Whether you’re a parent wanting to document your child’s artistic journey or an art teacher/blogger in need of awesome photos of your students’ projects, the best camera to use is the one you have with you! And if you’re like me, that’s the iPhone in your back pocket. With an iPhone (or other smartphone), you can take photos that are high enough quality for most uses, from … [Read more...]
Your Child’s Art: What to Save, How to Save It
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about decluttering…. paring down all the stuff we've accumulated over the years and keeping only what’s truly important to us. So when one of my readers asked me what to do with the 'mountain of artwork' his kids were bringing home, it really struck a chord. After surveying friends, family, my own bookshelf, and the internet in general, I came … [Read more...]
Start the Year with Student Portfolios
I love to start the year by having my students decorate their portfolios! You can make your own portfolios inexpensively, and safely store a whole year's worth of artwork. The first time I see each class at the beginning of the school year, I like to read them one of my favorite art-themed kids' books - then we use that story as inspiration to decorate their portfolios. … [Read more...]
6th Grade Portfolio Project – Follow Your Star!
I'm especially excited about my 6th grade portfolio project! This project is inspired by an amazing book by author/illustrator Peter Reynolds, who created the classic children's books "The Dot" and "Ish". This potentially life-changing book, "The North Star", is so special, it even has it's own website! (Check out this site for fun activities for the classroom and … [Read more...]
Grade 5 Portfolios – Collecting Words
I LOVE kids' books!!! I just discovered a great new book, titled "Max's Words" by Kate Banks. While this book doesn't have a specific art theme, it inspired me to create a portfolio project for my 5th graders based on WORDS. Kids LOVE to collect things. I learned this from personal experience, with a daughter who collected Beanie Babies like there was no tomorrow, and a … [Read more...]
Grade 4 Portfolios – “Ish” Drawings
There are lots of wonderful children's books available today, but "Ish" by Peter Reynolds stands out as one of my all-time favorites. This is a story that everyone (kids and adults!) can relate to.... in fact, it's so influential that I can literally see a "before and after" effect each time I read it to my students. This year, "Ish" is the inspiration for my 4th grade … [Read more...]
Grade 3 Portfolios – The Shapes and Colors of Joy
"Matthew's Dream", by Leo Lionni, is my inspiration for our third grade portfolio project. In this charming fable, a boy named Matthew visits the museum with his classmates and is entranced by the paintings he sees there. That night Matthew has a magical dream which helps him to see the world around him in a whole new way. He becomes a painter and creates beautiful … [Read more...]
Grade 1 Portfolios – Design a Dot!
Every year, I start each of my Art classes by going over my "Art Rules".While this is review for most of my students, it never hurts to hear it again! And reading this book provides a great on-ramp to having this discussion! The Dot, by Peter Reynolds, has to be one of my favorite children's books of all time. If you only read one art-themed book to your students this year, … [Read more...]
K Portfolios – A Purple Crayon Adventure!
I've always loved books, so I love to start the school year off by reading an art-related story to each of my classes. My favorite "art story" for Kindergarten is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. This classic children's tale was first published in 1955 and has been hugely popular ever since. It tells the story of a little boy named Harold who … [Read more...]
Portfolios for the New School Year!
This is a re-post that you may find useful as you start your new school year! I'll also be re-posting my grade level portfolio projects, so stay tuned!A new school year means new portfolios! A portfolio for each student provides a place to store and protect a year's worth of 2D artwork. While it's great to put student work up around the classroom, there's only so much … [Read more...]