My husband showed me this video and I just had to share it with my readers. The video is very creative and must have taken a ton of patience to create. Maybe it will inspire some of you to create something as well. Enjoy!

Happy New Year! I hope all is well with you and your family. By now most of you are back in the swing of your normal schedule.  Many of you may have made resolutions for the new year and may be trying hard to keep them. Some of you may have already broken your resolutions and given up. Many people don’t make resolutions because they do not want to fail or feel guilty. They put too much pressure on themselves.

I don’t make resolutions for others to hear, but I do make some mental wishes that I try to follow through on. Some of those wishes involve getting healthier mentally and spiritually, exercising more, reading my Bible every day and losing weight. Sound familiar?

Am I always going to eat healthier? No, so when I have a day where it just doesn’t happen should I throw in the towel and give up? No. I will try to remember the words of Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind.  Scarlet said,  “For Tomorrow is another day”.

Some of you may be like me and want to start 2012 with a creative bang. If that is the case, make those desires known. If you want to be more creative and to create more often, add those desires to your mental wish list. Or for added support  share the experience with someone else. You may need that added support to follow through.

What are some things you can do to start 2012 with a creative bang?

1. Sign up for an art class.

2. Buy the art book you’ve always wanted but never got around to purchasing.

3. Create an area in your home just for your art work so you can leave supplies and projects out.

4. Go to an art supply store to see what supplies grab your attention and desire. You can also do this by going to art supply stores online or through a catalog.

5. Go to the library and check out art books or art instructional DVDs.

6. Keep a sketchbook and pencil next to the spot where you watch television. Doodle or draw while watching your shows.

7. Start an altered book. You can read more about this here.

8. Find an art group online where you can share your art work.

9. Visit a museum or art gallery.

I could go on and on but I won’t. I think you get the idea. Inspiration for creativity often comes from the simplest of activities. The main thing is to have the desire. Start out trying to be creative once a month, then once every two weeks, then once a week, then once a day. It may not come naturally. You may have to work at it.  Don’t kick yourself if you postpone your creativity, for tomorrow is another day.

I hope you have a wonderfully creative 2012. I would love to hear some of the things you are going to do this year to be more creative.

My daughter, Lara DeHaven, is a writer for My Creativity Blog. She also writes for her own blog, Texas Homesteader and another blog called Welcome to the Ranch.

Lara is very creative and has been spending weeks creating gifts for Christmas. Lara created a poem for the ranch blog that I want to share with all my readers. The poem was inspired and based on the classic Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore. I hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful and safe Christmas.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the ranch
Not a thing was stirrin’ not even a tree branch.
The boots were sittin’ by the fire with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The calves were nestled all snug near their mas,
While they awaited the arrival o’ Santa Claus.
And the horses in their stalls with plenty of hay
Were resting peacefully from their very full day.

When over the treetops there arose such a loud noise,
the animals all shuddered in place even the boys.
Away o’er the pasture the sleigh skidded past,
It tore up the dirt road; it was going so fast.

The moon on the lake and the growing rye grass
Showed the dewdrops had fallen like shiny, clean glass.
When what to our great surprise fell from the sky,
But a light dusting of snowflakes from way up high.

A White Christmas in Texas was too good to hear
I let out a “Yahoo!” and began to cheer.
More rapid than lightning the reindeer did run
They had to deliver  the gifts ’til there was none.

On, Dasher! On, Dancer! On, Prancer and Vixen!
Now, Comet! Now, Cupid! Now, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the hill!  While it is still nightfall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

The mud flew covering the bottom of the sleigh
While the hooves slipped and slid and Santa yelled, “Hey!”
“What is this?  Precipitation has arrived?”
And I thought that this trip would be an easy drive.

Santa pulled back on the reins and shouted, “Whoa!”
Even if the reindeer wanted they couldn’t go.
It would be a short hike to the very next stop,
Just a mile walk, then a jump, skip, and a hop.

