A Fresh Coat of Paint: DIY Blog Design

Welcome back. You may notice that things are a bit different around here. Well, so am I after seven years of blogging, teaching, and connecting with you. It seemed time for a change, so I thought I would share my adventures in do-it-yourself blog redesign.

My original banner design is displayed below. I always enjoyed the filmstrip of images along the bottom edge, but after several years I felt that the earth tones I chose, and large self portrait were a little heavy. The portrait was also unnecessary since I have a profile pic on the sidebar. The typeface was a bit too modern next to the children's art. Don't get me wrong, I loved it all when I created it, but I wanted an overall design change which would be more youthful, fun and light.

Original banner design.

I'm a former art director, and my husband is a creative director, so we worked together to try out some new possibilities. First stop, FONTS! There are so many free options out there by great designers. Some can get downright kooky, or can be designed for too specific a purpose, so it can be a challenge to find one that reflects the feeling or message you want to convey. My home studio shares the name with my blog, so the typeface I chose had to work for both. Here are some of the contenders. I enjoyed how the texture within the script on the top left font was reminiscent of outer space, and the bottom right example omitted the counter space of the letter forms. The wordplay of 'space' lends itself to the My Adventures in Positive Space name.

Exploring new typefaces.

Next we added color to the title and newer images of my student's art. I also wanted to show some little hands at work. We played with a collage of colored blocks and pieces of art layered on a grid format. We tried a color scheme closer to my original blog design, then a more multi colored approach, and later tried scaling back to just two strong colors. I loved the ceramic bird as part of the logo, but eventually stuck with the filmstrip concept I used originally for the remainder of the art elements. 

A working layout.

A layout with color changes.

My favorite experience during the design process was when my thirteen year-old daughter joined us as we were exploring different elements and layouts. The ceramic bird was a keeper. It is playful and the blue Twisteezwire legs mimic the color and fluid lines of the logo. My daughter though, she took one look at that bird and made it sing. She said, "Mom, the bird should be smiling. And you should make it looking down at the name and the art." It went from playful to magical. I love it like crazy now! I was amazed at her instinct for visual nuance, combined with her young outlook. Thank you Amelia.

 What do you think? Have you added or created anything new for your blog or website lately? Is it time for a fresh coat of paint? Happy Spring!

NAEA Convention 2017

The 2017 National Art Education Association Convention came to NYC this month, and since it's only a train ride away I was able to attend. I highly recommend that you participate in an NAEA Convention if you can. I've only been able to go when it hits NYC. The cost of plane fare, hotels and such can be quite a bit, and I'm still in a part-time position (sigh), BUT— if you can go, DO IT! 

Here is my Top Ten List of favorite experiences at the 2017 convention, in no particular order. Share yours with me in the comments below.

1: The Commute! Okay, commuting isn't the greatest. But commuting for a few days to go out and have new experiences is a lovely change of pace. There is a great big world out there, and getting out of the day to day is a welcome change. I commuted with a colleague one morning, and a couple of times with my husband, who has been commuting to work for years now day in and day out. It gave me a renewed appreciation for all he does. Thank you Matt! By the way, can you tell that I love the Prisma app?

The morning commute with my husband Matt.

2: New Ideas! One of the workshops I attended was all about the Post Modern Elements of Art, and how to incorporate them into lessons along with Color, Shape, Line and so on. Ever try an Elements of Art sandwich? 

 Thanks Rahama Junaid, Karolina Maroulis, and Meghan Cerrone for a great lecture!

3: The Energy! There is something about being the one lonely art teacher at a school, or the handful in a district, and getting the opportunity to meet up with thousands of them in a great city, with activities, learning, exhibits, and incredibly knowledgeable speakers. For all of the times we feel shuffled around, or out of place in professional development that is great for a school system overall, but not so much for an art educator, this is the place to be! It is downright revitalizing!

 Waiting for prizes at the art supply raffle. So many winners!

Crowds waiting to see a workshop/lecture.

 
 4: The Sense of Community! Ever hang out with a few thousand art teachers? It is wonderful. Well, okay, it was crowded! But amidst the crowds and on-again off-again chaos, I had so many lovely conversations with teachers from all over the country who shared their love of education, the arts, and the stories of how they traveled to take part in this year's convention. All of my encounters were open and kind. That is worthy of a mention on a top ten list!

5: Art Teacher Celebrities! We are a small niche in the education world, and even smaller in the the world at large, but we have our celebrities don't we? I had a wonderful time attending workshops by Laura Lohmann of Painted Paper Art and Cassie Stephens, and got to say hi! Can I just say, that these two ladies were so gracious and kind. I volunteered quite a few times to act as photographer for attendees who just had to have a picture of themselves getting to meet Cassie and Laura, and each time they said yes to requests, were kind and gave a big old smile. On the second day I asked Cassie how she was holding up, and she mentioned that her cheeks were hurting, and I said, "That's a good problem to have!" I actually didn't ask for picture myself until the last day. Thanks ladies! You were an amazing part of this year's convention.

