I keep meaning to write about my first year as an elementary art teach and it's already almost halfway over! I need to be working on my Christmas commissions and learning my lines for the community theater Christmas play, so I'm going to post the first email I sent to my kid's parents. I have so much more to say and many more projects to talk about, but I'll just save it for lata! 

Howdy from the CCS Art Room!

I know I know, you have all been on pins and needles wondering what has been happening in the art room and what sort of messes and creations we have been making! So here's a peek at the last 4 weeks in the studio. We have been busy bees! 

We have been focusing on The Elements of Art (EOA) which include line, shape, color, form, value, texture and space. If you haven't already heard it, ask your kid to sing the "song" and do the motions for you. The Elements of Art are the building blocks to any great work of art, like the ingredients in a delicious cake. I tell these guys if they can master the EOA everything else will be a piece of delicious chocolate cake!

Our Artist of the Month of August was Walter Anderson who happens to be a great example of lines, shapes and color, am I right? We read a story about his life and did our own WA style chalk drawing with warm and cool colors. He is the most famous American Artist you (may) have never heard of!

Next, we've been exploring form and value with still life drawing and collaging. 

I hear this phrase a lot in the art room "I'm a terrible___ (drawer, artist, shader, circle drawer etc. etc.)." I'm thinking about banning said phrase. After a pep talk about negative self talk, I've told some of the kids that being good at art is a lot like being good at a sport. There are a few people who are just naturally athletic, but for the other 95% of us we'd have to practice a lot (maybe everyday), and learn good technique to be an awesome baller. And if we want to be a well-rounded artist/athlete it's a good idea to be inspired by the things we love (maybe it's drawing narwals and unicorns or dribbling a soccer ball) and keep finding new challenges to grow us (still life: errbody like ahhh that looks so hard! BOOM you did it. What's next!)

I encouraged the kids to bring in things they've drawn, painted, etc. at home instead of something doing something electronic (tv, video games, iPad, computer) cause lets be real these things have not helped our art game (this gal included). I also give them points toward a class party. You can email me pics of their work too. 

I know this email has turned into a small ebook, but my goals for the young masters this year are for them to be excited about art and for their confidence to get bumped up (you can do it, you eat a whole cake one bite at a time.. I mean theoretically..), to inspire creativity and to open their eyes to the beauty all around us that our Master Painter Jesus created just for us. I also have a few projects in mind to use our artists' gifts for others. 

It's gonna be a great year! Look what they've accomplished already! 

Until next time!
Leslie Saucier *<:0)

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. Exodus 35:35