Spring 2017 NHAEA Newsletter

Hello!

It's been eight months since my last post!!! YIPES! I cannot begin to express how bad I feel about that! I am generally bad about blogging over the summer (with four kids and a countless number of neighbor kids over, I just can't find the time!). I actually LOVE blogging and this is something I do for "me" so I thought it was high time I got back to it!

WHEW! I have missed you all! So, let's get caught up! First, I'd like to post the other New Hampshire Art Educators' Association newsletters I created in the past year (my last post was about that, so it's as good a place as any to start, I think!).

So, here is the SPRING 2017 NHAEA Newsletter I am editor of. The info is a bit outdated NOW, but it is great to have it archived on here and for y'all to see what we are up to in NH. Some highlights include: Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards 2017, Youth Art Month (YAM) celebrations from around the state, and our NHAEA Annual Member Reception held at the Currier Museum of Art!

Enjoy!!

Getting Involved: My work with the NHAEA

Hello!

You know it's been crazy 'round here! I'm in my first year of teaching in a public school and my focus has been embracing my first year of teaching and learning as much as I can about my job. That means saying "NO" and not overextending myself (because I have four kids as well, so I'm pretty much overextended at the get go). Saying "no" is hard for me--I'm THAT person. You know, they one who steps up and does the thing that needs doing, brings the snacks, starts the committee, etc. But not this year (Um, and it is killing me a bit, but it is also nice to focus on my work and kiddos and hubby). SO if you are wondering why the blog is sssssllllllooowww to be updated, that's why. There's only 24 hours in a day people. :-)

HOWEVER, one commitment I did say "yes" to last year, was being the newsletter editor for our state's  chapter of the National Art Educators' Association. The New Hampshire Art Educators' Association (NHAEA) publishes a paper newsletter three times a year and as editor, I am responsible for that and attending board meetings monthly. As a graphic designer and blogger, I have always felt that communication is key to a thriving group and since the art teachers of the NHAEA are spread out all over NH, the newsletters help to strengthen our community of educators and help us to learn from one another.

HOW THIS HAS HELPED ME: I'm not going to lie, being involved with the NHAEA has been a bonus for me as well. I started going to NHAEA events while I was a grad student and was able to:

• Meet lots of art educators--hey, we don't get out much and sometimes we are the only art teacher in our school--it's nice to connect with others like us!
• Get LOTS of ideas that I incorporated into my studies and my after-school and substitute teaching gigs and now into my own lessons in middle school
• Network and hear about long-term substitute teaching positions and more permanent art education positions
• Get support when I was worried I wouldn't find a job
• Find friends to travel with when I went to my first national conference
• Meet one of my student teaching mentors through the organization

I decided to step up and become the newsletter editor because the position was open (the former editor was looking to move on to bigger and better things) and I had a background in graphic design. I LOVE graphic design--it is my art--the way I express myself. I thought three newsletters per year would be a doable commitment for me and it actually isn't that bad--the deadlines are far less strict than the graphic design world. And....I love it. I miss doing design work and laying out the newsletters is actually fun for me. The NHAEA newsletters aren't going to win any design awards but I try not to stress over the minutia and have fun.

I've attached the newest newsletter for you to check out. It's the smallest issue of the year, but it's still got some great stuff in there--there is a lesson on Mixed Media Idioms by our NH Art Educator of the Year, Mary Ann Lessard and you can see what the NHAEA is up to.

I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to get involved with your local chapter of the NAEA. It's good for you and good for them (the organization) and for your students!

Dunkin Donuts Box O'Joe Gingerbread House Craft!

I have a really cool project for you today that my daughter and I are super-excited to share with you! One of my family members had brought a "Box O' Joe" from Dunkin Donuts to Thanksgiving dinner and since I am a hoarder, ahem, art teacher, I couldn't throw the weird-shaped box away. I thought it would be perfect as a gingerbread house!

Box o' Joe Image Source: dunkindonuts.com

I thought of having my daughter create her own decorations for the house, but she's six and I thought she might get frustrated creating all of the "bits" from construction paper. Then I thought I could print out a couple of coloring pages that have candy on them, have her color them and then cut them all out. A good example of a *free* candy printable you could use is here. Now my daughter's good with scissors, but you know who would actually get stuck cutting all of those little bits out!

Then I was out at Hobby Lobby the other night and happened to see foam candy shapes. The package had 100 foam shapes for $5.99 but it was on sale for $3. There were gingerbread people, red and green glittery gumdrops, and red and green starlight mints (all peel and stick). Unfortunately, I do not see these on their online site, but you could probably get similar items near you.

