The perfect match? Hmmm...

Not sure if any of you all caught wind of this last week but I did and was wondering what (if anything) it meant to you...

The above popped up in my email inbox from Dick Blick along with a 20% off to celebrate Blick's official announcement of the acquisition of Utrecht.

I don't know that I actually think this is a good thing or not. I mean... I like Dick Blick and I really REALLY like Utrecht but if it comes down to picking a brand that I would be fiercely loyal to I would actually pick Utrecht all the way because from my experience they have a higher quality than Blick does for artist grade materials and at a very reasonable price point. Don't get me wrong, Blick brand is pretty solid and reasonable for my school's supply budget but when it comes down to it I have time and time again been able to really trust Utrecht to deliver some very high quality products.

Does this new acquisition mean that Utrecht brand will end up going away because Blick brand is the bigger brother now? That makes me sad because Utrecht brand is REALLY solid for brushes and oil paints and all sorts of other things that I use beyond just for my own art education and instruction purposes.

I guess time will tell how this will work itself out. It would be nice if some of the Blick brand bowed to the Utrecht brand and then phased out the Blick stuff over the Utrecht stuff even if the Utrecht stuff ends up being called Blick brand. (That was a mouth full but hopefully you get what I was trying to say!)

It's here!!! The Dream. Pray. Create. Lesson Planning Template!!!

It's here!!! It's here it's here it's HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRE!!!!

As I have said before, this year I decided to be a first year/sixth year teacher and it has absolutely transformed everything about my classroom. If you have already forgotten what I am referring to I will tell you again that it has all come from my implementation to do inquiry-based teaching with a teaching model I designed and discussed HERE.

Approaching teaching and learning in this way has done the following in my classroom: renewed me with fresh inspiration, empowered and encouraged my students to be more autonomous and personally accountable in their creative efforts, and given both me and my students much needed structure in order to have a working studio art classroom that is more like a "well-oiled" machine than I ever might have dreamed it could be.

I am calling this teaching model "The DreamPrayCreate Teaching method because I can't think of any other way to call it. *shrug* (Seriously.) Calling it "A Framework for teaching Visual Arts Education + The Creative Process" makes it sound so dry and official and while it has become a very official thing for me to use that certainly does provide an amazing framework for Visual Arts Education it jus seems like it could be called something a lot more colorful, imaginative, and inventive (in what it suggests it does for teaching/learning.

The template itself is not necessarily six pages (as seen below in the snapshot of the multi-page view in Microsoft Word) but when I typed it all out for the Our Common Threads | Intro to Printmaking lesson idea, it ended up being longer than the 3-4 pages it started out with in it's blank state.

I have (for you to download and use!!) both the BLANK version of this lesson planning template as well as a completely useable and fully articulated lesson plan for the Our Common Threads | Intro to Printmaking project. Both versions are being stored online in the Google docs folder I set up to be able to share documents with you all...

• DreamPrayCreate Lesson Planning template worksheet in word document (the most recent/up-to-date version of word docs - (3) pages - as well as in PDF format
• DreamPrayCreate sample lesson of Our Common Threads | Intro to Printmaking in PDF format (6 pages) and HERE it is in word document as well

Regarding the visual formatting of the above documents, the word version of the Lesson Planning template worksheet should be downloaded and not just modified in Google docs because it is definitely off in how it is viewed via the Google docs web-based platform. The correct visual formatting is viewable only via the PDF formats for both the lesson planning worksheet AND the sample lesson.

I invite and welcome you to use both of them AND share them with others in an effort to (perhaps?) inspire, invigorate, and reshape the teaching and learning that happens in your art classrooms. Still though? I feel like this could work just as well for any other type of content-area as well so share it with your non-art education colleagues! What I have designed and created is something that definitely is indicated to be for a classroom/school of Christian faith, the section that indicates the connection to a Christian worldview could just as well be thought of us being a Character trait connection so that the teaching of Visual Art is a vessel for learning principles and values like integrity, perseverance, selflessness, etc.

