Art History 103: Early Elementary Art Response

Welcome Art Enthusiasts! Welcome Art Teachers!!!

We continue today with an ongoing series of early elementary school art projects created in response to recognized Art masters. This is the third such article I have created from photos of children's art I have seen displayed on my Author-Illustrator school visits. 

I am a former elementary Art teacher, from way-back and am so appreciative of the amazing work that I see on display during my travels. These photos today represent work under the direction of three different elementary Art teachers, two in Ohio and one in FL. I hope that the hard work in this article will serve as inspiration for your own creations with the children/students in your life. Thank you to these talented educators who can direct the wealth of their students to create such outstanding effort. 

Let's get started with some incredible barn landscapes created at Kirkersville Elementary in Ohio. (That's the building where our WonderTwins go to kindergarten. How lucky are they to get their official art launch under such a capable teacher?) 

In this same building are these fantastic Andy Warhol inspired print-making self portraits. I would have adored taking photos of the process that these students followed, but alas I was just in the building for one day -- and the finished pieces were already proudly on display along the school's hallways (stapled to lengthy cork strip display boards.) These are so well done. Fifth graders unite! 

Now, still in Ohio, let's make a stop at Evening Street Elementary in Worthington, Ohio. I was there before the holidays and these next beauties were on display. As you will read, they were created by the first graders in the building. I'm especially appreciative of teachers that take the time to give the 'connection' and basics of the project -- for those admiring (like MOI) as they travel the halls. 

Now let's pop in on at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy  in Florida. 

I was challenged to get photos of these next fantastic floral still life paintings, as they were on display in a showcase under glass. They speak to me of the graphic precision of Cezanne's still life work. If you look closely, you'll see my polka dots reflected in the glass. Teehee. I did the best I could to capture the color. 

We'll conclude our trip through Art History with these 'human form studies' that remind me of the stylistic graphics of Keith Haring. The pieces in the immediate collage below were still hanging in the artroom. You'll see the showcase out in the FL courtyard further down below.

Here's a banner hanging in the Kirkersville art room that made me smile ear-to--ear! 

AWESOME! 

Before we finish for today, I want to share these HUGE images that were on display in the Evening Street Elementary cafeteria. These collaborative painting 'puzzles' were HUGE! HUGE I tell you! Something similar would be a terrific fundraising or auction piece. Name that artist. GO!  

Here's a "Keep Calm and Create" image I created recently at the FREE design website, Canva. 

Go back to this earlier article to hear/see some other fun that I have played around making. Give Canva a try and come back and show us what YOU made. 

***Here are the two earlier articles in the ongoing series. 

Just click on the image to go to that specific article. 

My goal is to support art teachers (and the classroom teachers working to create STEAM for their students ~~ the A inserted for Art, of course.) I am hopeful that one day you'll want to direct your students to create art in response to MY picture books! 

There have been some incredible collaborative pieces created in response to my quilted picture book illustrations. Here are just a couple of examples. 

Meanwhile, we continue the process of 'settling' into our new little home, here in FL. 

I am getting a grip on my studio space. 

So grateful to have a room! With walls. (There's no door, though.) 

Theoretically this is a small little 'den' in our little patio-home. 

Here's what my one 'finished' wall looks like at this point. 

I will continue to add some other 'art-teacher' friendly articles here in the footnotes. Again, just click the picture to go back to the earlier article. 

As always, I'm so grateful for your pins. 

They will bring like-minded folks over for a look-see. 

Thanks so much for joining my grass-roots marketing campaign. 

Butterflies, Birthdays & Breast Cancer: Resurrection

My heart is full. 

There are times when I walk into a school and I am literally brought to my knees. Seeing these symmetric butterfly paintings inside the front door of the building where our WonderTwins attend kindergarten, was just one of those such occasions. Seeing all of this color in the dead of a gray winter day last month took my breath away. Behold. 

The power. The simplicity. The exuberance. The bold strokes. The design. The sweeping colors. The thickness of the paint. The emotions. The pages filled from edge to edge and beyond. The symmetric mirror. The attention to detail. The POLKA DOTS! Of course you know that these projects 'spoke' to me because of that final detail. THE DOTS!!!

If you're brand new here, you may not be aware that I have a 'thing' about black and white and polka dots. Seeing these superb projects, with all of their dots was something bordering on the holy for me. Not to be sacrilegious, but holy without capitalization for certain. I kid you not. I walked in the school's front door and immediately had tears in my eyes. Here's what the entire floor to ceiling bulletin board looked like. Stellar.

Today is a milemarker in my world -- in my life. Today is my daddy's 85th birthday. Those of you that know me, may remember that I chose Jan. 15th as the date for my bilateral mastectomy surgery, for the 'solution' to my second diagnosis of early stage breast cancer. So that means today is the fourth anniversary of my being cancer free -- for the second time. Cancer-the-sequel. 

Cancerversaries are sobering to say the least. Are ya happy? Are ya sad? Are ya somber? Are ya mad? Probably a taste of each. I will choose the glass half full metaphor. I will raise my metaphorical cake to dad and to life..... to longevity and to opportunity, with a grateful spirit. A grateful spirit capable of weeping over butterflies.

The truth is that I have "lost" many of those that started out on this cancer journey with me. Gone are some of my strongest heroes, my staunchest allies and my shining, dearest friend. That's where the somberness plays a part in the day. 'There but for the grace of God go I" rings in my heart today. I am blessed beyond measure to be here. To type. To play. To listen. To see. To paint. To quilt. I am the fortunate one. I get that. 

So four years later, its a GREAT, GOOD thing to share my 'surviving' with my dad's party. The man who gives me roots. The man who holds me up in prayer. The one who is always steadfast in his faith, trust and belief. It's a good day to share. To think that he shares the ACTUAL date-of-birth with Dr. Martin makes it all the more humbling. Here we are together, in his office. A bygone era. The era of black and white. That skinny tie and my charm bracelet could be styling today! His chin is hair free! If we knew then what we know now? 

My aches and pain will apparently be with me all the days of my life. So be it. That's a small price to pay in exchange for living: For spending time with my WonderPeeps and the occasional peanut M&M reward for work well done. For a glorious sunset. For a spirited encounter with a new challenge. For new opportunities on the horizon. For invitations beyond my wildest dreams. For the appreciation of the spirit of creativity in our unfettered youngest and in our oldest, too. A very small price to pay. The butterfly speaks to me of resurrection. Of new life. Of birthdays and beyond. It's a WONDERFUL Wednesday to be of this world.

How I wish I could wax poetically about the inherent beauty of EACH and every butterfly. I am hampered by my humanity. How to articulate? How each is incredibly delicate and yet filled with wonder and marvelous of its own accord. Suffice it to say that these students are fortunate to have an A.MAZ.ING art teacher. One who gets it, who cares, who displays incredible work with professionalism and tenacity. It is no small thing to put up a display of this magnitude and have typed labels for each student's work. Trust me. I know. 

To life. To art. To living. To coming out of your cocoon into the bright shining rays of the day. To explore with wet wings, flying higher. A gift. Cake. Butterflies. Cancer. Children's art. More butterflies. Polka dots! Here's to another year for all of us.