CRAWFORD

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Art in Nature - Boise Storm on 12.30.2011

2012-01-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

ART CARTOON'S

2011-12-28T12:45:00.001-08:00

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS - STUDENT WORK (Watercolor and Markers)

2011-12-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas windows I painted at work

2011-12-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

Art Quote

2011-11-26T10:50:00.001-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-25T20:25:00.001-08:00

QUOTE

2011-10-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

BIRDHOUSES - STUDENT WORK

2011-10-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of SEPTEMBER 11th MEMORIAL ART - STUDENT WORK

2011-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe 10 years ago the tragic events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. Each anniversary year, I strive to keep those events from becoming a distant memory. It's in those memories we are reminded to hold our loved ones tighter, to love deeper, become stronger and never forget that our time on this earth is fleeting. It's sad that it takes an event of a serious magnitude to remind us "we only have today and tomorrow is never promised."

I believe history is important which is why 9/11 Memorial Art will always be on my lesson plan in the month of September. Most of my students weren't born yet when the tragedy of September 11th, 2001 occurred. Some students were age 4 and under and have no recollection of that day in history. As I discussed the historical events with my students, I made a list of words they could use such as "Hero", "Brave", "Sacrifice" etc...I talked about the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and the heroes of Flight 93. I showed the kids pictures they could use for reference material and how to use a white paint pen to make windows in their buildings and stars and stripes for their flags and hearts. (The white paint pen became quite popular!)

I tell my students all the time that "Art should evoke emotion". I have to say that my emotions were definately moved as I watched the kids create such significant pieces of artwork. I was astonished by their inquisitive minds and all the questions they asked like "How may tears did God cry that day?" (We decided it had to be over a billion tears) "Were angels with those people when they died?" (I said "yes, there were many angels that day.") "What is a Pentagon?" "Why do we want to remember such a bad day?" Of course, there are so many reasons, but the answer for me was obvious. On September 11, 2001, too many parents lost the opportunity to experience the simple but extraordinary moments of talking with their children, answering their questions and holding them in their arms. We remember September 11 to keep alive the memories of the children and parents lost. We remember September 11 because the moments spent with our children are what get us through the memory of bad days.

"NEVER FORGET"

Mady and Morgan

Best Friends create together

Kids, you did a great job! Thanks for making awesome 9/11 Memorial Art and sharing your talent with others.

Saturday Afternoon Art with Maya & David

2011-09-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Maya with her mom's artwork

Maya coloring

David with his coloring of the Godzilla picture I drew for him

David with his artwork

BOISE STATE DEFEATS GEORGIA IN SEASON OPENER 35-21

2011-09-04T23:36:00.001-07:00

BOISE STATE FOOTBALL

2011-09-04T22:31:00.001-07:00

FIELD TRIP TO THE BOISE ZOO - STUDENT ARTWORK

2011-09-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

This summer we had a field trip to the Boise Zoo. I took pictures of some animals so the kids could use the pictures as reference material. When we finished looking at the animals we sat on the grass and started the creative process. The kids viewed the pictures on my phone and picked an animal they wanted to paint. We created a background that could be used and the kids cut out their animal renderings and put their artwork on top of the background and we took a picture of it. Some of the kids wanted to do their own background and most of the artwork took less than 30 minutes. Great job kids!

2011 BOISE STATE BRONCO'S NIKE COMBAT UNIFORM

2011-08-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

PROVERBS 26: 27

2011-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP - TWEAKING MOVIES

2011-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

MEMORIAL DAY ART - STUDENT WORK

2011-08-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

MARIO LOPEZ - BODYBUILDING.COM EXPO

2011-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Art - Student Work

2011-08-22T18:23:00.001-07:00

NORMAN ROCKWELL

2011-04-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Norman Rockwell was born in New York City. Rockwell had an incredible gift...drawing. Rockwell quit high school at the age of 15 to study art. Rockwell would ride the trolly and subway two hours, every Saturday, to attend art classes in New York City. While Rockwell was in the city, he would visit art museums and studied the works of great artists. Rockwell earned money for tuition by delivering mail on his bicycle for 25 cents a day, giving art lessons and drawing illustrations. One of Rockwell's first jobs was illustrating a children's book called Tell-Me Why Stories. Rockwell was paid $150 dollars for 10-12 illustrations.

