A Cupcake Party: An Introduction to Wayne Thiebaud

I am a 3-D artist.  I went to school to study ceramics.  I was the studio tech for both the ceramic and sculpture studios.  My 3-D skills have led to me remodeling sections of my home and building furniture for it. It is what I am passionate about. I love the tactile touch and ability to manipulate materials to create.  Because 3-D art and the process of making 3-D work is so important to me it is something I want my students to experience.

I have been teaching for three years now.  Most of the art teachers I have met along the way have had a 2-D background as their focus.  Even when I was in my art ed cohorts my peers were mainly 2-D students.  I would be begged by my peers and professors to create lessons to present and share that were sculptural or clay based.  I didn't mind sharing those ideas that I had but I always felt like I was being jipped because I wanted experience teaching a 2-D lesson prior to teaching in the classroom.

As I got into my first classroom (I shared it with the Mandarin teacher, so it wasn't really mine yet.  I got the room to myself the second year I was at that school which made a huge difference in my teaching) I felt absolutely panicked.  I'd been making pots most of my college career with a sprinkling of painting, drawing, printing making, and color theory here and there. I can draw and paint but it always felt like this foreign land to me. So I sent emails to peers, scoured Pinterest, and eventually dug my way out of the resources to develop lessons that were solid. Not all my lessons were successful.  Some failed because of extenuating circumstances and outside factors.  I had lessons that had been fantastic, yielding beautiful work and a classroom of engaged learners in the rural, middle part of Michigan but were complete flops in the urban setting of Detroit.  I had lessons that crashed and burned because students weren't at the developmental level that I had expected them to be.  But while I was testing out lessons and getting a feel for teaching art, I noticed just how expensive 3-D materials are!  It all made sense to me now, looking back at my elementary and high school art experience.  We created mainly 2-D projects to save money.  I admit paper is expensive but you can service a lot more students for the same price as clay and glazes for one project.  Even tools are expensive. This was something I never really thought about while in college.

Which brings me to my focus here, I'm now teaching elementary art.  I did some pre-internship work at the elementary level and subbed for two weeks in an elementary art room but that was the end of my art teaching experience.  Prior to my new job, I was teaching middle school art 2 miles outside of Detroit starting right after I graduated. My student teaching experience was even at the high school level.  I did have some experience running a before school care program for K-5 students where we did arts and crafts but that was different from a classroom setting.  The students had a different mindset, even I had a different mindset.  So now that I have been teaching elementary art, I've had to step back frequently and think about all the skills one must have mastered to use a stapler, roll paper, and measure with a ruler.  Basic skills that I have taken for granted as an adult, artist, and previous middle school art teacher.  This frequent reflection I feel has helped improve my teaching.  I feel like my learning targets are more easily managed by students and my process of giving directions has improved as well.

So all of this comes together with my last project before the New Year with my students.  My birthday is Christmas; December 25th, 1987.  Every year I look back at previous birthdays and holiday experiences and I always seem to remember being forgotten, having to do extra chores to get the house ready for guests (though my siblings didn't have to work at all on their birthdays), or being given one gift to service both occasions .  Even Ben, my soon-to-be husband forgot my birthday while we were dating one year and bought me a bag of M&Ms...very romantic to say the least.  I feel a little childish knowing that these experiences still bother me.  I mean, at 26 I should be over this by now right? But I'm not.  So this year I decided that I was going to teach a lesson that celebrated my birthday and it was going to be a 3-D lesson. What better way to celebrate my existence than doing something I love with the students I enjoy so much...plus kids are always so excited!

I made a quick presentation on Google Drive about Wayne Thiebaud for the class with lots of images.  My three months of teaching elementary art has taught me to keep my talking short and not to overload them with facts like middle and high school students.  We discussed a little about Wayne Thiebaud and looked at his paintings.  I told the class about my birthday situation and how I wanted to throw a party for myself at school so my students could be part of that celebration.  This made them all excited.  We created cupcake sculptures modeled after Thiebaud's Four Cupcakes of 1971.  I did see a lesson similar to this at the Michigan Art Education Association Conference this past November, but I didn't spend the money on the fancy frosting ($14 for about a pint of foamy paint--not going to go far if you have a class of 27) I just made my own.  The recipe is at the bottom of this page!

