Bobo the Potter

Here is just a little post about Bobo (& "GA", too) - this photo says it all! Nothing better than seeing a grandpa take up time and show a grandchild or a grandchild's friend how to fish or throw pottery! It does a mom's heart good to see this! Yes, I do believe 1965 and 1969 owe a good portion of our creativity to BOBO (aka...our Dad) Which brings me to my next question.....Is CREATIVITY learned or Innate?

Let's see…there are lots of blog post and literature out there online on this very topic.  In my undergraduate Art Education classes at UGA (GOOOOOO DAWGS)- we would debate this topic over and over and over again. You get the point!  We did the same at West Georgia while I was pursing my Masters of Art Education.  But I am here to tell you…I just flat out think a good portion of creativity is in ya’ blood.  Being raised in the south…as a Georgia Peach, I must admit, I grew up watching both of my parents think outside of the box.  Sis #1965, can attest to the fact that our mom – she can draw! Yeah, baby…she always had us involved in some craft growing up.  We grew up in a small town (not one red light or fast-food restaurant…not kiddin’- we had a "Turk Burger" located uptown in Butler, GA - Or - a "Dealer Burger" joint located downtown in Reynolds, GA -YUMMO - good 'ole comfort food....I know, I know, side story - I must focus on the post!), but our mama always found us really cool stuff to do.  We took art classes with Miss Mavis Stevens in Bulter, Georgia.  I Googled her not to long ago and she is still in doin’ art.Click here to see!

Our dad, yep, he is eaten up with the artsy~ farties also. For those of you that know the family….he got a lot of his creativity from his very own mama our Mama Marion…hee hee. My sis and I sure do love red cowboy boots like her! Anywhooooo….Bobo as he is now known to the grand kids – he can throw some pottery on the wheel. Thanks to Jim Weber his teacher...years ago at Clay Shapers!

A few of my thoughts on creativity:  We learn ways of thinking and doing from an early age. We learn what is acceptable and what is outside of acceptable behavior. Highly creative people are often seen as rebels and mavericks because they question traditions and rules. (ha, been there done that on a few occasions! Haven’t you all you right brained creative folks reading this blog????) 

(Bobo's Studio in Perry, GA - Above in photo)

I guess this is a "SHOUT OUT" to Bobo and GA for ALWAYS encouraging our Creative Spirits! We couldn't have asked for better parents!

The definition of CREATIVITY:  Characterized by originality and expressiveness; imaginative: creative writing. n.  One who displays productive originality: the creatives in the advertising department.

cre·a'tive·ly adv., cre'a·tiv'i·ty (-ĭ-tē), cre·a'tive·ness n.

xoxo, 1969

Jug-A-Who?

so look at this one and guess....

who is this jug-a-who?

scroll down to find out who...

keep scrolling...

a little more scrolling...

:) hi, tired of scrolling yet...

the jug-a who? is...............

SUPERMAN

I am I am I am Superman and I know what's happening,I am I am I am Superman and I can do anything....(REM, 1986)...

1965

Handpainted Ceramic Beads (Kindergarten Classes)

These were fun to make! The K Classes used overglaze to paint the bisqued beads. Then we took them and made them into funky jewlery...to auction off to raise $ for the school.  Bisque Imports is a great place to buy ceramic supplies. I thought I would share these photos because it might inspire you all in some form or fashion. We had a friend from Beatittudes Jewelry create our finished pieces for us. They turned out way cool! To make the firing of the beads in the kiln a little more do-able...we used a bead tree. They are not expensive but really worth the purchase for doing projects such as this. 

xox, Kim - 1969

Fish! Philosophy & ART

The FISH! Philosophy is a life-long learning approach that inspires us to feel alive and engaged in the work we do. Have you ever heard of this? I am a FISH-Y person as it is (I think that comes from your up-bringin' - ya know....the way you are raised and how you learn to deal with things!) - but yes, I have taken the staff development with 2 different school systems in 2 different states (GA & FL). I do LOVE this philosophy and the possibilities that it inspired with art classes. Above is a watercolor fish created by an art class for our new lower school head. What a memory of the staff development from that year and a fun way to help explain this Choose Your 'Tude to kids!