In 1912, Rockwell illustrated a handbook for the Boy Scouts and drew pictures for Boy Scout calendars. In 1728, Benjamin Franklin started the Saturday Evening Post magazine. Rockwell's longed to have one of his illustrations appear on the cover of the magazine. Rockwell drew several illustrations and put his finished art in a wooden box to hold them and went to see the editor of the magazine. Rockwell was so nervous at the interview. However, the editor knew Rockwell had a gift and hired him. Hiring Rockwell, was the beginning of a long career with the Post.The very first Post cover that Rockwell drew was Salutation (Boy with Baby Carriage). This illustration contains only 3 colors because the early Post covers only used black, white and red. Over a period of 55 years, Rockwell drew illustrations for more than 300 Saturday Evening Post covers, averaging seven covers a year. Each picture told a story (most humorous) that families across the nation connected with. When drawing a Post cover, Rockwell would start with a charcoal drawing and then he would recreate the drawing in color on canvas. Rockwell would use models to pose for his painting and would show the models the expressions he wanted them to have on their faces. Rockwell paid his models $2 or more for sitting for him. When Rockwell used his sons as models, he just paid them a dollar. For 25 years, Rockwell used live models. Later in his career, Rockwell posed people and had a photographer take dozens of photographs which he would use as reference material for his paintings. In Triple Self-Portrait, Rockwell used himself as a model by looking in the mirror. "Triple Self-Portrait" - Norman Rockwell

Rockwell's paintings were so popular that the Post would print an additional 250,000 extra copies just to meet the public demand.During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt talked about "the four freedoms." Rockwell had an idea for illustrating these freedoms which he said was "the best idea I ever had." Rockwell used his neighbors as models and drew the four illustrations. It took Rockwell 6 months to finish the four paintings and the Post printed the paintings inside the magazine with an essay about each painting. Rockwell submitted his paintings to government agencies and the agencies weren't interested in using them. However, the editor of the Saturday Evening Post knew a money-maker when he saw it. The editor jumped at the chance to print Rockwell's paintings. After Rockwell's paintings were published, the U.S. Treasury Department used them to raise 13.2 million dollars in war-bond sales. Here are the four paintings that Rockwell created in 1942 to illustrate The Four Freedoms. Freedom To Worship shows people of different faiths praying, Freedom From Want shows a family around a Thanksgiving table, Freedom of Speech, features a man standing and speaking up in a town hall meeting and Freedom From Fear shows a couple tucking their children into bed at night. In the Freedom of Speech painting, Rockwell put himself in the crowd. (There is a small likeness of Rockwell in the upper left part of the painting with only his eye and ear showing.) Rockwell also did a famous painting called "The Golden Rule" which shows many different people of different nationalities. Rockwell wanted to show that "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you" was something on which most people, of most religions could agree on, regardless of their creed or belief. "The Golden Rule" - Norman Rockwell Rockwell was known for his loyalty. There was a time when another magazine offered Rockwell twice as much money as he was making at the Saturday Evening Post but Rockwell turned the magazine down. Because of Rockwell's loyalty, the Post doubled his salary. In 1920, when America engaged in World War I, Rockwell enlisted in the Navy. Rockwell's duties consisted of painting portraits of naval officers, sailors and officer's wives. The servicemen sent the portraits home to their families. In Rockwell's later years, he painted national events such as the civil rights movement. Rockwell illustrated the young black girl who was the first to attend an all-white school. The painting was called "The Problem We All Live With". Rockwell used a child model for Ruby Bridges, the child being escorted to school by federal marshals. Rockwell positioned the models feet on wooden blocks while she was posing to make her appear to be walking. "The Problem We All Live With" - Norman Rockwell

In 1927, with only a one day deadline, Rockwell drew the cover about Charles Lindbergh's Flight. Rockwell worked non-stop for 26 hours to finish the illustration in time for the printing. In 1943, Rockwell's studio burned which destroyed all his original artwork and supplies. Rockwell illustrated this unfortunate event in a drawing called My Studio Burns. Rockwell only painted one abstract painting in his careet and it was just a backdrop for his composition Conoisseur. Conoisseur - Norman Rockwell During Rockwell's 65-year career as an artist, he completed over 4000 works of art and painted pictures for 20 national publications. Rockwell once said he wanted to be painting when he died. Rockwell painted his last picture six months before his death and it sits as an unfinished painting on his easel.