This was a great craft for us to do together but with little involvement from me. I love crafts like that where I don't have to set the pace and she can really go on her own and make the project her own. I was there just there to make the windows and use the glue gun, if needed. It was a relaxing, calorie-free project that will last throughout the holiday season!

Enjoy!

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And in case you are looking for step-by-step directions, here they are!

Materials Needed:

• 1 empty Box 'o Joe from Dunkin Donuts (remove the bag of liquid and discard)
• A piece of red corrugated cardboard for the roof and windows (our piece was 12" square and came from our recycling bin)
• Scraps of yellow or orange paper, optional, for the windows
• Scraps of green paper for trees
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Scissors and an X-acto knife
• Tempera paint (brown, white, red (for roof, if you can't find red cardboard))
• Paint brushes
• Glitter glue (totally necessary!!)
• Bag of sticky-backed foam candy shapes (or you can make your own decorations)
• A base for your creation--ours is a cardboard used when cake decorating

Directions:

1. Paint the outside of the box with brown tempera paint. Let dry.
2. Cut a square for the roof and edge with white paint. Let dry.
3. Cut a slit in the roof and slide it over the handle of the box. Adhere with hot glue.
4. Adhere the entire box to the base now, if you'd like.
5. Create some windows by cutting 6 little strips of red cardboard and glueing them to make a window. Glue the window frame to a piece of yellow or orange paper, if desired to create the illusion that a light is on inside the house. Make as many windows as you like and glue to the house with hot glue.
6. Now's the fun part--stick candy all over the house! I love peel-and-stick foam shapes so that the kids can to it themselves and don't have to wait for glue to dry.
7. Create trees from paper and stand-up gingerbread people and attach them to the base with hot glue.
8. Glitta it up baby!! I squeeze glitter glue on a paper plate and have my daughter use her finger or a paint brush to add some bling all over everything!

You are done! Enjoy your easy-peasy gingerbread house!

Box o' Joe Image Source: dunkindonuts.com

Looking at a NH Artist: Don Gorvett

Hello!

I never know where I am going to find inspiration for my art lessons! A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing a craft fair in New Hampshire (by myself--Yay! MOM TIME!!) and I was chatting with lots of the artisans there. To one couple, I had mentioned that my 7th graders were learning about relief printmaking and they mentioned they had seen a feature on NH Chronicle about a woodcut artist named Don Gorvett. Of course, I HAD to check it out! Boy, am I glad I did! Don Gorvett, a woodcut artist with galleries in Portsmouth, NH and Ogunquit, ME, does these amazing seaside-themed reduction prints that my seventh graders were in awe of.

Another great video about Don's work is "Moonlight Drawbridge"

I showed this video AFTER my seventh graders had completed a linocut project, so they had a bit of experience from which to view this video and process Don's work. Of course, their pieces were 4" x 6" and done using flexible printing plates I had in my new classroom. In contrast, Don's work is done on large piece of plywood and he sometimes uses up to 8 colors to our humble 1 color. After I showed this video to the students, there was silence. And some of them had their mouths gaped open. Seventh grade! :-) Yipes! 

Anyway, fast forward to the weekend. My hubby and I went away on a 23-hour anniversary celebration and we drove up to the Portsmouth, NH area to see the sites, shop a bit and have dinner at one of my, ahem, OUR favorite restaurants. My husband suggested we go to Don's gallery, and who do you think was there? Don himself, working away. He graciously took time away from his work to talk to my husband and I about his work and gave me some tidbits about being an art teacher and how I can foster a climate of creativity and wonder in my students. I am so glad we stopped in to visit! I also was able to post a picture of Don and me on "The Instagram"--the account I have for my students' work and artsy happenings at our school! Having an Instagram account is new for me, but I am trying (10 followers-YAY!)!

Hanging with Don Gorvett in his Portsmouth, NH studio/gallery.

So, I would HIGHLY recommend looking at Don's work as well as taking the opportunity to show the work of local (to you) artists. This can be done by showing the students real work or artifacts, a video from the Interweb, or a video you made yourself, or having the person come to your school for an artist visit and demonstration. BTW: Cassie Stevens just began a new series on her blog called "field trip" where she takes her students on a virtual video field trip to meet artists. Her first installment features a musician and visual artist named Bebo. Check that out too!

Enjoy!!