"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso
Art Portfolio Feedback
You want to go to college for art, you know that you need to put an art portfolio together ( you’re crossing your fingers that it might even earn you some scholarship money), but you have no idea what to include. You’re feeling overwhelmed and lost and just want someone to tell you what to […]
Professional Development
“ A culture of creativity has to involve everyone, not just a select few.” Ken Robinson You’re focusing on 21st Century learning skills and you understand things like collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving, but your not sure about creativity and imagination. You feel like you don’t have a creative bone in your […]
Have you ever held a baby porcupine? And Other Curious Things
Have you ever held a baby porcupine? No? Me neither, but for a brief moment, my seven-year-old nephew did. Or at least his imagination allowed him to. While on a family trip to the mountains, my brother walked through the cabin door, cradling his hands. He proclaimed that he’d found a baby porcupine. I understood […]
What if…. You Started?
Like so many other people in 2020 I decided to fill my house with plants. And now, four years later, 95% of them are still alive and thriving. I fell in love with proprgating, there is something so exiting about cutting a branch or a leaf, placing it water and seeing it sprout roots. It […]
Reaching Your Goals, One Action at a Time
If you want to be a writer, you have to write.If you want to be an artist, you have to create.If you want to be a publisher, you have to publish. On the surface, this seems simple, yet so many people struggle with doing what they say they want to do. They just like the […]
The Art of Paper Weaving: Exploring Process
My creative process tends to swing in extremes, and I make nothing or EVERYTHING with very little in between. I’m unsure if this is good or bad, but this is my process, so I’ve learned to embrace it and buckle up for the fast and furious ride once I get going. I was going to […]
The Price is Right: How much will you pay?
Are you getting the results that you want? No? If not, what small changes or experiments can you run to help you make adjustments and get closer to reaching your goals? Recently, I set up a pricing and selling experiment, and you can do it, too. Years ago, I ran a textile design business that […]
The Carry Over Method: 50 Paper Weavings
A few days ago, I wrote and shared with you about the importance and magic of personal projects; maybe I didn’t use the word magic, but I should have because magic is exactly what a personal project creates. Personal projects are a powerful learning tool; no matter your age or stage in life, you should […]
Create a Summer Experiment
Summer is the perfect time to start a personal experiment. In April, I decided to complete 50 mini-weavings. Fifty seemed like an attainable number, yet one that would stretch me. I started strong, creating several weavings in a day, and then hit a point where I didn’t like anything. Feeling stuck, I considered pulling the […]
What to do with an idea???
What to do with an idea? Many people have ideas, but very few take action and bring their ideas to life. Having an idea is easy; it takes intentional action to make it a reality. Since I was young, I’ve enjoyed making things out of paper, particularly by wetting the paper and then sculpting it […]
How to Fall Back in Love with Making Art
Did you love drawing, sketching, painting, and spending endless hours creating, but now you find yourself dreading and even thinking about starting? As kids, we often start coloring, cutting, and gluing because it’s fun. Our imagination runs wild, we get applause as we showcase our newest creations, and then we get older. We’re introduced to […]
Are You Making Progress: Feb Check-In
The theme for 2024 is Joyful. Each project below is a leading measure established to help create a joyful year. Too often, we develop goals and either go charging towards them without pausing to confirm that that is the direction we want to go. Or we don’t take time to break down the goal, causing […]
Three Ways to Help you Start Making Art
Are you sitting, staring at a blank page, wondering when an idea will arrive? Do you feel like you’re unmotivated and disinterested in creating? You can’t simply sit and wait for ideas to arrive; you need to go and find them; they’re all around you if you’re willing to pay attention. Ideas come to those […]
How to Write About Your Art Work
If you’re taking an advanced placement art class, you know that you need to write about your work, but you need clarification on what to say and are even more confused about how to say it in 100 characters. Writing Sections: You’ll start by adding writing to each of your digital images. A reminder that […]
Creative Prompt: Julie Mehretu
I first encountered Julie’s work while teaching AP Art History, or at least that’s the first time that her style and name connected and cemented in my memory. Her piece, Stadia II, 2004, ink and acrylic on canvas, 108 x 144 inches, is part of the 250 images in the image set. The movement, depth, […]
January Status Check: Progress Towards Goals
Progress Towards Goals Jan Update This update is a bit late because I wasn’t planning on sharing these with you. However, research tells us that people who share their goals publicly are 65% more likely to achieve them! I also get many questions about how I track projects and get work done; I’ll use these […]
How to Make Progress Towards Your Creative Goals
We’re almost two months into the new year. Are you making progress toward your goals? “Fear of failure is highest when you’re looking at the ultimate destination. To reduce fear, close the gap. Focus on the smallest action that moves you forward.” Farnum Street Pizza Project #52 My husband and I created a joint goal […]
Creative Prompt: Mark Bradford
While visiting The Broad in LA, I repeatedly found myself drawn to pieces by the same artists. The work was large, with colors and textures built seemingly one layer at a time. The work didn’t contain fabric or any textile processes, and yet, I could not stop thinking about how much they reminded me of […]
Get More Eyes on Your Artwork
If you love making art and hope to pursue it as a career or have the goal of having more than just your mom and art teacher look at your work, you will need to write an artist statement. Artist statements help the viewer understand your work better; they are a way to provide additional […]
Find New Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook Page
I went through middle school, high school, and college believing sketchbooks were only for drawing. They needed to be beautiful, something people would ooh and ahh about if they were lucky enough to flip through the pages. So, I never used a sketchbook. My process is messy. I write ideas EVERYWHERE. Collect bits and pieces […]
The number one mistake that you’re making when working on projects
In class one of my students asked, “my friends and I want to study art in college, but how do we know if we’ll be able to handle all of the work.” This is a really good and common question that I get from high school students, and the answer is, that you need to […]
Are You Misusing Reference Images?
Everything around you is communicating. The question is, are you listening, are you looking, and do you understand? The color, texture, proportion, and scale tell you something. Is it safe? Playful? Hot or cold? Look in the mirror; what does your style communicate? Does it say you’re friendly, under 20, following trends, or breaking the […]
Is Your Sketchbook too Expensive?
Designer Pep Carrio has this to say about how he works in his sketchbook: For me, a sketchbook is like a kind of portable laboratory, a space to mark with references, to capture the immediate, to experiment; a memory warehouse to which I can return whenever I am searching for an idea or when I simply […]
What is a Sustained Investigation?
Creating a sustained investigation and documenting your process I’m talking about a sustained investigation through the lens of an advanced placement studio art course. However, you can apply the concept of a sustained investigation to anything in your life. The college board defines sustained investigation as: A section of your portfolio shows related works demonstrating […]
The Breakdown
Monitoring Standardized Tests Ten years ago, when I was teaching 9-12 art and started this website, we had to complete professional development that led us to monitor standardized tests yearly. We learned things like never sitting down, not being on your computer, and reading a book while students tested. We even saw examples of how […]
How to Find Ideas to Inspire Your Work
“ The arts allow us to dance on the edge of uncertainty and invite in creativity, expanded awareness, expanded perception, play, and more prosocial behavior.” Barbara One of the best ways to learn how to build a body of work is to look at bodies of work and reflect on what you love and don’t […]
Be Creative: Experiment
Kids love to learn until it seems like, suddenly, they don’t. Observe any kid under eight engaged in endless imagination, experimentation, and questioning, leading to learning. They learn a new word or skill almost daily, but why does it stop? Research shows that kids’ love for learning tends to drop off in third grade. Why? […]
4 Questions to Help You Choose a College
If you’re a junior in high school, it’s the time of year when people ask you where you will go to college. It’s not easy to answer, so you’re likely asking your teachers for recommendations and turning to the college board for research. Create a list of schools to research and visit by reflecting and […]
How to Develop and Design A Postcard
Design My husband just walked through the door with his first tip of the holiday season; he’s a letter carrier, which reminds me that I need to figure out the design for this year’s thank you card. When developing an idea or new design, giving yourself some rules is essential. Don’t worry; you can break […]
High in the Tree and Low in the Soil: The Story Behind the Page
I like nature. Subconsciously, it works its way into many of my stories. I also like to write about things that generally have an obvious relationship. I then take that relationship in a not-so-obvious direction. It makes for thoughtful conflict; we all know a story needs tension or conflict. With that thought in mind, I […]
Revision and Starting Over
We’re taught that revision is essential but shouldn’t like it. It means that we should have done it better the first time. What if you looked at revision as a sign of learning, a way to demonstrate that you know more now than you did yesterday? An indicator of a desire and willingness to grow. […]
Are You Letting Ideas Pass You By?
There are ideas all around you; you just have to be paying enough attention to catch them. I just returned from a family trip to the beach. Something about travel prompts 1 million questions to carousel through my mind. This year, the theme was Pelicans… I bet you didn’t expect me to say that. I’ve […]
How to Understand What You See
I wanted to write you a mini-lesson on visual literacy specifically connected to the meaning of materials. But before we can talk about the meaning of materials, we need to start at the beginning and talk about seeing. Visual literacy is important for everyone. You might think that if you’re not an artist or aspiring […]
The Benefits of Picture Books: Why Every Home Should Have a Collection
While I was a big fan of the library as an adult, as a kid, I wasn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t love books; it was the exact opposite. I loved them so much that I wanted to own them and fill the shelves of my bedroom bookshelf. Now, I do more of a balance […]
Books in English and Spanish
One of my favorite things about any creative project is experimenting and learning new things. Many of you asked for books in English and Spanish, but I wasn’t sure how to make it happen. After doing some research, I was able to hire a translator to translate The Weaving Book into Spanish. If this goes […]
Finding more Joy
I’m not an event planner, however, I did find myself planning a few events this year, and I must say that they were a success. The thing that I liked the most about them is that we did what we wanted, we did what felt playful, joyful, and surprising. I’ve realized that I’m looking for […]
How to Use Chance Encounters to Create Weaving Patterns
Have you ever heard of the Dada art movement? The movement began in Europe in response to the brutality of World War I. Writers, actors, artists, and other creative thinkers adopted the philosophy of the Dada movement as they experimented and explored new ways of making art and defining what was considered art. Surrealists Artists […]
1 Simple Way to Experiment and Revise Your Work
Use Digital tools You don’t have to enjoy making digital art to benefit from using digital tools to experiment and quickly revise your work. Start by creating your work in whatever medium you prefer, for me, that’s painted paper and collage. After you’ve made the work, photograph it, and then begin to explore it digitally. […]
The Secret to Bringing Your Idea to Life
Get started! Okay, I know that may seem overly simple, but it’s true. Getting started is almost always the hardest part, and you can’t experiment, or revise your idea if you don’t start. Start simple What is the smallest, simplest version of your idea? For example, I was working on making images for the book, […]
How Materials Create Meaning in Art
If you’re taking or even thinking about taking an advanced placement studio art class, you might have heard people talking about making connections between your ideas and the materials and processes that you use to bring your ideas to life. At first, that sounds hard and confusing. You select your materials and processes, based on […]
I Spy…..
Think back to when you were a kid, do you remember playing I spy? You might have looked around the room and said something like, ” I spy with my little eye something green and round”. Then those playing the game with you, were challenged to look around the room and see if they could […]
Reading Images
Do you know how many images you see in a day? Do you realize that you regularly read and interpret visuals? Artists and designers use the elements and principles of art and design as a language to communicate visually. Whether you have spent years studying visual literacy or don’t even know what it is, you’ve […]
Visual Literacy/Communication: Learning to read pictures
Quickly, observe what’s around you. Did you see shapes, colors, objects, or pictures? Visual elements and images are all around us. Visual elements (line, shape, color, texture, space, form) are a tool that artists, designers, markets, illustrators, and even YOU, use to communicate. There is no escaping visuals, which is why it’s important to learn […]
Improving your Visual Literacy Skills
You’ve likely heard of the terms visual literacy and visual communication, but do you understand what they are, and how it applies to you and your life? Visual literacy includes a set of abilities that allows you to be able to find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images. Visual literacy helps you understand how to […]
Why You Should Learn Paper Weaving
It’s likely that at some point during your time in elementary art class, you learned about paper weaving (and if you didn’t, I’m sorry). You selected a few strips of pre-cut colored paper and then practiced going over and under, over and under, resulting in a simple pattern. In weaving terms, you learned to create […]
How to Declutter Your House
These are not traditional cleaning tips like how to have a dust-free house in under 10 minutes. I don’t know how to do that. Please send me suggestions if you know how to have a dust-free home in under 10 minutes. A better title for this would have been creative ways to pretend to clean […]
The Power of Fun
The Power of Fun How to Feel Alive Again By: Catherine Price This is another book that I was Megan Auman had on her reading list, and since it was available at the local library, I decided to try it. My main takeaway from the book was that it prompted me to be more thoughtful […]
Reading List: Creativity
Inspired Understanding Creativty By: Matt Richtel The level at which you’ll enjoy/learn from this book is likely going to depend on how much reading you’ve already done on the subject of creativity. Since my master’s degree focused on creative thought development, much of this book felt more like a review, as I’ve already read work […]
Recommended Reading: Books about Textiles
It’s been a few years since I’ve had the week off between Christmas and New Year, so when it was announced that we would be closed for the week, I quickly requested a pile of books from the library. My goal was to spend my week off, snuggled by the fire, reading books, and I […]
My New Favorite Thing: Security Envelopes
Each year I make thank you cards for people that give my husband, Dan, a tip during the holiday season. Each year, I also wonder if I have time to create a pile of handmade cards, doubt if I have any good ideas, and consider not making them. As with all work I create, this project […]
Missing Deadlines or Making Choices?
We all make choices about what we do with our time. However, we tend to talk less about time and the choices we make and instead talk about wasting time, getting time back, saving time, or managing time. To-do list grow. Calendars are filled with meetings and appointments, all in the guise of managing our […]
How to Scaffold Your Learning
I never learned how to do paper weaving, at least not that I remember. You might not think that’s a big deal, and in some ways, it’s not, but since I spent ten years designing and selling woven textiles, it made my learning curve steeper than it needed to be. In my college weaving class, […]
Why You Aren’t Getting Anything Done
No matter who you are, you probably feel behind on something. Before we get into practical ways to catch up, let’s determine if you need to. We often feel behind because we’ve made up false rules or expectations. Or, we’ve created a list and aren’t taking the time to reflect and realize that if something […]
Make it an experiment
I’m working on at least 5 “experiments” at any given time. I may be experimenting with propagating plants, planning illustrations for a new book, testing a new marketing idea, and exploring new ways to engage online students. You might call them projects on things on your to-do list. I call them experiments. Experimenting implies that […]
The Body Book in Action
Wake Up! Wake up! Today’s the day, my body wants to move and play! As an elementary PE teacher, this sentence accurately describes my working environment. Often my biggest struggles center around corralling the students long enough to give directions in order to get them moving with some purpose. They simply enter the gym and […]
Where do Ideas Come From?
When it comes to trying to develop creative ideas or solutions, we often wish that we could flip to the back of the book and consult the answer key. There is no answer key, but there are practices that you can bring into your life that will increase your ability to find ideas. Ideas are […]
Are You Using Learning as Punishment?