FISH! is an invitation to re-awaken the self-trusting, creative spirit within all of us. To start new conversations about what’s possible. To develop new attitudes. To have more fun again. At work. At school. At home.

As the official home of The FISH! Philosophy and its four practices —Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude  — ChartHouse Learning inspires individuals to become alive and engaged through a blend of FISH! experiences that include films, books, speakers, curriculum, consultation and fun FISH! gear tailored to any organizational goal — improving innovation, productivity, leadership, culture, employee retention, customer service, and other initiatives.

A global phenomenon.

FISH! is alive in organizations throughout the world — large and small, in all industries — championed by business leaders and owners, HR and training professionals and individuals committed to creating a culture of trust, accountability and innovation.  The FISH! Philosophy has been embraced around the world. There are many reasons FISH! is welcomed by so many in so many organizations and individual classrooms across the nation.

FISH! is a philosophy, not a program. You implement a program to change or fix people, but there’s nothing inspiring about being “programmed.” You can’t implement a philosophy. Instead you explore it, try it out and decide if it’s right for you. If it is, you live it because you believe in it.

FISH! is an invitation. The quickest way to kill FISH! is to mandate it. You can, however, invite people to be part of an environment in which people care about each other and their commitments. When people see these qualities flourishing in others, they want to join in because they want to improve their own lives, too.

FISH! creates a common language. Language changes everything. To begin to change anything, we have to change the way we speak about things, the way we feel about things, and definitely the way we act about things day in and day out. The four practices of FISH! — Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude — are the basis of a new language everyone can understand and connect to instantly.

FISH! is genuine. Originally modeled by fishmongers who decided to choose their attitude and become world famous, The FISH! Philosophy gets into the hearts and minds of everyone at work. Focused on the individual first, FISH! is simple, common wisdom that everyone can embrace.

FISH! is playful. Creativity, inspiration and innovation are directly disproportionate to how tightly we’re wound! Nobody’s talking about throwing patients, spreadsheets or hamburgers at one another like the guys throw fish in the original film. What we are talking about is throwing yourself into your work in a wholehearted and lighthearted way.

FISH! is an ongoing journey. FISH! cuts across all industries and all organizational departments, functions, goals and objectives. As a philosophy that’s infused into a culture over time, you can’t “do” FISH! and be done with it. It’s not the newest motivational fad. It’s not the flavor of the month. It’s an opportunity to create and be part of a group that honors individual spirit and the right to choose.

FISH! isn’t “something else” you have to do. In most cases, FISH! complements what you’re already doing — whether it’s launching a new company, new customer service initiative, new leadership style or any number of other learning programs tailored to specific organizational goals. Because FISH! is focused on “who you’re being while you’re doing what you’re doing,” The FISH! Philosophy is also a powerful, flexible platform that can help spike and support many of your other goals and programs.

All organization’s & classrooms have pockets of natural FUN energy. FISH! can help you release and focus that potential in fresh, new ways! Click here for a slide show that explains this in detail. On a side note, I believe as creative people - we already have a FISH-Y philosophy within us but we also have to learn how to tactfully say NO to folks that want to overload or burn us out for our creative juices. So folks, followers and readers....my tid bit for today from 1969....you know your boundaries and what you are capable of doing...saying No is OK! I believe it is part of our creative right! Stay Fishy and Keep on Creating!

