Showing posts with label Tina Atkinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tina Atkinson. Show all posts

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Meet Abby Fabulous!

Meet my ewe, Abby Fabulous! That's her with the pink beehive hair-do. Isn't she absolutely fabulous?

Today is her birthday as she was born at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, TN at the Middle Tennessee Art Education Association Summer Workshop. Great Job, Andrea Steele!!
As you may have guessed I took the felting workshop today, which was one of three amazing art-making opportunities. Encaustic and mixed media where the other two offerings and I wish I could have done all of them! But, life is all about choices so let me share some of my "handy work" with you. 
So this is my teacher, textile artist and really fun lady, Troy Lacey. 

 Abby and her ewe buddies. Aren't they all so cute!! We made them with needle felting.

 This is my rock. Don't laugh. I can make another ewe with this rock once it is dry. We also made beads with wet felting. They are drying now in the AC vent. 
 This is a needle felted composition. I call it Mint-Chocolate Fa-ling-go. No, it's not a type-o, it is how my 4 year old says flamingo. Isn't that cute!
This is Kim's humming bird. I love how she made the wings pop out!

 This is what my beads will look like once they dry. I can't wait to go get some spacing beads! Fun!

 So here are some of the raw materials we used as well as some the books Troy shared with us. 


 The sponge was used under the felt so we could poke it with the very sharp needles, which magically connects the wool fibers to make quite a strong connection. Plus it is really fun (I know, "fun" and "cute" should be banned after this post but is was so...both!!). The needles are ridiculously sharp so don't look away or even talk too much or you will bleed all over your project. When I figure out how to safely do this with my elementary kiddos, I will let you know. In the mean time I will be looking for another felting class to take. Yes, Troy, you have created another addict!!


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Calling all ArtzManiacs!

Well, I did it!
This is it, my first post. I have been saying for years that I need to start a blog. There are a lot of reasons to start a blog and I have read and reviewed many different kinds, but this blog is about art. I have read a lot of blogs and discovered that there are a lot of things that I didn't know or ideas that I had never thought of before. That really got me thinking...Hey! Maybe I know something that would help someone else too!! Something so routine to me that I never thought it worth sharing. Some of those things have changed the way I do things for the better, so why not try to pay it forward!

So- why should I listen to you-crazy lady?
I have been teaching elementary visual art since 1998 which makes children and their art my passion. I have a BS in (well, bs, some would say, but officially it's in) Art Education and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I am a National Board Certified Teacher in Visual Arts- Early/Middle Childhood (which is ages 3-12) and I am certified to teach in both Tennessee and Pennsylvania (Art K-12). I serve on many (too many sometimes) committees and boards for local museums, art and educational organizations. I have presented and facilitated workshops for art teachers locally and nationally. Now, I don't tell you all this to brag but to give you a little info on my background so that what I share has some credibility, and so that you know that what I share is standards/research based and, well fun!

Are you in the right place?
Well if you are an elementary art educator, you are in the right place! I am also a mom of two young children so I love doing art with them as well. I have had people from church members to pre-school teachers ask me for art ideas and I really think this is the best forum, so if you are an artsy person with children in your life who wants to do art at home for fun or homeschooling, you are also in the right place! This blog is for all of you "Art Maniacs" out there so if you are crazy about art and sharing the creative process with children, this is the blog for you! Enjoy-Tina