Pinch Pot Monsters

If I had to choose a project that was completely outside my comfort zone, this would be it. I trusted my gut though and picked it before I practiced (so I wouldn't talk myself out of it) and wouldn't you know this was the first class to fill up! 

Beforehand, I did some research on kid friendly (and nonsculpter teacher friendly) clay that wouldn't require a kiln, I chose Original Sculpey because you could bake it in an oven. 

I showed the kids the basics of pinch pots and how to make shapes, and then literally I just let them loose with the Sculpey. Since they are closer to the play-doe years than I am, I trusted them and lemme tell ya, they blew me away with all the ideas they came up with! 

15 minutes of waiting and watching.

The glaze wasn't quite dry, so they are still a bit milky looking but I'm pretty darn happy with their little monsters! 

Fronts & backs 

I got the idea for this lesson here 

And this video was a godsend for this nonsculpting teacher lol

Sweet Repeat: Spider Webs & Birch Trees

Some say anything worth doing, is worth doing well.

Well, I take it further and say, anything that was worth doing well, is worth doing again. 

That's why this class was called Sweet Repeat. We did two of my favorite lessons from last years Autumn class.

Exhibit A: Spider Webs

With a bonus project of clay owls since I only had two lovely girls.

Exhibit B: Birch Trees 

Here are the links to last years projects:

Spider Webs 

Birch Trees

Autumn string silhouettes

They came, they hammered and they conquered the string art!🔨🔨🔨🔨🔨

Funky Owls

In case you haven't noticed, Owls are pretty much everywhere right now. 

Not real live ones, but certainly in fashion, jewelry, fabric and design. This particular image, from Pam McIntosh caught my eye and I used it as inspiration for this lesson. Check out her work here.

Here's how we made them.

First we practiced drawing several varieties of owls, then the kids made their own using elements from each that they liked. 

Next, using pale pink they painted the basic shape of their owl. 

Then, they chose their colors, painted, outlined in black, decorated with paint pens and voila! 

I have to note that these next two were made by two boys that were in casts on their dominant hand! One of which had had surgery the day before! Talk about dedication to your craft! It was really interesting to see how the accommodated for their handicap.

One of my favorite things about teaching is doing lessons where the paintings really reflects each individual personality. I feel it allows you to appreciate and respect the differences in each other and each other's work. 

Autumn Mixed Media

It's no secret that collage is my favorite, I love nothing more than sit in the floor with all my supplies spread out around me and rip and glue paper......until that is a certain toddler wakes up and wants to carry my bits of paper elsewhere..... 

Anyways, collage (or mixed media whichever you want to call it) I've found is challenging to teach because of limited table space and time constraint, BUT, me being the rediculous person that I am, ended up only being able to narrow the ideas for this class down to four projects and decided to let them do their favorite. 

Insane juggling at it's finest, my friend.

These are the four.

They chose the pumpkins and witches hats.

No pictures of the process because I can't snap and do insane juggling at the same time and apologies in advance for the crappy quality of pictures. Sleep deprivation, two classes in one day and a nursing session that was needing to happen, all contributed to this. Excuse over.

Here is what we played with: inks, stencils, sprays, tissue paper, scrapbook paper, paint, mod podge, crackle paste 

I didn't get the ideas nessesarily from any one source but here are a few that I drew inspiration from! 

Witch hats 

http://allisonrdavis.blogspot.ca/2012/10/witch-hats-layout.html

Chrissy Tomlinson pumpkins

http://christytomlinson.typepad.com/christytomlinson/2012/09/drum-roll-please-my-new-fallwinter-workshops-wahoo.html

Cosmo Cricket Collage

http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/2009/10/mixed-media-collage-giveaway.html

Angela Anderson balloons 

http://angelaandersonart.blogspot.com/2013/10/hot-air-balloon-mixed-media-kids-art.html

This awesome hot air balloon collage 

http://www.acherryontop.com/gallery/view/general-crafts/158304-mixed-media-canvas-hot-air-balloon