Clik here to view.
Monotype Print and Shrink Art—2 Art Projects in 1
Make the most of your art time with this two-for-one project. Students will learn the basics of a monotype print and making shrink art. Follow the simple instructions below to get started. Step 1 Using...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Last Minute Holiday Gifts for your Artist with Special Needs
This time of year is stuffed full of arts and crafts projects from ornament making to baking, to cutting out snowmen and drawing winter wonderlands. A busy happy time for most, but for our kiddos...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tried & True Tips – January 2016
A new year has begun and I am confident that you all had a restful and or fun-filled winter break. It is back to school now and time to get busy with art business. This month we focus on art history,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Forget Glazing! 15 Other Innovative Ways to Add Color to Clay
A few weeks ago, I was desperately looking for solutions to get some color onto my students’ clay projects without using glaze. Don’t get me wrong, glaze is pretty cool. However, it can be expensive,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mixed Media Motivates
Don’t throw out the boxes you receive your art supplies in—save that cardboard and recycle it into an exciting project. It’s not only a fun (and cheap) material for backing artwork and making 3-D...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Student Artist Spotlight: Minbio Yoo
We couldn’t help but think of Monet and his fellow impressionists, contemporary and modern, when we saw 12th grade artist Minbio Yoo’s artwork, I’m There. His art is featured on our 2016 Sax Arts &...
View ArticlePlein Air Landscapes: Art Lesson Plan
The masters had it right – there’s no reason to be stuck inside a studio all day when nature and fresh air await outside! Plein Air, which translates to “open air”, was a key component of the French...
View ArticleStudent Artist Spotlight: Gabriella Sciarretto
Our shivers are inspired by more than this evocative, woodsy, winter scene. We’re also in awe of the eight-year-old artist, Gabriella Sciarretto. Yes, that’s right! Gabriella created this paper-on-wood...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Exploring Aboriginal Art
Aboriginal art began thousands of years ago on cave walls all over Australia. The symbols and patterns can represent native animals, stories that have been passed down through generations, or maps of...
View Article4 Tips To Give Your Art Projects Mass Appeal
The goal of every art teacher is to turn their classroom into a group of young artists. You may have noticed, however, that not all of your students are automatically drawn to art. If you have trouble...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tried & True Tips – February 2016
Contemporary artist Shepard Fairey expresses his feelings like very few artists I have read about. This month, celebrate what inspires you and your students. We can do this with all the events that are...
View ArticleShowing Off: Tips for Hosting a Student Art Show
Your students have worked so hard and learned so much this year and their pieces really show their progress! Why not highlight their dedication with a student art show? March is Youth Art Month and a...
View ArticleZen and the Art of Papercrafting: Art Lesson Plan
Technically speaking, Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism originating with Sidhartha Guatama around 500 B.C. This Indian prince gave up his life of riches to seek enlightenment and when he did he...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stained Glass In Clay
I have always liked stained-glass windows, including those in turn-of-the-century craftsman-style houses and Gothic and Renaissance churches. After seeing some bowls with melted glass on Pinterest, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Student Artist Spotlight: Alexandra Scheel
Our spirits are lifted by Alexandra Scheel’s colorful batik Rainbow Zebra! With a plethora of vibrant colors, this pair evokes happiness and light and it’s no surprise. Alexandra created this artwork...
View ArticleConducting a Critique 101
Constructive criticism – an oxymoron? Critiques are a crucial part of any artist’s process, providing invaluable insight from both a trained professional (you!) and the artist’s peers as well as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tried & True Tips – March 2016
This month we will focus on drawing and color media. My students often have a hard time just drawing, whether it’s free-drawing time or an assignment. This year, my middle-school students started to...
View ArticleClay 101
By Eric Orr, MFA Ceramics, Sax Art Consultant Clay is a wondrous art material with an ancient and useful past. It is formed from igneous (take it for granite) and metamorphic rocks formerly found on...
View ArticleArt Room Philosophy: Teaching More Than Art
Art teachers teach color theory and perspective, shading and layering, and so many other artistic techniques crucial to bettering their students’ artwork. But, between those drawing and painting...
View ArticlePreparing for the NAEA Convention
I’m so excited for this year’s National Art Education Association (NAEA) convention because it’s taking place in my home city! My first convention was back in 2006 (which was also in Chicago), and my...
View Article