A Creative Log & Other Notes on Life

After watching “Akeelah and the Bee”, Princess was determined to win her elementary school’s Second Grade Spelling Bee. As “The Bee” consumed more of her time and thoughts, family and friends began sharing their own Spelling Bee memories of years past, each person remembering their “out”
word and how to spell it.  Todd’s downfall? “poisonous.” Elise’s downfall? “calendar”. Kathi D?  Well, she was brilliant and won the whole school spelling bee as a 3rd grader.

I’ve never seen Princess be so dedicated to her studying before, every day spelling with her friends at recess and every night bringing us the word list so we could quiz her.  I was so proud.  She took fifth place, getting out on the word “people”. Disappointed, she tried her hardest to hold the tears back but when all her friends circled round her with hugs, she couldn’t help but let them flow.

To give her a chance to recompose, I took her out to get celebratory donuts for a job well done which quickly brought a smile back to her face. If only all life’s disappointments could be remedied so easily.

When you see her next (whether it be a week or 30 years) she’ll be happy to tell you the story of the Second Grade Spelling Bee and how she got “out” on the word “people”, a word she will, most likely, never mispell again.

{ 7 comments }

When you are really “into” something you tend to get really interesting and creative gifts relating to that “thing” (just ask Elise of www.cupcakeactivist.com). This week I’m going to add to my list of “Gifts for the Sewing Enthusiast”

Apparently my mom had been eyeing this tin sign for a long while and just knew it had to be mine.  And since she was the person who taught me to sew, it couldn’t be more fitting.

Thanks Mom.

{ 1 comment }

On Read Across America Day (celebrated annually on Dr. Suess’s Birthday) the kids were allowed to dress up like their favorite storybook character.  At a school that requires school uniforms, Princess takes every opportunity to have a day of “free dress” and decided to go as Fern.

{ 1 comment }

This second grade art lesson included a far more time consuming art project than our previous lessons, so I did not start off with a storybook to introduce the art element of the day as in lessons past.  With only 1/2 hour to teach, I just jumped right into it by showing them this drawing by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) called “The Hare”.

I asked the kids, “How do you think this bunny would feel if you touched it?”  Of course they answered “soft” & “fluffy.”  The real answer is that it would feel like paper because it’s a drawing, but the use of texture makes it LOOK like it would feel “soft” & “fluffy”.  Texture often takes a lot of time and attention to detail. I asked them to imagine how long it must of taken for Durer to draw each of those pieces of hair on the rabbit or each panel of texture engraved into his famous rhinoceros wood block print.

Even though Durer created this print without ever having seen a rhinoceros, it is considered one of the most influential pieces of animal art of all time, inspiring rhino art for a few hundred years after it’s creation.

After our brief introduction to texture and Durer, each child received a circle cut from the bottom of a styofoam plate to create their own “print block” using Durer’s Rhino as inspiration.  A dull pencil was used to “engrave” different “textures” into the plate. Then, parent helpers used brayers (stencil sponge roller) to roll on paint and the kids used their barrens (spoons) to transfer the print to their paper.

While waiting for their chance to print, the kids also got to create their own “Texture Turtle” using texture plates (which are so fun) and crayon rubbing.  The kids were sad when it was time to give the texture plates back, but it gave us a chance to talk about looking for texture all around us–  leaves, piece of cardboard, bubble wrap, sandpaper, etc.

Art Smart Lesson 1

Art Smart Lesson 2

{ 3 comments }