 

6: Sharing Great Art Lessons! There were many hands-on workshops and lectures about best practices, pedagogy, and the like, but frankly my favorites are where fellow teachers share their art lessons. And as much as I like the access to each other online, being in a room face-to-face, having a back and forth, and getting a sense of each teacher's style and personality is simply wonderful. 

One of my favorite presentations was Change it Up: 30 Art Lessons in 50 Minutes. Julia and Evangeline conveyed a great sense of their experience, an upbeat attitude, and had an awesome rapport with the attendees and each other. And I took away inspiration to try something new, tweak things I currently teach, and to revisit some lessons that have been left to the wayside. 

Thanks Julia Healy and Evangeline Christodoulou for your energy!

Fabulous blogger Phyl from There's a Dragon in my Art Room gave a workshop explaining her magical toothpaste batik techniques, with samples of each step of the process, and a funny and cozy atmosphere. It could have been that the room was packed! Lol! Nice to see you again Phyl.
 

Thanks Phyl Brown for your Tootpaste Batik Workshop.

My absolute favorite was Fabulous, Fun Folk Art, which was facilitated by Laura Lohmann, Cassie Stephens, Ginger Pacer at Paintbrush Rocket, and Jennifer Alvarado. For the elementary level educators out there, go find info about this presentation. I'm pretty sure each of these women have shared on their blogs etc. all about it!

7: Art Supplies! It is always fun to see the vendors in the Exhibitor's Hall. I worked in art supply retail through my college years (when there were still mom and pop stores), and have always loved trying new products and chatting up sales reps. They are so generous with their time, and usually have samples, sales and 'make and take' experiences to share with all of us. I appreciate them all! Two of my favorites this year were Jack Richeson and Sakura.

Trying out various tempera paints.

Making a masterpiece with oil pastels.

8: Exhibits! There were many unexpected exhibits and displays on view as I walked around to visit the exhibitors hall, workshops and lectures.The Paper, but not Paper exhibit by YMM Art Space Students was incredible to see.

I also saw a collection of giant pages from the book Color New York: 20 Views to Color in by Hand by Emma Kelly, complete with materials to spend a few minutes helping to color them in. So much fun!

 

9: The Sights! Even growing up as someone who has lived and worked in and around New York City, it is s a fabulous place to visit. This year's convention was down the street from The Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, Central Park and more. Including an experience in the host city is a must, or at least go out and take a walk! Here are some pictures snapped during my walks up from Penn Station:

 
10: Reflection... Train rides home each night gave me to time to quiet my mind, and reflect on the experiences of the day. Some of the NJ commute is less than idyllic, but having that quiet time is necessary after a day of so much input and stimulation.

If you can't swing a trip to a National convention, be a part of your state association. Form a group with your colleagues in your county or district. Maybe you've found one amazing colleague that supports you and shares with you. Stick with them and give them a thank you! And if you move far enough along in confidence and experience, pass that support onto others. 

And don't forget the power of teachers who blog, and share on social media! I know that blogs are more effort to seek out, read, write, and keep up, but I still feel that they are a great resource and community, so thanks for stopping in when you do! The pace of technology is amazing.

Next year's NAEA is in Seattle and will be hard for me to swing, but 2019 is in Boston, so I hope to see you there!

Book Review: Sharpie Art Workshop for Kids

Do you use Sharpies in the art room? They can be a great component of so many art projects, from informal doodles, to elaborate long-term drawing projects. A friend and fellow blogger, the amazing art teacher Kathy Barbro at Art Projects for Kids has just released a wonderful book titled Sharpie Art Workshop for Kids, in which she shares a multitude of art lesson ideas using these awesome markers!

The featured projects could serve as a great jumping-off point for a more experienced art teacher, or a great beginning for someone who home schools, or just wants to get more creative time in with their kids. Kathy begins with the basics of color theory, the elements of art, and things to have in a well stocked art room. She takes advantage of the fact that Sharpies can be used on many surfaces, and creates projects on canvas, cardboard, tin cans, CD cases and more. She also draws inspiration from animals, world cultures, and art history.

You can find this amazing item wherever cool art books are sold, like here at Amazon! Make sure you take a peek inside to see projects, supplies, and templates. This is a great addition to the art room library.

Thanks Kathy for sharing a copy for me to review here at Positive Space! Congratulations on being published.

Art Teacher Finds: Spokane Schools!

A few weeks ago, my family and I traveled to Washington state for a long overdue visit with family. We flew into Spokane International Airport, and I received the best welcome an art teacher could hope for! As we walked wearily jet-lagged from a full day of flying, we noticed some large glass display cases up ahead.

