Howdy!

by karen #1965 third grade teacher almost done with summer vacation~just felt like saying, "howdy!"...and with a jug-a-who...what is a jug-a-who?...check out one of our february blogs...the history of the jug-a-who

so here it is...

so you guess?

Howdy Doody!

here is the real howdy doody...

hope you are enjoying ur life...whatever season you are in!

Buffalo Bob: Say kids, what time is it?

Kids: It's Howdy Doody Time!

It's Howdy Doody Time.

It's Howdy Doody Time.

Bob Smith and Howdy Do

Say Howdy Do to you.

Let's give a rousing cheer,

Cause Howdy Doody's here,

It's time to start the show,

So kids let's go!

Howdy Doody on YouTube

happy july 30, 2010!

trash and the dump and phoebe the cat

by karen #1965 third grade teacher on summer vacation~so i was not going to post today...but folks...something happened that just had to be told...

so anyway...here i go...here is how the story began...i was returning from my morning walk...and i see mr. opposite husband of mine (opposite of me...mr. O for short)...and mr. o was leaving for work after taking some stuff to the dump...(i will explain this later)...so he says...have a good day...and ask ur boy about phoebe...so i thought...phoebe is dead...they ran over phoebe...so i ran in the house and ask my cool 5.2 mile running boy about phoebe...and he smiles...and the phoebe story unfolds........

mr. o husband...well he gets in his head to re-build the deck on the back of this house this summer...so it has been an off and on project all summer...it looks good...and the kids have helped lots...well, mr. O husband is to the finishing stages of the deck building process...so this morning, he and my son decided to take a huge trailer full of wood scraps to the county dump...here is the trailer unloaded...you needed a picture...i know u did...

so anyway...i mean when they left, the trailer was loaded to the max with wood and tied down...so the 2 men of the family head for the county dump with the wood which is about 20 minutes away from our home...so when they get to the dump and start unloading they hear meowing on back of the trailer...so they both kinda dismiss it and think it is a stray cat...well, as they unload...they realize that the cat is not a stray cat...it is PHOEBE...our cat!...phoebe has ridden all the way to the dump from our house on the trailer packed with wood scraps!...i am so proud of phoebe...she is a cat with a heart for adventure...what more could a third grade teacher ask for in a cat???

so...this is supposed to be about art...so we did take wood scraps to the dump...and to be honest...i hated the thot of taking wood to the dump...as an artist, i could see tons of possibilities in the piles of wood...but...mr. O husband...he was not going to store all that wood...cause sometimes...well...i just collect all this stuff for future projects...and i never get around to doing the projects because i have to do stuff like wash clothes and unload the dishwasher...so i let it go...but...i did find this picture of someone who just let the clothes stack up and didn't unload their dishwasher for a few days...

i thought is was pretty cool...

how about a song by cat stevens in honor of phoebe the cat's wild ride in this wild world..?

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world

and I'll always remember you like a child, girl

cat stevens, 1971

YouTube-Cat Stevens singing "wild world"

happy july 9. 2010!

Spring Butterfly Art

by karen #1965 third grade teacher on summer vacation~so i have been doing a little creating...if you are a follower, you may remember me doing the post on the cat named phoebe and i did a dance with a green feather boa to get her down and the secret pal gift...the post...well anyway...you see i just happened to be teaching my secret pal's son...so one day, i painted his feet and did this piece of art...i painted his feet at school...i did the rest at home...didn't want any local folks to report me to big brother for painting secret pal gifts at school...

well...it caused all sorts of confusion in the classroom...all the kids wanted their feet painted...why are you painting t_ _ _'s feet?...you like him better...i tried to explain that his mom was my secret pal...but what i got was, well why aren't you my mom's secret pal?...third graders just don't get stuff like that...and people that don't teach...well...THEY DON'T GET STUFF ABOUT THIRD GRADERS!...yes, bloggers...there is more to that comment than meets your eyes...