As for me providing lesson ideas in the future in this format? I am undecided. This year is a curriculum review year for me at my school and while writing up everything in this lesson planning document for each of my lesson ideas would certainly align with the assessing and revamping of my curriculum area, well... I have a lot more to do for this process other than writing lesson plans (micro-level type planning) and I have to focus on the big picture and the long-term/far reaching goals of the visual arts program at my school. While I would like to say I am "that good" and I can both stand a little bit in one place while also making leaps and bounds in every direction, I am realistic in knowing that I cannot do it. Still, it doesn't mean that there might be some lessons/lesson notes that I won't sometimes present in this format. I mean, now that I have it it is certainly a lot easier for me to implement/use/share with you all so perhaps I need to just TRUST in the Lord that He will steer me and provide for me so that I am using it - especially if it is helpful for you all.

I see what I am doing as a little bit of collaboratively planning with you all and I am happy to do it as long as the Lord Almighty provides a way for me to do so. Let me know how you like this lesson planning template and/or how you think it could be modified to be more useful! I know I'm not perfect and so I am always open to constructive feedback of how to make what I'm doing better.

It's a new and improved Lesson Idea archive section!!!

Hello blog friends and interweb visitors! I just wanted to let you know that I have redesigned and reorganized the LESSON IDEAS archives of this blogsite in an effort to make it more user-friendly and (visually) better organized and communicative.

Since starting my site I have amassed quite a collective of Lesson Ideas for all of the courses I teach. The other day I looked at it and realized that the list (while very comprehensive) is also kind of overwhelming to read as well as clunky to navigate. Now, I love bulleted lists as much as the next visual organizing-type but the way it was going? Well, it really seemed to defeat it's purpose. Even I was annoyed with having to comb through such a long block of text in order to find stuff that I myself put there! (I just counted the ideas I have posted and for all of the sections combined, there are currently 50 that I have shared. CRAZY!!!)

So, I changed things up a bit and below is a full-webpage screenshot of what you will now find in the Lesson Ideas archives section accessible across the top navigational bar...

Each course/area that I used to have as mere headings of the large list now has it's own separate page that is linked from the Lesson Ideas section.  You access the individual sections by clicking the large headings (that are in orange brackets). Also included are some snapshots of what is found in each section.

When you get to each section, it is visually organized in a similar way and looks a little like this full webpage screen capture of the 2D Design section...

Each section - 2D Design, 3D Design, Interactive Art History, and Art Beyond the classroom (that includes fun activities for the school community at large) - looks pretty much the same as the screen capture above. There are short blurbs on each project idea page link (accessible by clicking the orange bracketed text headings) as well as a few images of what you will find on the linked page. Neat, huh? And SO much better too!!! There is a pretty fair amount of content in each section and I will be adding more to each of them as I introduce lesson/project ideas to my own classes.

I did all of this not just for my own organizational purposes and goals (though it fits that as well) but also because I want to actively create (and maintain) something that serves YOU, my fellow art teachers, working, visual artists, and lovers and enthusiasts of all things related to visual creativity and real creation. I regularly review my website stats and I am constantly thinking about how to continue making this tiny little part of the web (that I am so blessed to be able to call my virtual soft place to land) a little bit more welcoming and comfortable to visit.

Because I have taken some unique twists and turns in my career to get to where I am today, I have pretty significant experience not just in visual design but also with visual branding, website coding, blogging for an audience, curriculum design and writing, and social networking. DreamPrayCreate.com has become something that rolls all of the talents the Lord has blessed me with into a nice and neat little package that I can't help but want to share with you all as a gift that (hopefully) keeps on giving far beyond itself. I take my job as a teacher very seriously because I know that my investment in the lives and education of my students will pay itself off in dividends and (the way I see it) investing in YOUR artistic endeavors and/or the lives and educations of your students will also pay itself off in similar ways.

Thank you for continuing to support me in my efforts with this blogsite! I pledge to keep trying to make this place a better, more informative, and CREATIVE and VISIONARY place where inspirations aren't only sprouted but also cultivated and germinated. Also, if you have any questions or ever want to contact me you can do say via email address DreamPrayCreate[at]gmail.com.