He was dressed all in red from his head to his boot
In a very large and fur-trimmed Cowboy-type suit.
A bundle of gifts he had flung on his back,
And it looked as though they would burst out of the sack.

His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like apples, his nose a dewberry!
His cherry red lips were stained with tobacco,
And his once pure white beard looked a might yellow.

He trudged up the hill and then over the road,
Struggling to carry the weight of his burdensome load.
When through the darkness, he saw a twinkling, bright light
A candle in the window was a wonderful sight.

He plodded up the walk to the Holliday’s cabin
He rang the doorbell with his hands still holdin’ and grabbin’
Onto his big bag of special presents and toys,
For all the good little cowgirls and cowboys.

He spoke not a word, when the door was flung wide,
But went straight to work while PawPaw moved to his side.
He whispered a secret into the old man’s ear,
And Santa smiled and said, “It was good to be here.”

PawPaw saw how our stockings had been filled with such care.
With his tractor, he pulled the sleigh from its muddy snare
The reindeer had enough time to lift up in flight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Cadavre Exquis

“The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine.”

Some of you may be thinking, “What in the world is this woman talking about?” Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Apparently I don’t get around much because the exquisite corpse is something that has been around since possibly before the 1920’s.

How did I not hear about it? I don’t know. But luckily the student teacher I mentored this semester taught me how to use it in my art classes.

“The exquisite corpse” is a fun activity to help you come up with fresh ideas. Surrealists used the game to create some crazy art work. There are many websites dedicated to playing the game in some manner. The exquisite corpse can be played with words, images, and even video.

My student teacher gave my Art II students a brief introduction to ” the exquisite corpse” with a power point presentation. The presentation showed some art work that was created or influenced by the exquisite corpse.

If you want to read more about the exquisite corpse go to the sites below:

Wikipedia Article

ExquisiteCorpse.com

For Poets

The students were shown one site that is really quite fun and can be addicting if you are not careful. It is Corpsify.com. If you go to this site you can see images in the gallery of art work that has already been created. It takes three artists to create one piece of work and you are not allowed to see the other artists work until it is finished. If you have time, check it out!

So what did my students create? They created drawings of some crazy looking creatures. This is an easy activity. All you need: pencil and paper. If you want to create colored drawings, then the students could use colored pencil or markers. 

The students were given a piece of paper, 12″ x 18″. The paper was folded into thirds. Each student drew a head in the top third of the paper. I had to remind them to cover their work up when they were done. They also had to make sure at least two lines came down into the middle third of the paper so the next artist could see where to start their drawing. They traded papers.

The next artist drew the torso and arms making sure to make two lines into the bottom third for the third artist to attach to. I taped each section of the paper closed so that people would not be tempted to peek. Then the papers were traded.

The third artist was told to create the bottom portion of the creature. It could be feet or whatever their imaginations came up with. At the end of the class, the students were very anxious to see the artwork that was created. I had different students come to the front of the class and reveal the work. Then the creations were displayed on the bulletin board for all to enjoy.

 In introduction to this activity, my students played a word game. I wrote three words and then covered up the first two. The next person wrote three words after seeing my last word. They covered all the words except their last one. We continued adding words until everyone had been given a chance to contribute.  Some of the things we came up with were:

Blue Polar bears jump rope fast and furiously.

Foxes fainted in the heat .

Burning red leaves falling into my pockets .

Hot, buttered, yummy cookies make you fat.

Little fingers tickle pink kittens.

Slim, tall little pigs bite sweet delicious candy.

Do you get a visual from reading those? I do. Now all the words we put together did not make sense. Another way to play with words is to have a system. The way most people do this is to combine words from many people in a certain order. The order is:

The adjective noun adverb verb the adjective noun.

That is how the saying at the top of this article came to be. The originators of the game came up with that saying as they played the game.

So if you are having trouble coming up with some fresh creative ideas you might want to give “the exquisite corpse” a try. Have fun!

Detail of a Seurat Painting

Georges Pierre Seurat’s work has been a source of inspiration for my Art I classes. I created a power point showing his work and gave a general definition of pointillism. The students were then given an assignment to create a watercolor painting of a flower or butterfly using this technique.

