6 Inspirational and Creative Spaces

If you are an artist or crafter you need a great organized place where your creativity becomes artwork and  give you best results from your work.

Finding functional yet stylish solutions can be challenging. I have photo collection below of rooms that bring me inspiration, which I would like incorporate in a small office closet.

I love the Ikea file cabinets and the vintage laundry basket in this room.

 

There's a place for everything and everything in its place in this garage turned art studio.

Clever use of clothes drying rack.

I love the wall mounted cube shelving. This room is functional, yet has a bit of whimsy.

How about this re-purposed hutch?

This blueprint cabinet would be great for paper storage.

I am so enamored with these new and creative ideas for re- purposing furnishings.

Do you have a creative room or craft area?

AP Studio Art - Sample Art Works

My children attend an AP school, meaning they begin taking Advanced Placement courses as early as eighth grade and may take up to eight AP courses and six AP exams® by the end of their junior year. Yes, super intense and academically rigorous - and art is taken just as seriously!

This is the first year our school is offering AP studio art. (The school has only been opened for two years.) Below are samples of Ms. Delesandro's class for the current semester.

Taking AP classes offers opportunity to forgo introductory college courses, giving student the chance to take more in-depth classes sooner. 

 Sarah B. 11 Grade

AP studio art classes include drawing, two- and three-dimensional art, and design. AP studio art is  not available at every high school, even those that offer AP courses in more-accademic disciplines. Like the academic AP courses, Advanced Placement studio art classes are intended to offer a more intense collegiate learning experience.

Cathy L. 9thb Grade

Here in Arizona, highschool students are required to take at least one Fine Arts class before graduating. With more students overall in AP classes (in our school), applicants struggle to stand out. AP studio art seem to be the choice for some to achieve graduation and college breadth requirements.

 Sarah B. 11 Grade

Most of the students have not had extensive art experience and just dived in. I am totally in awe of the work they have produced so far.

How do you feel about art being offered as an AP course?

Van Gogh Inspired Sunflowers

This past weekend I helped my friend celebrate her daughter's 10th birthday with an art party.

The inspiration for the project was Van Gogh's Sun Flower and Starry Night, probably two of his most recognizable works or art.

She watched a tutorial on YouTube, purchased paints, brushes and 16x20 canvas for each party guest. With a few simple steps, you too can turn your living room into an artist's studio.

The kids painted and afterwards got to keep a beautiful piece of art as their party favor.

Give this project a try and let me know what you think.

Upcycled Picasso Masks

Much to my husbands chagrin, I can't seem to trash the bits and pieces that are left over from other craft projects. Even the shortest length of ribbon makes it into a bin marked "save do not through out". Not only do I feel better for not throwing out perfectly "good stuff" into the garbage, it helps keep my art projects cost low.

A really great project for making use of all the bits and pieces is African masks. Not only can you teach students about recycling, it is a fun way to teach about the famous abstract artist, Pablo Picasso. They will also learn how to use recyclables to make simple lines to create faces and then rearrange them to appear like abstract faces in the style of Pablo Picasso.

It's a fun mixed media  project that involves several techniques and can be tied to literacy when you include West African Folklore.

It is also great for integrating math by discussing how geometric shapes are in elements of art.

Supplies:

Cardboard boxes
Hot Glue
Tacky Glue
Paint of your choice
Assorted Ribbons, Pipe Cleaners, Buttons and Jewelry Pieces, etc...

First, you will want to pre-cut the corners of a sturdy corrugated box and punch/drill out holes for hanging your finished mask.

Next, have students paint the cardboard masks and let dry.

Now for the fun part...using Tacky Glue have students embellish with buttons, ribbons, bits of jewelry, etc...There' no right or wrong, just let that imaginations take over. Have an adult use hot glue for heavier pieces.

TIP: For additional texture and dimension, prime your corrugated box corner with Plaster-of-Paris before painting. (Take plaster-of-Paris and add water until it looks like the consistency of glue.) 

We made the masks above as part of a school wide fundraiser two years ago. By incorporating recyclables into our projects it kept our supply cost at $300 for school of 550 students.

 How about you? Any upcycled projects to share?