DIY: TP Tube to Paint Tube Ornament!

A couple weeks ago, I was gifted this AMAZING rainbow wreath from Treetopia. I was also given a RAINBOW TREE which I'll be sharing the big reveal of right here, tomorrow...so stay tuned. Not even gonna be modest about it, it's amazing (catch a sneak peak here if you gotta). I decided a while back that I wanted to create an art supply-themed tree and wreath. My students will also be creating art supply sculptures in the next couple of weeks. These here toilet paper tubes to paint tubes is one that I'm super excited about!

These can be ornaments, sculptures, additions to other projects, you name it! I have a BIG idea for this whole art supply sculpture project...but I don't wanna get ahead of myself (as I often do) so let me stick with the project at hand. You are gonna be amazed at how simple it is to create these bad boys! Check it out:

 That's right! All you need are the following:

* TP tube
* 4 Squares of 4" square plaster cloth
* 1 pingpong sized piece of Celluclay
* Paint and glitter

My students have been BEGGING to make these since I created the display at the start of the year. They've been collecting and bringing in TP and paper towel tubes like crazy. I think I might add this to their sculpturin' to-do list. To speed up the process, I'm thinking of having them make the sculptures, I'll spray paint them silver, they can add some painters tape to block out what is to remain silver and they can paint the colorful part. I think this will speed up the process and allow for greater success with painting neatly (which can be a struggle). My plan is to do this with either my third or fourth grade kiddos. I'm working on a sculpture art supply lesson for my 1-4th grade kids so stay tuned (and I would LOOOOVE to hear your ideas so please throw 'em my way!). 

 I have had this "plain" wreath outside my art room door for ages and, while it's super colorful and pretty, let's be honest, I HAD to decorate it. I mean, have you even met me? NOTHING gets past me without being bedazzled, tackified and/or decorated in some sort of sparkly, paint-splattery fashion. 

Y'all are gonna have so much fun making these. Please let me know if you and/or your students create some of these paint tubes!

 If I didn't already have my spray paint cans up on the wall, I'd be tempted to make bigger versions of these for a color theory display! 

I'll be sharing how I created the brush ornaments tomorrow when I do the tree reveal...be sure and pop back by!

 I will say, creating these has me LOVING and LIVING for some glitter...even if it is currently on every surface of our house. Including the cat. 

Oh and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I'm thankful for all y'all readers, sweet comments and just general love every single day. Thank you!

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DIY: Picket Fence to Color Gradation

 Hi. My name is Cassie Stephens and I cannot stop painting all thing things. Hide your kids, hide your wife, stash your cats and dogs. Me and my paint brushes are comin' for ya.

Y'all might remember some time ago, I created this Tints and Shade sign for my art room. Despite the fact that it looks kinda small in size, this picket fence thingie is actually about 3' across. Asha wanted to interrupt this blog post to share her adorable adorableness with you and provide a bit of scale: 

 If you've been hanging around this blog for a pinch, you know that I'm currently on a paint-all-the-wooden-thingies-found-at-the-craft-store bender. Just to give you an idea, I've painted letters...

A cabinet covered in paint stir sticks painted to look like pencils: 

And, probably the thing that started it all, the color wheel brushes:

And that's just the wooden stuff I've painted...I've also been on a redecorating bender and I can't seem to stop! I'm currently too lazy to link all of those posts...but just a quick scroll through my blog and you'll find some stuff. Lots of stuff. 

 Last night, I wasn't ready to go to bed...I'm on a week long Thanksgiving break, after all! It's party time! And, by "party time" I mean PAINT party time. I love late nights of watching movies and painting. Last night I watched Midnight in Paris (how is it that I had not seen that?! So good!) and started working on this bad boy.

I have Roy G. Biv decor coming out the WAH-FREAKIN'-ZOO in my art room (case in point here, here and here) so, as I painted this sign, I knew I didn't want another Roy G. Biv moment. We talk a lot about analogous colors and gradation so I thought that this sign would be perfect. I did toy with the idea of making a monochromatic sign...but that's pretty much what the tints and shade sign is. 

