A December Gift

Click here for the image above

Thursday night we had a #k12ArtChat that highlighted Empathy and Kindness (click here to see the questions asked). It was a well attended and active chat and I was so happy to be hosting the discussion.  I was with my (online) Tribe. Always a good place to be. In all the fun, I forgot to share a gift I made for you... any of you.  In the book, Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in this All-About-Me World, by Michele Borba, a suggestion of a digital reminder of kindness was given.  Borba said to encourage kindness, Placing an image on your screen saver is a good idea, so I created a screensaver to share with you. Please feel free to share it with anyone you want... It's my gift to you! Happy Holidays!

Here are just some of the discussion from the chat the other night... 

I posted this, inspired by my principal, Kari Sampson.

The first day of the calendar suggests that we share the participation in this project! Allow me to do so... I invite you to print this out, place it on your desktop for the month, or just read through it for inspiration! Lot's of people have retweeted and are participating.  Share your actions on Social Media hashtag it #HappierWorld... or even Tag @actionhappiness.  Allow me to celebrate your actions too by tagging me @MiniMatisse in it or our #K12ArtChat. Sometimes the change we want to see in our classroom must start with a change in yourself! Allow this activity to help focus you on Kindness this holiday season.

What do I Need for ART?

How do you communicate to the whole school what supplies are needed for art class?  Well one way might be to post a board outside your room.  I'm really happy with this new way of taking on this task of communication.  First let me talk about how I made this sign so cool look'n. 

Bubble wrap!  I know... Genius!  So after I added liquid watercolors over the artwork, I let it dry resting on the bubble wrap.  I think you want to have the paper on the top so it can air out and dry.  It gave a fun little texture anyhow :)

I put push pins in the wall to hold the clip boards.  I think this will be nice to have something so easily changeable.  I don't always have the best handwriting for new readers so the fact that I will have these pre printed is a good thing. I used contact paper to hold the numbers and sign on.  I started out with some generic signs that I will have up whenever I don't need the kids to bring toolboxes, or paint shirts.  The teachers plan on sending a student to my room to view the sign before art so the kids come prepared.  I think it will work great as long as I am consistent. 

Drawing a Half Face

I had so much fun wrapping up the year with my 7th grade with this fun drawing project.  They drew a 'half-face' self portait.  I think I did something like this in high school and I have taught high school kids this lesson too.  What I like about this lesson is it give kids confidence.  I like taking baby steps to drawing.  This project is all about value and blending with a pencil and blending stump.  Many of the  kids found great success with this lesson.  Please see many other project samples by visiting my flickr site.

Also at the bottom is a video of this lesson.  Feel free to use the video in class.  If you site it on your blog, please site this post.  Thanks!

Feel free to watch and even show you class the video for this project.  If you use it, send me an image or two from you class.  I would love to see any changes you make to this fun project.  Here is the link to the youtube video.

Art and Technology

This is me, Nic Hahn... So ready to present to you today:)
Welcome!!

Art and Technology

I am presenting at Art Camp for Art Educators today.  I will be asking teachers to log onto my blog to get the directions for the presentation today.  Feel free to browse through the presentations that I will be speaking on today.

Art Camp Participants,

To start out the session, please complete the form below.



If you would like to follow along with my presentation on QR codes, please do so, (click here)
If you would like to follow along with my presentation on Stop Motion Animation (click here)

Thank you so much for coming today.  Please feel free to contact me via blog (MiniMatisse.blogspot.com) or email (nichole.hahn@elkriver.k12.mn.us).

The Perfect Tool for the Job!

Pinterest comes through again!!!

Really, how did I ever have any ideas before pinterest:)  I found this lovely tool pinned by someone and had to have it!  Take a look, this $30.00 wooden tool saves so much on time and energy.  Wish I would have had this when I was teaching the elementary kids and had 650 students at a time.  This still helps with my 150 that I have now:)  Check it out for yourself!  (click here)

Fall Conferences

I tried something new for conferences this year.  I had conferences two nights this year and the first night I was amazed at the endless amount of students and parents that came to visit me.  It was wonderful.  I felt bad for the lines however.  The second night I made a table in the hallway for siblings and waiting families.  I had my 8th grade place scribbles on the table and fill a couple spaces up with zentangels.  I left a short explanation of what zentangles are as well as a couple of step by step packets on the table top as well.  There was an array of colored pencils for participants to use.  It was fun to see the art the families made.  I saw it used through out the night.

CBS Sunday Morning

I posted a lesson earlier inspired by Chuck Close.  Here is one of the video's I played for the kids.    I have found so many GREAT videos featuring artist from Sunday Morning Show.  I know this means I'm old that I love to watch Charles Osgood every Sunday morning, but so be it!  You will be amazed at some of the artist, actors, and musicians that they have covered.  GREAT resource!

MIA… What a Great Place for Teachers!

Great images and teacher guide from the MIA for the Day of the Dead.  I visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art on a regular basis and many of my students have also have the opportunity to do so too.  But if you are not from Minnesota and perhaps don't know of this Museum… it's worth checking out.  They send out emails with GREAT teacher resources and have a wonderful website with their collection.