WATERCOLOR EASTER EGGS

2011-04-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

PENGUIN ART - STUDENT WORK

2011-03-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

Art Journaling

2010-11-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Art Journaling is the new way to express your thoughts and feelings by combining words with art. Art Journaling has impacted the art community in a big way and now most artists are jumping on board. Recently, I did a page in my art journal of a song that I love by Lifehouse called "Storm." God really speaks to me about trusting Him when I listen to this song. This journal page is dedicated to my Lord and Savior who has constantly shown me that He is worth trusting. I've included a picture of my art journal page and posted the song on my blog. Enjoy!

Demo for the Kids-Where The Wild Things Are

2010-10-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

For my art students, per your request....Watercolor painting of Monster from "Where The Wild Things Are".

Friendship Jars

2010-09-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your best friend from high school? Do you remember being inseparable? Oh, how I wish I could go back to those days! Hanging out with my BF from high school was recently re-lived when I helped Darby and Sophia, two teenage best friends, who reminded me how fun it was to hang out together and make friendship gifts.

Darby (the blond in the picture) is the daughter of one of my girlfriends from high school. I took Darby and her friend, Sophia, with me to the art store to get supplies. As the girls were helping me, they suddenly felt inspired to make something. I love how art supplies can inspire a person to become creative!

Darby and Sophia decided to make a "Friendship Jar" that commemorated the date they first met and became friends. As you can see from the pictures below, the date was 10.24.2007. I had so much fun with the girls and their creations turned out so cute...(makes me wish I was young again!)

Darby and Sophia each wrote a letter to one another so it could be kept in their "Friendship Jars" along with all the other wonderful things they will give each other through their high school years.

God brings amazing people into our lives to bless us with the gift of friendship!

DARBY starting her "Friendship Jar"

SOPHIA starting her "Friendship Jar"

DARBY and SOPHIA = Best Friends!

DARBY - Almost Finished!

SOPHIA - Almost Finished!

SOPHIA and DARBY - Keep Going! You're Almost Done!

Teenage Picasso's!

SOPHIA and DARBY'S creations...not quite done yet! The finishing touches still need to be added!

Ta Da! The "Friendship Jars" are now complete!

Contrast Watercolor Paintings - Student Work

2010-08-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

This summer at Art Academy, I had my students do a "contrast" project which teaches the children about the relative difference between light and dark areas. The students did a winter night scene of snow falling on birch trees. I was amazed at the unique designs the students came up with for their trees.
The pictures below show how beautiful their masterpieces turned out!

20 Reasons Why Art is Important for Children

2010-08-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

1.) Art stimulates both sides of the brain

2.) 33% of kids are visual learners

3.) There are studies that show when kids make art they achieve better grades in science and mathematics

4.) The kids learn by using their senses and art is ideal in this process

5.) The kids need a place to express themselves at school

6.) Art promotes self-esteem

7.) Art encourages kids to give more attention to the physical space that surrounds them

8.) Art develops hand and eye coordination

9.) Art stimulates perception

10.) Art teaches children to think openly

11.) Art teaches that there is more than one solution for a problem

12.) Art teaches kids to think creatively to solve problems

13.) Kids can share and reflect on their work of art and learn something about the world in which they live

14.) When art is integrated with other subjects in the curriculum, kids commit more to the learning process

15.) In the process of doing art, the child is exposed to different possibilities, to discover freedom. Art helps children avoid falling into the control and predictability of the conventional education in the United States

16.) Art nourishes the human soul. One feels good doing it

17.) Art is an outlet for children to express their hurts and fears through art therapy

18.) Art involves parents and tutors in the school, inviting them to participate as volunteers in diverse activities

19.) Art provides a common ground across racial stereotypes, barriers and prejudices

20.) Art helps a child release their emotions and express their thoughts that often cannot be put into words

Self-Identity Letters - Student Work

2010-07-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Tell me about yourself....Who are you?

This is the question addressed in the self-identity letter project that my students recently participated in. Each child was provided the letter of their first name. The assignment was to decorate the letter by portraying their self-identity. The students used decoupage techniques to complete the assignment. The importance of this project is to have children engage in the continuous process of learning about themselves and their world. In order to function successfully in society, children must learn to know themselves, to achieve self-identity. Children must also learn about social interaction and how to recognize ways they are like and different from others. The students decorated their letter by cutting out, pasting and painting anything they could find to describe who they are. This project forces a child to really think about how they would describe their inner-self to the world.

As you can see from the pictures below, the students did a terrific job!

"Art of the American Soldier" Exhibit

2010-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

An American soldier stands alone amid the long grass of a Vietnamese field accompanied by the helicopter that brought him there while a few soldiers are seen in the background.