Art history, research, reading, and writing should not be a punishment. I get it. It’s REALLY hard and frustrating when students aren’t taking care of art materials. But when the punishment is to take away materials and hand them information about artists, that sends the wrong message. Art history can and should be fun and […]
The Joys of Paper Weaving
I first learned how to weave on a floor loom, while studying art education in college, and while I enjoyed the process, outside of the weaving studio, I didn’t have access to a floor loom, so once the class ended, so did my weaving. That is until several years later when a used loom listed […]
The Weaving Book
Do you LOVE fiber arts, textiles, and making things? My grandmother was the first to introduce me to the wonderful world of textiles. She was an avid knitter and spent a lot of time adding detailed embroidery to pillowcases and table clothes. These practices caught my attention early and continued to grow as I entered […]
How to Develop a Story Idea
Completing something a few times tends to instill a bit of confidence and belief. Before The Body Book, I had successfully published three children’s books. My confidence grew with each one. In addition to those completed books, I also have several drafts waiting for their turn in the spotlight. Trial and error had been replaced […]
Developed a Sustained Investigation
How to Help Students Develop Their Sustained Investigation Topic Helping students develop a sustained investigation topic of AP Studio Art that exits them and guides their work, isn’t always easy. Students are often used to being told what to create, or coming up with an idea, creating a piece and moving on. Exploring an idea […]
I Can……
I can statements have been used in education, mainly elementary, for many years. The statements correspond to what the students are learning in class and are often a way to take standards and learning objectives and translate them into student-friendly language. I can statements help students take responsibility for their learning and growth and can […]
6 Tips to Writing and Illustrating a Book
Have you ever said, I want to write a book, but just don’t know how to get started? Or, I wonder how writers and artists come up with ideas? I’ve written a lot on these topics over the last few months and wanted to pull everything together in one place to make it easy for […]
The inspiration behind the image
Analog to Digital How do the images end up in the book? Each time that we do a book reading, this question emerges, usually first from a child, but, if you glance around the room, you’ll see the adult’s heads nodding as well. There is a general understanding that the images don’t just end up […]
The Oddball, No Equipment Needed
Guest Author: Ashley Sollenberger, Elementary Physical Education teacher, Amber’s brother Big spaces! The setting for The Oddball is a neighborhood park. I teach in a large gymnasium. Both are big spaces. This past summer I branched out and lead some author visits to local daycare centers and early learning centers. I read in classrooms or […]
Another First Day
It’s another first day of school for me, I’m not really sure how many first days there have been if you count teaching and attending school. For example, a few months ago, I had another first day of school as a student, as I returned to earn my Senior Product Management certification. Today is the […]
How to Get it All Done
It’s the start of a new school year, and while all of the students are new, the things that they’re nervous and concerned about, aren’t. At the start of each year as students introduce themselves, they also share goals and things that they’re feeling nervous or anxious about. Year after year, the responses are the […]
Homeschool PE Curriculum
How to use The Body Book as your homeschool physical education curriculum. As a new year begins, you’re spending a lot of time looking for curriculum materials and planning what your kids are going to do each day. Running around in the backyard or playing on a sports team might be part of your plan […]
The Book That Will Make You Feel Strong and Calm
Sensory paths are becoming common parts of elementary school hallways. They give students a chance to move and take calming breaths, helping anxious feelings to move through their bodies, calming the child, so they’re ready to return to class and continue learning. The downside is that sensory walks require space, design skills, materials, and extra […]
How to Illustrate Text
Author of Fixed, Amy Herman talks about the need to start with a draft whenever you’re trying to solve a problem. ” Problem-solving, like creating art, involves making a coherent narrative out of materials- or information- that one has gathered. The artist may begin with nothing more than raw materials, but the process quickly turns […]
Why You Should Read Children’s Books
About a year ago, I was wandering into a children’s book store, not because I have children or searching for a children’s book but because the playful aesthetics of the space caught my attention. It looked like a store that would spark my imagination and bring joy by walking through the doors. As I walked […]
How to use Mind Mapping to Your Advantage
A few weeks ago, my husband and I purchased a stock tank to turn it into a pool. The idea of turning a stock tank into a pool is much easier than actually turning it into one. Steps to make a stock tank pool: purchase stock tank find or create a level surface place the […]
Understanding Art through Artle
Students often ask me how they can prepare for AP Art History or AP Studio Art over the summer, and my response is usually more straightforward than expected. Look at art. Make art. And while looking at and making art and still the foundation of preparing for any art course, I’m going to give you […]
Reading Art Without a Deep Meaning
The elements and principles of art make up part of the language that artists use to communicate meaning through their work. Artists use the elements and principles as organizational tools to create a composition. As a viewer, your understanding of the elements and principles helps you “read” the work of art and unpack what story […]
What does it mean?
I don’t understand what this painting means. Why did the artists make this painting? Anyone could have made this artwork. We’re often quick to judge works of art as good or bad, pretty or ugly, but what if the work of art is about something else? Not all artwork is meant to be beautiful. Some […]
The Power of Six Words
We’ve spent the last few days practicing reading works of art. A large part of learning to read a work of art is observing and describing what you see, which seems easy at first, but it’s likely that there is a lot that you’re missing, both when you observe and when you describe what you […]
Learn to Observe: The Art of Noticing
Yesterday we discussed how to learn the language of art, and you were introduced to the elements and principles of art. Whether you want to learn more about art history, improve your ability as a visual artist, or get better at noticing the world around you, practicing observing and describing what you see can help. […]
The Language of Art
“Art can help anyone anywhere fix things because it is a universal language. Two people from completely different backgrounds with opposing viewpoints on everything can stand in front of the same image and discuss what they see.” Fixed p 7 A large part of studying Art History is studying the language of artists. You’re learning […]
If You Want to be More Creative, Find More Connections
Connections and Combinations Do you wish that you could come up with more creative ideas? You can! Creativity is a skill that you can learn, develop, and continue to grow once you understand it. Creative ideas often spur from your mind making new connections and combinations. This is why it’s essential to do what I […]
How to Gain Momentum for Your Creative Work
German filmmaker Wim Wenders defined creativity as “obsessive problem-solving.” When I read this definition of creativity, I felt so seen, you too? My creative projects always border and sometimes trip over the edge of obsession. I get an idea, get started, which spurs 20 more ideas that I ALSO must DO RIGHT NOW!! For some, […]
Intro to Visual Literacy
If you love art, art history, and problem-solving and haven’t already, Fixed. How to Prefect the Fine Art of Problem-Solving, by Amy E. Herman, I highly recommend checking it out. German filmmaker Wim Wenders defined creativity as “obsessive problem-solving.” There are A LOT of definitions of creativity, and this one ranks high on the lists […]
Summer Camp Curriculum Done for You
This is the first summer in a long time that I’m not teaching any classes or running summer camps, and that’s because I’ve shifted to creating books, that are going to make it easier for you to teach a summer camp. If this is your first summer giving camps a try or you’re a seasoned […]
How to Bring Your Creative Book Idea to Life
I talk to a lot of people that have dreams of writing a book, but that’s where the dream ends, because they don’t feel like pitching publishers, but also find the steps to figure out how to self-publish overwhelming. That was me. Until, I committed to figuring it out, and now 10 books later, I’m […]
How to Illustrate a Children’s book?
If you enjoy drawing, making images, or even looking at children’s books, it’s probably crossed your mind at least once, that it would be fun to create a book of your own, but then you realize all of the things that you would need to learn in order to make this happen, and move onto […]
Why You Should Experiment More
I was repotting plants and heard myself say several times, “Let’s try this.. we’ll run an experiment.” Yes, I talk to myself A LOT, but more importantly, I realized how often I tell myself that I’m running an experiment. Experiments give permission to fail When you’re doing an experiment, you have permission to fail, that’s […]
The number one mistake that you’re making when working on projects
In class one of my students asked, “my friends and I want to study art in college, but how do we know if we’ll be able to handle all of the work.” This is a really good and common question that I get from high school students, and the answer is, that you need to […]
End of the Year activities made easy
How the Bear Met the Bee is a children’s book about chance encounters. The book was written and designed both for kids to love and for parents and teachers to use as a teaching tool. The book comes with 7 activities that prompt children to draw, spell, reflect on movement, and move their bodies, making […]
How to Create and Use an Idea Generation Chart
Adding Constraints When you’re trying to solve a problem or develop an idea, it can help if you add constraints. Constraints focus your thinking and can speed up the ideation process. Some examples of constraints are time, materials, or size. You can also use constraints to stretch and shrink the problem you’re trying to solve. […]
How to Use Word Association to Generate Ideas
You might have played word association games as a kid. You say a word and think of other words that it reminds you of. Or you look at an object and think of all of the words that come to mind. Word association can be a playful game; it can also help generate ideas. Word […]
Understanding Idea Fusion
Another example of helping you to find and generate ideas is the practice of idea fusion. So what idea fusion is? It means that you are trying to take two things and explore how you can bring them together. Start by inserting one random thing and try to connect it with your idea to solve […]
10 Tips for the AP Art History Exam
Always guess: Even if you’re not sure what the answer is to a multiple-choice question, make sure that you guess, don’t leave it blank. The AP Art History exam counts up, so each question you answer correctly earns you a point. Guess a material: When responding to essay questions you may be asked to identify […]
Quick Tips for Generating Ideas: What Is the Opposite?
What is the opposite? To help you generate more ideas, think of the question you’re asking or the problem you’re trying to solve and ask yourself, what is the opposite? For example, if I’m trying to come up with a name for a new puppy, my original question might be, how do I come up […]
How much time and energy do you waste trying to remember your username and password for literally EVERYTHING!? Okay, you might be confused about why I’m talking about passwords. If you’ve been hanging out with me for very long, you’re used to me talking about creativity, ideation, and advanced placement classes. Here’s the thing, to […]
Pretend you’re someone else, Find more ideas
Another activity to help you generate ideas is to pretend that you are someone else. Start by thinking of someone you believe would know how to solve your problem. Once you’ve identified someone, pretend that you are them.Imagine:How do they come up with ideas?What do they read?Where do they search for inspiration?What do they do […]
How to Prepare for AP Studio Art
I had no idea what I was signing up for. During my senior year of high school, I was convinced to switch to an AP Art course; after the class had already started, I agreed because I had no idea what the class was, but I liked making art. The course was much harder than […]
Creating with Scraps
I’m an art supply hoarder, also known as, keeping any item that seems like maybe someday, I might be able to make something with it, which is basically every piece of paper and cardboard. In an effort to stay organized and not overtake my home with scraps of paper, I’ve designated a few boxes to […]
7 Questions about Selected Works
Q&A about AP Studio Art and the selected works portfolio. Your AP coordinator will receive a box of portfolios with instructions from the college board. Make sure to follow the instructions closely. Instructions will guide you through adding barcodes to the back of your work and printing out the writing section about your selected work. […]
Have You Failed this Week?
If you want to develop more ideas, you need to start creating. Often, we don’t sit down to create because we don’t have any ideas or think that our ideas are good enough. More than half of the battle is getting started and accepting that you might fail. You might do lousy work. I’m sure […]
Start with a Question
Are you trying to come up with an idea, or solution to a problem, but feeling stuck? Have you tried phrasing it as a question? Here’s what I mean. If you say I don’t have my paper written that is due tomorrow, that signals to your mind, and anyone around you, that you’re simply sharing […]
How to Get Started
“If you don’t PRODUCE, you won’t THRIVE” Cal Newport, DEEP Work Do you look at other people and wonder how they get so much done? Do you see people writing, taking photos, and making art, and wish that you knew their secret? The most important step is getting started. Even if you love making art, […]
AP Studio Art: Writing About Your Work
As you do your final preparations for submitting your portfolio to the college board, you’ll need to complete a section where you write about your work. Below, I’m going to walk you through the process and provide some tips along the way. There are 2 sections and each allows for 600 characters. Identify the questions […]
How to Have an Endless Supply of Ideas
One reason that people are fascinated by creatives, is because they seem to have more ideas than everyone else. Ideas solve problems Ideas start businesses Ideas generate income Ideas are playful and fun Fill in the blank. Why do you think that the ability to generate ideas is important? We LOVE the thought of having […]
Finding Your Creative Comfort Zone
I read Megan Auman’s blog about scale and her comfort zone in art-making, and while I haven’t been thinking a lot about scale, I have been thinking a lot about what type of work I like to create. For years I wove one-of-a-kind scarves, and then I stopped. Not because I didn’t enjoy the making, […]
What Makes a Resource Valid?
If you take AP Art history, you’ll practice writing responses to essay questions about works of art throughout history, and you will be asked to, ” Respond to a provided prompt with an art historically defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning.” So, what does that mean? In order to make a […]
Art History related Children’s books
If you want a fun way to learn more about artists and works of art throughout history, there are a lot of wonderful children’s books to explore no matter how old or young you are. Below is a list to get you started. Jean-Michel Basquiat by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara Just Being Dali: The story […]
Q&A About AP Art History
Q: What time periods does AP Art History cover? A: AP Art History covers pre-historic art to global contemporary art. Q: Do I have to be a great writer to take AP Art History? A: While writing is part of the AP Art History course, your writing is not assessed on sentence structure, spelling, grammar, […]
6 Questions about AP Studio Art
What is the AP Studio Art Exam? When you hear the word exam, you likely think of sitting down and filling in a scantron sheet or responding to essay questions, that isn’t the case for the Advanced Placement Studio Art exam. The AP Studio Art (2D design, Drawing, and 3D design), exams are portfolio-based. How […]
5 Tips to Write about Artwork
There are many approaches that you can take to writing about your artwork. The most impactful include contextual information that helps the viewer better understand your ideas and processes that aren’t obvious from simply observing the artwork. Below are five questions for you to explore while writing about your work. Write down your idea: What […]
Do You Feel behind?
This time of the year always tends to feel a bit hard when it comes to AP art. You’ve been working on your sustained investigation for a solid five months; you know that you have two more months to go, and somehow that feels like a very long and very short amount of time. You […]
How to study the AP Art History 250 images
The AP Art History course and exam comes with a list of 250 works of art that may be included on the exam, and therefore are the primary focus of the course. It can feel overwhelming to try to memorize all of the works. As with any large project, it’s important to break it down […]
Your Art Portfolio & Direct Observation
When preparing your art portfolio for a college application, you may see the words direct observation. Many students are unsure of what this means. Direct observation means that you looked directly at an object or person and drew or painted what you observed. You might avoid direct observation because it’s more challenging than drawing from […]
Where to Find New Ideas
Where do ideas come from? Everywhere, they swirl all around you. The challenge is seeing them, catching them, and knowing which ones to let go of. We’re often so excited that we have an idea, that we start to put all of our energy into our first idea. First ideas are usually okay, but not […]
Preparing your Art Portfolio
Are you thinking about studying art or art education in college? Have you started to think about what it looks like to put together a portfolio that represents you and your work? While this does vary some from college to college the checklist below will help you start the process. Art Portfolio Basics Your portfolio […]
Are you Looking for a Mentor?
Are you a high school student that’s looking for someone to help you develop your ideas, organize your art portfolio, and to keep you motivated to create? Maybe you’ve already taken all of the AP classes, or you might not be interested in AP class, but really want to learn more about how to develop […]
Do You Have Enough Supplies to Share?
It’s a common pet peeve of many art teachers to have students from other classes sent to their room to ask for supplies. Can you relate? Before you say no, or get mad, here are a few questions to reflect on. Did you purchase the supplies or did the school? Are they consumable or non-consumable? […]
How to Earn a High School on the AP Drawing Selected Works
AP Studio art courses require students to submit a portfolio to the college board. The portfolio has two sections, sustained investigation, and selected works. In the videos below I’ll share 3 examples of the selected work’s sections of the AP Drawing portfolio. Score of 3 Score of 4 Score of 5
Understanding Size and Selected Works
In a previous post, we talked about how the size of your artwork can impact the meaning. Today I want to get more specific and talk about the size of your artwork if you’re working on an AP 2D design or AP Drawing portfolio. For AP portfolios you submit 15 digital images to the college […]
How do You Determine the Size of Your Work?
When creating works of art, do you spend time thinking about what size and the shape the piece should be, OR, is the size and shape of the work determined by the supplies that you have? Does Size Matter? It’s okay if you aren’t always putting a lot of thought into the size of your […]
How Materials Create Meaning
In the videos below we’ll explore examples of the role that materials and processes play when making a work of art. Before we watch the first video, grab your sketchbook and something to write with. I’m going to set a timer for one minute, write down as many materials and processes to create art with […]
You Can’t Force Inspiration… or Can You?