This was my first 3-D lesson with my students and they did a great job following procedures and rules  while making their art, especially with it being the week of winter break.  The first day I taught it, I hadn't anticipated the students having such a difficult time stapling bulletin board boarders on a cup.  I spent a lot of my time stapling for them.  This caused a way more down time for some students, which could have been problematic, but I was impressed with how they entertained themselves and kept from causing trouble (they drew faces on people they found in the newspaper we were using).  Other than that it went smoothly.  I went home that night, trying to figure out how I could improve the lesson so there wasn't so much free time for some students.  My solution: I implemented stations.  I made a name writing and teacher code station, a stapling station, a cupcake stuffing station, the frosting station, and a candle and sprinkles station.  For students that finished early, I found a How to Draw Olaf in 12 easy steps and posted it on the board and made that the last thing they could do.  Class went super smoothly, the room wasn't as messy as the day before and I wasn't worried about students causing trouble because they all wanted to draw Olaf.

When finished, I setup all the cupcakes in a display case outside of the library for all to see.  People loved them and were amazed at the supplies we used.  It was a real great moment for me to hear how excited the younger kids and parents were when they walked by.  I definitely feel like I'm making a place for myself at this school. It was very exciting for me to see how all the cupcakes turned out.  Some of them, I thought, looked pretty legit and almost edible.

Below you'll find a basic lesson plan format and the recipe for the frosting.  I hope this inspires you with your own projects and classroom.

Happy dabbling.

Faux Frosting Recipe

Title: A Cupcake Party: An Introduction to Wayne Thiebaud
Grade: 3-4                Class Periods: 1- 60 minute Class

Elements of Design: Form, Color, and Texture
Principles of Design: Emphasis, Movement, and Contrast

Materials & Resources:
Previous student work                                                        Teacher demonstration/work          
9oz or 5oz   Plastic Cups                                                    Images of Thiebaud's Work
Construction Paper Scraps (Various Colors)                  Scrap Bulletin Board Boarders
Staplers                                                                                Staples
Glue                                                                                       Scissors
Newspaper                                                                           Tape
Paint                                                                                      Shaving Cream
Sharpie                                                                                 Hole Punchers

Objectives: 

• The student is able to describe and identify a sculpture. 
• The student can create a sculpture utilizing form and texture.
• The student has an introductory knowledge of Wayne Thiebaud and Pop Art.  

Learning Activities:  1 Day Project

1. Show and discuss Wayne Thiebaud's artwork along with basic Pop Art and sculpture information.
2. Students  should write their name on the bottom of their plastic cup in Sharpie. 
3. Have students staple and fold the bulletin board boarders around the base of the cup.  The cup should be hidden by the boarder to create the look of a cupcake wrapper. 
4. The students should drizzle a little bit of glue on the inside of the cup.  Emphasize the importance of putting glue on the bottom and side walls of the cup to ensure the newspaper will stick. 
5. Crumple up a ball of newspaper, about the size of a softball and stick it in the cup so the top puffs out just a little.  If you can get the newspaper smooth on the top, it will make hiding the newspaper easier.
6. Apply the faux frosting to the top of the newspaper.  Emphasize the creation of texture to make it look like real frosting.  
7. Students can use hole punchers to create sprinkles from the scrap pieces of construction paper.  Students can also roll construction paper to create a candle if they wish.
8. Set aside to dry for at least a day and then display.

Assessment:

4.0 - The student understands and can make a sculpture utilizing form and texture without help.            They can help another student or teach a friend.

3.0- The student understands and can make a sculpture utilizing form and texture with minimal            help from the teacher. 

2.0- The student needs help from the teacher to make a sculpture utilizing form and texture.                 The student needs assistance when identifying and describing a sculpture.  

1.0- The student is dependent on help from the teacher to complete a sculpture utilizing form               and texture.  The student needs assistance when identifying and describing a sculpture.   

0.0-  The student is unable to create a sculpture utilizing form and texture even with a teacher's           help.  The student does not understand nor can they identify and describe a sculpture.

Fireplace Update: An Ambitious Task

I have to be one of the worst people at judging how long a project is going to take me.  When I go to glaze all my bisque ware I estimate it that it will take me three to four hours tops and usually I will be eight hours in and almost half way done.  Even when I decided to take our small kitchen table and refinish it one summer.  Ben, unknowingly said that a new look for the table would be wonderful, especially since I told him it would be a weekend project, three days max.  And nine days later, our table was returned to the kitchen.  Thankfully, I chose to do that in the summer so we were able to use our patio table to eat on instead.

Original fireplace.

