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 […]
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 […]
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 […]