Have you heard or even said the phrase, ” You can’t force inspiration.” In some ways this is true, you can’t force yourself or your students to have inspiration in any given moment, however, there are many practices that you can put in place that encourage and feed into developing inspiration. Understanding the creative process […]
Exploring Materials and Meaning
My husband is a letter carrier, and each year, I design a thank you card for people that give him tips. The inspiration for the design is a combination of things that remind me of the neighborhood where he delivers and working to create with art supplies that I already have. ( I’ve always enjoyed […]
Understanding Row D of the AP Studio Art Rubric
The sustained investigation rubric for AP 2D Design and AP Drawing is the same for rows a, b, and c. Where they differ slightly is in row D. In 2D design, row D focuses on 2D skills and for drawing row D focuses on drawing skills. The rubric that the college board uses to score the sustained investigation for […]
How to earn a 3 on row D of AP Sustained Investigation 2D Design
The sustained investigation rubric for AP 2D Design and AP Drawing is the same for rows a, b, and c. Where they differ slightly is in row D. In 2D design , row D focuses 2D skills and for drawing row D focuses on drawing skills. The rubric that the college board uses to score the sustained investigation for […]
What I learned from Illustrating a Children’s book
What do you like to create? While I spend a lot of time helping others uncover their creative process and how that connects to the type of work that they create, sometimes, I forget to do the same for myself. While studying Art Education at Messiah University, I realized that I enjoy creating beautiful function […]
Understanding Row C of the AP Sustained Investigation Rubric
The sustained investigation rubric for AP 2D Design and AP Drawing is the same for rows a, b, and c. The rubric that the college board uses to score the sustained investigation for the AP Studio Art Portfolio is an analytic rubric, with 4 rows. An analytic rubric means that each row is scored independently. […]
Unpacking AP Studio Art Rubric: Row B
The rubric that the college board uses to score the sustained investigation for the AP Studio Art Portfolio is an analytic rubric, with 4 rows. An analytic rubric means that each row is scored independently. In this series, we’re going to look at examples provided by the college board, row by row. If you haven’t […]
AP Studio Art Scoring
Understanding Row A The rubric that the college board uses to score the sustained investigation for the AP Studio Art Portfolio is an analytic rubric, with 4 rows. An analytic rubric means that each row is scored independently. In this series, we’re going to look at examples provided by the college board, row by row. […]
7 Gift ideas: How the Bear Met the Bee
As you’re working on getting all of your holiday gifts crossed off of your list, here are a few ideas of who to give the book, How the Bear Met the Bee, to. Anyone with elementary-age kids, bonus points for those that love animals. Make a donation to your local library. Elementary school art teacher […]
How to Prepare for Scholastic Art Awards
As you’re researching and planning for college, you’re also likely looking for ways to earn scholarships. Have you considered entering your work in the Scholastic Art Awards? How to get started Look at previous award winners to get a sense of the caliber of work submitted: dwriting.org/gallery, and here https://www.artandwriting.org/gallery/awards Narrow your search and view […]
Where Does a Story Start?
Where does the story come from? How do you find your inspiration and ideas?These are not easy questions to answer and the process cannot be boiled down into a simple list, but I will attempt to allow you to peek into the window and get a glimpse of the process. My children both have enjoyed […]
10 Steps to Revision
Nobody likes revision. Revision is often viewed in negative terms. We often think of revision as an indicator of failure, because we have to start over or make adjustments to our work. Revision isn’t bad, it’s a natural part of the creative process. Over a year ago I started working on illustrations for a children’s […]
Plagiarism and Appropriation in Art
AP Studio Art data reflects that a large group of students was caught plagiarizing or inappropriately appropriating works of art. While many quickly jumped to conclusions about students being lazy or taking advantage of online learning due to the pandemic, there is a more important and meaningful conversation to have about cheating. Do students understand […]
Materials Inspire
In a previous post, Materials Matter, I discussed the connection between the materials that you select to create your work and the message that you’re trying to convey. Synthesizing materials, processes, and ideas, is something that students often don’t think about, but is an important part of the art-making process. Even more important if you’re […]
Materials Matter
Do you think about the role that your material selection plays in communicating your ideas? When Meret Oppenheim, created Object, in 1936, choosing to cover a teacup and saucer in fur, caught viewers’ attention. The artist’s choice of materials changed how the object was viewed and used. I don’t know about you, but I don’t […]
What AP Studio Art Course is Right for Me?
AP 2D Design vs. AP Drawing When you’re thinking about taking an Advanced Placement studio art course, you may find yourself confused when you try to determine if the 2D or Drawing portfolio is right for you. The first thing to do is to ask yourself if you’re interested in having photography as part of […]
How to use Reference Images in your artwork
Before we talk about how to use reference images, let’s start by talking about what a reference image is. A reference image is one or more images that you’re looking at to help guide a work of art that you’re creating. You may have reference images that you took or ones that you found. Today, […]
How to Find inspiration for your artwork
Sketchbook: Part 2 Before you jump in, make sure that you’ve gone through the steps in part 1. Now that you have that done, let’s look for interesting details in your selected object, and think about how to use them as inspiration in your sketch. Look closely at your selected object, what textures do you […]
Getting Started with Your Sketchbook When You Don’t Have any Ideas
Part 1 1. Find an object Find an object that is interesting to you. For me, that was a tomato plant. 2. Blind Contour Draw the entire object, or choose a section that you like, and complete 15 blind contour drawings. I choose to draw one of the leaves. If you’ve never done a blind […]
8 Ways to Prepare for AP Studio Art
Many students that are interested in taking AP Drawing or AP 2D Design have reached out to ask if there are things that they can work on over the summer to get prepared for the class. 8 Ways to Prepare for AP Art Class. Visit art museums and/or galleries. In-person is always the best, but […]
Online Summer Classes
NEW: Data Visualization: learning to see and record information around you. Data Visualization is a growing field that helps us to understand and process a wide range of information through visuals. You don’t need a degree or fancy software to get started, you just need a willingness to observe, collect, and create. Data is anything […]
Are You Always Missing Deadlines?
When it comes to getting things done, not all days of the week are created equal, and you should plan accordingly. On Monday’s, I’m ready to conquer the world. I’ve come up with ideas over the weekend and am excited to put them into action. If we’re being honest, most of us run out of […]
Are You Taking Advantage of Vacation Mode?
I used to put next to no thought into my away message, in fact, I often didn’t use them. When I did, they would say something basic, like, I’ll be out of the office from x date until x, expect a response when I return. This approach was a missed opportunity to get people the […]
Ep. 7: Beginning and Ending Routines for Online Teaching
Teachers Teach Teaching Podcast Routines: How do they translate in the online classroom? Well, in the scramble to transition all our classrooms to distance learning, routines may have fallen off the radar. Or, maybe you need some fresh ideas for starting class and wrapping up, checking for understanding. We talk through a few of our […]
Ep.6: Keeping Your Morale Up when Teaching Black Squares on Zoom
Teachers Teach Teaching Podcast Ah yes. Another day of talking to yourself and looking at a classroom of black squares on your screen! We’re breaking down the reasons students keep their cameras off and how you can create a space where students engage… and maybe even flip their cameras on once in a while! Tune […]
How to use synchronous learning effectively
Teachers Teach Teaching: Episode 5 Hey… is anybody there? If you feel like you’re just talking to a bunch of squares on Zoom, and you’re not sure if your students are sleeping, learning, or even in front of their computers, it’s all good. We’ll go through some strategies to keep students engaged (maybe even excited?!) […]
How to Solve Problems Like a professional… Even When You Aren’t
If you could swap brains with someone for an hour or two, who would it be and what would they help you solve? My husband and I were attempting to hang string lights on our front porch, something that we’d never done before. Needless to say, it wasn’t going well. There is a strategy about […]
The Parent Who Won’t Respect Your Boundaries
Teachers Teach Teaching: Episode 4 The majority of parents are probably lovely – they know you’re doing the best you can and they’re grateful for the education you provide to their kiddos. But if we get really real, you know that every parent isn’t a walk in the park. In this episode, we give you […]
How to Set Boundaries with Parents When You Teach Online
Teachers Teach Teaching: Episode 3 How do you set boundaries with parents when you teach online? What about parents who want to attend your class? How do you get parents on your side and still keep your boundaries? Teachers deserve time off, and most parents want to honor that. Let’s talk more about how you […]
Teaching Asynchronously Like a Boss
Teachers Teach Teaching: EP 2 The majority of parents are probably lovely – they know you’re doing the best you can and they’re grateful for the education you provide to their kiddos. But if we get really real, you know that every parent isn’t a walk in the park. In this episode, we give you […]
Assume Nothing
It’s easy to forget that just because something is easy for you or obvious to you, that it might not be for everyone else. If we’re not careful, we can assume a lot about what our students know and understand, because we know and understand our content so well. Don’t assume that students understand the […]
Rethinking Delivery to Reach All Your Learners
Author: Shannon Lauffer When it comes to teaching, my soul, my passion, it’s teaching to reach every learner. I was an art teacher and a special education teacher. I fell in love with special education in my first job, and honing that skillset was the best thing I ever did. I like teaching students who […]
How to Get Started with Your College Application
Are you trying to finish your college applications? At first, it seems like a college application should be simple. Then you sit down to start filling them out and realize that each one is a little bit different, and you’re not sure what to do. They’re asking you for an artist statement and have all […]
How to Help Students Ask Questions
Let’s face it, there are some students that always come armed with a list of questions, and others that you know have them, but aren’t asking. Asking questions requires a level of confidence and vulnerability. We also know that the more students practice asking questions the more confident they become. Let’s help them get started. […]
Why Distance Education Rocks
Teachers Teach Teaching: Episode 1 Shannon and I have been teaching online for almost a decade, we know that any change especially one as unexpected as suddenly having to teach all of your classes online is hard, and we want to help. Distance education can be hard, it can also be wonderful, so today we […]
Welcome to Teachers Teach Teaching: A Podcast for Teachers
I love trying new things, it’s how I learn. The other day I was sharing with a friend about how I like to set up experiments, in fact, I always have a few going. It’s also always been part of my teaching practice, I pick something that I want to get better at, then research, […]
How to Get Your Students Engaged with Online Learning
Many teachers were forced to dive headfirst into the deep end of online teaching, with little to no support or guidance. A common thing that I’m hearing from teachers is that during synchronous class calls, students’ cameras are off, they’re disengaged, and it feels like you’re teaching to a black hole. Maybe you are. Before […]
How to Help Students Develop Their Sustained Investigation Topic
Helping students develop a sustained investigation topic of AP Studio Art that exits them and guides their work, isn’t always easy. Students are often used to being told what to create, or coming up with an idea, creating a piece and moving on. Exploring an idea throughout a course and creating multiple works around it […]
What to do When you Fall Behind
No matter how good of a planner you are, you’re going to fall behind sometimes. You’ll get pulled into meetings that you didn’t plan for, get stuck in traffic, or spill melted wax all over your kitchen. (That last one might just be me. At least I hope so, because it resulted in hours of […]
How to Stop Students From Cheating
I spend a lot of time thinking about, students cheating, grades, and assessment. Assessment is supposed to be about checking for students’ understanding, when they cheat, they’re telling us that they don’t understand. (We do have to know that they cheated in order to receive that message) As adults talking about “students cheating”, we approach […]
What Motivates you?
When it comes to not finishing things, it’s often a combination of poor planning, lack of understanding, and an overall lack of motivation for the task at hand. You have to be motivated to complete what you’re planned, otherwise, no list is going to save you from distraction from a long term assignment. You might […]
How To Start Your College Application
The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter. As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it […]
Helping Students Write about Their work
Writing artists statements and writing about their artwork is something that many students struggle with. They aren’t sure how to make it interesting or what the point is. In AP Studio Art, the college board requires students to write 100 characters for each piece, explaining their process. Many students write things like, drew a sketch, […]
Has Your Teaching Method Changed?
Many k-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, are making the switch to online learning. With this switch, there is a lot of training and information about learning management systems, video conferencing, and how to flip your classroom. While all of these things are important, they’re just tools, and tools will only take you […]
Unpacking Due Dates: Why Students Fall Behind
As a teenager, I remember sitting in the basement working on homework. Me on one couch, my older brother on the other. I sometimes also had a chalkboard nearby so that I could “teach” myself as I studied for a test, while my brother was sure to have his assignment book in hand. The problem […]
3 Tips to Focus When You Hate the Work
I’m a procrastinator. Not for everything, but when I don’t love the task at hand, I just won’t do it. I used to think it was just me but it’s most people – and common sense tells us why. We spend our time doing things we like to do. Simple as that! It’s important to […]
Unpacking how Ideas Guide Process
When you student teach, you spend a lot of time observing other teachers, then you graduate, and it can be hard to find the time and opportunity to observe and learn. As teaching and learning are taking on many new formats this year, leaving teachers, parents, and students overwhelmed, one of my goals is to […]
Online Learning: Exploring Code-Switching and the Importance of Visual Cues
When students are learning online, it can be easy to forget that they’re likely moving from teacher to teacher and one zoom room to the next. This can be confusing and challenging for students, especially those that have trouble with code-switching. In-person, we’re able to see students switching classes, and interact more with colleagues providing […]
Why You Should Consider Online Learning
While I’ve been teaching online for years, it’s only recently that everyone working in education is trying their hand at online teaching and learning. Some are finding success, however, most are landing in frustration and overwhelm. When teaching online, you can’t just take what you did in person, and do the same thing, but on […]
Start with the End in Mind
Has this school year launched you into being a teacher and a parent? Are you trying to help you kids break down big projects and realizing that you’re not even sure how to do it yourself? A BIG reason that students fall behind in any educational setting, at home, online, hybrid, or in-person, is because […]
Online Teaching and Learning: The Importance of Repeating Yourself.
You’re a few weeks into teaching now. What do you need to remind your students about?We tend to go over policies and expectations at the start of the year and then never revisit them. Remember, every teacher that your students/kids have, likely have slightly different polices and procedures, making it hard to remember and keep […]
Helping Students Plan
Do you have students that always submit their work late? Do you feel like you’re losing students now that you’re teaching online? I’ve been teaching for 14 years, 8 of those years have been online. While it can be hard to get students to submit work when you see them in person, it’s often even […]
Do you Have a Classroom FAQ Page?
When I think about ways to improve my teaching, I like to research and learn more about education, but I also like to look outside of education. When thinking about how to make a website for your class, set-up your online classroom, or even the best ways to communicate with your students and parents, it […]
How to Organize for Online Teaching
It’s a common stereotype that creative thinkers are disorganized, the truth is, some are and some aren’t. My creative process is a mess, however, once it moves to the point of verification it becomes extremely organized. I love making a mess and then finding a way to make connections and bring it all together. Teaching […]
What’s it like to take an Art Class Online: Sample Class
You are an avid art lover. You want to improve your skills, but you’re not really sure where to turn. You’ve watched a lot of youtube videos, and read a lot of art and drawing books, but you feel like there is still something missing. AP Drawing and AP 2D Design are just what you’re looking […]
Understanding how to Control Shutter Speed and Aperture on your DSLR
When using a DSLR camera, there are a lot of options when it comes to the settings that you can control. ISO White balance Shutter Aperture The 4 settings listed above are the ones that you’ll work with the most when taking photos. Let’s work to better understand the purpose of shutter and aperture. Watch […]
Understanding the Settings on Your DSLR Camera
Using an DSLR camera can be a lot of fun, and help you to produce great photos, but first, you need to understand what the settings are and how to change them. Where each part of the camera is located, varies some based on make and model, take some time to explore and understand your […]
Are you Making these 3 Common Photography Mistakes?
A common misconception about the AP online 2D Design course is that it can’t include photography, and I wanted to make sure that you know, that isn’t the case. There are 4 art related AP Art courses, 2D Design, Drawing, 3D Design, and Art History. Photography, both digital and film ( yes, there are still […]
Round up: How to Get Started Teaching Online
As schools shift between meeting in person, and moving online, a lot of people are asking questions about how online teaching and learning really works. I’ve been teaching online for 7 years and have learned a lot along the way. Below you’ll find a series of post that I’ve written on the topic. One additional […]
How to Get Started with Draw Chat
In the time of so much online learning, you’re working hard to think about how to have student interact, even when they aren’t in the same room. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is working hard to think through and share fun ways to create with students, and this week, I was able to […]
How to Grade Art with a one-column Rubric
How do you grade art, isn’t it all subjective? Your personal taste, as to what you like and don’t like when it comes to art is subjective, however, when teaching and assessing art, you aren’t grading based on your personal taste. I have students in classes that do incredibly well, even though they create work […]
Why Visual Literacy Matters
I’ve always loved creating, but there was a solid chunk of my life where I hated using sketchbooks. I couldn’t seem to get mine to look like I thought it was supposed to look. You know, the kind that you see photos of? Organized, thoughtfully laid out, filled with beautiful drawings. At some point, I […]
How to Thrive: Homeschooling + Flexible Schedule
Homeschooling and taking classes online, often means that there is more flexibility in your schedule than if you were attending traditional in person school. Flexibility is great, however, it can also cause you to fall behind and become frustrated if you don’t have a plan. It’s important that a flexible schedule doesn’t become replaced with […]
5 Things to Know about Using Zoom
If you didn’t know what ZOOM was before, you’ve now likely spent hours of your time using it over the last few months. It’s a common tool used in online learning for students and the instructor to connect with each other. When attending and/or hosting a zoom call, it’s always helpful to know a few […]
Homeschooling: Is online learning for you?
