Kusama Contemporary Artist Study: POLKA DOT PALOOZA!

My very favorite thing about making an author school visit is seeing the children's art that is on display in the hallways. I recently returned to a central Ohio school where I have visited annually with the kindergarten students. SHAZAM!!!! I'm calling this project the perfect  ---Polka Dot Palooza! 

If you know anything about me personally? I LUV LUV LUV polka dots! There are oodles of polka dots in my 3 picture books. My house is filled with polka dots. I personally painted polka dots on to my author suitcase. I have painted polka dots onto my author outfits.   
I LUV POLKA DOTS! 

Airport: My carry on with hand painted polka dots! 

^^^It took me forever to paint the polka dots onto my suitcase, as the paint was absorbed by the cover fabric, but over time as I persisted and painted layer-over-layer, the paint won out! 

This fall I had GREAT fun stenciling all manner of polka dots onto a table in our dining room. One can never have enough polka dots. They look great with stripes and checker boards, too! I used a combination of stencils, polka dot 'daubers' and pencil erasers, too! 

Back to my author visit and seeing the Yayoi Kusama project created in Hilliard by the second graders. Am-A-ZING! 

It appears to my trained Art Teacher eye, that each student painted their own unique polka dot 'backdrop' and then painted a matching polka dot apron to wear for their individual photo shoot. How BRILLIANT is this? 

"Polka dots can't stay alone. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environments." Yayoi Kusama

"With just one polka dot, nothing can be achieved. In the universe, there is the sun, the moon, the earth, and hundreds of millions of stars. All of us live in the unfathomable mystery and infinitude of the universe. Pursuing 'philosophy of the universe' through art under such circumstances has led me to what I call 'stereotypical repetition.' "Yayoi Kusama

"More and more, I think about the role of the arts, and as an artist, I think that it's important that I share the love and peace." Yayoi Kusama

***(I didn't have enough time to speak to the brilliant Mr. Art Teacher to get the specifics. There are never enough minutes in the day, but this is too inspirational not to share.) 

What an utterly amazing project to do while studying the life and contribution of a contemporary artist. You can see what success was created by these second graders. I think the 'concept' could be replicated by both older and younger students. 

Here's just a little glimpse into the fun I have with the kindergarten students in this school, during my author visit. Making this an annual visit, I am greeted by the 'older' students and it is such fun to hear their memories from visits years earlier. THEY REMEMBER! 

I have earlier RoundUPs of Art History 101, 102, and 103. 

LOTS of Ideas as seen on dozens of my previous author visits. 

{Just click the images below to go to each of the earlier blog articles.}

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! We have just received the news that the Wobble Seats that we distribute have been put on a permanently reduced price. The manufacture has been able to locate a company able to create them at a lesser cost and they are passing the savings on to you! 

***This is the perfect time to remind your administration that you would like to use (or expand) the flexible seating options in your classroom. Over the years we have seen schools use that last little drop of $$ in their budget as the year winds down on discretionary purchases such as Wobble Seats. 

Be the squeakie wheel. Remind your front office of your interest. 

I know that many of you are beginning to plan for your End-of-Year events. Some while ago I wrote this little poem and have since turned it into a song. Many of my teacher friends are using the song for their 'slide show' sound track. It is available at TpT as a digital download in Mp3 format. 

Click Picture for Link to TpT Digital Download 

If you need a little reminder about the worthiness of your work -- look no further. Below you'll find a little video of my song-via-poem, stitched together with love and poignant pictures from some of  my besties. Now just imagine it playing with photos from your school year triumphs! 

Two of my picture books-in-song, lend themselves to end of year performances. 

The digital download file for each includes everything that you need to have your students ready to perform for loving parents to conclude your year. 

[Click on the image to go directly to my TpT digital store]

Here's the direct link to digital "You're Wonderful" 

Here's the direct link to digital "Red, White and Blue" 

***This article below from several years ago, using grass seed as 'hair' continues to climb in my Top 10 list of articles. This is the perfect time to go take a look at all the inspiration and different ways you might use seeds, and especially grass seeds this spring! 

Click the picture to go to the earlier article and get additional inspiration for grass seeds. 

Let me conclude with an uplifting verse from scripture brought to life with 'polka dots!' 

These last couple of years have been filled with an array of on-going challenges. In juggling all of the balls, the one that got dropped was my blogging. My hope is to return once more to this format to inspire, support and encourage you. Ever onward.  

-- Debbie 

Professional Development Opportunity with Mr. Greg + Debbie Clement

 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I am truly honored to be joining my friend "Mr. Greg" in a day of professional development on the horizon. We are just about a month out from my joining the great traveling Smorgasboard of training. 

Over the last several years I have had the great good fortune to make annual author visits to Greg's school(s). We have established a mutual admiration society for each other's work and approach to working with children. 

These next several images are some of my favorite EV!ER! I have shared them previously and they have made their way into my power-point presentation and I shared them again this weekend, while speaking at FL-AEYC in Orlando. 