It's about time!

Finally took the plunge and registered a domain for this blog...

You can update your bookmarks and feeds if you like but it's my understanding that you don't have to because I have automatic redirects set up to get you to land where you are trying to go.

For ease of accessing this site though, I figured two years was long enough to have this blog be identified as just another place within the blogspot world. Because it only makes sense, I selected DreamPrayCreate.com to be the official name for its place on the web.

Thanks, everyone, for continuing to visit my site, pin ideas from it, and virtually support my efforts to be a part of this great big wide world of online art making and appreciation.

Ch-ch-ch-chaaaaaannnn-ggggeessss!!!

Not sure how many of you are regulars here on the blog but thought I would highlight some things that have changed within the last week. I have been monitoring my blog stats for months now and am trying to make it easier to navigate based upon some of the data I have been gathering...

• Restructured the navigation for the site so that the network I tap into (re: other art education/artist blogs) are linked with a thumbnail now on the right sidebar. These links are the same ones listed in the links section across the top navigational bar of the blog.
• Added a section of popular postings (with thumbnails) also to the right sidebar 
• Enabled subscription to this site via email - access this on the right sidebar. 
• Added a search engine box so it's a little easier to find things in the archives.
• Added a button for you to follow what I'm doing on pinterest (if you want an invite please email me!)
• Tried to do schedule ahead postings so that fresh material is added daily! Not sure how long I can keep up with this but I'm going to do my best to do it with my grad school and work schedule but I'm going to try to do it.

Ways you can help me to make this site better...

• Contact me via the comments sections OR email at andreareamphotography AT gmail DOT com to let me know what you would like to see more of (or less of for that matter). My goal is to give back to the online art community that gives so much to me (inspiration, encouragement, HOPE that the love for art is not dead!!) on a daily basis. One way I can be better at giving back is knowing what is needed and wanted.
• Link up(!) by letting me know where you're blogging your best art/art education material!!! I am glad to offer you linkage in both the links section and the right sidebar. My only stipulation is that your postings must feature decent quality images in your postings of the work you do/your students do. I don't care if they are taken with your camera phone or regular camera. Just make sure you include images in your postings. I have a specific reason for this and I am going to be addressing it in the near future but in the meanwhile, please use embedded images!

Hot off the presses!

When I'm not posting things here, it's sometimes because I'm posting things elsewhere. I write for the Fuel Brand network's photography division. My aim with my articles has been to instruct photographers how to use elements of art and design within the photographic medium. So many photographers out there (nowadays) are self-taught (and I don't begrudge a nontraditional start of a career in the least) but could have much stronger bodies of work if they considered how essential classic art teachings are for visual art itself.

I've already published articles addressing using visual texture to make photographs feel more dimensional and also touched on color theory and some of the ways that it can visually balance an image.  This month's article highlights the importance of visual branding and how it can be done effectively with typography.

Just reorganized the lessons page!

Hello, all! I have been meaning to reorganize the lessons page that shows a comprehensive and bulletized list of all of the lessons I have used in my classroom - both my own originals as well as those I've been inspired to use from places all over the web.You can always find specific lesson ideas based upon the specific media used or the class by clicking on one of the categorized labels on the right sidebar but for quicker look up I categorized all of the lessons in the lessons page link (see the top side bar below the header graphic) according to the courses in which I use them. The course categories are as follows: 2D Design, 3D Design, Interactive Art History, Graphic/Digital Design. Hope this helps you to navigate the site with a little greater ease.

I'm just getting started

Oh, Hi! How are you? Nice to meet you! And welcome!!

Is it weird that I'm starting a posting like this? Perhaps. But per my blog stats, I'm getting all kinds of new traffic on this here blog and I always feel like it's nice when something like that is not only recognized but also openly acknowledged. And I suspect it's happening because other art educators are doing the same thing I am currently doing. And that is, preparing for the coming school year by gathering inspiration, getting together art budgets so supplies can be ordered, scrapping/saving project ideas that did/didn't work in last year's curriculum. Etc. etc. etc. Better early than late to do this stuff, right? Here is the actual start of my planning for this year. I just took this picture of what is the core of my paperwork/planning notes right here in the teachers conference room of my school...