x0x, Kim  

potty paintin'

by karen #1965 third grade teacher ever painted a potty?...i have...go ahead friends, take a look-

i call it the graffiti potty...here is how i did it...i bought a potty seat...cause i just think it would be kinda messy to paint a used potty seat...i sanded most of the slicky stuff off...small hand sander works fine...don't you hate using those small hand sanders...have u noticed when you put the little rectangles of sandpaper on the sander, they always slip off?...am i the only person that has noticed it?...why can't someone invent non-slippage sandpaper?...anyway...yeah...that was a side story...you get sanded...and then, you paint...then, you wait for the paint to dry...then, you have to put clear polyurethane on the potty and wait some more...and then when the paint is dry and you are done waiting, install the potty seat......not fun.........and then get a national enquirer and try it out....just kidding, i don't read the national enquirer...but remember...i told you that i was in a play...well opening night is tonight...and one of my lines is..."read it (the enquirer)...i am sure you can find an alien or a quarter ton baby in there somewhere!"...

take a look at the top of the potty...

it was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini, that she wore for the first time today...an itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka-dot bikini, so in the water she wanted to stay! (paul vance & lee pockriss, 1960)...happy february 25, 2010!

Lazy Susan....Art Therapy for the creative soul!

Talk about mixed media...how about a wooden lazy susan for the outside table (near a fire pit!), assorted sea glass and fused / melted glass baby food jars….Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Such a conversation piece.

We made this on a whim in the art room and it is still one of my favorite pieces. We used regular grout to fill in the spaces. Creativity is good for the soul! (So are photos….glad I take lots of them!)


Yep, this is a quick and short post- but I hope it inspires you to CREATE something FUNKY this week, this month...well, I know how it is - we are all busy...but I hope you find sometime soon to have a little ART THERAPY for just you!


Take Care, 1969 - Kim

Jug-A-Who?

by karen #1965 3rd grade teacher.well, i don't know exactly how to explain this...here goes...me and my daddy...which is also #1969's daddy...which we call BoBo...which we want to do a post on him..which we wanted to do on father's day...which now, we don't think we can wait until father's day...cause he does fun stuff that we want to share with you...anyway........back to the reason for the post..never mind that....side story... i wonder why we call it a post...i mean the word post...if you mix the letters up, you can get stop....or tops...or spot...the letters in post are real successful word in terms of alphabet usage...if alphabet usage ranks as important to anyone...if there is a such thing as alphabet usage...................end of side story...sorry...my mind is like this today..i have a friend that would give this statement an "AMEN!".............so anyway...i had this thought one day...i thought...hmmm...i wonder if me and BoBo could do a project together...and i saw what you see above...i paint the tin and put small tabs on each piece....he makes the pottery...and sticks the tabs in the place that the parts will eventually go...then, he fires the pottery...and when he is done firing, he sticks the tab in the pot and uses E6000 to glue it...and so...we called these things "Jug-A-Who?"....why?...cause each one we did represented a person....here is another view...

anyway...we made a bunch of these jokers...i mean...30 or so...they were a pain!..we packed them up and went to a show in columbus, georgia...at some festival by the river...that had rides for kiddies...so it basically was a show that made the city look like it was artsy...and they weren't artsy...they were ridesy...all they wanted to do was ride rides...not a fun time for the artists......ridesy is good...but not when you are trying to share and sell art with art appreciating people...ridesy is good at a fair...i mean here the artists are...and the ridesies come walking by and looking at you like you are a buncha fruit loops cause you paint......and you are looking at them like they are a buncha daredevils cause they ride.................anyway.......we did not sell a single Jug-A-Who?...not a one...all the other artists enjoyed looking and laughing...but they didn't think they were funny enough to take home and laugh at them...i guess they got all the laugh out when they looked at them at sitting on our nicely decorated table...probably only rated a 4.5 on the laugh meter (10 is the best)....i mean you only have so much laugh for each thing that makes you funny...you ever thought about it...side story...think about it...whenever you laugh at something, i mean you really could give it a rating on the laugh meter...like...this is another side story that i give a 10 on the laugh meter...me and #1969 and BoBo and the family went to st. george island on vacation...we always did...we rented a house...we all had the families..i mean we pack y'all...we even take the hermit crabs...3 trucks of stuff...at the beach for a week...so we get to the house we had rented for the week..BoBo goes up and opens up the door...we unload for 1 solid hour...sweat dripping..so...we start washing clothes when we get there because we had gotten soaked at a stop at some small aquarium on the way...i start cooking grits...the kids got the playstation connected...we were settling in...#1969 notices that the sheets are not on the beds...so #1969 calls the realty company...and #1969's husband goes outside and waits for mrs. realty lady...well she drives by...and pulls in at the house next door...and #1969's husband yells at her and asks her why she is over at that house...and mrs. realty lady yells back, "why are you at that house?"...mr. #1969's husband says, "this is our rental house."...mrs. realty lady yelled back, "no it is not.i don't know who's house that is and you better get out of there as quick as you can!"..........wow...classic BoBo move...he grabs the hermit crab cage and tells us to start moving next door...................can you say chevy chase?........yeah........so...how did that story rate on your laugh meter?....the house was not locked and when BoBo turned the door knob, it opened right up!...so he yelled, "come on in!".......

