Make Your Own Paint

Let's face it; cavemen couldn't walk down to their local art supply store and buy paint. No, they had to make do with what they had.

For this first Art History assignment, we painted a work of pop art using anything but paint. Blood and snot were discouraged but pretty much anything else was on the table.

Some of the paint choices included: mustard, coffee grinds, soy sauce, jelly, icing, burnt wood, cup cakes and mac & cheese.

One student used eye liner.... When I mentioned that eye liner was expensive she said, "Oh, I know! I used my mom's."

Don't You Wish You Knew Quiz Questions in Advance?

I give an Art History Pop Quiz day one... but you are clever and will use your resources to find out the answers to the following questions before Wednesday....


Art History: Pop Quiz

1. Who the @#$%! is Teri Horton?
2. Picasso was a jerk is because…
3. What did Andy Warhol think of Jasper Johns?
4. And the best table flipper award goes to??
5. Who was the artist with bad BO?
6. Most overrated painting ever…
7. Why did Caravaggio stab a man in the groin?
8. When I shop I like to go to Keith Haring’s store called…
9. When he asked his cousin to marry him she said, “Niet, nooit, nimmer!”
10. One lady died when her car was hit by one of Christo’s…

Art? QR Scan for More Info!

Interested in taking Art History or Computer Art but you're not sure what the class is really all about? Scan here for more info!

These posters were created and placed around Apex HS to promote the art classes. Each of these scans links to the keyword section on our blog.

Top 5 iPad Apps for the Art Teacher

For Christmas I got an iPad! How very exciting, I know! Already I have a small collection of apps that I think are very art teacher friendly. And the best part is, all but one of these are free!

I submit to you my..

Top 5 iPad Apps for the Art Teacher!


#5. Note Hub



Note Hub lets you create a single place to store information about a project. You create a folder, name it and then place websites, maps, notes, drawings, etc. inside.

Here is an example. Since i plan to attend the NAEA Conference in Seattle this year, I thought it would be a good project to start. Inside my project I have browser windows preloaded with webpages about the conference as well as places to stay and things to do in Seattle. I also placed a map of Seattle in my project and a task list of things to do before I go.

Now when i need to review anything about the conference I simply open the project. Very cool!

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#4. The MoMA Abstract Expressionist New York



All the artist and Abstract Expressionist artwork of the MoMA in NYC. You can browse by artist or chronologically. There are videos to watch, art terms to learn and even a map of Manhattan.




But the most fun thing to do is open the artwork and zoom in real close! Look how cool this Pollock painting looks all zoomed in!

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#3. Adobe Ideas



Suddenly you come up with the best idea in the world.... making Zonkey Crossing signs. You quickly open Adobe Ideas and after a few quick flicks of the finger, you have it all drawn up and ready to go. Now click the email button and send it to all your friends!

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#2 Famous Artists



A must have if you teach art history. The screen displays a famous artwork and provides a choice of 4 possible artists. See how many you can guess. It keeps score and it's harder than you might think. My best score so far is 18 right in a row. How embarrassing!

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and my #1 pick.... Flipboard



Flipboard is simply the coolest way to read Twitter tweets. Flipboard converts tweets into a magazine style layout making it easy and fun to read.



You can group many of your favorite things together, i.e. i have my google reader that contains all the blogs i follow set up as a layout. Alternately, you can follow a single person. Above is one page of the Craig Roland's magazine I created in Flipboard.

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RotoBall 2011

As a final project for Computer Art & Animation, we are participating in Rotoball 2011.

The idea is simple. A ball comes in from the left of the screen, goes out the right side of the screen, and the animation should last 15 seconds.

This is one of the first completed. It scares me.

School Arts Magazine

School Arts Magazine is going to publish an article about Apex Art's Post-it note murals!

Plaster Hands

We started the year with hands so doesn't it make sense we end the year the same way? This time we are taking a lesson from George Segal and getting messy with plaster...

Top 10 Artist New Year's Resolution

When making New Year's resolutions, most people think about eating more healthy or exercising.. but we are artists. We need something a little more challenging than simply joining a gym.

So here are your
Top 10 Artist New Year's Resolution!

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#10: Set aside one night a week to create art.
You know how you say you want to do something but before you know it the day has gotten away from you? You say you'll do it the next day but pretty soon it's the weekend so you promise to do it next week... The best thing to do is to set aside one night a week to create art.

Pick a day, maybe Tuesday.. every Tuesday, instead of flipping through the channels looking for something to watch, or endlessly scrolling "Most Recent" on FaceBook.. snuggle up with a warm canvas and paint something.

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#9: Go Shopping!
One of the best ways to get motivated to make art is to purchase art supplies. Even if you don't like shopping, browsing an art supply store is a totally different experience. you'll see tools your are familiar with and new ones that your not even sure what they do. Bringing home a few new supplies is a great way to start a new year.

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#8: Purchase a Sketchbook and Fill It!
It doesn't have to be anything expensive but i would suggest spiral bound.. those glue bound sketchbooks tend to fall apart.

Now take your sketchbook with you all day and draw. Observational drawing is fun and will really enhance your skills. Take your sketchbook to lunch and draw the Taco Bell dinning room!

Remember, your sketchbook is like your diary... you don't have to show it to anyone so don't be intimidated ... just sketch!

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#7: Participate in Illustration Friday

You set aside a night to draw and you have a sketchbook.. now what are you gonna draw?

Illustration Friday challenges you to create an illustration based on a single word they provide each Friday. You'll have all week to finish it.

Once you create your illustration, you can post it to your blog and then link your blog to the site. You'll be amazed at how many people from all over the world are participating.


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#6: Create a Portfolio of Your Work!
You have a sketchbook and you've been making a new piece of art each week, now its time to get your best work together in one place. A portfolio can be used to present your work to the college of your choice or to the owner of the coffee shop down the street (see #5)

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#5: Have an Art Exhibit!
Once you have a portfolio of your best work, there is no need to hide it in the closet. Find a place to display your work! It doesn't have to be a big city gallery. There are lots of local places that would be very willing to display your art. All you have to do is ask. A great place to start is your local coffee shop!

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#4: Visit the Art Museum
Viewing great works of art is both inspiring and motivating. You can look at art on the web or in a book but nothing compares to seeing a work of art in real life... it's size, it's true colors, the brushstroke, the texture....

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#3: Take a Night Off
Instead of watching reruns of House or Glee, tune to Ovation TV. Pollock and Warhol's Factory People are just two of the many art shows you can catch along with programs about music as well.

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#2: Make Art Friends
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen
Van Gogh and Gauguin...

OK, maybe not someone who will cut their ear off when you get in a fight but the point is, an artist doesn't have to fly solo.

Whether you enjoy working with a team or if you just want someone to bounce ideas off of, having an art friend is a great way to go.

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And Your Number One Artist New Year's Resolution...

Sign up for an Art Class!

I teach Art One, Art History and Computer Art & Animation. :)

Craig Roland Visits Apex HS Art

Several weeks ago, Craig Roland, author and Professor at the University of Florida came to visit Apex High School to obsever our art classes in action. He recently posted about his visit on his blog. THE ART TEACHER'S GUIDE TO THE INTERNET.

Click here to Read the Article.


A Visit with Ian Sands, Art Teacher at Apex High School from Craig Roland on Vimeo.