So this time, I suggested we change the facade of our fireplace in our new home.  Now when I say fireplace, I really mean the whole wall.  We bought our home in July and this was one thing that I was eager to get done.  I truly thought it would take about two weekends to complete.  Well, we started this project in mid-October and so very close to finishing it now. Part of the reason it took us so long is that we only have a few tools and had to rely on family to borrow the ones we needed to complete this project.  As first time home buyers we're still trying to furnish our house (we have several empty rooms and rooms that need more purposeful furniture) and really didn't think much about buying and collecting tools the last few years. So we had to wait a week or so before we were able to borrow and buy all the materials.  This is where a lot of my time has been spent when not working on school stuff.

Demolish to current state.

So as you can see, our fireplace was pretty as it came with the house, however, I just felt it could be better.  Ben believed me and trusted me with my vision.  It took about two weeks to get the entire thing built and painted.  Which looking back at it, hasn't been so bad, just messy in the house.  The last few things we have left are tiling the fireplace, adding doors to the bottom half of the bookcases and touching up just a few areas with paint.  Ben and I are still collecting tile samples.  My first vision was to use a medium sized subway tile that was a dark matte gray, but after searching high and low and the few tile samples I had delivered, we've declared that that isn't the best option. Our current tile consideration is a rectangular soft,white and gray swirled marble. My current goal is to complete this project before Thanksgiving, but as I look at my calendar I think we'll be completing it on Thanksgiving break.  I just can't wait to decorate it for the Holidays!

Hopefully I'll be able to show you completed pictures soon!

Happy dabbling!

Artprize: 3rd & 4th Grade Field Trip

During October, I chaperoned one of the field trips for my third and fourth grade students.  We attended Artprize!  For those of you who don't know what Artprize is, it is an event held by the city of Grand Rapids where different businesses and their properties become art venues.  Both indoor and outdoor properties are transformed as artists from all over Michigan, the United States, and globe  apply to compete in this art competition.  Artists apply in the early spring and businesses choose the art they like best.  In past years, the winning artists and artwork have been solely chosen by public vote, however, Artprize has slowly gone away from just the public vote and has added a judging section by critics/artists in the field.  To learn more about Artprize, please follow the link attached.

Our Artprize bag and pages from the program.

It had been a number of years since I had been able to view and participate in the events of Artprize.  In fact, my first and last time time now had been the very first Artprize in 2008, 6 years ago.  Art prize has been great for the community of Grand Rapids and is huge aspect pride for the community.  This year was the first year, according to my docent, that Artprize had Educational Days where schools could sign up for a special arts activity.  This years activity was set at St. Cecilia, a music center with gorgeous architecture and stage. In addition to the activity, the students and teacher's each received a drawstring Artprize backpack, a color changing ruler, mini colored pencils, an Artprize bracelet, silly bands, and an activity drawing program that coincided with the performance the students witnessed. I copied a couple of the inserts from the program. The students used the whole thing, many having wonderfully creative starts to fantastic artwork.

One student drawing on stage to the music.

The artwork being presented at St. Cecilia was a music score composed by Chris R. Hansen accompanied by the painter Debbie Bell titled Moving Toward Joy.  The music was fun to listen to and Hansen did a wonderful job including the students with questions and information about the instruments.  While the music was playing, Bell painted a picture of what she thought a visual of the music would look like.  I truly enjoyed the idea of this entry and activity.  It helped introduce Expressionism to my students and making connections with art and sounds.  However, I was saddened to see that the painting Bell produced was the same one she had been producing for the past few weeks during their performance times.   I hear the same songs all repeatedly and each time I hear them I think of something different than before.  I think that letting the music speak to you on a daily basis would have been an interesting compare and contrast for my students to witness.  This performance was definitely unique and I think it could further develop future performances where multiple mediums are used to collaborate in order to create a finished product.

Lunch and art in Grand Rapids, MI.

After we finished the Hansen and Bell performance, we broke into small groups and walked around downtown Grand Rapids to view some of the art nearby.  Our docent was very friendly and helped us find artwork but we didn't gain any additional information about the artwork or artist like you would if you had a docent tour at an art institute or museum.  I was very thankful to have our docent and I look forward to participating an future Educational Days that Artprize puts on.  The next time I take my students through Artprize, I definitely think I will preview the docent routes and gather some information about the artwork and perhaps make a photo scavenger hunt prior to our trip so that there is more structure when viewing the art.

Happy dabbling!

Weekend Apple Picking

The trees and ground were covered with apples.