 As we got closer, I could see that the top of the cases read "Artwork by our Students" and "Spokane Public Schools." Inside were wonderful pieces made by middle school students: sculptures, altered books, collages and more.

Thank you to the middle school students of Spokane Schools, and to their art teachers! And thank you to the Spokane community for sharing the art of your children with all of us weary travelers. A little recognition for the arts goes a long way!

Ceramic Cactus Gardens & Frida Kahlo

These ceramic cactus gardens were inspired by Hope Knight at Mrs. Knight's Smartest Artists. It was a wonderful project for My 5th graders, as it puts their prior knowledge of coils, pinch pots, attaching pieces through the score and slip method, and glazing to good use.

I wanted to tie the cactus project into another lesson, since on the east coast we don’t live in the desert. Its not an easy 'connection to nature' experience for my kids, unless you count a vacation etc. I wasn’t sure about it until I visited a wonderful exhibit of Frida Kahlo’s work, and the re-creation of her gardens and outdoor studio at the New York Botanical Garden that I knew exactly how I wanted to proceed. We began by looking at the works of Frida Kahlo, and how she included her love of the natural world into her paintings, and her life at La Casa Azul. 

Our first work day was spent creating coil pinch pots, which the children could make into various shapes. Then into baggies with their name/class until next time. The second class I demonstrated some basic cactus forms, and a simple bloom. They worked on their plants, and into a second baggie they went. The final steps were to attach the cacti to the bottom of the pots, to draw or carve details to the plant life and container, and to add gravel to the bare areas around the base of the plants. They could glaze their pieces with realistic or non-realistic colors, but had to use at least three!

To display the gardens at school, I was inspired by the Aztec-inspired pyramid which was a prominent feature of her garden. So I backed the display case with blue paper, and pictures of Frida Kahlo, her work and gardens.

 

Then to create the pyramid, which gave the exhibit some nice height, I just covered some copy paper boxes with yellow bulletin board paper, and there you have it! Aztec pyramid!

Art Teacher Finds: Postage Stamps!

I dropped by my local post office recently to pick up a few books of stamps, and guess what was one of my options to purchase? These beautiful papel picado designs! Aren't they awesome? 

The stamps are actually titled Colorful Celebrations, but I exclaimed: 

"Oh, I want the papel picado please!" The clerk asked, "What?" 
"Papel Picado... that's Spanish for cut paper. The cut paper designs, please." I replied.  "You speak Spanish? I've never heard of that. How did you know?" The clerk was still a bit puzzled. "I'm an art teacher. My students learn about these designs." I said. "Ohhhhhh! Nice. Thanks for telling me about them." So stamp purchase, and mini art lesson accomplished!

Finding Time for Myself: Ceramics

 

Glazes: Buttermilk, Oxblood. Reduction firing.

Taking time for myself is something that usually falls by the wayside. It happens to us all, right? Life can be so busy. Well, after trying to find the the time, money and inclination to do something for myself, my wonderful husband pushed me to finally stretch my creative muscles in a way I haven't for such a long time! I have been taking ceramics classes on the wheel at the New York/New Jersey Academy of Ceramic Art in Jersey City. It has been a wonderful experience, and a great way to gain personal and professional development as an art educator.

One of my first pieces, set out to dry.

Working in this professional studio has given me a renewed appreciation for the qualities of clay, the importance of care and cleanliness in the work space, in taking time to work at improving my skills and abilities, and in making creative choices and seeing where they lead me.

Preparing to glaze finished pieces.

It has also been a refreshing change in my ceramics experiences, as working with children in the elementary art room has its own unique challenges, and outcomes. I love when children get to have clay experiences, as for many it may be the only time in life that they have the opportunity. And creating a coil pot, a bowl, or a statue can be a pretty magical experience! Here are my magical experiences shown below, with notes on glazes and firing. 

Glazes: Rutile Blue, Teadust Temmoku. Oxidation firing.

Glazes: Randy's Oribe, Charlie Black. Oxidation firing.

Glazes:Oatmeal, and wax resist. Oxidation firing.

Glazes: Pink Shino. Reduction firing.

Glazes: Mamo White, Blue Ying Ching. Oxidation firing.

Glazes: Davis Red Shino, Academy Mix. Reduction firing.

Glazes: Hamada Green, Randy's Oribe. Reduction firing.

Glazes: Thick White Shino, Oxblood. Reduction firing.

Glazes: Davis Red Shino. Oxidation firing.

Glazes: Iron Oxide, Rutile Blue, Lapis Blue. Oxidation firing.

None of these pieces are perfect, but I love them all. And since taking the time to pursue this art, I breathe a little easier, see pictures in the clouds again and feel like a working artist and student. Teachers should be life long learners after all. Special thanks to my teacher, Frank Bosco. I am so grateful for your knowledge and guidance, and all of my experiences in your wonderful studio!