If you follow Greg's blog, you're aware that he opened up his classroom quite a while ago -- and his students often can be found working on the floor and other less traditional manners.

Here you see his squad working on preparing their own AUTHENTIC ART responses to the graphic illustrations from my first picture book, "You're Wonderful." {If you look carefully at the top of the classroom rug, you can see my book.... being used as reference material.} 

Here are six of the original responses. 

Each unique. 

Each special. 

Each original. 

Be still my heart. 

There is still time to join us. 

As I type, there is still space available. 

Greg's first such day sold out! 

Don't wait a whole lot longer. 

WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US!

Find a friend and come together!!! 

Take a peek at the outline of our day together. 

I'm going to get things started in the morning.

My goal is to motivate and inspire. 

I will be sharing ALL three of my picture books: 

their songs, the sign language to support them 

and encouragement to pursue your own AUTHENTIC responses. 

Click picture to learn MORE! 

You need to register at Mr. Greg's. 

Click any of the photos

to learn more on his blog. 

To register directly, go to this link! 

If you missed seeing us in VEGAS, 

you're not too late! 

MARK THE DATE!

October 29th!!! 

Remembering September 11th in Song + Children's Patriotic Artwork

SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH

Fifteen. Fifteen years. Fifteen anniversaries. Fifteen. 

I know I remember the specific shade of blue of the sky on that Tuesday. 

I know where I was. 

I know what I was doing.

Our annual Artist-in-the-Schools open house was cancelled.  

I know that you remember as well. 

I know you remember connecting with loved ones the first time after you learned. 

Every memory is etched into our collective memory. 

Watching the news coverage.

 Being unable to move away from the unfolding details. Disbelief. Shock. Horror. 

I remember all too well the sense of helplessness I felt. 

Picture from Clyde, OH. Thanks to Principal Peggy Stickney for this extra-ordinary welcome! 

Friday of that week, fifteen years ago, I was leading worship for Tot Shabbat at the New Albany, JCC preschool in central Ohio. 

I had a bag of flags. 

I had the four year old children wave them, 

while we stood together on the steps of the synagogue. 

Everyone gathered sang: 

'Red, White and Blue.... I love you.'  

It took me a couple of years to flesh out a full arrangement of the simple phrase. With the help of Tom Martin's arrangement and my friends at Amerisound Studios, it became a full fledged song. The first time I heard our arrangement, was driving around the outerbelt of 270 in the midst of fireworks of the Fourth of July. 

Fitting. Tears. Gratitude. 

As soon as the song was recorded it could be performed without my participation. With the simplicity of the arrangement and the repetition -- even very young children can sing it and pay honor to this day. 

Today and all of this coming week, I have put the digital download version of the song on the DEEPLY discounted, reduced price of one dollar. 

My hope is that offers you sufficient incentive to go to TeachersPayTeachers for a copy for yourself. I hope that you can use it to honor this day. I hope that it offers you a new resource for your young children that can be used throughout the year to instill a sense of patriotic pride and for you to reflect on this day. 

Once the song began to have a life of its own, I began to think about bringing it to life in picture book format. Soon I began gathering the fabrics and designing the quilts. 

It takes 16 quilts to create a 32 page picture book. 

It took years to bring the project to full fruition. 

It was interrupted twice by my diagnosis with Breast Cancer. 

In the end I was fortunate to persevere and bring the project to fruition. 

Once we got the book into print format, I submitted it for consideration for awards and received the Indie Award for Excellence! 

About that same time, as a result of my being able to take the book to NAEYC in California, I received an invitation to travel to Europe to visit a series of our Army bases in Germany and Italy. 

I taught my simple patriotic song to the children of our troops stationed abroad. 

And since then, I have been able to take the quilts and the book format to schools from coast to coast, teaching the song.  

I have included some of the classroom responses below. 

There are times when thoughtful teachers send me a memento of our time together. 

I am so grateful to receive snail mail with quilted patriotism. 

Just a reminder. 

My digital download of the song will be on the deeply discounted price of one dollar 

for the week ahead.

 Visit TeachersPayTeachers to get your copy.  

My legacy at this point is having my work used at schools near and far. 

Last week I was the guest Author-Illustrator for a day here in Door County. 

I had the opportunity to work with the children in preschool through 5th grade. 

The day was well documented and we were on the front page of the local newspaper. 

***Mom. You can read the whole article here on line. 

When I arrived at the school the entire front bulletin board, the length of the hall,

 was festooned with the artwork of the First Grade. 

They learned that my favorite thing about Door County is our amazing sunsets. 

So they created sunsets for me! 

Each first grader created their own silhouette to stand in contrast to the sunset. 

Our day together launched a year long thread of patriotic activities in the elementary. 

The students will be writing letters to our troops. 

My song "Red, White and Blue" is slated to be be used in the Veteran's Day program 

and at other times of year as well.

As usual, I run around the building and take photos during my lunch. 

It was awesome to see some of our "Wobble Seats" already in their classrooms. 

You can read more about how I got involved as a distributor for WobbleSeat.com 

in this encyclopedia of an article about Alternative Seating.