"Landing Zone" by John Wehrle, Vietnam, 1966

"Landing Zone," a somber depiction of the Vietnam War in 1966 by soldier John Wehrle, is among 300 paintings by U.S. servicemen and women that will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center in September.

The paintings have been selected from about 15,000 collected by the U.S. Army since the 1840's. Most have never been on public display.

"Art of the American Soldier" focuses on the duties, sacrifices and everyday lives of troops and covers every conflict from World War I to Afghanistan.

The depiction of war through painting gives it an emotional dimension that photography cannot match, said Col. Peter Crean, deputy director of the Army Center of Military History.

"War is a totally emotional experience and the medium of painting brings that out in a way that other mediums can't, "Crean told reporters at the Pentagon, where the Army's vast collection of paintings are being held, mostly in storage.

"That 2,000 Yard Stare" by Tom Lea, WWII, 1944

"The public needs to see this because it's from the soldier's perspective," he said.

The exhibition will give visitors a clearer understanding of war at a time when more troops in Afghanistan fighting the longest war in U.S. history and public support is wavering, said David Eisner, chief executive of the National Constitution Center.

Eisner argued that the center is an appropriate setting for the show because U.S. soldiers take an oath to defend the Constitution, whose stated purpose is to secure liberty for American citizens.

"It's important that we understand that what the soldiers are fighting for is the framework of our democracy," he said.

The exhibition is also designed to enable active and retired servicemen and women to give their relatives a realistic view of their experience of war.

The show runs from September 24, 2010 to January 10, 2011 and will then tour other U.S. cities.

Excerpt taken from Reuters - written by Jon Hurdle

Decoupage Vases - Student Work

2010-07-19T12:00:00.001-07:00

Recently I taught a class on Decoupage to my young art students. My students learned the techniques of making a decoupage vase which is similiar to that of a stained glass window.

I had each student choose a color scheme using only 3 or 4 colors that complimented one another. As you can see by the pictures below, the students were thrilled with their creations. The kids said they were giving their decoupage vases as gifts to their wonderful mothers!

How awesome!

9 Intriguing Facts about Leonardo

2010-07-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

Leonardo da Vinci Fact #1: Prolific Painter? Leonardo left fewer than 30 paintings and most of his paintings weren't even finished. However, Leonardo did leave hundreds of drawings, sketches and pages of notes. Leonardo's reputation is based on more than his paintings.

Leonardo da Vinci Fact #2: His Own Worse Enemy Leonardo was both a perfectionist and a procrastinator. Nice combination of personality traits, huh? This is said to be one of the reasons why he left so few paintings.

Leonardo da Vinci Fact #3: Where's The Sculpture? There are no pieces of sculpture that can definately be attributed to Leonardo, even though art historians know he learned sculpture when he was an art apprentice in Verrocchio's studio. (Let this be a reminder....ALWAYS SIGN YOUR WORK!) Leonardo da Vinci Fact #4: If He Hadn't Been Illegitimate, He May Not Have Become An Artist Leonardo was born out of wedlock on April 15, 1452. If Leonardo wasn't born out of wedlock, he might not have been apprenticed to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo would have more occupations open to him. However, since he was illegitimate, Leonardo's options were limited. The only thing known for sure about Leonardo's mother is that her name was Caterina. Many art historians believe she probably worked in the household of Leonardo'sfather, Ser Piero da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci Fact #5: Expensive Paper Makes for Messy Notebooks Paper was more expensive and harder to get hold of back in Leonardo's day than it is today. This may be why Leonardo made more intensive use of it, "filling" most every page.

Leonardo da Vinci Fact #6: One Of The First Italians To Use Oil Paint Leonardo was one of the first artists in Italy to use oil paints instead of egg tempera. Leonardo even concocted his own recipe for oil paints. Leonardo Da Vinci Fact #7: Lover Of Experimenting Leonardo's great fresco, The Last Supper, began to deteriorate almost immediately because Leonardo did not follow traditional, tried-and-tested fresco techniques of water-based paints applied to wet plaster, but used oil based paint on a surface that was a mixture of gesso, pitch and mastic. Leonardo da Vinci Fact #8: What He Didn't Invent Leonardo invented and drew up plans and sketches for a great number of things. Contrary to popular belief, the telescope wasn't one of them. Nor were gears, ratchets, pulley systems or screws. These inventions already existed. Leonardo da Vinci Fact #9: Don't Call Him Da Vinci If you must shorten his name, call him Leonardo. Da Vinci just means "from the town of Vinci."