Over the weekend, Ben and I went apple picking with my parents and younger brother.  We had an excellent time.  The rain finally let up for most of the day, the sun came out, and there was a strong breeze that kept the trees rustling.  There was lots of good conversation and laughter in between the trees of  Crane's Orchard in Fennville, Michigan. We ended the day at the Saugatuk Antique Pavillion, a huge place where we could have spent all day going through the treasures and had a late lunch at the Saugatuk Brewing Company.

I am sucker when it comes to traditions.  When I was much younger, my family would go every fall to one of the local U-Pick orchards in Berrien County and pick apples.  It was a great time of apple cider, tree climbing, and hay rides.  Now that we moved back to the West side of Michigan, we are fortunate to continue that tradition.

Ben and I picked almost a bushel and a half of apples.  There were five varieties that we were allowed to pick: the very popular Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Gala, Golden Supreme, and Blondee.  We picked every variety because we're not apple snobs.  You can eat, cook, and bake with virtually every apple.  Some people are much more picky about the type of apples they use for pies versus apples they use to eat as a snack.  I worked for a fruit farm for just shy of a decade and I would use all the apples we grew for anything and everything I wanted.  It is true, some apples are softer than others and it makes the homemade applesauce smoother but I think a lot of your choice in apple is based on your own personal tastes and desires for you food.

Anyway, we've been eating apples like crazy. Sliced apples with peanut butter, apples with cinnamon in oatmeal, and Ben's favorite, apple pie.  We've even been sharing with our neighbors.

I made my dough using our food processor, my favorite kitchen appliance, and had that sit in the fridge while I hand peeled the apples.  Again, the food processor helped cut the time as I used the slicing disc to get thin and even apple slices.

Our apple pie turned out pretty tasty.  You can check out the pictures below to see for yourself.  Not the most beautiful pie I have ever seen or made, but it sure hit the spot as the cooler fall weather hit Michigan.  It was the perfect dessert to end our homemade chili. The Michigan apples tasted even better with some Michigan made ice cream from Hudsonville.

The recipe I used is from the Food Network.  I followed this recipe for the most part, I might have added a bit more cinnamon, but it is a nice, easy to follow recipe that doesn't require a bunch of stuff that I normal don't keep stocked in the house.

Happy dabbling!

Getting to Know Me: Dec the Board Lesson

We're now a few weeks in the school year and I thought I would share my favorite Get-to-Know-You lesson for middle school.  There is just so much I enjoyed while working on this lesson,  the enthusiasm of my students, the knew things I learned about each of them, and their creative

Hallway Display

designs.  I used this lesson as the first lesson of semester two last school year; at my previous school, the middle schoolers only had art for a semester, so I saw almost all new students in January.

This lesson took about three full 50 minute class periods to complete.  It extended the entire week because of going over the syllabus, classroom procedures, and general icebreakers. The students and I created a skateboard with basic shapes using the step-by-step approach with the entire classroom. I stressed the details while drawing the skateboard deck, pointing out the axle, what it did, and why it was important.  We even had a short discussion on flat head and Phillips screwdrivers when "attaching" our axle to the deck. To personalize the deck, I required the students to include three things about their self.  As they brainstormed and worked on their rough draft, we looked at images on deck designs for skateboards and how each skater tends to personalize their deck with either their own artwork, stickers, and logos.  

A basketball enthusiast deck

On my example in class, I included my name, which spurred a lot of interest with graffiti lettering. For the students who wanted to use graffiti style font, we visited Graffiti Creator, a website that allows you to type in your word or name and it turns it into a graffiti font. The cool thing is, the students can add decoration on the site to their letters such as paint splatters, drips, and they can even adjust the size of the letters.

This student used Graffiti Creator.

I think this lesson was successful because I got to learn more about my student's including their skill level they were coming into art with.  Everyone who saw the art hanging in the hallway complimented it, stating how unique the assignment was. I'm not teaching at a PK-4 elementary school and I think with some alterations, this could be a fantastic end of the year project, perhaps focusing on what they'll be "skating" into for summer fun.   

Below is the basic lesson plan outline of what we did. It is in a simplified version of what my previous district mandated us to use. I hope you enjoy this lesson I've shared in your own room.  I'd love to see results!  

Happy dabbling!