In the wake of COVID and almost everyone experiencing online learning in some form. Parents and schools are working hard to think about what next school year is going to look like. Will it be in person with less students, hybrid, online for a few months, followed by in person for a few months. The […]
How to put Together an AP Art Portfolio
If you’ve heard of AP Studio Art, you’ve likely read some about it, and might be feeling a little bit confused as to what you have to do. The college board often refers to the AP portfolio as an exam, and while it is an exam of sorts, it’s not the kind that you’re […]
How to Find New Ways to Advocate for Art Education
I’ve spent a lot of time reading books about Art Education, education, and creativity. I’ve also learned that it’s important to read books from other genres as they provide new perspective and often help me to generate even more ideas. Recently, I’ve used stories from Joyful and Hit Makers in my online art classes. ( […]
7 Ways to Prepare for AP Studio Art
No matter if you attend an k-12 public high school, charter school, participate in hybrid learning, and/or homeschool, this year likely didn’t end like most others. And you’re probably feeling the summer doesn’t feel like summers past. Many public pools either aren’t opening or are delaying their opening. Camps and other in person events that […]
How to Ask Different Questions when the Problem Feels Too Big
What is creativity and why does it matter? We often connect and intermix the words creativity and art. When looking at works of art that you like, you might find yourself saying, I wish I was that creative. The important thing to understand is that creativity and art, aren’t the same thing. Some art is […]
How to Create with what You Already Have
I moved over the weekend, confession time, I’m not the best at packing. My packing tends to be more like what you imagine an artist packing would look like, it’s creative, but I’m not sure that creativity is what most people are going for when it comes to packing. Here’s what I mean. I don’t […]
How Artists Make Pictures
Yesterday, my brother, Ashley, shared how he comes up with ideas and brings them to life in children’s books. He shared that he knows how to figure out what words to use and what order those words should appear, but how has no idea how to create illustrations. There are several parts to creating images that […]
How do you Reflect and Improve on Your Teaching?
At the end of each school year, I take time to reflect, what went well that I want to do again, what didn’t go well and how can I change it? While I did this when I taught in person, I do it even more since I teach online. With online teaching and learning, the […]
Everything you need to Know about Online Summer Art Classes
I’ve been getting a lot of questions, great questions, about the new online summer art course, Exploring Idea Generation and Visual Literacy through sketchbooks, so I wanted to take time today to answer them for you. Do I have to live in Pennsylvania to take your courses? No, even though I teach through PA homeschoolers, it […]
Behind the Scenes: How to Write a Children’s book
5 steps to consider when writing If you are like me, you never quite understand how artists think. How do they know which line to draw first, or even where to put the line? Or maybe even what part of an image is meant to draw the viewer’s attention compared to the images that play […]
Online Learning: Practical Reading with Tractionalbe
I’ve taught high school students for over 13 years and I’ve noticed that the majority of them are good at reading, but they have trouble comprehending what they’re reading and making the connection to how it applies to them. Does this sound familiar? As a homeschool parent, you’re working to teach literature and trying to […]
Online Summer Art Courses
Special Announcement For years, you’ve been asking me to add other online art courses, not just AP, and it’s happening!! Due to COVID we’re continuing to see more schools and activities close or go online, so the demand for new classes is even more important. I know that what you planned to do this summer […]
What are the Requirements for AP Art?
If you’re thinking about taking an AP Art Course, you’re probably trying to make sure that you understand the requirements. This video will walk you through the requirements and show you some examples. What you’ll submit The college board refers to the AP portfolio as an exam, which can lead to some confusion, as you’re […]
What you Need to Know to Move your Teaching or Business Online
I’ve been getting a lot of great questions about teaching art online and online teaching in general. I’m doing my best to answer them through blog posts instead of individual emails and messages, as it saves some time, and gets the information to more of you. If you just stumbled upon this post, and have […]
Online Art Courses for High School Students
One of the most common questions that I used to receive was, “How does it work to take an art class online?” And while, there are still some people that ask that question, because of COVID-19, we’re quickly figuring out how to teach EVERYTHING online. The good news for you, is that I didn’t start […]
Tips on Staying Focused and Taking Action During a time of Distraction
“If you don’t PRODUCE, you won’t THRIVE” Cal Newport, DEEP Work Right now, more than ever, it feels hard to produce. It feels hard to focus. In many ways, you have more time than you did before, and at the same time it feels like you have less, or like time starting working in a […]
Art Supplies for Making Art At Home
A lot of people are asking, how will students make art at home if they don’t have supplies? While this is a valid question, we also need to be willing to ask a few different questions. When we can’t come up with an answer to a question, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an answer, […]
Art Supply list for making Art at Home
A common question that I get from students and parents that are interested in taking the online AP 2D Design class and/or the online AP Drawing class, is what supplies are required? The simple answer is that I don’t require any specific supplies, but I also want to provide you with some ideas to get […]
Why deadlines in Art Matter and How to Plan
I’ve been teaching AP art courses online for 6 years and a common question that students ask, is how to break a project down into small parts so that they can make sure to complete it on time. I’ve learned that being about to create a plan and a schedule is an important life skill, […]
How to Make a Schedule, Avoid Chaos, and Still be Creative
As many parents, students, and teachers are trying to navigate what it looks like to do online a big question is how to help students plan. Online learning naturally creates more autonomy for students, which can be a good thing, if they are provided with the right information and supports. Even as adults we often […]
How to Remember what you Read
Do you spend a lot of time reading, but then feel like you can’t remember what you read? I made a goal to read 40 books this year, but I didn’t just want to read books, I wanted to remember what I read, learn, and apply my learning, this meant that I needed to make […]
Tips and Tools to submit Your AP Art Portfolio
As I’m getting my students prepared to submit their AP portfolios, I’ve been making additional handouts and videos, so that everyone is able to access the information as long as they have internet connection. The first video walks students through the process of uploading and submitting their work. Even if they aren’t fully ready […]
How to Start Teaching Art Online
Teaching art online sounds like a lot of fun, and it seems like it would be hard to do, plus where do you even start? How do you find a job teaching online? I get asked this question a lot, and it depends on what your goals are. Are you hoping to teach art online […]
How to Teach Art Online
Many schools are closing and asking teachers to teach classes online to avoid the spread of (COVID-19), while it is possible to teach art online (it’s something that I’ve been doing for 6 years) it can feel overwhelming in the beginning. It can be hard to know where to start, what platforms and equipment to […]
Online Art Classes for Home School Students
Is it okay if I don’t live in Pa? Yes, even though I teach through PA homeschoolers, it doesn’t matter where you live. As long as you have access to the internet. How much artwork do students create in this class? Students need to submit 15 digital images to the college board for their portfolio, […]
Understanding the Requirements for AP Studio Art Courses?
As you start to think about taking an AP Studio Art class, you’re trying to decide if you have the time in your schedule to create all of the needed work. Let’s take a look at what is required for the AP portfolio. The portfolio is made up of 15 digital images that you submit […]
How to practice Art while you Travel
Whether you’re homeschooling your kids or you just want to find additional inspiration while traveling, learning about artists and looking at works of art while you travel can be a great way to do both. We remember more when we’re able to make connections between what we’re seeing and our own life experiences, so what […]
3 Ways to Start Exploring Art History Today
When people discover that I offer online AP Art History and AP Art courses, they often wonder if I have anything that helps students get ready for those courses. And, for years the answer has been, no. This year, I’ve committed to creating some supports and courses (those are coming) to help students feel more […]
What is the Difference between the Scientific Method and the Creative Process?
Taking an art class is about gaining an understanding of how to use the elements and principles of design to communicate. It’s also about learning new techniques, how to use different mediums, and how to decide what medium and technique to use. When most people think of art class, they think of the latter, ie: […]
Learning How to Learn and Think
We often think of classes like Art and Art history as, “extra” “electives” or “specials”, I must admit, I’m not a big fan of any of those terms. They are subjects, things to learn about. Art is way of communicating, it’s a language. Art History is a way to learn about history. It’s also a […]
Why I teach Art Online
One of my goals this year, was to fully show up. A big part of showing up, means that I tell people what I do and why I do it. I’ve realized that a lot of people, maybe even you, don’t really know what I do. Part of this is because I have several […]
A simple Way to start Making Videos
Video is a great way to communicate and get peoples attention, but you might not feel comfortable in front of the camera, or just aren’t really sure how to get started. You don’t have to be a professional animator to start making your own animated videos. You can use tools like Keynote or Powerpoint and […]
How to Write about Your work: 100 Characters at a time
AP 2D Design and AP Drawing courses have a writing component. Seeing the word writing, stops many students in their tracks. The good news is, while there is writing, it’s not a lot, in fact it’s 100 characters per piece. Students have 100 characters to write about the materials they use, this part comes easily […]
How to Write an Artist Statement for Your College Application
If you have a child/ student applying to study art, it’s likely that they’re being asked to submit an artist statement. This is an assignment that stops most students in their tracks, and many parents aren’t sure how to help them get started, however it doesn’t have to be that hard. Let’s look at […]
3 Tips to Improve your Photography
A common misconception about the AP 2D Design course is that it can’t include photography, and I wanted to make sure that you know, that isn’t the case. There are 4 art related AP courses, 2D Design, Drawing, 3D Design, and Art History. Photography, both digital and film ( yes, there are still some people […]
Does Creativity Matter?
”Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” ~Steven Pressfield When I was a kid my two favorite things to make where, drawings […]
What if You Asked a Different Question
Why? Too often we make choices, choose answers, and follow processes because it’s what someone before us did. We’re doing what’s always been done. This often means that we aren’t making progress, and when it comes to problems, if we always ask the same question, we may always end up with the wrong answer. […]
10 Art and Creativity Posts to Help you Start 2020 off Right
Something that I’m not very good at, but am working on, is taking time to reflect. So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite posts over 2019. I’ve also found that this practice is helpful, because there is so much information, that it’s hard to keep track of and easy to […]
Where We’re Going in 2020
As the year comes to a close I’ve been reflecting on my business. Thinking about how it started 8 years ago, where it is now, and where I want it to go. I started The Unstandardized Standard while I was teaching 9-12 grade art in the public school system. I loved my students but was growing […]
Creative Careers: Have you Heard of Sketchnoting?
As an Art Teacher, one of the most common concerns I hear is that you’re not going to be able to find a job. This concern usually stems from not being aware of the many creative career options that exist, and there are A LOT. Sketchnoting is a powerful tool to use on your […]
Tips on Art + Homeschooling
As a homeschool parent, it can be hard to know what to teach, especially when it comes to subjects that aren’t your favorite, or that you don’t have much experience with. When it comes to teaching art, I get a lot of questions about, what to teach, and how to teach it. A great place […]
How to Have More Effective Parent Teacher Conferences
Let’s talk about Parent-Teacher Conferences. They’re important. Clear and consistent communication helps everyone. But, so often no one comes to conferences, leaving you sitting alone in your classroom. OR, the scheduled parent-teacher conference time is right before or after report cards go home, which isn’t an effective time to have a conversation, as there is […]
How to Help Students Take Ownership of Their Work
When I first started teaching I would dread the end of each marking period. Suddenly student after student would be asking for extra credit and wanting to know why I gave them a ” C”. Then reports cards would go home, and I’d receive angry parent emails wondering how in the world their child got […]
How to Help Students Plan Their Week
This is the time of year where I often find students start to fall behind, and often aren’t sure how to catch up. Depending on your philosophy and the type of class that you teach, deadlines are going to vary. I teach AP classes which means that students need to create a certain amount of […]
Everything You Need to Know About Recommendation Letters
The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter. As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it […]
What to do When Students Request a Recommendation Letter
The first time that a student comes to you and asks you to write a recommendation letter can feel a bit overwhelming. You know that writing a quality recommendation letter is important to the student, and you want to provide them with a good letter. As the requests for recommendation letters start pouring in, it […]
How to ask for a Recommendation Letter
How to ask for a recommendation letter. You know that you need a recommendation letter for a college application, your dream job, or a special program that you really want to get into. First, you need to decide who you’re going to ask for recommendations. Start by creating a list of past teachers or people […]
5 Steps To Getting Starting with Google Classroom
Everything that you need to know to get started using Google Classroom today. How to set up your classroom 2. How to have students join your classroom 3. How to adjust your settings and set up your gradebook 4. Teaching students how to submit their work 5. Showing students how to check their […]
How to have Students Check Their Grades Using Google Classroom
You have your google classroom set up, you have students submitting assignments, now you want to make sure that they know how to check their grades. It’s fairly easy for most students to see the grades that they receive on individual assignments, however, I’ve found that many are unsure how to check their overall assignments. […]
How to Help Students Submit Assignments in Google Classroom
I found that many of my students were unsure of how to submit their assignments using Google Classroom. The easiest way to walk them through the process is to add yourself as a student, and how them a student view. Don’t worry, I did it for you. You can use the video below, to help […]
How to Start Grading with Google Classroom
Once you have your Google Classroom created and you’ve invited students, you want to make sure that you have your settings how you want them, and your gradebook set up. ( If you haven’t set up your classroom yet, you’ll want to go back to the first post.) In the video below, you’ll learn how […]
How to Set Up Your Google Classroom
I wanted to use Google Classroom as a way for students to submit assignments and interact, but I wasn’t sure how to best set things up. There are several options, and what works best is going to depend on you and your students. Below, I’m walking you through how I set up my google classroom, […]
How to Help Students Take Ownership of Their Work
While I love teaching art for the sake of time spent creating, I love it even more because of the power that art has. When teaching art, one of my goals is to help students to learn how to communicate, helping them to understand that art is a language. The other thing that I want […]
How to Help Students Learn to Ask Questions
It’s important to teach students how to develop their own questions and ideas that guide their artwork, but for many, this is new and hard. A great way to help students get started is to show them examples of artists. Share the questions that the artists are asking, and the work that they create in […]
How to Teach AP Students about Selected Works
As you begin teaching your AP students, it important to help them understand the difference between the sustained investigation and the selected works. I found that my students always get the most confused about their concentration and the quality section in the past. Below are examples of what I’ll be sharing with my students. You […]
A Look Inside My Classroom: Understanding the AP Portfolio
Watching other people teach is a great way to learn, but something that we rarely have time or even the opportunity to do after we’ve finished student teaching. Since I teach online, ( I did spend 8 years teaching in person), all of my teaching is recorded! So, I’ve decided to share some […]
High School Homeschool Curriculum
Another school year is just around the corner. I’m so excited for the next round of AP Art and Art History classes to start. I also want to be sure that if it’s something that you’re considering, you have all of the information that you need. Today we’re going to focus on the audit option. […]
Homeschool Art Lessons ( no pompom’s required)
If you homeschool and are looking for art lessons for 9-12 grade, here is a collection of ideas and resources to get you started. Learning more about Online Art Classes for Homeschool Students A look behind the scenes at what an AP Art History Test looks like A FREE art lesson to try […]
How to Develop a Cell Phone Policy with Your Students
Most teachers that I know have a love/hate relationship with cell phones. They’re powerful tools that make our lives easier and allow us to share and access information quickly. They can also be helpful in the classroom, allowing students to do research and photograph their work. However, cell phones are also districting. I’ve never […]
How to Get Started with Mini Paper Weaving
I’ve been doing more paper weaving and had some questions about how to start the process. There are many different ways that you can get started, today, I’m sharing one. This is a mini paper weaving that can be done with a wide range of ages, as you can adjust how complicated it is. […]
How to find FREE materials to teach Fiber Arts
Art materials can be expensive, but they can also be FREE. If you’ve been thinking about wanting to explore fiber arts, but aren’t sure how to afford it, here’s an idea for you. Reach out to your fellow co-workers and encourage them to clean out their t-shirt drawer. You could also look through the lost […]
How to plan lesson for your Homeschool Year
I love writing lesson plans, which I know, sounds strange to some people. For me, it’s a creative practice to think about what students need to learn and come up with interesting ways to present the information. While my process varies depending on what I’m working on, in the video below, I go over the […]
Who is Amber Kane
When people ask me what do I do… my first thought is… it’s complicated… you won’t understand. I’m pretty sure that most people in my neighborhood think that I don’t work and instead think that I just wander around with my dogs all day, and occasionally sit in the backyard on my computer. Art Teacher: […]
Online Art Classes for Homeschool Students
How does someone take an art class online? When families start to look at taking AP art courses online, they often have questions about how such a hands on class works online. The main answer is through video. What I wanted to share with you today, are examples of how students receive feedback. Feedback […]
How to find FREE Art Supplies to Make Sketchbooks with your Kids
Art supplies can be expensive, they can also be FREE. If you take the time to look around, you might be surprised at how many supplies you already have. Creating within constraints is a creative practice, as it forces you to solve a problem with what you have around you. Making you and your kids […]
A Behind the Scenes Look at the AP Art History Exam
If you’re thinking about taking the AP Art History course for Homeschool Students online, I wanted to give you an overview of the AP exam. I do not require students to take the AP exam with the college board. Some students choose to take the AP Art History course to learn more about art history […]
Homeschooling High School Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Homeschooling for high school can be hard, at least when it comes to some subjects, which is why a lot of people look for online courses and support. For kids that have a strong interest in Art and Art History, online AP courses are a great option. You can either take them for credit […]
What’s it like to take an online AP Art Course?