I chose flowers and butterflies as the subject matter because I felt they were well suited for pointillism and relatively easy to draw. I found numerous images on the web of flowers and butterflies. I printed out two photographs of each and made a class set for the class to use a reference. To save on ink I printed them out in black and white with only one copy of each subject in color. The color images were posted on the wall for the students to refer to if they needed help with color choices. Most of my students did not really care about having color influences. They easily came up with their own color themes.

The students drew their chosen subject on a piece of 9 x 12 inch sulphite paper. Then they were told to paint the subject using Q-tips dipped in watercolor. The painting had to be created with dots on the page. This was difficult for some students because it did take more time and patience. The students were also instructed to only use the primary colors. So if they wanted to have green leaves on a flower, they had to paint yellow and blue dots. The combined dots would create the green for them. Many students found this impossible to comprehend and they used the secondary colors in their watercolor palette.  I could easily tell which students followed directions.

All in all the art work produced was vibrant and fresh. I am very pleased with the results of this project and will definitely do this one again next year. I was so inspired by the project, that I started a large watercolor of my own in pointillism. I wanted to see if I could do the assignment myself. I used a paintbrush instead of a Q-tip so I had dots that were much smaller. Plus, I cheated and actually mixed my colors. I have been working on the painting for at least two months now. I really like the way it is coming along. When I get finished I will post it here. In the meantime, enjoy viewing the finished products of some of my students. Maybe you will be inspired to try creating using pointillism.

Cover of Altered Book

In order to give my Art II students something to look forward to at the end of the school week, I have given them an altered book assignment to work on every Friday. The assignment is something that I have always wanted to do myself, so I am also creating an altered book at home in the evenings. I have found that having an example of an assignment that students can hold helps them understand what I want. So each Friday I bring my altered book to show them.

So, what exactly is an altered book? It is a book that has been altered with various art media in order to change it from a book to an original work of art. The theme for my students’ altered books is ART. That theme is not exactly original, but I feel it is a great theme in order to stress the elements of art, the principles of design, and various art techniques.

Our school librarian donated numerous hardbound books for us to use. The books are old obsolete encyclopedias. It feels good to be able to recycle these books. I asked my students to look for things at home that they might be able to use in their books. Some of the items I mentioned are:

junk mail, coupons, puzzle pieces,
magazines, feathers, ticket stubs,
stickers, old postmarks, stamps,
ribbons, yarn, thread, old jewelry,
beads, shells, and candy wrappers.

Design with Markers

The altered book counts as a major test grade. This nine weeks the students are being graded on the cover design and three double pages. When I say “double page” I mean two pages facing each other when the book is open. The cover design is 40 points and each of the 3 double pages counts as 20 points each for a total of 100. I will grade the student on their creativity, originality, effort, following directions and craftsmanship.

Last year I gave my students a similar assignment but the students were allowed to pick their own theme. That did not work well because many of my students lacked motivation and self-direction. So I learned from my mistake. This year, not only have I specified a theme but I have also told them certain requirements for their pages. I have also set a deadline of October 7. This deadline will be the first of several since the students will work on their altered books for the full semester.

Pages of Texture

The three double pages required this nine weeks are:

• drawings that express the students interests and personality,

• a creative design using markers,

• and a page that incorporates collage with pictures and words.

I have quite a list of altered book pages that I will assign in the future. I will let you know how it goes and will post some of the pages from the books for you to see as they get turned in.

I love to read. Teaching does not give me much spare time to read, so I usually devour as many books as I possibly can during the summer. I read novels, non-fiction, self-help books, health and diet books as well as ”how to” art books; just to name a few.

I recently finished a book that I discovered in my school classroom. It was left there by a previous art teacher. I took several books home over the summer just in case I found some spare time.  Even though the book is not brand new, it still is full of helpful information.