how about one more look at Jug-A-Who?....so who do you think it is???

Answer:  Scroll down just a little...

Elvis...

she's got a ticket to ride, she's got a ticket to ride, she's got a ticket to ride, and she don't care....(about art in columbus, georgia at a festival by the river!)...(the Beatles, 1965).....................happy february 24 1/2, 2010!

Betsey Fowler's Art - WOW! What a great unit to teach any grade level

Have you ever heard of Betsey Fowler? If not, click below to see and learn about her. My family use to travel to Charleston, SC every year for the Southeastern Wildlife Expo and each year we would see Betsey there. She was just ever so spunky- just like the subject matter she paints!

Here is a little about Betsey that I got off of her website:
Betsey M. Fowler began serious sketching and painting at the age of ten, traveling the world with her parents. Subsequently she attended top art schools across the country and holds two masters degrees in art.


In the late 1960's, Betsey Burhans married Jim Fowler. Jim is a naturalist and PHD Zoologist best known and famous for the co-star of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and the wildlife correspondent for the Today Show. He was also a popular regular on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.

Betsey expresses her love of life in these portraits of people, landscapes and wildlife. Her drawings are done while traveling and observing wonderful things and people all across the world. She feels blessed to have lived this life of adventure and art with her family and friends.

Jim and Betsey have two children. Mark Fowler, a producer, married to a director Devon Chivis (Wildlife Productions), work on adventure films around the world. And Carrie Fowler and her husband, Dough Stowe, also travel extensively, both for work and pleasure. We are all on the road again.

I did a unit of study on her with my classes and thought she was such a good person to study that I would include it in this blog. The photos you see are from one of the classes that I taught! Love the bright colors. I chose to use the bottled watercolors from Sax Arts & Crafts.

x0x, Kim

Merpy Christmas

by karen 1965 3rd grade teacher so i haven't been posting as regular as 1969...and u say why?i am in a play called Merpy Christmas...not a typo folks....that is merpy...it is dress rehearsal week...and opening day is thursday, february 25, 2010...my name is toni in the play.toni reed.being in a play is art.just art on stage.u can't look at it forever like u can a painting..the playwright is a dentist...michael kinsley...the name of the playgroup is Centerstage for Christ...u get the purpose, right?...get ur purpose, 2......tata...gotta go review lines before school!.............we wish you a Merpy Christmas, we wish you a Merpy Christmas, we wish you a Merpy Christmas and a happy new year (everybody, anytime)...happy february 23, 2010!

Masterpiece Parents (Oh yeah...this is what I call my parent volunteers!)

Yes, I (#1969) believe that each classroom (art or regular classroom) should have a few kindred spirits around to help them with super fun class projects. You see, I have a good friend that helped me coin this term when we moved to Tallahassee from Fayette County, Georgia...(Thanks, MH)

Right now I have 2 really great artsy friends that come in and volunteer each week! Thanks RJ & VZ....I appreciate your support. I know most classrooms have a "To Do List" for volunteers - not me...Once I get you in the classroom...we are hands on all the way. I have taught in 3 schools and in each school that I have been employed at I have always had parents helping in the art room. I think it is great because with art - I feel like I can just bounce ideas off of them and we just go with the flow.

