Blog Posts

Week One Sleepy Hollow '15

6/11/2015

Even though it's a lot of hard work I feel so lucky during the weeks of June to be able to offer students the new techniques, tools, and inspiration to create freely. Through Sleepy Hollow this week I offered classes like art explosion, animals, animals, animals, painting studio, cartooning, and creative clay and claymation. The image above is a still from a student claymation. These videos will be posted to to the student art gallery on my website next week when they are finished. I am also adding student artwork from the other classes as we go. So please check it out! Click here to view.

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Cando Art Camp 2014

2/28/2015

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Students from the Art of Mythology Class with their newly created shields, swords, and battle gear!

This August I visited Cando, North Dakota for the annual art camp I offer there. Cando may be a small town but there is a big interest in the arts and lots of creativity.

This was my 11th year and I enjoyed returning to see many familiar faces, new faces, and big amounts of enthusiasm for creating.

To view images of the wonderful art created during this week please visit the Student Art Gallery section of the site.

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Work of Art Dance Camp at Northern Plains Dance

8/23/2014

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Northern Plains Dance offered this fun class in July for students who enjoy both dance and visual art.
The dance portion of the class was taught by Carly Schaub and Katherine Adams.
I offered basic art techniques and on the last day students put together their art and dance experiences in a colorful performance painting while they moved. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with the dance instructors and work with the students in this camp.

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Art of Mythology-Day 5

8/1/2014

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Students continued preparing their handmade swords, shields, and other gear for the final 'battle'. It was fun to see the variety of clever solutions and creations everyone came up with.

One of the flags were finally captured. Students were better at coming up with adaptions to the game then I was. Next year we will play it earlier in the week to work out the kinks before the final battle!

The end of the week battle was a game of 'capture the flag'.

I plan on offering this class again next year. Please feel free to email me any ideas or feedback you may have between now and then!

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Art of Mythology-Day 4

6/26/2014

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Swords and Mythological Monsters...
Today we started created swords and other items out of foam board. We are preparing for our big 'battle' tomorrow.

Students also continued their training by throwing darts at mythological monsters.
Kampe, Medusa, The Hydra, The Minotaur, and more...

Students worked hard cutting out and crafting their swords and weapons.

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Art of Mythology-Day 3

6/26/2014

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Ares would be proud....
Today we began making our battle gear. We started with shields.
We used cardboard circular cake boards as our base. Students used wood, cardboard, hot glue designs, and paint to transform their shields with.
Some even branched out and made their own armor!

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Art of Mythology- Day 2

6/26/2014

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Day 2 was brought to you by the letter 'P'...
Students brainstormed all the mythology related words they could think of that started with P.

In honor of Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind, we made beeswax candles. Click here to see where I purchased the colored beeswax sheets.

We also created our own Pandora's boxes. Some students chose to create a box inspired from the story of Pandora while others took them in their own direction.

The demigods worked hard today and came up with a wide variety of clever and imaginative outcomes with the supplies they were given!
Check out the student art gallery for more images.

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Art of Mythology,Legends, and Fantasy: Day 1

6/26/2014

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We started the week by learning about Greek gods, and goddesses. The demigods (students) began figuring out what god or goddess's cabin they would be in at Camp Half Blood.

To get more familiar with the mythological world we drew images inspired by mythology and the Percy Jackson books.

Check out the Student Art Gallery to see more!

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Art of Mythology,Legends and Fantasy; Getting Ready

6/22/2014

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I am really excited for this class that starts tomorrow. It is brand new for me and we will use Greek Mythology and the Percy Jackson books as inspiration for our art making.

This class is also a way for me to personally learn about more about mythology. I realized if I want to understand something on a deeper level I should just teach an art class on it. After making all these gods and goddess banners I already am retaining it better!

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Hobbit Art Journey-Day 5

6/20/2014

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Long Forgotten Gold, the Arkenstone, and Smaug...

Today we traveled to the Lonely Mountain to find our long forgotten gold. Smaug was easily defeated and everyone got their fair share of the treasure (as stated on the contract they signed when they began the adventure).

Before our journey into the Lonely Mountain we had to battle more spiders, orcs, and goblins. Today Legolas and Tauriel the Elves joined us and helped Gandalf and Bilbo save people during the battle.

The Last Light of During's Day revealed the secret door and students rushed in to search.

The treasure was full of gold, candy, and arkenstones for everyone. However, being around this much gold brings out greed and students were careful to not meet the same fate as Thorin's grandfather Thror who became obsessed with his treasure.

The arkenstones that the students found in the treasure were geodes. They used their mining skills and broke them open with hammers to reveal the crystals inside.

Watch a short clip of students breaking open their arkenstones.

Some chose to put their arkenstones into these interesting metal charm cages and wear them around their neck. Others glued theirs to projects or left them as is. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the treasure, finishing things up, and creating.

Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell when you come back.

Bilbo Baggins: You can promise that I will come back?

Gandalf: No. And if you do, you will not be the same.