Monday, December 24, 2012

Monsters with Presents




Lesson Title: Monsters with Presents   (4th Grade)

During my elementary internship I was dying to use clay.  Most of the students at the school had never used any kind of clay, so I was ecstatic to share my love of this medium with them.  The students were to draw/design 2 monters using contrasting colors.  After picking their favorite during the next class they made them 3-dimensionally.  Each monster was required to hold a cube or present in some manner.  These monsters came out super cute!  The students had a blast while learning about form and color.  



We decided to place hooks into the backs of the monsters so they could be hung on the tree if desired.  There was a good amount of prep work done for this project, but it was defiantly worth it when you saw how much the students and other teachers enjoyed them.
You can download for FREE : here





Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Start of Something New

I've graduated!  I have officially finished my internships and degrees at East Carolina University. Honestly, I feel the same.  Should I be excited? Should I be jumping for joy? Should I already miss college?  Maybe it is too soon, maybe a month from now I'll be excited.  I graduated from ECU with a BFA in Art Education and a BFA in Studio Arts: Ceramics.  I've enjoyed my time in college, I had a wonderful experience in both of my internships (lessons and pictures to come), and was able to find my own nitch in the art world.

Back in November I had my very first teacher interview for a position at Hubbard Elementary School in Battleboro, a week later I was offered the job! It is incredibly rare to find an art position half way through the school year.  I feel so lucky and blessed to have this wonderful opportunity before I even graduated from college.


Me as an Artist
Growing up I went camping all the time; I was drawn to the scenery, wildlife, textures, patterns, colors and shapes in my environment.   The outdoors gave me a sense of what is valuable.  It was not hard for me to see life in something like a rock or a pinecone. I found joy in the unobseverd.  The twist and turns in the bark of a tree and the metallic sheen of a june beetle’s back are samples of things that would captivate me.

I create objects and images drawing from my memory of these experiences.  As I carve and mark the tiles my narrative emerges.  These stories and illustrations show both natural and manmade objects.  As a child these objects seemed as one, an interaction between the human and natural environment.  




This blog can be used as a resource for other teachers and a connection to the families of my students as well.  My best lessons and projects will be placed on "The Art Creature."

I'm excited to share with you what my students have completed.