so dr. mama secret pal...oh she just loved it...she loved it so much...well, she wanted me to do her 3 OTHER KIDS...wow...i mean...wow...so i told her to get the canvas and i would do it during summer vacation when i wanted to...well...i just figured dr. mama was so busy she would forget about the 3 OTHER KIDS...well, she didn't...she called me up about 2 weeks after school got out...and she was ready for me to start painting...

so i got the canvas...and the feet...and hopped right on it..and got it done...

i did r_ _ _ _   _ _ _ _'s feet...and r_ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ said oh mrs. ray i love the blue...!

i did r _ _ _ _ _' feet...and he was a squirmer...

i did j_ _ _ _'s feet...and j _ _ _ was so ticklish...now he was laughing and i was laughing and felt back for tickling his feet...

and i put them all together and they look like this...

now folks...i got all the four kids done...i am proud...and i am done...i am about sick of all shades of green after this project...and i just had a passing thought...what if dr. mama calls back and wants me to paint her feet and dr. daddy's feet?...wow...i just don't think i can do it...kid's feet are one thing...but dr. mama and dr. daddy's feet are another...even with a good pedicure...i just don't think so...for you foot fetish folks, give it a try...but not me...

speaking of feet fetish folks...did you know that andy warhol had one?...he drew these...

and get this...andy warhol had a truly phenomenal foot fetish...the weirdest thing he owned was a mummified human foot from ancient egypt...tt was probably from a tomb-robbing, a victim of the tutankhamen craze of the 1920s...who knows how warhol acquired it...and who wants to know for that matter?

guess what?...i think david bowie...remember him...lookie...

i think david bowie may have had a fetish for andy warhol...check this picture of andy out...

now check out this picture of david dressed up like andy...

and now to end with this song that david sung about andy...

david bowie, 1972

(This is Andy Warhole and it's take one, take one)
It's, it's Warhol actually

(What did I say)

Whole, it's whole as in wholes

(Andy Warhol)

Wah, Andy War hol, Andy War hol (he)

Like whole hub
He
Ha

Are you ready

(Yeah)

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

Like to take a cement fix

Be a standing cinema

Dress my friends up just for show
See them as they really are
Put a peephole in my brain

Two New Pence to have a go

I'd like to be a gallery

Put you all inside my show

Andy Warhol looks a scream

Hang him on my wall

Andy Warhol, Silver Screen

Can't tell them apart at all

Andy walking, Andy tired

Andy take a little snooze

Tie him up when he's fast asleep

Send him on a pleasant cruise (hm hm hm)

When he wakes up on the sea

He sure to think of me and you

He'll think about paint and he'll think about glue

What a jolly boring thing to do

Andy Warhol looks a scream
Hang him on my wall

Andy Warhol, Silver Screen

Can't tell them apart at all

Andy Warhol looks a scream

Hang him on my wall

Andy Warhol, Silver Screen

Can't tell them apart at all

happy july 8, 2010!

P.S....if you needed some weird in your day...this was certainly the place to get it...

picnic pals...

by karen #1965 third grade teacher on summer vacation well you see we did these things called picnic pals at church camp...cause the theme of camp was Abraham's Family Reunion...so sis 1969 ran across an activity similar to this and it just fit into our them perfecto...so basically, we just gave the kids a buncha picnic items and they created picnic creatures...this was one of those activities that requires real thought because it has one stipulation...it must stand up...well, you know...some did not stand up...will not even stand up if you held them up...but some did...lookie lookie...

these were really fun...and you didn't have to be a great artist...it was a super activity for the future architects and engineers...one problem...they ended up in such a mess, they did not make the 6 hour ride home...

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, 2009

Alabama, Arkansas,

I do love my ma and pa...

Moats and boats and waterfalls,

Alley-ways and pay phone calls...

Ahh Home. Let me go home.

Home is wherever I'm with you.

Ahh Home. Let me go ho-oh-ome.

Home is where I'm alone with you...

happy longest day of the year...june 21, 2010!