Taking a course online is a great opportunity to have a flexible schedule. It also gives you access to courses that you may not be able to attend otherwise, but it can also be lonely. In my AP ( advanced placement) Art and Art History courses I work hard to help you ( as the […]
How to Help Child that is a Talented Artist
You are an avid art lover. You want to improve your skills, but you’re not really sure where to turn. You’ve watched a lot of youtube videos, and read a lot of art and drawing books, but you feel like there is still something missing. AP Drawing and AP 2D Design are just what you’re […]
DIY Accordion Fold Sketchbook
I’ve been making a lot of books lately and I’m really excited about this one. Accordion fold books work great as sketchbooks, but can also be fun if students are creating comic strips, or wanting to tell a story through the work. They can be turned one page at a time, or stretch out […]
Summer Online Art Education Conference
Have you registered for The Art of Education Universities, online summer conference? The last day to register is July 24. I’ll be presenting on How to Empower Your Students to Take Charge of Their Art Class Experience. It seems like the last people students blame their classroom outcomes on are themselves. Maybe you’ve heard […]
How to Make a Sketchbook From Materials that You Already Have
If you follow me on instagram (teacher.kane), you know that I’ve been making a lot of sketchbooks/journals. I’ve always had a love for paper, and as I looked through my studio, I realized that I have a pretty big paper stash. I decided that it was time to take all of the paper and turn […]
How to Keep your Kids Creative This Summer
If you’re looking for some fun and simple ways to help your kids be creative this summer, give this a try. It’s a great activity to take in the car while you’re traveling for vacation. I had some labels lying around and decided to create stickers ( you can do the same thing with post-it […]
Sketchbook Prompts form Portrait Artist of the Year
I started watching Portrait Artist of the Year 2018 on Youtube. As I’m watching, I’ve been writing a few questions/prompts related to each episode. This could be a great activity for days that you have a sub, or for students to work on when they finish early. I always recommend that you preview the videos […]
How to Help Students Plan
In the field of art education, there is an ongoing debate as to whether due dates are a good or bad thing. I’ve always fallen somewhere in the middle. Meaning that students do need due dates, but that how those due dates are determined can be flexible. Sometimes the students may help to set […]
Upcycled Art Projects
This is a canvas left over from a team building activity. The activity was more about teamwork than what the finished product looked like. . This one, along with some other canvases found their way to the trashcan. I, of course, took them out. . They’ve been sitting in my closet and it’s finally time […]
Do Understand what a Product SDS Is?
If you’re teaching in a school, your home, or a local studio, you want to be sure that you understand what’s in the art materials that you, your students, and your kids are using. If you work at a school it’s likely that your school requires you to have the product SDS ( we’ll get […]
DIY Sketchbook
Most artists will agree that having a sketchbook is important. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a fancy sketchbook. In fact, I often find the cheaper the better as you’re less worried about making mistakes and wasting money. One of the easiest ways to create your own is to […]
Are You Missing the FREE Art Supplies Delivered to Your Door?
The mail comes flying through the mail slot and hits the floor with a crash, each time I”m sure that someone just broke down my front door. As a kid, getting mail is exciting, it’s usually a pretty card, and if you’re really lucky some cash drops out as you rip into the […]
How to make your own hand-cut recycled confetti
I can’t remember what my mom and I were talking about, but she shared that she’d been collecting junk mail. She had all kinds of ideas about how she was going to use it to teach reading. This prompted me to start thinking about how to better use the FREE materials that are around […]
One Step to Become a Better Artist
Sketchbooks are wonderful tools for processing information, recording inspiration, and working out ideas. Often times, when they become precious either because of the amount of money we spent to buy them or because we’re trying to make them perfect for people to look through, we miss the whole point of a sketchbook. Your sketchbook shouldn’t […]
10 Advanced Art Lessons
If you’re anything like me, you have 20+ tabs open on your computer, all of the things that you saw, thought were interesting, and swear that you’re going to go back to. Then your computer crashes and you lose them all. For your sake, I’m hoping that you’re not like me, and don’t have that […]
5 FREE Art Lessons for Homeschoolers
If you homeschool and have kids that really love art, but you’re not sure how to guide them, here are some great ideas to get you started. Below are some of my favorite assignments to share with your kids. The 5 below are lessons that I’ve found students enjoy, while also being prompted to develop […]
5 Art Lessons to Help Students Explore
The Art Assignment is a great tool to give your students some guidance while also allowing for a lot of choice and differentiation. Below are some of my favorite assignments to share with students. I usually share these 5 with a class and allow students to choose from them. Narrowing it down to 5 helps […]
Exploring Revision in Art Making
As I looked over the section of Inquiry and practice, experimentation, and revision, I thought of artists, Molly Springfield. She uses a copy machine in her work, which can be a great tool to help students explore revision without worrying about making an error. Idea #1: Make a piece. Make a copy of the […]
Understanding Art Making and the Role of Material and Process
In the videos below we’ll explore examples of the role that materials and process play when making a work of art. Before we watch the first video, grab your sketchbook and something to write with. I’m going to set a timer for one minute, write down as many materials to create art with that you […]
How Art and Science Go Together
If you have a love for both science and art, learning about art conversation might interest you. Art conservation is a combination of Art History, Studio Art, and Chemistry. Art History: Works to understand where is the work from? Who made it and how was it made? Studio Art: Has the skills to work […]
New College Board AP Art Rubric
With the release of the new AP Studio Art College Board rubric, I wanted to switch it into a google doc so that it’s easier for myself and students to use. If you’d like to use it, you can grab it here. Since I teach my AP courses online, students always submit their work […]
Beginning of the Year Art Activity to get to know Your Students
When creating assingments I try to think of ways to help students make personal connections to the work they’re looking at and learning about. This year, I added an assignment asking Art History students to answer the 4 questions below. My favorite was seeing everyone’s response to #1. This assignment encourages students to search artists […]
How to Help Photography Students Develop Ideas
One of my favorite things about teaching art to all levels is helping students learn how to develop their own ideas. Developing ideas is also about finding problems, then creating something that solves the problem. Learning to think like an artist benefits students in all areas of their life. A tool that I use over […]
What to do with your Kids this Summer
Image from and more info about the show at: Met Breuer Whenever I see a fibers related exhibit, I get pretty excited, and this one did not disappoint. Mrinalini Mukherjee’s macrame sculptures are mesmerizing. You have to see them in person to experience their scale and the story that it tells. Then if you’re anything […]
Books on Art, Creativity, and Education
I always tend to read more over the summer. I search Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Strand Bookstore for new books, I wanted to share a list of books on Art, Creativity, and Education that I love. The Best Schools : Thomas Armstrong Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Intention: M Csikszentmihalyi […]
What are the Differences between AP 2D Design and AP Drawing
If you’re trying to determine if you want to take the AP Drawing Course of the AP 2D Design course, this video gives you an overview of the two courses. the difference between the drawing and 2D portfolio from louise kane on Vimeo.
High School Art Curriculum for Homeschoolers
When people hear that I teach AP Art courses online to homeschool students, they usually have a lot of questions, and I’m betting you do as well. Since I teach the courses through PA Homeschoolers, many people think that they can only take the courses if they live in PA, but that isn’t the […]
Art Lesson: Exploring and Experimenting with new materials
A big part of marking art is understanding the medium(s) that you’re using. What can and can’t the medium do? How far can you push it? What other mediums can you combine with it? To start exploring mediums, challenge yourself to create a list of 50 things that you can create with. Hint: they don’t […]
Understanding the writing requirements for AP Studio Art Courses
AP Studio Art courses ask students to write about their process. At first glance, it seems like students are going to need to do a lot of writing in the AP art course, however, that isn’t the case. While students do need to write about each piece, the responses must be short. Think more like […]
How to Start Planning for AP Studio Art
With the new AP Art guidelines released by the College Board, it’s time to start planning. I’m trying to make sure that I plan smart, keeping in mind that I’ll need to update my syllabus. I also want to think about what lessons and resources I already have that will work well with the […]
How to Use Drawing to Improve Learning in all Subjects
Do you know how to take notes that help you learn? When I started teaching AP Art History, I found that students were excellent at filling pages in their notebooks with notes. However, as I looked over their notes, they were simply re-writing what they were reading. They weren’t demonstrating that they understand what they […]
3 Tools to Help You and Your Students Feel More Confident Writing
I often have students in art class they don’t feel comfortable writing. I myself wasn’t always a big fan. As with most things in life, it takes practice and access to the proper tools. Two tools that I use myself and also share with my students are Grammarly and the Hemmingway Editor. Both of have […]
How to Prepare for AP Art
Did you know that the portfolio requirements for AP Studio Courses are changing? In the past, students submitted 24 pieces. 12 breadth and 12 concentration. Moving forward, students will submit 15 pieces. All 15 pieces will be focused on sustained investigation. Meaning that all 15 pieces that demonstrate sustained investigation around questions asked by […]
9 Videos about Jewelry Design
When it comes to art class, a lot of people don’t think about Jewelry Design. Creating jewelry is sometimes put into the category of craft. Jewelry design is a great way to learn new skills and techniques, but also to learn and explore 2D design principles. Below you’ll find a collection of videos that explore […]
6 Photography Videos to Inspire You
If you love photography, you might be thinking about a career as a photographer. There are many types of photographers, product, food, fashion, and event photographers to name a few. Some photographers choose to specialize and others work in a few different areas. As you’re thinking about what direction you want to go, it’s important […]
Tips on Giving Students Feedback About Their Art
No matter how long you’ve been teaching, you likely ask yourself, am I good enough? Do I know what I’m doing? Am I providing good feedback to student work? I ask myself these questions a lot as well. One thing that I always find helpful is hearing from other teachers. So today, inviting you into […]
Are you getting enough feedback on your Artwork?
When it comes to writing, you know that you need to edit, and that often means having someone else look at your work. Creating art is the same way. You get better when you ask others with more experience to look at your work and provide feedback. You might be thinking, but art is subjective, […]
Are you Thinking about Taking a Year off from School?
As you finish your senior year of high school it can be hard to decide what to do next. Do you want to attend a 4-year college, get an associates degree, or take a gap year? In case this is the first time that you’re hearing of a gap year, let me back […]
How to Encourage your Teenager that Likes Art
”Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” ~Steven Pressfield When I was a kid my two favorite things to make were drawings […]
Online Art Classes for High School Students
Advanced Art Classes Online You know that you love art and that you’re good at it, but you feel stuck in a rut, and like you’ve taken your work as far as you can without help. You’re thinking about wanting a creative career after high school, but you and your parents, just aren’t sure […]
2019-2020 Changes to AP Studio Art Courses
Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art Course Requirements are changing for the 2019-2020 school year. For the upcoming school year, the college board has changed studio art requirements. While the full details won’t be released until the end of May, I wanted to share what we currently know, and what it means for you and […]
Fun Ways to Teach Art History
One thing that I’ve always loved about teaching AP Art History is coming up with assignments that are fun for students to complete, that help them to remember information, and help them to see how things connect to each other. For the Art Tree of Influence assignment, students explore how artists influence each other throughout […]
A Fun Way to Give your Students Sketchbook Prompts.
Over the years, I’ve reflected that while I had students working in their sketchbooks, I didn’t use them as much as I would have liked to. While I always have a sketchbook with me, I tend to do more writing in it than drawing. I’d decided that sketchbooks have to look pretty, and be something […]
How to Sell your Lesson Plans + Digital Products + After School Art Program
A few years ago I was looking for an easy way to run a summer art camp. I knew how to teach, prepare a lesson and materials, but I was trying to figure out the best and easiest way to get people signed up, collect payment, and get them the information that they needed. I […]
How to Have Your Students Self-Assess
I’ve always had students self- asses their work. Over the last 5 years I’ve worked to tweak rubrics and processes to make sure the grading process is helpful, simple, and clear. Not only is grading easier, but I”m also collecting powerful data and records to share with parents and administration. Here’s how it works. […]
An Easy Way to Plan Your Week
” The production of ideas, too, runs on an assembly line; that in this production the mind follows an operative technique which can be learned and controlled; and that its effective use is just as much a matter of practice in the technique as in the effective use of any tool.” James Webb Young. As […]
7 Photography Lessons Done For You
While my first year of teaching was 10 years ago, I still have some pretty distinct memories of excitement and terror when I was handed my schedule; Darkroom Photography Digital Photography Jewelry/Metals Foundations Sculpture I had no experience or background in jewelry/metals, and while I’d taken a film photography class in college, taking a class, […]
Is Your Sketchbook Too Precious?
Sketchbooks are wonderful tools for processing information, recording inspiration, and working out ideas. Often times, when they become precious either because of the amount of money we spent to buy them or because we’re trying to make them perfect for people to look through, we miss the whole point of a sketchbook. Your sketchbook shouldn’t […]
How to Plan Your Week
It’s time to talk about how to get ALL OF THE THINGS done. The truth is….. YOU CAN’T. You can do a lot, but you can not do everything. Teachers are horrible at accepting this fact. And that’s not necessarily bad, except that it can leave you feeling bad and leave you feeling like you’re […]
One Easy Way to come up With Creative Ideas
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I’ve been doing a lot of exploring with paper weaving. Today I want to talk about the idea of a carryover idea, and how you can use that in your own work, or with your students. It’s a great way to keep your work moving […]
AP Art and Art History Courses for Homeschool Students
It’s hard to believe that another school year is about to start. While many of you have already sent in your application and ready for AP Art and AP Art History classes to begin, there are some of you that are still on the fence. One of the hardest things for people to wrap their […]
3 Resources for Teaching Fiber Arts This Year
I’ve been writing a lot for The Art of Education over the last few months, and while I”ll continue to share new ideas, resources and content here, I also want to make sure that you’re not missing the other articles. Below is a collection of articles related to fiber arts in your art room.
Tips on Using Air Dry Clay
While I’ve used air dry clay in the past, it’s only recently that I’ve taken the time to really explore and experiment with it. While I still have a long list of things that I want to try, in the video below, I’m sharing some of the things that I’ve tried recently. making my own […]
Weaving Ideas for Your Classroom
When working with fibers have students think of it as another tool to make lines and marks. This student used their sewing machine to create a drawing. .. If you’re going to draw with a sewing machine do some tests with different weights of paper and stitch distance first. Thin paper with really close stitches […]
What to do When Your Teenager Wants to be an Artist
”Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” ~Steven Pressfield When I was a kid my two favorite things to make where, drawings […]
How does an online art class work?
How does an online art class work? That’s the most common question that I get when people hear that I teach AP art and Art history courses online. My usual answer is that it isn’t that different. With technology, video, and photography we’re able to be well connected. Anything that I would usually demonstrate […]
Inside Look at an AP Art Live Video Call
Taking a course online is great opportunity to have a flexible schedule. It also gives you access to courses that you may not be able to attend otherwise, but it can also be lonely. In my AP ( advanced placement) Art and Art History courses I work hard to help you ( as the student) […]
Is Your Art Portfolio As Good as it Can Be?
Are you heading into your junior or senior year of high school? If so, now is the time to focus on developing your art portfolio. All too often students put off developing their portfolio, usually ending in a few stressful months as you hurry to get everything together. If you’re considering applying to an art […]
How to Earn Credit while Taking a Gap Year
As you finish your senior year of high school it can be hard to decide what to do next. Do you want to attend a 4 year college, get an associates degree, or take a gap year? In case this is the first time that you’re hearing of a gap year, let me […]
An Easy Way to Make an Animated Video
I recently saw some animated videos on Facebook, they looked simple enough, but I wasn’t sure how to make them. After some research and experimentation, I realized that you can make some pretty fun videos using Keynote and screen recording software. Watch the video below to learn how to do it yourself. Learn more […]
How to Make an Art Portfolio out of a Bag
I first learned about turning a paper bag into an art portfolio on Instagram, and was like how is this the first time I”m seeing this!!!! It’s super simple, and smart. You can have your students or kids make these to store their art, or make a few for yourself like I did, to help […]
How to Start using your Sketchbook Today
For years I carried around a sketchbook, but only wrote in it I felt like if I couldn’t make something perfect or beautiful, I just shouldn’t make anything. SO WRONG. . Finally, I allowed myself to start playing. And taking the advice that I gave my students. (novel idea, I know) . And now, I […]
Teacher Tools: The Art Career Project
When working to advocate for the arts, it’s helpful to be able to provide resources guiding students and parents to information about art careers and colleges. The Art Career Project is a great tool for searching career options, finding out paths to those options and exploring art schools. You can visit The Art […]
AP Art Classes for Homeschool Students
learn art online from amber kane on Vimeo. You know that you love art and that you’re good at it, but you feel stuck in a rut, and like you’ve taken your work as far as you can without help. You’re thinking about wanting a creative career after high school, but you and your parents, […]
Do you know what the Drawing Issues Are?