My classroom is very open - heck, if you are on campus....come on in and I will gladly let you help with art projects that we are creating. So folks- that is my tid bit for today….the more hands the merrier!  I found an article about using parent volunteers in the classroom. Check it out - when you have time because I really think they can be your biggest advocates!

x0x, Kim

Glass Bead Blowing...3rd-5th Grade....OHHHH so much fun!

I know you all will think I have lost my mind after this post - I got a wild hair to learn how to blow glass beads. So a couple of years ago - I took a staff development class to learn just how to do it! It was a blast. I liked it soooooo much that I took what I had learned back to my classroom and we did it together with the help of some wonderful MASTERPIECE PARENT volunteers. (Per another post on why they are so valuable to my classroom)

I showed all classes how to make them in a quick demo at the start of class...PK3-5th grades. I had 3rd grade, 4th grade and 5th grade blow their own bead. It was so cool. The kids loved it. We had our GALA coming up- which is an annual fundraiser for the school. We kept the beads separated by grade level and had a friend from school (K- Teacher) who makes & creates jewlery. She created the pieces that are in the photos in this post. You can see some of her work here. Each student made 2 beads. One to keep and one to donate to the GALA project. So much fun!!!!!!

If you don't know how to blow glass beads there is tons of information on the internet. I have found a spot right here for you to take a looksy and see. (How to Blow Glass Beads) I go to Delphi to buy my class bead supplies.

Happy Creating....x0x, Kim

Turkey Time (PK4 Handprints)

Turkey Time….a new spin on kid’s handprints….It is me, 1969- y’all know as an art teacher you have some of those un-written “other” assigned duties…hee hee. Well, this was one of mine in the fall. The art teachers needed to help create a “FALL” school card to be sent out to our school family. I sat for a bit and pondered what in the world can we do….

All of the sudden it came to me…some how create a turkey out of handprints. So, that is what we did. I had (3) PK4 classes at the time. I think they turned out really neat looking. I hope this helps you get some creative ideas!

Thanks for stopping by to visit the blog! If you have an idea done with handprints that isn't your traditional idea- drop us a note in the comments. We would love to have some feedback on lessons that have worked in your classrooms.

1969

jfk, jelly donuts, and art

by karen #1965 3rd grade teacher this is a donut with a twist...a twist of wire...on one side of the donut, there is a portion of an american flag and JFK saying, "my fellow citizens of the world...ask not what america will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."  then it reads, "freedom is not free...remember the cross? John 3:16."

                                                

On the other side of the painting is a jelly donut with grape jelly..it reads, "on june 23, 1963, JFK said, 'ich bin ein berliner.' or 'i am a jelly donut.'"...you may say,"what the heck?"...here is the urban legend that inspired this painting...i have read the story that JFK made a major german language goof in his famous "ich bin ein berliner" speech in berlin, germany. the story goes that he should have said "ich bin berliner" ("i am a citizen of berlin"), and that "ich bin ein berliner" really means "i am a jelly donut." (a "berliner" is in fact a type of jelly doughnut made in berlin)   

http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/jfk_berliner.htm

this project requires some metal snips by wiss, some tin that i got from some friends of mine that have an air conditioning company (their junk) and some acrylic paint.some wire and beads and a dowel and hammer to punch a hole.here is a picture of the steel snippers.you can get them at lowe's.

just like this donut painting, i have a fun side, but a serious side also...but i am an......american woman, stay away from me, american woman, mama let me be (lenny kravitz, 1999)....did you know that lenny kravitz is the son of helen willis that was on the 1970s sitcom, the jefferson's? i did...happy february 20, 2010!

p.s.i gave this painting to a democrat politician friend of mind...lol!