 This photo is simply here for you to admire this face. 

 The question I get every time I share something I plan to hang in my room is this: HOW DO YOU GET IT TO STAY ON THE WALL?! Yes, the age old art teacherin' question. Here's my trick: Command Velcro Strips. Get the ones that hold up to 16 lbs. This sign is heavy...and those strips work. I've been using them on everything and I've not had anything fall yet. 

 I am so enjoying redoing my art room. Having been in the same space for so many years, I just felt like it needed a fresh look. And it's making me happy and excited to work on it. The kids have fun coming in and noticing something new and different. Stay tuned for a BIG reveal on Friday...I'm so stoked about that one!

 This will hang in my art room near my tints and shade sign. I'll have to share a photo when it's up!

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In the Art Room: Sandra Silberzweig Chalk Selfies!

This is my second year to do this lesson with my third grade students and, even still, I'm amazed by the stunning results. And the kids are so super proud!

I created this lesson last year inspired by the artist Sandra Silberzweig. I LOVE her work and I know you will too. Here's the lesson video I created and used once again this year.

I'm not gonna lie: the devil is in the chalk brand details. The reason these colors are so vibrant is because I SWEAR by Faber-Castell's chalk. I stayed far away from chalk for many years because the colors were so stinkin' dull. But not these, they go on vibrant and stay that way. I cannot recommend them enough!

Also having that color wheel on hand helps tremendously. I found mine online after a quick google of "color wheels" and laminated one for each two kiddos. Our key word is analogous. They can't pronounce it but, by golly, they know what it means!

To seal, I'll hit these with a mist of hair spray. I like the dollar store variety...but do be careful. Sometimes it comes out in speckles and can leave that look on the kids' work. Nothing another thin layer of chalk wouldn't hide. 

We created these on 9" X 12" sheets of paper as that's the size of the frame for the Artome art show. I don't think I'd do this project much bigger...making black glue is not my favorite thing in the world. By the way, this year, I made mine with India ink instead of tempera paint. It seemed to work just as well and came out of the nozzle a lot easier.

I will say, I do believe my Rainbow Tree is starting to influence my artists! 

We most def won't be forgetting rainbow order any time soon!

And now for a ridiculous amount of colorful portraits! Sorry, I love each and every one, they are so stunning.

One thing I liked about this project is that even if the kids "mess up" during the black glue stage, it doesn't matter. I told them to keep going. If they finished one and were still unhappy with the glue, I allowed to do another. Then, on chalk days, they just picked their favorite and used the extra one as their back up paper.

We all have those perfectionists...I get it. But I'm not a fan of starting over 23 times...so I always require them to finish it out before starting again.

So looking forward to our art show! I'll keep you posted!

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In the Art Room: Spray Paint Wall Display!

As I've mentioned, I'm slowly "remodeling" my art room. I've been in this space for close to 15 years and I'm just so TIRED of looking at the same decor, store-bought posters, same hot -n- stinky messes. I'm super proud to say that I'm turning my life around (bwhahaha, let's be honest: no.) Okay, what I am doing is trying to get organized for the first time ever. And I feel like it's working and feelin' great BUT organizing is NOT my idea of a party. So, for that reason, I do have to hit the pause button every now and then and do something fun, wild and crazy (according to me, this is my idea of a good time, y'all!). Case in point: This new wall display!

So I've been spray painting and color coding nearly everything in my art room...I think that was fresh on my mind when I ventured into Michael's and spotted these 4" X 12" canvases. I scooped 'em up and immediately started painting them. That was on Monday. By Sunday, I had them up and the wall painted. Now, before y'all tell me how fast I work and question whether nor not I have some sort of time-freezing machine (that would be my super power, honestly!), lemme tell you what I DID NOT do last week: write up my lesson plan for an upcoming evaluation, clean the house, do laundry, fill the 30 glue bottles with black glue for 3rd grade and, oh, countless other things. Y'all wanna know where I find the time? It's by shirking all other adult-type duties. I'm simply a 12 year old in a 42 year old body.