For AP Drawing, the College Board says that students need to address the , ” drawing issues.” When students hear the words, ” drawing issues,” they look confused and unsure, they’re often familiar with the elements and principles of art, but not drawing issues. However, after looking at examples, most high school art students […]
Lesson: How to bring Art History into a Project
I know that I’m onto something when students thank me for creating and project, and continually tell me how much fun they’re having. That’s what happened with this Illuminated Manuscript Project. While most of the time my class is choice/TAB ( teaching for artistic behavior), where students develop their own ideas and prompts, every once and […]
Tips: How to Teach Art Online
I get a lot of questions about teaching art online, so I decided to do a live video to answer your questions, you can watch the recording below. Here are some other resources that you may find helpful: How to Create online courses Where to host your videos How to do group calls
How to Use your Sketchbook more in 2018
Is this the year that you commit to having students work in a sketchbook, or maybe, you want to work in one yourself? Below you’ll find a collection of sketchbooks prompts and ideas to use on yourself or with your students. How do Differentiate with Sketchbook Prompts Teacher Tools: Sketchbook Project How to make an […]
Teacher Tools: How to make a digital timeline
I love when I learn new things from my students. Recently my AP Art History students were working on curating their own exhibitions. ( I love this project). One of the students added several timelines to their digital display and they were pretty cool. I did some extra clicking and searching and found out […]
Teacher Tools: How to grade art digitally and save yourself from the piles of artwork
I don’t think I’ve ever met a teacher that says, “I love grading,” but it can be especially taxing on art teachers. Not only do you often have 10,000 students, but the work can be big, oddly shaped, fragile, and HEAVY. My students turn everything in digitally which allows me to grade from anywhere […]
How to Use Technology for Art Critiques
As an art teacher, you know that having your students practice the critique process is important, but getting students to give thoughtful feedback and getting everyone to participate can feel like you’re teaching advanced calculus, and we all know that you don’t want to do that. , plus you have such a limited amount of time […]
How to Crochet a Hat ( super easy)
There is something about snow that makes me want to crochet, and once I start crocheting, I have trouble stopping. My husband told me that it was to be 28 degrees, which sent me into some kind of crazy tailspin ( I”m always cold), and was sure that there was no way that I […]
How Do You Advocate for the Arts?
How do You Advocate for the Arts? Love. Love. Love, @heatherdayart .. the colors…layers…. drips…all of it makes me want to grab a brush and make a mess.. 📷 @heatherdayart A post shared by amber kane (@teacher.kane) on Nov 25, 2017 at 2:36pm PST This is a question that I’ve been thinking about a lot […]
Professional Development for Art Teachers…. the fun kind
What if you did something for yourself? What if you did something just because you wanted to because it seemed like it would be fun? What if didn’t have to turn into a lesson plan, or a thing to sell, what if it was just about joy…… In all of the hustle of […]
How do Differentiate with Sketchbook Prompts
In one of my advanced art classes, I have students with a pretty wide range of interests, some that are focused on photography, others drawing, and few others that are really interested in 2D design and abstraction, so I decided that I wanted to create a fun way to give them sketchbook prompts and […]
Art Related Movies on Netflix and Amazon
My husband and I decided that we were going to see, ” Loving Vincent,” it’s incredibly rare that we go to a movie together, in fact, to the best of our memory we’ve only gone to the movies a handful of times in our 13 years together. We walked the mile to the theater, marched […]
What is the Purpose of Art Education
“Art performs this pacifying function in culture… Its practitioners create commonalities… I always quote a guy named Lewis Hyde, who wrote about primitive cultures, where there’s an exchange of gifts that cannot be kept but have to be passed on. And the passing on of gifts is a device to prevent people from killing […]
How to Engage Students with Art History + Community
Showing and talking to students about works of art is one thing, but promoting them to explore the art that exists around them, helps them to both connect to the work and sparks curiosity for further learning and exploration. I spend a lot of time walking around Lancaster City, either going to and from work […]
Tips on Writing SLO’s for the Art Room
It’s the time of the year when you need to write out goals for yourself and for your students, this often seems a bit tricky when it comes to art, because these goals also have to be tracked and assessed, aka tied to data. You probably stay away from giving tests in your art […]
Teacher Tools: Sketchbook Project
After reflecting, I’ve realized that one place that I’d like to make stronger in my classes is the practice of process and using sketchbooks. I want to students of all levels to begin the practice of carrying a sketchbook wherever they go. Using it to write, draw, tape and glue bits and pieces that they find […]
Teacher Tools: Tate Shots: Videos for your art room
While talking to my mom, she mentioned that she was having trouble finding a particular email, when she mentioned this to her boss, in no time he had it. She was impressed with organized she imagined his inbox was and set forth a goal to organize hers as well. She was ready to create endless […]
Teacher Tools: Are you using Adobe Spark?
I haven’t used Adobe Spark very often, but every time I do sit down and use it, I question why in the world I don’t use it more. It’s easy, like click a few buttons easy, and makes things look beautiful and professional. So this is for you if you’ve never tried, I say […]
An Introduction to Digital Photography
Digital photography can be a blast to teach, but it also comes with a lot of challenges. You might not have cameras or the proper technology for all of your students. You likely have some students that are great with a DSLR and others that have never seen one before. It’s also very possible that […]
How to make an accordion Sketchbook with Your Students
When it comes to writing lesson plans and projects planning, sometimes I feel like I have ADD ( which I don’t), but I do have a lot of interest and love learning, which is great but can also get in the way. For example, today I was working on an assignment for a class that […]
Paper Weaving as Design
Yesterday I talked to you about new found love for paper weaving, I mean really, I’m a bit obsessed and plan to spend my weekend just me, the studio, and strips of paper. In the event that you’re as excited about it as I am, here are some more ideas. Mixed media paper weaving […]
Does Paper Weaving Have to Be Elementary?
Making a weaving sketchbook… playing with paper and new patterns. A post shared by amber kane (@teacher.kane) on Aug 25, 2017 at 5:25pm PDT Most people think that weaving, especially paper weaving is something to teach in elementary school. It allows students to use a ruler, scissors, work on fine motor skills and get an […]
How to Connect with your Students
I had a class of high school students, mostly upperclassmen, they were rowdy, discounted, and working on my nerves. I needed to find a way to connect and quickly. I asked them to write 6-word stories responding to how they felt about school. One boy wrote, “energetic teenage boy, glued to chair,” there were many […]
How to create a Repeat Pattern Design
Over the summer I taught a repeat fabric design class to elementary and middle school students, they loved it! Whenever a class is a hit in person, I work to create an online version, but for some reason, this task felt a bit daunting this time around. Then I signed myself up for Flipping the […]
How to make Posters like a Boss
It’s the start of the school year, your classroom walls are bare, you have so many ideas and so much to teach, so you start making posters, and then a few more posters. You’re considering adding poster designer to your resume, but realize that your hands hurt too much to write even one […]
Where to host your videos for your flipped classroom
When I started teaching online 3 years ago, while there was a lot I wasn’t sure about, I did know that I needed to take advantage of the power of video, something that I’m still exploring and working to improve upon. If you’re going to use video in your classroom, or give the flipped classroom […]
Have you Tried this Connect the Dots Sketchbook Exercise?
Sketchbooks are a wonderful tool to teach students to use, but they can also feel intimidating to students as they stare at ALL of the blank pages. The exercise below is based on the idea of connecting the dots, but with a slight twist. It helps students to begin understanding how they might design […]
How to get kids Writing..
So you’ve been told that you need to incorporate more writing into your lessons, and you’re thinking, I don’t have time for that. Maybe you do, and maybe, just maybe you can make it so that your students enjoy it as well. The exercise below is like whisper down the lane but with pictures and […]
A fun and easy sketchbook idea for all students
As art teachers, we’re always trying to come up with new ways to inspire our students and to get them creating in their sketchbooks. Recently I tried out the idea of stickerdoodles with my students and they were a hit. The inspiration for the project came from work I saw on Heidi Leitzke’s instagram […]
Helping students develop a concentration
If you teach AP art, you know that you need to help your students develop a concentration statement, for some students this comes easily while others struggle. The concept of a concentration statement also doesn’t need to be limited to AP classes. It can be a great tool for helping your students to develop a […]
Sketchbook Stickers for your classroom
I like giving my students creative prompts for their sketchbooks and was playing with the idea of giving them the started drawings that they work to finish but wanted a fun way to incorporate them into their sketchbook. I had some labels lying around and decided to create stickers ( you can do the same […]
Exploring Self Portraits in Art
We just wrapped up a mini unit on,”selfies” and so much fun exploring and creating. Portraits tend to be intimidating as students are sure that they don’t know how to draw eyes and noses, so collage is a nice way to allow them to explore, but remove some of the fear of drawing. We explored […]
An easy way to make and edit videos
A video is a great tool for the classroom, both for you the teacher to use, but also for your students, however, you don’t want to spend a lot of money, or have to spend endless hours trying to figure out how to edit a video. Soapbox, makes it easy to both create and […]
Teacher Tools: An Easy Way For your and Your students to make visuals
You want to make a great new resources to share with your students and or their parents, but InDesign gives you a headache. You want something that works quickly and easily, added bonus if it’s also FREE and easy to use with your students. Guess what Canva is exactly that!!! In the video below, […]
2D Design Lesson Round Up
Below is a collection of lessons and inspiration for High School 2D Design. Sketchbook Inspiration Using 6 Word stories to help students develop ideas Illuminated Manuscript Project Making Marks, creating tools, and cutting Lesson on Design Principles Help students understand appropriation in art
Below you’ll find a list of my favorite tools and websites for integrating Art History and making cultural connections in your classroom. Teacher Tools: Short and Informative Videos about Art Teacher Tools: The Art Story is another goodie for the art history lover, but it’s a great site to let students explore, or to intro other […]
How to organize your Pinterest Account
Do you have one Pinterest board where you pin EVERYTHING, making it almost impossible to find what you’re looking for? Do you dream of the day when Pinterest makes it so that you can create a board inside a board? I know that I do! As an art teacher, it can be a challenge to organize all […]
Looking for some sketchbook inspiration?
In the last post, we looked a lot of different types of sketchbooks and talked about the pros and cons of many them. I asked you to think about what kind of medium you might use and how that will affect the weight of paper that you need. To think about the size of your […]
How to select the perfect sketchbook
A tool that every artist/ creative person should never leave the house without, is a sketchbook, however, going to the art store for the first time to pick out your perfect sketchbook can be a bit overwhelming, as there are so many choices, and you may not be sure how to decide which is […]
Exploring paint mixing: Sketchbook exploration
You feel like you should be making something, but you don’t know what to make, and you can’t seem to get yourself to start. You don’t have any good ideas, you don’t have the time, or you aren’t quiet as good at drawing as you want to be. Today I want you to push all […]
11 Ways to use Watercolor
” To change, we must at some stage understand something differently. Collaborating toward innovation is really about acting into the unknown. When does it all make sense? Only once we do something.” ( From : The Art of Critical Making) Watercolor is such a fun medium, and there are so many things that you can […]
What happens when you don’t know what questions to ask?
So you really love making art, you think that you’re pretty good it, but you have no clue what to do next. You’ve taken lessons, watched youtube videos, and thought about highering a private tutor, but you know that being an artist is about more than being able to make pretty things, but you just […]
Are you teaching your students to be creative thinkers?
How to have time to add one more thing to your curriculum. You want to teach your students to be more creative, but you also feel like you don’t enough time to add another thing to your already packed schedule. When thinking about any of your lessons, you need to get to the heart of […]
Teacher Tools: How to use Speech to Text to Help your Students
Do you have students that STRUGGLE with writing? Maybe they can’t seem to get their thoughts down on paper in a coherent fashion. Maybe their handwriting is a disaster, or maybe they just broke the hand that they use to write. Using a speech to text tool is a great adaptation for all of the above. […]
What kind of Job can you get if you love art?
In school, no matter what kind of school it is, we tend to spend a lot of time learning information, skills, and techniques, but we often miss the conversations about how to apply the information or what to do with your new skill set. You’re trying to decide where or if to go to college. […]
How to manage your artroom with online grading
As an art teacher, it can feel overwhelming to keep track of all of the student’s projects and grades, and still be able to find the surface of your desk. I started out by only grading one or two of my classes work digitally and quickly made the switch to all students. I’ve experimented with […]
Spending more time studying art makes you stand out in a crowd of sameness.
