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 […]