Title: Dec the Board: All About Me                 Grade: 6-8                  Class Periods: 5

Elements of Design: Line, Shape, Color, and Value
Principles of Design: Balance, Contrast, and Emphasis

Materials & Resources:
Previous student work                         Teacher demonstration/work          
Sketchbooks/rough draft paper           Skateboard Deck Images
Drawing paper (16" x 11")                    Black Construction Paper (18" x 12")
Rulers                                                   Pencils
Colored Pencils                                    Scissors  
Glue

Objectives: 

• Knowledge:  Vocabulary-The Elements of Design, The Principles of Design, Art, Artist, Medium/Media, and Deck. Students will know how to create a visual representation of their self.  Students will use their knowledge and visual information from the decks to create a strong community bond.  Students will be able to define their vocabulary terms, as well as link terms to real examples. 

• Understanding: Students will understand how the Elements and Principles of Design can be found in everyday events.  Students will understand the different demands different art mediums have.  Students will understand that art is a universal visual language. 

• Do: Students will be able to identify Elements of Design used to create their deck. Students will be able to create a successful visual representation of their self.  Students will be able to identify similarities among peers to make community connections.   

Assessments: 

• Pre-Assessment- Students will create a list of the following information to prepare their rough draft: self portrait, what you like to do in your free time, what you would like to become, picture of your family, favorite food, favorite sport/activity.  The teacher will then create a class dialogue on how many different ways a person can represent objects.  After the demonstration, the students will begin drawing a rough draft of their chosen characteristics, and will finalize with at least three.  
• Artist Reflection-   Students will be asked to write a reflection of their work.  Students will describe the image that they created through the use of the Elements of Design and how the subject successful conveys a clear message about their joys of life.  Students will state what parts they feel were successful and which needed more attention.  The students will then provide examples of things that they learned throughout the course of the assignment.
• Final Presentation- Students will present their Decks to their groups and look for community similarities.  The project will be graded with the use of a rubric that covers the objectives and learned techniques that were taught during this lesson.  When the students finish with the projects, a written artist reflection will be required for final submission as well as a self-evaluation with the student-self evaluation form.  After their personal statement, a class critique will be held to strengthen each student’s ability in talking about their work and supporting their aesthetic decisions when making art. 
• Project Review- Students will review vocabulary with the teacher and peers during class periods as well as through the creation of their work.  The students will take written notes for individual review during the course of the assignment. 
• Exit Cards- 
• Tuesday- Why is it important to explore other options for images for your final draft? Or do a rough draft?
• Wednesday- What are the elements of design? 
• Thursday- Do you consider yourself an artist? Why or why not? 
• Friday- What is the importance of creating a community? 

Learning Activities: 5 Day Project

• Day 1- Students and teacher will go over syllabus, classroom expectations, and materials.  Students and teacher will start the process of developing a sketchbook and portfolio, outlining the semester.
• Day 2- Students will create a list of things that represent who they are and what they like to do. The teacher will then create a class dialogue on how many different ways a person can represent objects.  The teacher and students will review skateboard deck images to further ideas and discussion of demonstrating their self artistically. Students will complete their rough draft.
• Day 3-Wednesday- Students and teacher will review the vocabulary and assignment requirements.  The students will then finish their rough draft if not completed from the previous day. Once the students have finished their rough draft, the students will begin working on their final draft. Students should be able to complete the drawing portion of this assignment today.
• Day 4- Students will complete the drawing portion of their final draft if not completed from the day prior.  With teacher approval, the students will begin applying color.  The teacher will circulate among the students focusing on guiding students with their work.  

Lesson Closure:

• Day 5- Students will complete the color aspect of their final draft.  After the color has been completed, the students will then cut out their deck and glue it to a black piece of construction paper for display. Students will then fill out a student self-evaluation form and artist reflection.  Once all of the drawing has been completed the teacher will gather the students for the “building foundation” community activity.  Students will turn circulate their room, grouping themselves with peers who have created a deck with similar characteristics.  

What Could Possible Make Mondays Better?

Happy Monday!  I know, I know, who could possible say Happy Monday?  That's a phrase to that will get you just as may dirty looks in the office as "Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays".  If you're like me, I'm sure you have a list a mile long on reasons why Mondays stink more than Limburger cheese, but why should that stop us from enjoying even just the smallest amount of Monday? 

One way that I have found to make my Monday mornings a bit easier is to have a wonderful breakfast.  Now when I say breakfast I'm not talking about whole wheat toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and a side of pancakes and I'm not talking about a bowl of cereal either. I mean, we don't need to get up any earlier than we already do to face our week of work.  I'm talking about my newly dubbed, Breakfast Biscuits.