 So whilst all y'all were cookin' home cooked meals, we were dining on hummus and crackers last week so I could crank these out. My hubs is a saint. Who really likes hummus, thank goodness. 

 What in the world was I thinking, spray painting my wall? I blame the paint fumes. I used acrylic paint on the walls...and plan to go over it with a sealer but not sure if it's necessary.

 I got labeled bins of art supplies FOR DAYS, y'all! So much happiness. Also, side note, I think I'm gonna extend my tape lines to the paint cans. I started to with the purple...and then found some other shiny object to fool with. You can read about the Color and Line Wall here. 

 Did I ask my admin if I could paint my wall? Nah, not really. I mean, I might have kinda "asked"...meaning I said something like, "I'm gonna paint my wall, just wanted to let you know." They, of course, were not at all surprised. 

 The kids sure were! They loved it so I count that as a win. Every time they come in my art room, it's something different. It's fun for us both.

 I was asked why I didn't just paint the cans on the wall also...great question. I have no answer other than I really liked those canvases! That size was super cute AND I do love the 3-D element of them popping out of the wall.

 Okay...now that this is complete, back to organizing. Insert unenthusiastic "yay" here. 

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In the Art Room: Charley Harper and van Gogh Mash Up!

Hey, friends! I'm excited to share this fun lesson that I've started with my sweet second grade kiddos. Before fall break, I had a couple of classes that were ahead of the pack so I decided to introduce them to Charley Harper (a fave of mine) and a little guided drawing. THEY LOVED IT! They were so excited about their wee raccoons that I decided to create a lesson from their drawings. Feel free to use this lesson in your art teacherin' and creating world...all I ask is that you give me a shout out when you share on your favorite social medial. This helps folks find their way back here to enjoy the lesson as well. 

 For this project, we are using a ton of different media! Here's what we are using:

* Faber-Castell Oil Pastels Full disclosure: I work with Faber-Castell frequently and create lessons for them using their supplies. That being said, I do enjoy their oil pastels for a couple of big reasons: they are sturdy. Unlike many other oil pastels I use, they don't break as often. They don't roll! I love that we aren't constantly chasing after them rolling off the tables. AND they are big...some oil pastels are very small and hard to hold for my students. Not to mention, they wear through them quickly. For all those reasons...and the fact that the colors are fabulous...I would definitely recommend these oil pastels.

* Brown Watercolor Paint This is for the light wash used on the raccoon.

* Texture Rubbing Plates or Burlap Don't have texture plates? Burlap makes for a great rubbing surface!

* Construction Paper I love Tru-Ray because the paper doesn't fade and seems stronger than most.

* Tempera Paint 

* Tempera Cakes My new favorite discovery: painting with tempera cakes on construction paper. Like, whut?! The colors stay true and I just love it! 

I will say this about my latest videos: I'm trying ot make them shorter. For my second grade, I only see them for 30 minutes so I need to keep instructional time brief. 

 Here's a breakdown of the lesson in 30 minute increments: 

Day #1: Drawing the raccoon together. After enjoying some fun Nat Geo videos about raccoons, of course!

Day #2: Light wash over raccoon and paint scrapping for the tree.

Day #3: Creating the sky background. Rubbing and painting with tempera cakes. 

Day #4: Assembling our collage!

 By the way, I am thinking of having each of my four second grade classes create a different woodland animal collage inspired by Harper. So stay tuned for more! I'll be certain to keep you posted on how these beauties turn out. 

 So far, so cute! And what a fun way to review the elements of art. 

 Sharing with the kids information about raccoons also got them inspired to create. I'm telling you, Nat Geo is where it's at!

One of my sweet students did tell me at the end of art class that her raccoon was "not my best work". Bless. The beauty of having a recorded video is that the kids can follow along and make another one the next art class! When drawing together, I very rarely let them start over...it's an important time to teach about a Beautiful Oops! And for them to let go of the notion that their artwork must be perfect. I always tell them that the following art class, if they are still unhappy, they can try again. Often times, they keep their original creation.

Can't wait to see these little bandits complete! 

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