Spending more time studying art makes you stand out in a crowd of sameness. I don’t mean that you’re going to stand out because you’re suddenly going to start dying your different hair colors and wearing crazy clothes ( although that happens sometimes). Instead, you’re going to stand out because you’re going to have a […]
Teacher Tools 26: How to keep all of your favorite articles organized
You’re working a project, know that you read a perfect article to go with your research, but you can’t remember where in the world you found the article… Sound familiar? is a great tool to keep yourself and the articles that you love organized and easy to share. View my Flipboard Magazine. View my Flipboard […]
1 Tool that makes Writing Easier
I tend to be a fast typer and a terrible editor, so discovering grammarly.com was like a dream come true. Seriously, it’s like having an English teacher looking over your shoulder reminding you to add commas and to stop using really over and over. Maybe you don’t love the idea of having an English […]
Are you Ready for an Advanced Art Class
Your son or daughter will be a freshman next year and you’re wondering if either of the AP Studio Art classes would be appropriate. Your child is mature and diligent, with future aspirations to go to art school and become a professional artist of some kind. They’ve taken several online art classes and worked with […]
How to take a Gap Year as a Homeschool Student
Can I still take an AP art or Art History course for credit if I’m taking a gap year? The simple answer is, yes. You’ve finished your high school credits, but aren’t totally sure what you want to do next, so you’re taking a gap year, and but still want to continue your learning. Taking […]
How to cut fabric into one long strip for weaving
I’ve always been a fan of rag rugs, but not so much a fan of cutting sheets or t-shirts into strips, until I discovered this method of cutting that makes it nice and easy to make one long strip. To get started we’ll use a scrap piece of paper because it’s much less intimidating than […]
Why Does Art Matter
Why do I have to learn algebra, when am I ever going to use it? Why do I need to read THIS book, what does it have to do with my life? Kids of all ages are always asking why, and as the adult tasked with responding to them why, it can get a bit […]
What is an AP Art Class
Why would you take an AP art class? What does it get you? While you might have heard of AP English, Biology, or History, you may not realize that there are also 3 types of AP art classes. So why take an AP art class? Why Take an Ap course from louise kane on Vimeo. Get […]
How to Keep your Sanity while teaching
Planning, it’s a dirty little word, that you might be surprised to hear me say…. us artist types aren’t known having great organizational skills. But I”m planner… also a dreamer… they go well together… because I plan on making my dreams happen, even if those dreams include adopting a mini pig and a goat. […]
Online Art Classes for Homeschoolers
You do what? That seems to be the most common response when I tell people that I teach AP art courses online. I’ve been doing it for 4 years and taken many courses online myself, so it seems totally normal to me, however, I realize that might not be the case for everyone. So […]
How to Have more Creative Ideas
You’re stuck. You can’t seem to come up with any new ideas. So you just sit there and watch another episode of Mind of Chef on Netflix, because at least it’s educationally, and who knows, maybe you’ll become a chef. ( note to self: start researching how to become a chef) I was sitting in […]
How to help students plan + a FREE planning guide
I was feeling overwhelmed. Juggling way too many projects, which was making me not want to work on any of them, which just made me more overwhelmed. Then I took a deep breadth, and decided to take the advice that I give to my students. Do one thing at a time. It sounds simple, but […]
How to prep student work for an ARt show…. without losing your mind
It’s that time of the year where most art teachers are simultaneously thinking, this art show is going to be great, and why in the world are we having an art show!!!! Art shows are no joke, they’re a lot of work, and it often seems like it takes weeks to prep, and then the […]
How to help students develop interesting ideas
You’ve given your students a list of project choices for 3D materials and they’re asking questions like…. “Can I make a cardboard cutout of my initials and decorate it with flowers?” “Can I cut out a heart and put pictures on it?” This makes you want to slam your head into the chalkboard… you’re just waiting […]
How to help students prepare their AP Portfolio
Not sure what all of the steps are that you need to do to get your students AP art portfolios ready and submitted to the college board? It’s that time of year, where you look at the calendar, look back at your AP art syllabus and realize it’s crunch time. Students need to be […]
How to Make sure your art students are on track
This is a good one to tuck away for a rainy day ( or a sub plan!!!) We like doing what we’re used to doing, our students are the same way, and I can’t really blame them. But in AP art they really need to push themselves, demonstrate an understanding of the principles of art, […]
How to decide which art museum to visit
You’re heading to New York City for a day or two, you have limited time and a limited budget, but you also have an art lover in the family that really wants to go to at least one art museum, now how do you pick one? Students often ask , when they’re headed to a […]
One easy way to change the conversation and be an art advocate
Why does art matter? What is the purpose of creativity? Do these questions sound familiar? When someone asks one of these questions, they’re usually coming from one of two camps. 1. They’re actually curious and really do want to have better understand of why art matters. 2. They’re trying to ruffle some feathers, because they’ve […]
How to decide what kind of loom to buy
Are you trying to decide if you want to get a floor loom or a Mirrix, and wondering what’s the difference? As an owner and user of both, I’m going to share the similarities and differences between the two. First we’re going to talk about a floor loom. I’ll always have a special place in […]
How to weave a Soumack Stitch + mini studio tour
While I share a lot of art lessons and ideas on this site, I’ve realized that for some strange reason I’m never teaching you anything about textiles ( and that’s my thing). So, we’re going to work on changing that, and I’ll be adding some weaving/ fiber art lessons, ideas, and inspiration into the mix. […]
How to help students in develop ideas in a TAB classroom
Photo students are working on developing their final project proposal. They’ve written down some ideas, brainstormed questions, and determined what they already know about the topic and what they still need to know, they’re off to a good start, but need to go a bit deeper with their ideas and consider some different approaches. There […]
How to make tests and quizzes online
Do you give test in your art room? Sometimes, even as art teachers, we have to create these crazy things called test, and who in the world wants to grade a test, or waste precious making time giving kids a test? Not this lady right here, and I’m guessing not you either. I’m lovin classmarker.com […]
How to put together an Art Portfolio
Near the end of the school year juniors and seniors flock into my artroom as they realize they need an art portfolio to apply to college. The stress arises because while many colleges tell students that they need to submit a portfolio, they aren’t overtly clear as to what needs to be included in a […]
Classroom Management Tips for the Art Room
Wash your paint brush in the sink, put your name on your paper, put your painting onto the drying rack, why are there all of these dirty brushes in the sink…… Clean up in the art room can be a real BEAST!!! Like the kind of beast that you wish would just come and put […]
How to save time while grading Students Projects
I’ve never met a teacher of any kind/subject, that says that they love grading. It takes a lot of time and often feels like the students don’t even look at, let alone apply the given feedback. You have piles of work, taking over your desk, so you take it home ( telling yourself that […]
Fast and Easy ways to make video for your classroom
A side of affect of teaching art online, is creating A TON, of video, however, video isn’t just helpful for those of you that teach online, it’s also a great tool to flipping the classroom. An added bonus, is that it can be super helpful when you have a sub. Save your videos to a […]
Teacher Tools: How to Help your Students Check their writing
Sometimes I love reading my students writing, and then , well, then there are other times, when I feel slightly different about the whole situation. ( You know what I mean). You might also be thinking, wait, I thought that you taught art, so why in the world are you talking about writing? Students do […]
How to Help Students Find the Answer
While learning about creating visual texture: student: is mine good? me: Do you have at least 2 textures? student: I think me: What are they student: a scarf me: what texture is that? student: I don’t know me: What does a scarf feel like? student: soft so your texture is soft, what’s your other […]
Does Grading Art Matter
You hate grading right? There’s a pile of project , scratch that, that’s a MOUNTAIN of projects taking over your desk, and you really really want to skip the grading part. But, since art is graded in college, are you setting your students up for a disaster? I don’t know that I’ve ever met a […]
How to ask meaningful questions in the artroom
Questioning is one of the best ways to help students to take ownership of their work and to help them learn how to make decisions and recognize why they’re making them. In the beginning it can be challenging to know what kind of questions to ask that will lead your students to have thoughtful and […]
Teacher Tools: Short and Informative Videos about Art
I don’t know about you, but I get so crazy excited when I find a new and inspiring resource, and well, that’s what just happened. I was looking for something totally different and stumbled across this awesome resource on the MET site. It’s quickly becoming my go to , to listen to each morning, […]
DIY: How to have fun making your own painted envelopes
During my first or second year of teaching, I decided that I wanted to write a personal letter to every one of my students, yes all 150+ of them. It took some time, but I did it. They loved it, and felt so good to sit down each day, reflect on each individual student and […]
Teacher Tools: FREE online Programs to Edit your Photos
There are lots and lots of tools and apps out there for editing photos, so don’t think that these are the only ones. These are simply ones that myself and my students enjoy using. Below I talk about Befunky.com and pixlr.com I also mentioned Canva, which isn’t a photo editing tool, but is great […]
Teacher Tools: How to make a Stop Action Movie
I always loved stopped action videos, and so did my students, but we needed a fast and easy way to make them, and that’s where picassa comes in. While you can create stop action with a variety of programs, by far picassa is so simple, with a few clicks your photos transform into a fun […]
How to make an Illuminated Manuscript
I know that I’m onto something when students thank me for creating and project, and continually tell me how much fun they’re having. That’s what happened with this Illuminated Manuscript Project. While most of the time my class is choice/TAB ( teaching for artistic behavior), where students develop their own ideas and prompts, they also […]
Do You have to come up with New Projects every year?
Do I have to come up with ALL new projects every year? Am I a slacker if I don’t? Am I a bad teacher if I buy and use other teacher’s plans? There’s no hard and steadfast rule that answers the above questions, but if you’re hanging out on the internet or with a […]
Things we did well and not so well :(
Yesterday, artist Dave Conrey, sent out an email looking back on 2016 and planning for 2017. He broke it into 3 categories, which I liked as a way to review/ plan for myself, and also think it’s a great thing to do with our students. Things that I did well in 2016 Focused on my […]
How to be Creative with Combination
” The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. ” ( author unknown) ~ Visual Intelligence One of my favorite things about creativity is coming up with new combinations, which is probably why I got all kinds of excited while reading the first few pages of Visual Intelligence. […]
Teacher Tools: The Art Story
The Art Story is another goodie for the art history lover, but it’s a great site to let students explore, or to into other subjects like history. It can fun and interesting to allow students to explore what type of art was being created during a certain time in history, and then analyze how […]
Imagination as a Learning Tool
The winter Olympics have long since passed, but the snow covered ground reminded me of this lesson filled with imagination that my brother my created. While most of my lessons and writing focus on the art classroom ( because that’s what I teach), it’s also important to remember that creativity and imagination can be wonderful […]
Getting started with a New Year
I like to treat a new semester like a brand new school year. It’s a fresh start for you and your students, a chance to do better. To improve, and hopefully not make the same mistakes. It’s a chance to get back on track. Here’s what I’m trying out this semester. Select a theme for […]
What to do when another teacher asks for art supplies
I’ve been thinking a lot about communication, more specifically , how I want to be communicated with, and I’m feeling like it’s a bit crazy that I’m just thinking about this now. I teach both in person and online, and something that I’ve learned from teaching online, is that for it to work well, and […]
Tips on asking for a Recommendation Letter
You know that you need a recommendation letter for a college application, your dream job, or a special program that you really want to get into. What you aren’t sure about , is the best way to go about asking your teacher for a recommendation. First remember that you’re teachers want you to succeed, and […]
Art Lesson Inspiration: Making Marks, creating tools, & cutting
You can use this is inspiration for a long lesson, or a short one class activity. I find that it’s a fun way to get students experimenting, creating, and curious. Episode #212: This episode features Joan Jonas drawing in her Manhattan studio, and on stage at the Umeå Jazz Festival in Sweden. “Drawing is like […]
Teacher Tools: Art 21
ART 21 is one of those sites that I tend to binge on and then totally forget about, until something reminds me that it exists again. So here’s a reminder if you’re like me, or an intro in case you’ve never checked Art 21. It’s a great resource for inspiration and learning about artist […]
Teacher Tools: Online Learning with Highbrow
Highbrow is a great site to keep you learning a little bit everyday.Perfect for in the classroom or at home.
10 Movies for the Art Lover
10 Movies for the art lover to watch on Netflix. ( this is not an all encompassing list, these are movies that I’ve watched and enjoyed. ) If you’re planning to watch any with your students , please be sure to preview first. Big Eyes Frida Jeremy Scott: The People’s Designer The First Monday in […]
Project: Creating your own Art Exhibit: Student Example
I’ve been sharing the Art Curator project that my Art History students have been working on, they just turned them in, and let me tell you, they are awesome, and even fun to grade. In the video below, I’m sharing a mini preview of one of the students exhibits, plus the really cool […]
3 Tools for Time Management
Being a teacher is a demanding job in many ways, but one big is the amount of time. Time for grading, teaching, writing lessons plans, testing projects, meeting with parents, and going to professional development training. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and even easier to compare yourself to others and feel like someone they have […]
6 tools to make teaching art history easier
For those of you that teach art history as a stand alone course, or if you just want to bring a bit more art history into your classroom, below you’ll find a collection of some of current favorite lessons, and website for inspiration. Hear other artist talk about art: The Artist Project A fun and […]
3 Ways to Get Re-inspired with Sketchbooks
Sometimes I feel like I under utilize sketchbooks both in my classroom and in my own personal practice as an artist. Recently I’ve been re inspired to think about using and having my students use sketchbooks more often. The two videos below I created for my AP drawing and AP 2D students, however, they would […]
A Collection of Drawing & High School Art Lessons
So that you don’t have to spend time searching , below is a collection of the most popular posts that relate to Drawing & teaching high school art. Help students understand the Drawing Issues ( AP Drawing) Students explore and define appropriation in art Lesson to help students develop their own ideas, and get […]
Helping Students Understand and Uncover Personal Voice
It can be a real challenge to help students to uncover and develop their own personal voice in their work, but I have found that a good start to the process, is having them learn how to pull out what other artists are doing. Oftentimes it’s easier to unpack how another artist is creating […]
Teacher Tools: The Artist Project
If you’re anything like me, you uncover a great website, you love it, it gives you ideas, saves you time, and then somehow you completely forget about it. Yesterday I was working on some new lesson plans, thinking , I know that there is this site with videos of artist talking about other art, […]
Emergency Sub Plan: Are your students using the Design Principles?
This is a good one to tuck away for a rainy day ( or a sub plan!!!) We like doing what we’re used to doing, our students are the same way, and I can’t really blame them. But in AP they really need to push themselves, demonstrate an understanding of the principles of art, and […]
Becoming an Art Curator: Exploring Art history
I’m always trying to find ways to make lessons more student centered, and tied to potential careers in the arts. This year, students in my art history class, are curating their own exhibit, and it’s working even better than I’d imagined. The students are excited and engaged. They’re learning from each other, and gaining a […]
Teacher Tools: Grading made easier with google drive
Do you hate grading, hate making copy of copy ( and then the machine jams 15 times in the process ) of rubrics that you’re students just lose? Are you tired of having piles of projects teetering your desk? Me too! Here’s how I use google drive to grade student artwork. Buy it nowBest ecommerce […]
Teacher Tools: National Core Art Standards
As with anything new, the National core art standards were a bit confusing when they first came out, however, after spending time playing around on the website, and chatting with other art teachers, I’m pretty much in love with them now. The custom workbook has quickly become my best friend, and is a powerful tool […]
Talking to Students about feelings and the future
As a teacher, you can go years without really feeling like you’ve made a difference, and then you receive an email like this one. This may be weird but I feel your the only person I can ask about this.. I am well really lost about what to do for college. I feel so […]
How to Keep your Students Engaged
It can be hard to know how to keep all of your students engaged, to check for understanding, or to come up with fun ways for students to review important facts and concepts. Kahoot.it is a great ( and free) program that engages all of your students in a fun and interactive review game. […]
What is imagination
“And what is true for individuals is true for people’s. Our problems are not more harrowing than the ravaging depressions and wars of a century ago. But our economic, demographic, and ecological challenges are in fact existential. I think we sense this in our bones, though it’s not a story with commonly agreed-upon contours. Our […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 12: Where to find FREE Stock Images
Looking for FREE and awesome stock images, here’s what you’ve been looking for! This is a great resource for both you and your students to find images for presentations. Visit Unsplash
Teacher tools Episode 11: Art History for Kids Made Easy #Metkids
This site is great for parents and elementary art teachers. It makes it easy to search by time period, and topic, and helps you to have meaningful conversations about works of art throughout history. Check out METKIDS by clicking here
Teacher Tools: Episode 10: Understanding Art and History
This is a great tool to bring into your art history class or your visual arts class. It’s also great a tool for language and history teachers. French Teachers: Learn about Women Artists in France Cezanne Photography Teachers: check this out Explore Met Museum Past Exhibitions here
Are you allowing students to discover?
” When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 9: One Great Resource for Inspirational/ Motivational Videos for Your Classroom
You’re always looking for new inspiration, great ways to grab your students attention and to help keep them motivated. You’re going to love the site The Kid Should See This. This site is great for a wide range of subjects, topics, and age levels. Bonus, it’s super easy to search!
3 Ways to Respond to the Angry Parent Email
So you were in the middle of having a great day, like a really great one. You woke up, had time to both make and drink your coffee , plus you’re outfit is pretty darn snazzy today. The kids are listening…….. OH…. MY …… GOODNESS, you just realized that they’re all working, no one is […]
How to Help Students Make Connections through Combination
I’m always trying to find new ways to help my students to develop ideas and push their work further. Recently I’ve read a lot of discussion about the validity or importance of the elements and principles, especially for older students. Just telling students to use the elements and principles creates lack luster results, however, […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 7: How to do group conference Calls
Sometimes you just need to have a face to face conversation, but you just can’t get your schedules to line up. Zoom.us has become my new go to tool for super simple video conferencing. Since I do a lot of teaching online, being able to do group conference calls is essential, and the newest tool […]
How to get your Students UnStuck and out of “I can’t” Mode
“I can’t do. I don’t have any ideas. Can I have my mom draw this for me? This is terrible, I’m terrible, this is horrible, I can’t draw. I’m not creative. No one in my family is creative. Why am in this stupid class?” You cringe when you hear these words coming out of students […]
Teacher Tools Episode 8: How to Create online Courses
Love the idea of teaching online, or just wish that there was any easier way to reach all of your students? Wish that there was some way to check for students understanding and give them automatic feedback? I’ve been using zippy courses by Social Triggers for 2 years now and really love it. In the […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 6: Pinterest
You might be staying away from pinterest because you’re afraid that you’re going to waste your time scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. Or you might be on it, but feel like you need some help organizing ideas. It doesn’t have to be a waste of time. I’ve found it to be a great source […]
Part 3: 6 Steps to Stop Procrastinating
” To know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing. ” Picasso We all do it…. we check our phone, email, facebook, over and over again, instead of getting the next thing crossed off of our to do list. 6 ways to help you and your students stop procrastinating. Deadlines: if there […]
Procrastination part 2: There’s No Creativity Without Slack Time
( audio recording at the bottom) ” There’s no creativity without some slack time. “ I’d purchased a groupon for 30 days of yoga classes, I’d never done yoga before, but I exercised, and figured this might be a fun change. With determination to take full advantage of my 30 days pass, I decided that […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 5: How to make Videos
If you want to start using more video in your classroom, but aren’t sure how, this has quickly become my go to tool for creating videos. As I mention in the video below, don’t let the pricing scare you off, tell them what you want to use it for, and they should be able to […]
Part 1: Deadlines Do they Matter?