Breakfast Biscuit is really just a sneaky name for a Snickerdoodle cookie.  There is nothing that puts a big smile on my face than a warm cup of coffee and a cookie for breakfast! A sweet treat always makes my mornings that I dread, like a Monday, so much better.  Now please don't replace your healthy breakfast every day with a cookie.  Continue to eat your fruits and veggies! I'm not condoning dessert replacements for every meal, just once awhile as a treat.  Even when I have a Breakfast Biscuit or two, I still have a banana and some yogurt. 

I love cooking and baking for the same reasons I love making ceramics.  I love the repetitive order that is needed to make a creation.  The mincing of ingredients and the kneading of dough can keep me thoroughly engaged for hours.  The repetitive tasks that I have to complete put me in a mental state of constant reflection.  Depending on how I feel or where my emotions are at, I can be reflecting on my third grade experience as a student or the job interview I had the day before. No matter where my mind takes me, I always enjoy the peaceful, quietness of my kitchen, the time I get to my thoughts, and my ability to stay in the present. 

Now that I shared my little secret of my occasional Monday indulgence, you are probably continuing to read through looking for a recipe.  Well folks, I do a very poor job sticking to a recipe. In fact, that is the one thing Ben dislikes when I cook. The food might be great, but if I'm always changing it is never the same dish and Ben tends to like the tried and true. So if you're looking for a the exact recipe I started with click here, or you can continue to scroll down and check out the small modifications and changes I made to the recipe try that out.  

I hope your Monday rocks and the day goes by fast.  

Happy dabbling!

Finishing Friday: A Day to Tie Off Loose Ends

Welcome!  And thanks for reading my first blog post.  I hope you enjoy reading and trying the things I post about.  I will do my best to keep things interesting as I cover topics ranging from cooking, art, art lessons, home remodeling, decorating, and more. This is going to be the start of a wonderful journey and I hope you're here for the long haul.  

For the record, I'm a Dabbler. Merriam-Webster defines a Dabbler as one not deeply engaged in or concerned with something. Not sure if that truly describes me but I think I can be that way sometimes.  I am great at a lot of things but have struggled to find that one thing that I truly excel at.  This use to bother me, however, I recently have come to accept this and started to enjoy all the things that I love doing. Variety and challenge are something that I thrive on.  Now don't get me wrong, I am pretty damn good at many things like ceramics, cooking, and making snarky, sarcastic remarks; but I personally feel like I haven't found that one skill that I am a master at.  Now many people would disagree with me, and loudly tell me so. Perhaps it is just the perfectionist in me shouting loudly, but I'll let you decide.

Sketchbook drawings

The last few months have been a complete whirlwind.  We bought a house in early June, moved across the beautiful state of Michigan (Detroit to Grand Rapids), I taught two week long summer art courses that sandwiched our move, and then spent two weeks teaching at a fine arts camp all while job hunting.  To say that I was busy is an understatement.  

The excitement has finally started to die down and I have finally been able to start completing necessary tasks to the house, my body of work, my new teaching job, and income.  My most recent project would be the art I promised my secretary, Portia, at the school district I just left.  

Now I tried my best to get the art done before moving, but there was just so much to do and with the pressure of packing everything up, my creative juices were running dry. So now that I am 'settled' or as settled as one person could be in two months, I spent six hours of my Saturday creating a charcoal drawing for Portia to hang in the office.  I would always give Portia flowers for Secretary's Day and other random days I felt she needed a gift to put a sparkle in her eye*. What could be more fitting than a charcoal drawing of a flower? Now she has a flower that will be in constant bloom no matter how long I will be gone!

Portia's Piece Composite

This project spurred my new interest in drawing flowers.  I find the folds and overlaps in their petals to be super engaging. I love value and I have found that drawing flowers really makes me focus on how I apply value to capture form and texture. There is just something so interesting about looking at a flower and thinking about all the things nature has to do to create that one flower. I'm not sure how long I will be drawing flowers, probably until I get wrapped up in a new interest but in the mean time it's all I really want to draw, that and plants.  I included several of the flowers I drew in my sketchbook as I warmed up for working on Portia's piece. So check out the pictures below and enjoy!

Happy dabbling!

Portia's Piece Completed

                                                                                                                                             

*Now if you're a new teacher, I think this is one of the best things you can do for your secretary. Once you get your secretary to like and appreciate you they will bend over backwards to help you with everything from paperwork to student referrals. Trust me, you will never regret it.