new year sketches

New Year Intention: Draw more.
I'm off to a good start.

Sunday Drawing

Sundays I draw digitally in church. I'm that weird girl with an eerie iPad glow on her face in the darkened space.

because i love bloglovin ....

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm claiming my blog as my own.

Craft Frenzy

Monday night I went on a craft frenzy. 

I had the idea for a few weeks to sew a doll for my little niece, and then yesterday the steps figured themselves out in my head and I worked all night to make this little doll.

I got so excited I took little dolly downstairs to show my roommates. And we hugged her, and took pictures and I may have excitedly yelled out, "I'm a toymaker now - I'M AN ELF!!"

Not bad for a first try at plush toys. Tonight I'm starting a second superhero inspired doll for my little nephew. I'll post a picture when it's finished.

Moving Forward

It's been a long time since I've blogged - over a year! But I stumbled on it again recently, and I realized how much writing it helped me stay excited and accountable about finishing projects, so this year, the blog is coming back! (and I'm excited about that) For me, it means taking more pictures, making more projects, and paying attention to the small, interesting things in my life. For you, if you decide to read it, it means checking out my art and other creative projects, and probably some kid artwork, and maybe even a funny story or two.

card update

 I only have six more cards until my 52 card challenge is finished.

so I'm starting thinking about my artistic challenge for next year.

and I'll be taking suggestions, because I haven't come up with anything good

yet.

 I realized advent starts this Sunday, 

so I made myself a little wreath this year.

and had to improvise the pink candle, but I kinda like it.

and no pantsuit outfit this week because...

Thursday is my birthday!

Steve Day

Hey Miss Rokos - is it Steve Urkel Day?

oh - I get it.

because my pants are real high today.

very funny, kid.

little architects

 My little second graders learned the four orders of columns.

they're now budding architects.

and I'm real proud of them.

and according to the third grade fashion police,

I got the pantsuit outfit right today.

and I was planning on going to fashion jail - note the prison stripes.

falling behind

note the last two weeks.

empty.

I need to get back on track.

one outfit. two ways.

with my jacket and scarf on this morning, 

I felt a little like Amelia Earhart.

too bad this wasn't Monday. I could have passed it off as a Halloween costume.

and without the jacket, this might be my cutest jumpsuit look yet.

except the shoes. I still haven't figured the shoes out yet.

Sugar Skulls and Red Balloons

Skulls and Sporty looks

Frosted sugar skulls with my first class today.

A lot of sugar was ingested, and the 5th graders got a little crazy.

hopefully the other classes can keep it together more than the class today.

still, there were some nice skulls made!

And it was team jersey day at school for our spirit week,

so my pantsuit got the sporty treatment.

totally retro:

80's pantsuit.

Barry Sanders Jersey

and my grandma's shoes.

(although this outfit today made me realize that the pantsuit might look better if I hemmed it. I can't keep wearing heels. they don't do good in the art room)

Sugar Skulls!

 We're Making Sugar Skulls and learning about the Dia de los Muertos!

Ingredients needed: 10 lb bag of sugar, 1/2 cup meringue powder, 8 Tbs. water and a skull mold

Mix together until it feels like wet sand.

 Press the mixture into a skull mold

 Turn them out onto pieces of cardboard, and let harden overnight.

 Decorate with Royal Icing!

This week we made the skulls.

Next week we're icing!

I'm very excited to see how they turn out.

Pantsuit, Sketches, and Paint!

 Sketches from backpacking this weekend

 Pantsuit, version 3

colorful amate bark paintings.

Thursday...a day for jumpsuits.

jumpsuit picture courtesy of 2nd grade student. my expression courtesy of 2nd graders in the back of the class acting ridiculous.

To spice up my weeks, I decided each day needed a theme.

and Thursday's theme is jumpsuit day.

so each week, I'll be wearing this (straight from my mom's closet - thanks mom!) but styling it differently.

it's a new challenge in creativity.

and i'm the art teacher, I can get away with being a little weird.

it's week two, and I was feeling like I was wearing it so much better than last week,

until a 3rd grade boy walked in,

looked at me, hiked up his pants as far as they could go,

and said, "Miss Rokos - why do you look like this today?"

because, Donovan, it's jumpsuit day.

the kiddos are working hard!

Circle weave .... on a paper plate ... made less cheesy by taking it off the paper plate!

 My 5th graders made Dale Chihuly "glass sculptures"

And then I did the lesson with my special ones today, and they decided they made great hats.

And these first grade Andy Warhol portraits turned out pretty cool, too.

and so ends our Aug/Sept. North American artists unit.

starting next week we're moving on to art and artists

from South America (and Mexico, because I want to teach dia de los muertos)

so, I'll call it the south of america month.

the book transformers.

this year 3-5th graders have club time once a week.

My club is the "book trasformers"

and we're altering books that I bought at my favorite store (goodwill outlet, of course)

first step: create a new cover with spray paint.

yes, i handed spray cans to fifteen ten year olds.

and only a couple tried to tag the school.



cards and things

 Third graders worked on marbling paper.

it's like magic when the dye transfers from the water to the paper.

 Fifth graders are working on line drawings of their shoes.

I was so impressed when this artist came in with at least 10 shoes drawn on notebook paper.

he maybe wasn't working on his math during class, but the boy can draw!

and my cards from this week and last.

last week inspired by spending labor day walking around uptown. (on the left)

this week inspired by looking at a lot of vintage photographs.

i like how they look together.

clean, modern, with a hint of nostalgia

today we...

today we

made a huge mess making paper.

i'm talking a -third- graders- in- charge- of- a- blender

making- paper- pulp

kind of mess.

the room's a disaster,

but the paper turned out nice.

and the kiddos were happy.

so i was happy.

it was a beautiful mess.

First Project: Done!

 Made some homemade puffy paint for the special little ones:

flour, salt, and powdered tempera: painted it overtop of crayons....and then... MICROWAVED it and it totally puffed up for a cool texture. 

and by cool texture, I mean similar to a puffy cheese pizza crust.

all the kids drew a self portrait to start the year off, and then I combined them to create a rainbow of faces!

 and in random life things: I made a vegan stuffed shells : wohoo homemade fake cheese!

been drawing new tattoos on my arms each week: felt like a hypocrite last week when going over proper use of materials:

"do we write on ourselves with markers?" "NOOOOOOOO."

and back up to date with my cards!

whew!