when I put on a t-shirt, like I'm going under water.

2. Pop Tarts are not safe in my house. I am a fiend. I have wrestled 3-year-olds for them. Not your 3-year-old, of course. :)

3. If I hear 'Rocky Top' I will whoop, holler and dance around like the hillbilly I keep hidden deep, deep inside. Same goes for 'Sweet Home Alabama'.

4. I have always lived near trains. Currently, my house shakes when they go by. It would be weird not to have train noises in the background of my life.

5. My super power is reading upside down.

6. I am most at peace at the edge of the sea.

7. I have removed a live chicken from my place of business. I have also been asked to vacuum my boss.

Pass the Award on to 10 recently discovered bloggers:

1.) In Art Class

2.) Mini Matisse

3.) Kids Artists

4.) Eric Carle

5.) The Art Fairy

6.) There's A Dragon in My Art Room

7.) Transition to Choice Based Art Education

8.) Hyperbole and a Half

9.) Deep Space Sparkle

10.) Kids Art Market

Congrats to you and thanks for all of the inspiration! Pass it on...

(now: tell 7 interesting facts about yourself, pass the award onto 10 of your newly discovered or favorite bloggers, and lastly, thank and link back to the blogger who gave you the award.)

HomeArt: Earth Day

It's Spring Break! You have no homework? How about a HomeArt assignment. I knew you'd love it!


Tomorrow is Earth Day and I want to challenge you to create a piece of Earth Art in celebration. Earth Art is art created in nature (usually) from nature (always). Let's look at a couple of Earth Artists.


The first is Andy Goldsworthy. You may learn more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy 
He creates art in the natural world using all kinds of natural materials: sticks, leaves, water, stones....and a camera. Earth Art  is transient, meaning it changes or even disappears once you've finished it. That is because nature is always changing, and that transience becomes part of the art too. Here is an example of Andy Goldsworthy's work.

Another Earth Artist was Robert Smithson, whom you can lean more about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smithson He worked on a very large scale. This piece is called Spiral Jetty and it is in the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Maybe you can't tell but this work is HUGE! He moved thousands of pounds of earth into this spiral shape in the water. Over time the water will erode his art, but that is ok. That is all part of the process.


YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Think about the Earth Art you've just discovered. What natural shapes did the artist use? What natural materials? Now go outside and create your own work of Earth Art. You could do it in the backyard or leave it in the local park or at the beach for others to enjoy. Be sure to photograph it when you're done, then send the photo to me at otlartstudio@gmail.com and I'll post it here! Don't forget to name your creation too.


HaPpY EaRtH DaY!
* The idea for this challenge was blatantly stolen from an article by Aileen Pugliese Castro in the current SchoolArts Magazine. "Bad artists copy. Good artists steal." ~ Pablo Picasso

Castles (and cities and forts) and Suns (and moons)

Last night we created our own art based on Paul Klee's Castle and Sun. We traced shapes in pencil, went over them in silver marker then filled in with oil pastel. As usual, the best part of my job is seeing the different directions the children take with their art.

Love the last minute addition of a night sky. Just a black line at the top, developmentally appropriate for this sweet 6-year-old.

As I walked by and saw the spontaneous swirls and squiggles I said "Whoa! What's going on here?' The artist answered "Well, it's my art. This part is a waterfall coming way down."

This is a night scene, an "ammo building" in silhouette. Girls surprise you sometimes!

This young lady added a princess to her castle.

We took breaks to paint a mural of Castle and Sun on the studio wall. I'll post the finished product soon.

The Madness Begins!

Prepped for a painting party. That's 108 feet of tape, people.