It's high time I write another blog post. Happy new year 2015! I was amazed yesterday at Libertyville Elementary where all the staff signed a birthday card and two classes, third and kindergarten, sang to me. Thank you! You are amazing! When the kindergartners gave me a group hug it was quite a surprise! What a nice day!

Time for a new school year

Welcome back to school for a new year of learning and creating in art classes! I am looking forward to meeting new students and seeing returning students again. Get ready for art day by not wearing your very best clothes on art day as we may get messy in art class.  Everyone has art class once a week. My advice for you is to make a note and put it where you will see it, something like "Don't wear your best clothes on art day! My art day is ______"

How about a lesson on drawing a box?

Here is a fun video by Mark Kistler on youtube. Would you like to be able to draw three dimensional looking box? Mr. Kistler has been doing drawing lessons for many years. (He may even be older than Mrs. Finney. Imagine that?) Enjoy this lesson and you can learn a lot! Also, you can make your box contain something different than his box contains. How about a baby dragon or a puppy coming out? You get to decide. Have fun with your artwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChhKnbnOdRU

More Web Art Fun: Bomomo

Here is an amazingly fun site that enables you to do some special electronic "art": Bomomo. I never know quite what it is going to look like, but you might get really good at it, if you have the time. You click below the frame on a paint effect and then click in the picture where you want it to go. Move your mouse around and prepare to be amazed! Poof! You are the master artist and you don't have any clean up! If you want to you can erase and restart, save, or you can even just change the sort of effect you are doing and pile one on another. You can work until your old art work is covered up, or combine effects to make strange wonderful creations. You can create with this and have a lot of fun! Happy computer painting, from Mrs. Finney. Click on the link below

    http://bomomo.com/

http://snowdays.me/

One of my favorites for winter is this snowdays page where you can create a snowflake and then watch it fall. Happy winter, everybody!

Fun and Art Games on the Web

http://www.colorwithleo.com/game_MayanQuest.php

I have had time to show this site to some of my classes, but here is a link to the fun site I found. It is colorwithleo.com. I find the Mayan Quest to be a real challenge, but I am sure some of my game experienced students will find it to be a breeze. The clay monsters get me every time! The paint drip catch is also a challenge, in fact I am no good at it at all, but it is still fun to see Leo running and trying to catch the drips. The puzzles are made from famous works of art, and it seems to always give you another chance.

http://www.drawastickman.com/

Draw a stick man is another fun site we went to some last year. The kids know the drill, but it is such a riot to see the stick man or woman you drew with the mouse act out the stories in both episodes. Have fun!

THANK YOU to all who helped with the 2012 Elementary Art Show! It was a great time and you all make us smile with happy memories! 811 people came according to our guest book and it was a lot of fun! Thanks to all who attended! Our newest photo opportunities were spoofs of  "Whistler's Mother" and "The Scream" which brought laughs and funny faces. Of course my own mother as "Whistler's Mother" was so much fun for me! At 78 she is a great sport and a huge inspiration to me becoming a teacher! So this is "Mrs. Finney's Mother"! Thanks, Mom! Also, here is Mona Mom and  your local elementary art teachers as "American Gothic", Mrs. Carradus and myself.