I started this blog last year because I believe in harnessing social networking and other powers of the internet as a way of helping me to be a more able, open-minded, forward thinking, and contributing member of the visual art and art education world. This blog came about also because I noticed that there were very few blogs/website specifically featuring high school art education and/or galleries of actual student artwork with corresponding lesson plan ideas. I mean, I can come up with plenty of ideas on my own but I will readily admit that it's easy to be stagnant if you hole yourself up and don't make an effort to connect yourself with what's outside of you.

I know I've been remiss about keeping up with student work and lesson plans as I have them but I'm really going to try and make a better effort to stay on top or as far ahead of things as possible this year on the blog. As my blog traffic shows on a daily basis, people are finding what I post here useful and they are returning for more information. I like this if only because I remember what it was like to be in the position of feeling like I just needed/wanted a little more information for what I was trying to do/be as an art educator and GOOD visual artist and if I can help to enrich (even just a little bit) the visual art community with the experience that I have had and continue to have, it's a positive thing that goes far beyond me just establishing a successful blog. I operate from the position that it's not about me anyway and I really believe in doing this for the better of the whole - whenever possible!

Anyway, I wanted to post something about the current state of things with regard to my role as an art educator...

1. Getting my budget aligned with my supply ordering
2. My decision making with regard to scrapping/saving projects I've done and shared here
3. Implementing new project ideas
4. General beginning of the year planning within art education

But it seems I've waxed on about, oh... I don't know really. But I've also stated what I feel like my newly invented purpose is for the blog, recommitted myself to what I'm doing and feel like I'm called to do in the first place, AND welcomed all of the new visitors who are arriving from all corners of the world - seriously! I'm getting a lot of international hits and that's exciting to me!!

My short term goal is that I will be blogging on all four topics (as stated above) starting tomorrow and leading up to the beginning of my school year - that is three weeks from now for myself and my colleagues and four weeks from now for the students. I might be able to sneak in some images here and there (if I can!) of the student gallery as I put it back together for the school year but I'm not sure since my work doing freelance photography and graphic design also needs to be a major priority before the school year starts. (I've got a wedding album to design, two engagement shoots, a weekday wedding, a senior portrait session, three family portrait sessions, and a major food photography shoot for a local bakery! *phew*)

In any case? I will hopefully see you tomorrow afternoon possibly while I'm amped up on cupcakes that I've both photographed AND had the great joy to sample!

It all starts here

Yesterday (last night especially!) was big for me. Not only was it the start of my 32nd year, it was also my first fine art gallery showing EVER.

Months ago I was "networking" to drum up interest in a visual art ministry endeavor I was trying to "hatch" (see here) and I gave a contact card to a person connected with National Community Church here in DC.  Weeks passed and nothing happened with it. It was slightly frustrating but I also took it as a sign from the good Lord that the time for things to happen with it just wasn't now.

Fast forward a few weeks and I get a seemingly random email from someone at NCC asking me if I was interested in participating in gallery night showing with other DC Christian artists. There was an application to fill out and slides to prepare to be approved and it had to be done within 24 hours because that was the deadline. All of those weeks and months of not hearing anything? Well, the answer was out there but it just wasn't meant to be revealed until then. God's orchestration is truly amazigood and ng.

To make a long story just a little longer, I applied and was accepted to the show and last night it happened at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse in NE DC...

My only grievance is that the lighting was terrible on three of my pieces when they had promised to bring in more to correct the situation. *shrug* Live and learn and I'll make sure it won't happen like that again.

The opportunity to show again in this venue was presented to me at the end of the event but I might pass in favor of pursuing a venue that offers a more classically defined gallery environment showing that is a lot more permanent - what I showed yesterday was put up and taken down in only hours.

My dream since I was a little girl has always been to be a real and working fine artist. Last night was a small step in that direction but all great big changes start even with the smallest steps.  Now that I have this under my belt I'm aiming for something bigger. I'll let you know when it happens. Not IF it happens. ;)