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros on David Letterman

lost drinks and coozy art

by karen #1965 third grade teacher on summer vacation well every year for the last 5 or so, i have taken a group of elementary kids to church camp...and there has always been one thing that drives me crazy...we give them a drink...and they don't drink it all and they lose it and then we have to give them another...and you have this decision to make when you are purchasing drinks...you can buy the 12oz cheaper than the 6oz...so then, you spend less money and get more...but then it is so unnerving to find those dang big old drinks sitting around....sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....what was the solution?...obviously there was a problem...well....dadadaDA!...we got some blank koozies http://www.blankkoozies.com/ and they wrote their names on them and designed them...it was a really easy project with a truly useful purpose...check them out...

this is a piece done by my most creative student of all time...i have talked about her before...

so now folks...you have a solution for lost drinks...

the heavy, 2009

How you like me now
How you like me now

How you like me now

How you like me now

YouTube-The Heavy

Happy June 15, 2010!

Doing Strange Things In The Name Of Art!

Happy Summer! We are still around and will be posting but just not as frequently! We are off doing 

STRANGE THINGS IN THE NAME OF ART!

1965 and 1969....SOUL SISTERS

God's Eyes can be big and colorful!

by karen #1965 third grade teacher so how about making a giant God's eye...you can do it...get a dowel...paint it...cut it in 1/2...so it should be about 9 inches by 9 inches...and hot glue it together...

then...start wrapping...like this...around opposite sides...

then do the other opposite sides...

wanna change colors?..well put the strings together and tie a knot like this...

and keep on wrapping like this...just gotta cover the knot up as you wrap so it will only show from the bottom...

and keep on wrapping...

and here is whatcha get...

i know the colors are different...but i did the red and white and black first...and then showed you how to do it with orange and white...

So...here you are...big and COLORFUL God's Eyes....

Rocco Deluca, 2006

You're the most colorful thing that I've seen

You're the most colorful thing that I've seen

You're the most colorful thing that I've seen

happy june 5, 2010!

u drink coke?

by karen #1965 third grade teacher so do you drink coke?...i used to...but i stopped...about a month ago....cause i think i may have been addicted for 20 years to that yummy stuff...

well....here is a project for you...give all the kids a glass bottle of coke...drink up...they will love them...and then, have them paper mache a coke bottle...i had some kids cheat...what they did was put the plaster wrap around the coke bottle...u know what plaster wrap is?...cool stuff...plaster wrap from dick blick...anyway...the cheaters wrapped the plaster wrap around the bottle...let it dry...then cut it in half...and took out the bottle...and plaster wrapped it back together...clever, but...just a little unfair...at least i think...

now this person did not cheat...and for some reason...i still have her bottle...i love it...she was a neat artist...been a few years ago, but i held on to it...cause it was not perfect and she did not cheat...lookie...

hold on to the real thing, folks!

Coke Commercial, 1971

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to buy the world a Coke

And keep it company

That's the real thing.

I'd like to teach the world to sing

In perfect harmony

I'd like to buy the world a Coke

And keep it company

That's the real thing

The History of the I'd Like To Teach the World to Sing Commercial in 1971

YouTube-I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing Coke Commercial

happy june 3, 2010!

Doing Strange Things In The Name Of Art.....

So, my dear friends....what is the weirdest thing you have ever done in the name of art or creating art? My latest was whipping out my camera at a RMI Horse Show in Ocala, Florida and taking photos of all of these trash cans! I don't know what I am going to do with all of these photos but in that creative moment all I could do was think....Ohhh La La...

Let us hear from you...what super ~ goofy ~ crazy thing have you done in the name of art? Inquiring minds want to know!

Happy Hump Day! 

0x0x0, Kim 1969

elvis and grace

by karen #1965 third grade teacher...i did this painting awhile back...someone purchased it for their son-in-law that lived out west...whatever...check it out...........

the title of this painting is "elvis could be buying grandkids happy meals at mcdonalds"....when i was a kid, my dad played elvis on his "state of the art" quadraphonic stereo...i hated elvis...my dad also took us to an elvis concert at the macon coliseum in macon, georgia...i think i understood elvis after the concert...as i grew older, those elvis tunes continued to pop up...i ended up liking elvis...a bunch...i knew elvis sang gospel songs...i picked "amazing grace" to be on this painting because it tied in with the acronym
G R A C E- God's Riches At Christ's Expense...the funniest part of the painting is "thank you very much."...elvis always said, "thank you very much."...the end of the painting reads, "he got caught in a trap...and he did get out because of grace...thank you very much."...we should all be thankful for God's grace...

John Newton, 1779

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me -

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught -

my heart to fear.

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear -

the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares -

we have already come.

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far -

and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me -

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be -

as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years -

bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise -

then when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me -

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now, I see.

happy june 1, 2010!

Color Wheels

At the end of the year, I did a quick color wheel unit! This was easy and fun...it had quite a few teachable moments too. Lots of K-2 kids didn't quite understand why some colors had double names...well now they know - those are the ones that are side by side on the color wheel. You get them from mixing a primary and a secondary color together. Have you ever looked for color theory information on YouTube? If not, check it out there is lots of information on it. We watched a couple of quick video clips from YouTube then they had to fill out a work sheet by using our own color wheels. Ok - just Google color wheel work sheets you will find so many options. Finally, they had to create a color wheel in some form or fashion using their imagination. I thought these were pretty clever for K-2 grades!

Happy Memorial Day! x0x0x, Kim 1969

me and mary

by karen #1965 third grade teacher...now folks...i am not real into this serious art, but i could not resist getting my picture made with this piece by mary cassatt...mary is famous...check out her work here...

mary cassatt gallery

quick story on mary ...she was born in 1844 to a wealthy family in pennsylvania...they traveled to europe a bunch...she wanted to be a painter...she had difficulty "breaking into" the world of impressionism...she met edward degas...they were bffs...check him out... 

so anyway...degas introduced her to some of the old masters...like claude monet, auguste renoir, camille pissarro and other impressionist rebels... so...of course, mary had her lucky breakthrough...and now she is remembered and we blog about her...

mary was one of these folks that spoke her mind...never holding back her thoughts...she said that claude monet's later work reminded her of "glorified wallpaper"...and she was not fond of picasso either...(ouch, that hurts...)

i really don't think mary would appreciate me having my picture made with her painting in this manner...of course, i didn't realize it until i read a little about her...and i am a little like mary and really don't care...make life fun...enjoy...

so...what can we do to educate kids about her?...she was really one of the first women to break out the paintings and make a name for herself...

you could...read this book...

this is the story of a painter who is commissioned to paint the members of the royal court, but who would rather paint landscapes...mary was kind of in the same boat...she received a commission for a mural for the woman's building at the chicago world's fair...could discuss commissions...compare and contrast the two artists...

get students to take a picture with someone in a chair like this...

mary painted this...caused some controversy...and supposedly...degas helped...you might could get the picture the kids took and run it off on a copier and get the kids to work in pairs and color the picture with chalk pastels...

pretty good resource to introduce mary cassatt...

mary cassatt on YouTube

the monkeys, 1966

Mary, Mary, where you goin' to?

Mary, Mary, can I go too.

This one thing I will vow ya,

I'd rather die than to live without ya.

Mary, Mary, where you goin' to?

the monkeys singing "mary mary" on YouTube

happy may 20, 2010!

Clay Plaques & Amaco Art Lesson Plans

Clay can be used for so many things in art class! These are wall plaques - we used the slab roller and stamps to create the textures. So many many many possibilities with this lesson. If we had created them smaller, then they would have been great Christmas Ornaments or Holiday decorations!

On the Amaco site they have tons of ideas for clay...did you know that? If not, have a look-see and check it out for future lesson plan ideas! I did and some were way cool.

AMACO® Lesson Plans

The AMACO® series of lesson plans, technique sheets and Power Point presentations cover a wide range of topics and offer art teachers an excellent starting point for creating memorable lessons that incorporate art history with hands-on classroom activities. Listed below are the available lesson plans, technique sheets and Power Point presentations from AMACO®.