Confession: I’ve recently become a procrastinator I’d agreed to lead a teacher in-service training on creativity, at the moment it seemed like no big deal, creativity is my jam. I marked the date on my calendar, did some backwards planning, and knew exactly what I needed to do and when I needed to do it […]
Teacher Tools: Episode 4: How to use SELZ
You have lots of ideas. You want to share and sell your lesson plans, you just created an amazing workbook and are trying to figure out how to share with the world, or you’ve decided that you want to start offering private art lessons and running an art camp, but you need an easy to […]
Teacher Tools Episode 3: How to use the Art Assignment
I was standing in the back of my classroom sobbing into the phone, my mom was on the other end, and students were about to walk through my door, I needed to get my act together. It was one of those crazy days, that turned into a crazy week, and then a crazy month. […]
How to Help students understand the Drawing Issues.
Usually when when students hear the words, ” drawing issues,” they look confused and unsure, then they realize that the drawing issues are made up of terms that they’ve heard for years, but often still aren’t sure how to use them in their artwork. Below if the video that I use as an […]
What is Appropriation in art?
It can be hard to help students to understand appropriation in art. Often in the classroom we tell our students that they can’t copy work or characters that have already been created, and then we turn around and teach them about Andy Warhol and Pop Art… mixed messages much? The college board is clear that […]
Helping Students to Plan
” The production of ideas, too, runs on an assembly line; that in this production the mind follows an operative technique which can be learned and controlled; and that its effective use is just as much a matter of practice in the technique as in the effective use of any tool.” James Webb Young. As […]
Teacher Tools: How to make a fillable PDF
I love using google drive, and canva to create PDF’s, but sometimes I always want people to be able to type into those PDF’s. In the video below I”ll show you how to make any PDF fillable, for free.
How to Teach Art History without Lecturing
Students don’t learn from teacher’s that stand in front of the classroom and lecture, however, all too often that’s how we teach art history. I”m always working to develop new ways to have my students interacting with the works of art, thinking about them, responding to them, asking questions, and making connections. While watching ” […]
Creativity Defined
A collection of my favorite thoughts and reflections on creativity. ( Audio recording at the end of the post) ” Through art alone are we able to emerge from ourselves, to know what another person sees of the universe which is not the same as our own and of which, without art, the landscapes would […]
How to Set Measurable Goals for Yourself and Your Students
It’s the time of the year when you need to write out goals for yourself and for your students, this often seems a bit tricky when it comes to art, because these goals also have to be tracked and assessed, aka tied to data. You probably stay away from giving tests in your art […]
How Artist Megan Auman Finds Inspiration and Keeps Creating
Megan mentions that she’s not super productive in the afternoon, so instead of freaking out ( which she sort of did at first), show now goes for a walk, or takes a nap. The main idea is that it’s important to understand you’re own creative process. While I fully understand, that it’s not always simple […]
Digital Photography Lesson Round-up
While my first year of teaching was 10 years ago, I still have some pretty distinct memories of excitement and terror when I was handed my schedule; Darkroom Photography Digital Photography Jewelry/Metals Foundations Sculpture I had no experience or background in jewelry/metals, and while I’d taken a film photography class in college, taking a class, […]
How to Balance Instruction and Experimentation in a TAB Classroom
When teaching digital photography to students, I always find that it’s a bit of a dance between the technical elements, with allowing time and space for experimentation and discovery. I once read a quote, ( can’t remember who in the world said it, and google doesn’t seem to be sure either), but it’s good none […]
How to Make Cool Graphics for Teachers pay Teachers
I received a text from my brother, he’s an elementary physical edu teacher, he wanted to know if I could help him up his game on making graphics for Teachers Pay Teachers. As any good sister/ art teacher I said of course. However, that made me realize that if he needs help, you just […]
What the Teacher Wore: How to wear a Head Scarf
A photo posted by Amber Kane (@amberkanescarves) on Sep 1, 2016 at 11:09am PDT I’ve been trying to find ways to blend my two worlds, teaching and designing, and suddenly , as in a few hours ago, it hit me. I can “what the teacher wore”, posts and also do a little bit of teaching […]
Helping Students Understand Content and Context in Art History
Previously, when teaching Art History, students were often confused about the idea of content and context and how it relates to works of art. This year I develop 3 new exercises to walk them through, and now they are understanding it like nobodies business!!!! Here is the video that walks students through the […]
Troubleshooting Digital Photography: How to have Better Photos
After teaching photography for 10 years, there are certain problems that students seem to encounter no matter what. I’ve created three handouts that address the 3 most common problems, and possible solutions. Video 1: What to do if your photos are too dark Video 2: What to do if you photos are coming […]
An Introduction to the Creative Process, How Artist Come up with Ideas
” Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.” Ken Robinson ” Imagination is the root of creativity. It is the ability to bring to mind things that aren’t present to ourselves. Creativity is applied imagination. ” Ken Robinson When I tell people that I’m an artist and art teacher here the […]
What Questions Art Historians Ask
Over the weekend my husband and I headed to the Phildelphia Museum of Art. We first checked out the contemporary section, they had a lot of Cy Twombly’s work on display, and I love his mark making. A lot of people look at his work and see childlike scribbles. I see layers, pain, sadness… […]
How to Stay Organized as a New Teacher
I was 22, fresh out of college and freshly married. They handed me the keys to not one but 2 high school art rooms, that were all mine!!! Along with the keys, came a stack of class rosters, revealing that I was going to be teaching, jewelry/metals, darkroom photography, digital photography, sculpture, and foundations of […]
How to Help Students Develop Ideas
Helping students develop meaningful ideas in a TAB classroom. Everybody gets stuck sometimes, but one of the harder things about bringing choice into your classroom, is finding ways to deal with students that can’t seem to come up with anything. Leaving them sitting, staring at a blank page, ask you for ideas. A few years […]
What’s the Point
What are you actually doing when you’re writing lesson plans, correcting papers, and grading projects? What are you really doing when you’re scrounging for supplies because your budget ( okay, you don’t even have a budget) never covers everything that your students need. What are you doing when you spend your summer going to professional […]
2 Easy ways to kids writing, and 1 way to organize your books
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” – Ernest Hemingway For the years that I taught in the public school system, we, the art teachers, were always being told that we needed to find ways to bring math, writing, and reading into […]
What do You Want to Become?
Ever imagine what you want to become when you “grow up”? When I was little , I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. Yes, I was one of “those” people, that always knew what they wanted to be. I spent my time teaching both real and pretend students, assigning the neighbors homework, and […]
How to have better ideas
When you ask the wrong questions, or not enough questions, you get the wrong answer. Lowe’s was having a .99 paint sample sale, which to an artist, is pretty darn exciting. Sorry, the sale is over as I”m writing this to you. It was perfect timing as I’d recently decided that I want to paint […]
Refuse to Quit, How to Become an Artist
Art has always been a major highlight and focus of not only your education, but your life. You have consistently been drawn to areas that involve artistry and innovation. Your early memories include going to art classes with your mother, looking over her shoulder and being fascinated by the creative process. The idea of manifesting […]
Everybody Loves Inservice
I had a love/ hate relationship with inservice. And the only reason that I say, “had”, is because I no longer work for the public school system, and inservice is a thing of my past. Now, I realize that I may have lost you when I said the words love and inservice to very close […]
Let’s get the pARTy stARTed. 3 lessons for Secondary ART teachers
The start of a new school year or semester always comes with a lot of emotions. There’s excitement, nerves, overwhelm, and the feeling of wondering if you’re good enough, and most importantly if any of your friends are going to be in your class. While students are comparing schedules, us teachers, and writing lessons, stretching […]
A complete guide to stocking your Art supply closet
After a year and half, our little yard is no longer a big pile of dirt, it has a patio, flower beds, and grass is growing!! These things are excited in and of themselves, but the really excited part is that means that it’s time to add all of the fun details….. DECORATE… and, well […]
How to Understand Modern Art
I walk a mile to work each day, and no this isn’t like one of those stories that your parents or grandparents tell you about they had a walk a mile up hill in the snow to get to school, when they really lived next door to the school, I really do walk a mile […]
Me, Frida: Self Portraits in Paint
Frida Kahlo Mexican, July 6, 1907–July 13, 1954 Me, Frida, introduces us to the beginning of Frida and Diego Rivera’s ( a famous painter) relationship, and portrays Frida’s struggle as she worked to be a celebrated painter in her own right. Approximately 1/3 of Frida’s paintings are self portraits that tell the story of […]
Cloth Lullaby : The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois
Feel like you can’t remember the last time that you sat down and read a book? Life is busy, filled with long to-do lists, and doesn’t often allow time for curling up in your favorite chair, and reading a book. Because the worst is when you start a book, get really really into it, and […]
When Junk Mail stops being junk
The mail comes flying through the mail slot, and hits the floor with a crash, each time I”m sure that someone just broke down my front door. As a kid, getting mail is exciting, it’s usually a pretty card, and if you’re really lucky some cash drops out as you rip into the […]
What if you never start?
What if I never took a weaving class? I took a weaving class in college, partly because I thought that it sounded interesting, and partly because it fit my schedule. Sometimes I wonder, what would I be doing now if I’d never signed up for that class. Weaving isn’t something that you just pick up […]
The Case for Creativity: How to be a Strong Thinker
”Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” ~Steven Pressfield When I was a kid my two favorite things to make where, […]
Someone Please Throw me a Rope
Someone please throw me a rope. My husband and I just returned from Chattanooga, and Nashville. ( side note, we accidentally went to Nashville during the CMA’s, talk about crazy) While we were in Chattanooga, we decided that we want to spend some time paddle boarding, while it was clear that it was a windy day, […]
Easy Breezy Sketchbook and Writing Prompts
It can be hard to continually come up with new sketchbook, project, and writing prompts. Now you don’t have to. Watch the video below to find out easy and FREE ways to help students develop their own project and writing prompts. You can also check out 100 sketchbook prompts here WIN_20160603_12_44_11_Pro from amber kane […]
10 Things to do While You’re Kids Take Weaving Lessons in Lancaster
Grab lunch, and ingredients for dinner at Central Market Sit down for a cup of coffee or tea at one of the great local cafes. A few of my favorites are; Prince St Cafe, Common Wealth on Queen, Square One, or Passenger Coffee Visit the many local galleries, a few that I love are Mio […]
What to do When You Realize you Got into the Wrong Car + Weaving Lessons
The dangers of the key-less car entry. My mom and I walked out of the store, let’s say that it was Target, because that’s pretty much the only store that I go to. My mom hit the unlock button and we crawled into the red Ford minivan. As I reached over to buckle my seat […]
Fine Art Friday: Tips one cleaning up the mess
Today’s Fine Art Friday is inspired by the end of the year, messy rooms, and the yarn bomb that apparently went off in my studio this week. Really, just 4 days ago this house and studio was clean and organized, and now, well now there is STUFF everywhere. Artists haven’t ever been accused of being […]
Where to buy a Portable Tapestry Loom
When I was in 3rd grade I designed these really awesome winter hats for all of my friends. I knit two rectangles, sewed them together, and then made pom pom balls to go on the two top corners. Yes, they were amazing. No, I do not make them anymore. I retired the design, sometime in […]
Fine Art Friday: Louise Nevelson, How to Make Art on a Tight Budget
“I fell in love with black; it contained all color. It wasn’t a negation of color… Black is the most aristocratic color of all… You can be quiet, and it contains the whole thing.” (Louise Nevelson) What do you get a one year old for his birthday? I”m not an expert when […]
What Homeschoolers Need to Know about Applying to Art College
During my senior year of high school I was struggling with depression and battling an eating disorder, all why attempting to decide where I wanted to go to college. I knew that I wanted to be an art teacher, but the options of where to study seemed endless. I could go to a 4 year […]
Fine Art Friday: Andy Goldsworthy
As with all my work, whether it’s a leaf on a rock or ice on a rock, I’m trying to get beneath the surface appearance of things. Working the surface of a stone is an attempt to understand the internal energy of the stone. Andy Goldsworthy My brother, who teaches elementary physical edu, […]
Do You Know What You’re Doing?
There are a lot of elementary kids… there are a lot kids…. there are a lot people that live in my neighborhood, and they actually come outside. Something very different from when my husband and I lived in Mechanicsburg. Peca, our Shiba Inu, loves to go outside when all of the kids are walking […]
There’s so much to do … and then you need to teach
Sometimes life is complicated, because we make it that way. And sometimes it’s complicated just because it’s life. Most weeks your to do list is longer than humanly possible, and somehow you forget, that every week that passes, without you crossing everything off of the list, somehow you don’t die, your kids don’t starve ,and […]
17 Emotions of being an Art Teacher
Overwhelmed at the teetering pile of projects waiting to be graded. Heartbroken at the sight of cracked, melted ceramics pieces as you open the lid to the kiln, now to break the news to the students. Tired from explaining why art matters, and because you never get enough sleep….. Because…. All those projects, […]
What kind of Loom is Best for You
click. click. click. I watched her move those needles rapidly and with precise rhythm, and with even more amazement I watched that ball of beautifully soft yarn transform from a ball into a sweater, blanket, scarf, a mini sweater for my doll named Allison. I had to learn how to do it, and so […]
Inside the classroom: How to get your students talking about art
You spend hours writing lessons plans. You work to challenge your students, to teach them to love art, to understand and use new techniques and to have a love for art history, but some days you feel like you’re drilling them, and it seems that the rigor of lesson leaves them lacking confidence swimming a […]
One Step to end the Marking Period with Ease
When I first started teaching I would dread the end of each marking period. Suddenly student after student would be asking for extra credit, and wanting to know what I gave them a ” C”, never wanting to claim that they may have played a role in the grade that they earned. Then reports cards […]
Who is the best artist ever?
Who is the best artist ever? That’s not an easy question to answer, and if you asked 10 people you would likely get 10 different answers. It’s a hard question, but it’a question that students in my AP Art History class are currently trying to tackle. ( it’s more a lesson in learning how to […]
Part 2: Finding your Voice as a Photographer
If you haven’t already, go back read and do part 1. Last week you should have collected a series of images in a variety of categories. Today you’re going to use those images to begin to uncover your personal aesthetic, aka, how you like things to look. Look at all of your images and answer […]
How to tell your story through a photo
“ Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” Dorthea Lange You see people making money from taking photographs of the things that they love, and you dream of doing the same thing, but fear that it’s going to have remain, just that, a dream. You think that you […]
What is a DSLR Camera and Why do You Need one
You’ve decided that this is the year that you’re going to get better at photography. And then you realize that the only camera that you have is the one on your phone, and just thinking about walking into Best Buy to pick out a camera makes you feel overwhelmed and stupid. You have no […]
How to Get Noticed in 2016
There was this wonderful time in my life when I had these things called abs, and then about a year ago, I stopped working out, and those little buggers disappeared. I try to tell myself that it’s normal not to have six pack abs, but that is easier said than done when you’re married […]
12 Things that you can do Today to be More Creative
1. Read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert 2. Watch Dior and I on Netflix 3. Join the Creative Challenge 4. Visit the Renwick in Washington DC 5. Sign up for a class 6. Dress in a way that makes you feel creative 7. Write 6 word stories 8. Explore using an idea generation chart […]
Are you Becoming More of Less of Yourself
While unpacking boxes and more boxes, there were so many boxes it seemed like they must be finding a way to reproduce. In the heap I uncovered my baby book. I’m not very sentimental. And by not very sentimental I mean that last year I gave my wedding dress to one of my high […]
3 Questions to Help you become a more effective Teacher
Today’s post is brought to you by Karen Sollenberger aka my mom. “Why do you teach?” This is a question that is often asked of teachers. The common response is, “I do it for the kids! I love the kids!” I then had to think about myself. Why have I taught for 35 years? My […]
Does Empathy matter in the Classroom
“Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.” Sonia Ricotti Sitting in a classroom full of high school students, overhearing their conversations, that are filled with gossip and unkind words, “I can’t take it anymore… that’s enough.” While that ended the conversation , I can’t leave […]
5 Inspiring Art Movies on Netflix
Sometimes I feel like I spend more time figuring out what to watch on Netflix than actually watching. So to save you some time, you can thank me later, here’s a list of great art related movies on netflix. The Art of the Steal 2. Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry 3. Gerhard Richter Painting 4. […]
How to start your school year off right
Two months ago my husband and I moved to Lancaster City, one of the things that I was the most excited about was being able to walk almost everywhere. Well really, I was most excited about getting a much larger studio and teaching space…… but back to the walking. As I wander around […]
Why Public Education is Leaving Students Behind
Maya Angelo, if you teach, you have to live your teaching The system is not broken because of a lack of great teachers. It is broken in spite of great teachers showing up everyday. The current school system was developed by Horace Mann, which he called, ” The Common School,” later being called the, ” […]