Payne Prints

As I rush into the last half of second semester, I am astonished that this year has really flown by. It looks as though I am really getting a program built here. I am loving the devotion and excitement that I see in the students. Mostly from students that don’t have art this semester but...

The winter break went too fast, but it was what I needed to recharge and push ahead. My new classes have a few of my students from before, which is nice to help train the new ones to my way of studio processes.

The first thing I wanted to tackle was a tree for the One...

As we enter a new semester it seems like a new year. My new classes have predominately new students, but also a lot of my old ones. I only had one week with my new classes before I had to perform a month-long annual training with the Navy in Guam.

After Thanksgiving break I actually got motivated to create. I have been pushing as much work out as I can. I still have 9 boxes of dried clay to reclaim and use. The 3D class is really stoked about having multiple clay projects at the end.

The pinch pots were not very successful and the kids...

Got through the first nine weeks and still pushing. There have been some ups and downs, the downs have been minor or brushed over with words of confidence from my team. The group at this school is really great. Very open and ready to lend an ear to hear venting and actually offer help. Really...

So another two weeks has passed and the job is still good. I dare not say great, as I don’t want to jinx it, but it is pretty darn cool.

We started in 2D art with creating a base color for a non-objective triptych painting. The students mixed an intermediate color as their main color to...

Another two weeks has gassed and I am still chugging along. I drifted a little off of the lesson plans but really wanted to push and see what they can do. Our Superintendent said at the beginning of the year, “we are teaching students, not curriculum.” So I stuck to the elements of art, but...

As I sit here on the late Sunday afternoon/evening of a three day weekend, I am feeling very relaxed. The team of teachers at this school are so helpful and it really makes things smooth. I had some very upsetting news during inservice and I had to go into survival mode to keep from letting...

Woah! I can’t believe it is a new year and I am back at middle school.  Ready to rock those little art minds.

The start was a little rough.  The room needed work….lots of work.  So I spent several days in July and August just cleaning and preparing.  The difference is astounding.  Everyone that has come...