The Cake Boss-Using Art with Food

2010-07-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Cake Boss is a reality TV show about life at the Italian, family-run bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Dad, Carlo, was the original owner and cake boss at the bakery. However, Carlo's died when his son, Buddy, was a teenager. Buddy took over the business and is now the "Cake Boss" following in his dad's footsteps.

Carlo's Bake Shop has been around for a 100 years. The reason I love this show so much is because of the artistry. I am amazed at how Buddy and his team can make a cake into a masterpiece. Once again, this show demonstrates how art can be used anywhere and with any subject matter, including food.

Buddy Valastro often meets with his clients and comes up with some pretty extravagant cakes at their request. If you haven't watched "Cake Boss" I would highly recommend that you tune in to TLC on Monday nights at 9 PM (eastern time). You won't be disappointed and you will have a new appreciation for art!

Below are some of Buddy Valastro's creations.

This cake was created by Buddy Valastro for Rachael Ray's 500th Episode. This cake was created by Buddy for Oprah's 10th Anniversary of "O" Magazine.

Photoshop - The must have for Graphic Designer's

2010-07-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

Photoshop is one of the greatest invention's ever made for a graphic artist. I love working with Photoshop. However, I honestly don't know how anyone can get through all the tools Photoshop has to offer. The possibilities are overwhelming!

Photoshop was created by Adobe Systems and is used by web developers, designers, advertising agencies and professional photographers worldwide and has become the industry standard. If you want to manipulate or enhance a photo, all the tools are available with Photoshop.

The tool you will find yourself using most often is the "selection tool." The selection tool is probably the most basic of all the tools but also one of the most powerful. The selection tool allows you to select any part of the image where you want changes to take effect. Areas not selected will remain unchanged. When using the selection tool, you have the options that include the lasso, the pen and the marquee tool. Several other tools include the size tool, the crop tool, the softening and sharpening tool and the ever so popular merge feature which allows you to merge two or more photo's. The use of layers is another popular feature of Photoshop. Layers allows you to work on different parts of your photograph individually and then put them together to make a awe-inspiring final photo.

I've included some sample Photoshop work to show you what the tools can create.

My Art Students!

2010-07-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love teaching art and watching a child's imagination. Children have such an innocent way of viewing life and the world. In that innocence, beauty unfolds. There is nothing better than watching a little Picasso create a masterpiece. Recently, my students had some "free time" after class. The girls decided to paint pictures that represented summertime.

Art Academy - 06/19/2010

Hand Body Art

2010-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love that you can create art on just about anything or anywhere. For example, artists all over the world have created unique and awesome hand body art. When you think of the human hand, people usually don't think of how many different poses your hand can create. Add some paint and you've got art at your fingertips (literally!)

Below are some hand body art pictures showing the awesome imagination from the mind of the artist.

Enjoy!

Georgia O' Keeffe - Nature and Children's Art

2010-06-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Georgia O' Keeffe lived a full life as an artist before she died in 1986 at the age of 98. O' Keeffe is well known for her vividly enchanting, bigger-than-life nature paintings. Georgia O' Keeffe is one of the most famous female painters and she revolutionized modern art. O' Keeffe had to overcome the need to satisfy someone else's idea of how her art should look in order to fully develop her potential. O' Keeffe became so discouraged early in her career that she detroyed her work because she felt that each piece was created to satisfy the ideals of other people. Ultimately, O'Keeffe's own design sensibilities won out and her paintings won the hearts of viewers everywhere.

Children have a love for nature just like O' Keeffe. I encourage creative expression by sending children outdoors with a large tablet, pencils, markers and/or paints. I often suggest that children explore nature in search of something special. I often prompt each child by asking, "What do you see that looks interesting to you?" Each flower, tree, insect, animal or plant should be used as an object of inspiration to create their unique works of art. I also encourage children by asking them what they feel when they explore nature. Asking such questions helps the child's creative process. Perhaps a child is attracted to the changing colors of the sunset, the distinct markings on a tree or the shapes of leaves. Each child should react to their setting in a way that works for them. Remember, each child sees the world differently and the learning process can be just as important as the finished piece of artwork.

(attached pictures in this post:)

Georgia O' Keeffe in 1977 - 9 years before she died

Keisi - one of my art students showing her watercolor painting of "Snow Falling On Birch Trees"

Georgia O' Keeffe - Painting of Oriental Flowers