Each lesson plan and technique sheet is available in HTML or PDF format. PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here.

Lesson Plan No. 42
Create a Flock of Birds-One Pinch Pot at a Time

Lesson Plan No. 41
Image Transfer: How to Make a Clay Monoprint

Lesson Plan No. 40
Create a Barn & Silo

Lesson Plan No. 39 
Overglaze Decoration on Tiles [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 38
3 Methods of image transfer and printmaking with clay and underglazes [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 37
Learn to use the Sgraffito technique to create masks [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 36
Make a Marionette in Claycrete Instant Papier Mache [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 35
Create a cat with Sculptamold and WireForm [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 34 
Marbled Butterfly with Friendly Plastic [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 33
Butterfly Journal Cover with Balsa-Foam [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 32
Painted Balsa-Foam Butterfly [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 31
Sculpted, Painted Balsa-Foam African Masks [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 30
Sun Sculpture with WireForm and Sculptamold [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 29
Textured Pottery Using Self-Hardening Clay and Multi-Cultural Design Texture Molds [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 28
Creating a Japanese Garden Lantern in Crea-Stone [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 27
Daybreak – A Sculpture Utilizing AMACO Sculptamold [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 26
Claycrete Calaveras – Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) [PDF format]

Technique Sheet No. 25
Fused Glass Jewelry [PDF format]

Technique Sheet No. 24
AMACO® Gloss Decorating Colors…”Majolica GDC’s” [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 23
Ceramic Self-Portrait as a Famous Artist [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 22
Creative Glass Casting [PDF format]

Technique Sheet/LP No. 21
Plates Everybody Can Make [PDF format]

Technique Sheet/LP No. 20
Hand Built Tea Bowls [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 19
Exploring Life in the Coral Reef [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 18
Warm Glass Renaissance: Modern Technology Brings Back an Ancient Glass Art Form with Amaco Glass Select Fire Kilns [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 17
Mi Casa es Tu Casa: A lesson in Creating Small, Animated Houses With Amaco® Clay and Gloss Decorating Colors [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 16
Sculptural Heads: A Lesson in Creating life-sized Heads with Sculptamold® [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 15
A New Approach to Developing Images on Clay [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 14
Recreating Chinese Bronze Vessels [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 13
Creating Relief Sculpture: A Lesson in Sculpture and Moldmaking Using Sculptamold® [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 12
The Intricate Art of Persian Tiles [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 11
Cave Art Revisited: A Lesson in Recreating Prehistoric Art [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 10
The Fascinating World Of Insects: A Lesson in Bug Making With Polymer Clay [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 9
Creating Cast Paper Sculpture: A Simple Lesson In Papermaking and Moldmaking [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 8
Clay Animation: A Interdisciplinary Lesson [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 7
Beautiful Beads: A Lesson In Making Beads With Polymer Clay [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 6
A Passion For Pots: A Lesson in Glaze Decoration for Students of All Ages [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 5
Dig This: A Relief Sculpture of Dinosaur Bones for Elementary Students [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 4
Portraits in Clay: A Lesson in Sculpture for Elementary Students [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 3
Spoon Printing Lithography: A Printmaking Experience for Elementary Students [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 2
A Multi-Color Printing Experience for High School Students [PDF format]

Lesson Plan No. 1
Ceramic Tile Wall Murals [PDF format]

An Introduction to Glass in the Classroom
This Power Point presentation offers a brief overview of glass fusing, slumping and casting in PowerPoint format. Great step by step and critical information for using AMACO® warm glass products [PPT format]

Glass Drop Ring Kit Instructions
Learn to create a unique glass vase using our Glass Drop Ring Kit.

Bisque and Recycled Tile Murals
After a brief history of the tile mural as an art form, this Power Point presentation provides practical information for creating beautiful murals in the classroom [PPT format]

Mosaics From Broken, Recycled Ceramic Pieces
Learn to create unique and colorful ceramic mosaics using broken ceramic pieces, a slab roller and grout.

Hope your summer is off to a good start!

xoxo, Kim 1969