The book is Colored Pencil for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Artist (Practical Art Books)written by Bet Borgeson. Bet has written many art technique books. She has a fine art degree from Portland State Universtiy. I chose this book because I am very interested in colored pencil and improving my own art work.  I also figure that increasing my knowledge about different art techniques will also enhance my classroom teaching as well.

This book was an easy read. Bet Borgeson gives you the basic information such as what supplies you will need to purchase in order to get started and how to set up a studio.  She shows the reader colored pencil techniques such as lifting, layering, and impressed line.

Bet Borgeson discusses how colored pencil is a medium of texture. The texture can be determined by something as simple as how sharp your pencil is. Bet shares her philosophy and insight in how to create beautiful compositions. The book includes several interesting demonstrations of her own colored pencil paintings. These demonstrations allow the reader to follow the thought process from start to finish. 

I have read many art books such as Bets throughout the years. Some books lose me in the demonstrations. Sometimes I end up just looking at the illustrations or skipping them completely. That was not the case as I read this book. I actually read every word and studied every example given.

The book ends with a chapter devoted to encouragement, such as how to handle rejection or self-doubt.  I would suggest this book for anyone that is truly interested in improving their creativity with colored pencil. I would love to hear from you if you have read Bet’s book, Colored Pencil for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Artist (Practical Art Books).  What books are you reading this summer?

If you live in Burleson, Lee, or Washington counties or near Lake Somerville in Texas you might be interested in an organization called Arts at the Lake. The mission statement of the organization is as follows:

Our mission is to create a premier Texas art destination where creativity in all art
forms is encouraged, showcased and shared. We will achieve this by attracting
artists, artisans, musicians and performers in and outside of Texas.

The Arts at the Lake organization hosts many annual events throughout the year such as a Festival of the Arts. You can read more about the organization including how to become a member by going to http://www.artsatthelake.org. Monthly meetings are held to plan future events. The organization promotes a mentoring program for children and adults for a wide array of arts and crafts, providing classes, exhibitions and performances, and providing public events so citizens may enjoy, learn about and purchase quality items from artists and artisans.  They also plan to raise revenue in order to purchase land and build a facility showcasing fine arts events.

The organization is planning an Art Trail for this fall.  The Art Trail will run along Highway 36 from Brenham to Milano. The idea of the Art Trail is to bring people from outside and within the area to view, buy and appreciate the works of local artists.  The group is looking for musicians, sculptors, potters, dollmakers, and painters to participate in this two-day event.  There will be extensive advertising of the event.  They are in need of the sponsorship of local restaurants, B & B’s, hotels, and motels along the way.

Be sure to check out their website to get more information. The next meeting will be August 3rd.

Chief Four Bears

Thoughts:

I was raised in a family that truly appreciated all things Native American from the people to their crafts, the art, history and legends. Naturally with that interest I am drawn to Catlin’s work. In some ways I wish I could have been there with him. But I know he saw things I would not want to.

Stop and think about it.

Thank you so for the blessing of creativity. When we create help us to realize the value of our work. Help us to recognize that each drawing, painting, poem, video, or short story is preserving a piece of history. Help us to realize that even the history of just our family is important. Please continue to give us creative ways to glorify You.

Boys at Play

“When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do,
our work takes on the quality of play and it is
play that stimulates creativity.”

– Linda Naiman

Thoughts:

Anybody want to play? Linda Naiman says that play can stimulate your creativity. What do you think? Do you remember how it felt when you played as a child. I remember having fun.

I think play can make you feel better. It can make you light-hearted and carefree. Play can make you forget your troubles, if only for a short time. Play can boost your imagination. Play can make you smile. When you give yourself a little time to play your attitude about life can chance. Who knows what the attitude change can do to your creativity. I think it is worth a try. So go out there and have a blast even if it is only for ten minutes.

Prayer:

Lord,

We are constantly searching for ways to renew our creativity. Please allow us today to use play as an avenue to better our work, our imagination, and our spirit. Thank you for the ability to learn about ourselves by watching our children. Help us to be able to let go and play with a free heart.

In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Thoughts: