Antsy Pants

It seems that at Christmas and Valentine's Day, I snip a lot of white 3D pieces. My black and white illustrations get put by the way side for a while.  So this weekend I've been inspired to return to the black and white snips.

Here's what I came up with tonight. 

It's based on an elementary art lesson that I found online the other day.   That lesson was based on a work by Saul Steinberg.  I never found an image of that particular piece of his, but I loved the student work that Ms. Butler posted that was based on it.  I taught the lesson to my fourth graders and they loved it.

My snip is of an underground tunnel system for ants.  They are in all sorts of rooms doing ant things.  Cooking.  Sleeping.  Reading.  Primping.  Using the potty.  I had fun snipping it.

I actually enjoyed the drawings that my students did too.  They were funny and nicely done.  The kids didn't necessarily do ants.  There were all sorts of critters doing funny things.  I should have given them either two classes to do the work or used smaller paper.  I'll know next time.

Here's my own work in progress. 

 

scherenschnitte 5" x 7"

The Screamer

Today when I contemplated a subject for a snip, the first thing that popped into my mind was a little fellow that I teach.  The night before his class comes to art, he often haunts my dreams.  When I wake the next morning, my first waking thought is that I will be teaching his class that day.  Those thoughts may or may not be accompanied by a plaintive wail. 

Scherenschnitte 5"x7"

Inspired by Marc Chagal

 These are block tempera paintings done by  my fifth graders.  It was based on an old lesson from my county's art curriculum.  The original lesson was a chalk drawing inspired by Marc Chagal.  My room this year is teensy weensy, and just not a good space for chalk.  (Think along the lines of me breathing chalk all day for a couple of weeks.)  So, we painted instead.

The kids discussed abstract art and what Chagal might have been thinking about when he painted "I and the Village" and several other pieces.  They then had to list people, places and ideas that were important to them.  Next, they represented those things in an abstract manner with symbols.  I directed them to break up the spaces with overlapping shapes.  They drew the work in Sharpie first, the filled in the color with block tempera.  I am pleased with the results, even more than I was with the chalk drawings.

Valentines

It's that time of year.  I love cutting these.

Steiner School

What is a Steiner School? from Goat on Vimeo.


I am going to day dream of what it must be like to teach someplace like this.  It feels really right to me.

(I picked up this link on the blog, The Magic Onions.)

Es Glantz und Glitzert

This is a vintage book that I bought on eBay.  I had entered a search for "scherenschnitte" and "book."  This was the only book that showed up that looked interesting to me. The amount I bid on it was so small that I felt I could overlook the fact that all the directions were written in German.  (I do not speak German.)

The book  contains tissue paper patterns for Christmas tree ornaments and a nativity scene.  It also came with gold foil covered cardstock in the shape of stars.  I have a suspicion that it originally came with plain gold cardstock from which you were supposed to cut the ornaments and nativity.  

I am curious to see what these things look like as finished pieces so I am trying to figure out how to cut and form a few of them.  The illustrations are relatively clear.  Thank goodness.  I've tried using an online translator with the directions.  Here's the level of clarity I got from that:  "The Aufhangen of the angel figure happens on a Drahtchen, which is pushed under the Flugelbindung (Fig. c)."  Holy Moses.

The only foil paper that I have is very thin, but I used it anyway.  Then, I tried to put it together as shown in the illustrations.  

I'd like to find something more along the lines of the cardstock that was intended to be used.  As the angel is right now, she's floppy and delicate.  It would be nice to see the author's real intent for these pieces.

Hand Work in the New Year

My only real resolution this year was to do something creative every day. I actually have been pretty good about my goal. I just haven't blogged about it.

I've done a lot of crocheting. None of it has been very complicated, but its been pleasurable. I've made a lot of dish cloths and fingerless gloves.  I don't have to follow a pattern to make them and they are good for using up a lot of my scrap yarn.

Around the holidays I made a concerted effort to get rid of 100 things. Anything was fair game, large or small.   There were lots of odds and ends that were easy to part with, but when I pulled out my old piano keyboard, I just couldn't let it go. My daughter learned how to play piano on this keyboard 25 years ago and it still worked.

Every now and then I've pulled it out and plunked around on it. I can play by ear, but I would expect it isn't the most pleasant sound for anyone else who might hear it. So, I decided that I would learn how to play it properly this year.

Taking lessons from someone after work seemed inconvenient so I bought a book and video training system for learning at my own pace. Self motivated learning suits me well, and I have been diligent about practicing.

After playing the old keyboard for a few days, I discovered that the old girl had developed a few irritating glitches, so the purchase of a new one followed immediately.   It arrived two days after I ordered it, so I didn't miss much practice time.  MY how these things have improved in a quarter century! Wow!  The sound that comes from this new keyboard makes the practice so much more pleasant, as I don't sound as much like I'm playing on a kid's toy.

I'm enjoying my hand work goal this year, and wish I had more hours in a day to do it.

The story of an Artist - Daniel Johnston (with lyrics)

I happened across this video of an odd artist named Daniel Johnston. I know nothing about him but my curiosity is piqued. (peaked?) So, I'm off to Wikipedia to check him out..........

Well, no I'm not. I forgot Wikipedia is down in protest to SOPA. They do however, have a great way to communicate with your Congressman regarding the issue.

So anyway, Daniel Johnston will have to wait.

BTW....don't get this confused with my Art Room Video site in which I prescreen videos for classroom use. This video has a couple of nudie drawings in it. Since I have a couple of years left until retirement, I wouldn't touch nudies in the classroom with a ten foot pole.

Boy, does that sound weird.

Grandma's Kitchen

Among my favorite memories of my grandmothers and my mother, are those that center around the kitchen.  One grandmother was an amazing cook whose melt in your mouth food was country cooking at its best.  The other grandmother and my mom weren't great cooks, but they did let me linger in the kitchen with them and learn the basics.  

This is a tiny painting I made about 15 years ago of my Grandmother and Grandfather in their country kitchen.  My memories of the goings on in their kitchen are vivid and warm.   I especially remember waking up to the sound of the cows outside and the butter churn inside.   I remember the huge production of grape juice and jelly making with my cousins.  I remember watching with amazement both the cake batter and the very bowl itself moving around under Grandma's ancient  standing mixer. There were wooden spoons and antique bowls.  There were cans of bacon grease and pitchers of real, raw milk.  Fresh eggs.  Fresh meat.  Homemade butter.  Mmmmmmm.......

I want to create lots of warm kitchen memories with my own granddaughter.  Whenever we are together, we cook.  Holidays together are spent doing the stereotypical kitchen things.  Easter eggs at spring visits.  Crabs at summer visits.  Sugar cookies at Christmas.  "Hattie's soup"....campfire cooking.....  I hope she has as vivid and warm memories of cooking with me as I have with my own beloved mothers.

Goals

Hey!  Happy new year!  I've been thinking a lot about my blog, but I haven't gotten much beyond the thought. 

I made goals for myself in the new year.  One was that I was going to do something creative every day.  That's not too hard when your job is in the arts!  But I do mean for that to be a creative act outside of my everyday job.  I've done a little snipping so far and a lot of crocheting.

This snip actually has two separate designs.  In one direction it shows one design and when it turns, you see the other.  Unfortunately, in all the shots I took in my window, I only have this view.  The other view can only be seen in the pictures I took with a heinous sparkly red background.  After I took a bunch of those shots, I thought I was done.  Then I looked at them and hated them.  Then I got stuck and couldn't manage to do anything else with those shots.  Here they are.  You can see the sides of the snip in these. 

 My goals for the year haven't been too specific, but then, it will be easier to be successful that way.