Bertie, the Art Room Therapy Dog

 

Here's Bertie!  She is our art room therapy dog!  Kids stop by all the time to get some kisses from Bertie.  Teachers do too!  

Here's my silly girl and my sweet grandbaby at the beach.

How did this go down?

I began by drawing basic dog shapes on a large piece of paper while the kids followed along. (circles, ovals)

I emphasized drawing the eyes and nose extra big so you would be able to see the spots.

The kids got creative, adding spots and unique details to give their dogs personality.

They painted the backgrounds with warm colors to make their artwork pop!

L👀KIE!

Bertie is a bit of a legend around here! After every art class, I choose one student to receive a special sticker with Bertie’s picture on it. We call it the "Bertie Award." Check it out

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Whatever it takes, I tell ya! It may not be a dog and pony show, but it's definitely a Bertie dog show!

Ruff, Ruff!

💚1965

Clay Cats

Clay cats were a big hit with the 4th graders!

Here’s how it went:

I rolled out slabs of clay and cut them into rectangles for the bodies.
Then, I cut circles for the cat faces.
The kids cut out pieces for the legs.
They learned to slip and score to attach everything.
After I fired the cats, the kids painted their creations.
I finished them off with a spray of Krylon Crystal Clear Coat for a glossy look!

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Have a lookie!

💛1965

Exploring Art with Grant Haffner: The Road Trip Vibe

In our recent art lesson, we learned about an artist named Grant Haffner. His artwork is all about colorful lines and the feeling of being on a road trip. We had so much fun getting into the road trip vibe while making our own art!

Who is Grant Haffner?

Grant Haffner is an artist who creates amazing pictures of long, colorful roads. He uses bright lines and bold colors to show what it feels like to drive down a road, especially during sunrise or sunset. His artwork is inspired by road trips, where you drive for a long time and see lots of different places along the way.

What is a Road Trip?

A road trip is a fun journey you take in a car, usually with family or friends. You drive through different areas, maybe past fields, forests, or even mountains. It’s all about the adventure and the excitement of what you’ll see next! Grant Haffner’s art captures that feeling—the open road stretching out in front of you, full of possibilities.

Our Art Project

For this lesson, we used 9 x 12 paper to create our own road trip scenes inspired by Grant Haffner. We focused on two main things: lines and color. We used lots of straight and curvy lines to show the roads and added bright colors to make the skies and landscapes pop.

We talked about how the lines help lead your eyes down the road, just like in Haffner’s work. The bold colors we used helped bring the feeling of adventure to life, making our pictures look lively and exciting—just like a real road trip!

Why We Loved This Lesson

This was such a fun project because it let us imagine going on our own road trips. We loved using color and lines to create that sense of movement and adventure. It felt like we were capturing the energy of a journey, just like Grant Haffner does in his art.

By learning about his work, we saw how art can express a feeling, like the excitement of exploring new places. We can’t wait to take more artistic “road trips” in the future!

A fantastic resource for this unit is located here:

https://www.arttime.com/post/road-trippin-with-artist-grant-haffner

Yall... one time 1965 and I went on a road trip to Memphis to see my daughter. It should have taken us 9 hours it took like 18. We did a side detour. You can read about it here. https://2soulsisters.blogspot.com/2021/08/two-sisters-and-two-dogs-finally-seeing.html Right Brain, 1969's husband, called us. He heard Boy George in the car and was like what is going on...we just laughed. Boy George was programmed on our WAZE app. As I made this post and got it ready to scheduled, I realized it is our sweet mama's bday. Happy Heavenly, Birthday Mama "Ga"....we sure do miss you. So, we know just how much you like sunsets not sunrises because you liked to sleep in....this post is for you! Love you - Mean it - Miss you our dear, Mama! Here are a few links about our sweet mama. See below:

https://2soulsisters.blogspot.com/2023/12/celebrating-bob-cochran-potter-husband.html

https://2soulsisters.blogspot.com/2022/05/elaine-cochran-memorial-art-award.html

1969

Designing Treehouses in Art Class

Our students recently got to design their very own treehouses! In this art lesson, we focused on how to use the Elements and Principles of Art to create amazing treehouse layouts. The key to this project was learning about design and how to carefully plan out each part of the treehouse.

What We Learned

Students explored the idea of design and layout by thinking about where everything should go. Should the ladder be on the side or in the middle? How many windows does a treehouse need? By asking these questions, students made thoughtful choices about how their treehouse would look. Did it have a swing? What other details could you add? Had students think outside the box.

We also talked about how lines, shapes, colors, and textures help bring the treehouse to life. Using the Principles of Art, like balance and contrast, students made sure their treehouses were interesting to look at while still being well-organized.

Creative Choices

Each student got to pick the art supplies they wanted to use. Some chose markers for bright colors, while others used crayons, colored pencils, or even paint. This freedom helped them express their ideas in their own unique way.

Thinking Like an Artist

We also practiced the Studio Habits of Mind, which are ways that artists think. Students used skills like planning, trying new ideas, and looking closely at details. They stretched their creativity by exploring different designs and working through challenges.

The Final Results

After finishing their treehouses, students shared their artwork and talked about their design choices. It was fun to see how each treehouse was different! The lesson taught us that careful planning, creativity, and thoughtful design can turn simple ideas into extraordinary art.

This project showed that when we focus on good design and layout, we can make something special! Have you ever built a house? Have you ever experienced a remodel of your home or beach house? These were key factors in our class discussion as they worked.

1969

 

Summer Art Camp: Creating Squeegee Cats!

At our summer art camp, we had a blast learning a new and fun painting technique—Squeegee Painting! This time, we used the technique to create colorful cats. The best part? This is an easy project that can be done anytime, not just at art camp!

What is Squeegee Painting? Squeegee painting is all about spreading paint in creative ways using a simple tool—a squeegee! It’s like using a giant windshield wiper to swipe colors across the paper. The process is quick, fun, and full of surprises.

How We Did It First, we picked out bright paint colors and squirted small blobs onto our paper in different places. Next, we took a squeegee (you could also use an old credit card or a piece of cardboard) and dragged it across the paint, spreading it in all directions. The colors mixed and made interesting patterns that looked like the fur of a playful cat!

Once the paint was dry, we added details to turn our swirls and streaks into cats. We waited until the end to add things like eyes, whiskers, tails, and little paws, making each cat unique and full of personality.

What We Learned After we finished, we had an impromptu critique with each other. We talked about what we liked in this process, what surprised us while painting with squeegees, and how the process worked for everyone. Some students found the squeegee moved the paint just the way they wanted, while others discovered happy accidents that made their art even cooler. We also discussed how patience was key—waiting to add the details at the end made our cats come to life in the best way!

A Lesson for Any Time This project was a huge hit at camp, but it’s something you can do anytime, whether at home, in class, or even on a rainy day. Squeegee painting lets you experiment with colors and techniques, all while having fun and letting your creativity flow.

1969 and 1965