Vol. 5, No. 088, May 25, 2020

5088 - All Grown Up!

I can't believe that CC is all grown up. Today I got to be with her as she celebrated her 18th birthday. I was in the mood to create, so I made her a cute little Birthday Card.

Vol. 5, No. 087, May 7, 2020

5087 - Looking Up.

Last night I came across a Facebook post shared by the College of St. Benedict, my alma mater. The post was inviting people to a free online watercolor painting class with the St. John’s Preparatory School art teacher. I thought this would be a great way to practice a medium in which I have no formal training and very little experience.

So, this morning I dug out my watercolor supplies and got ready to paint. My picture is by no means perfect, but I love how it turned out.

Vol. 5, No. 086, May 5, 2020

5086 - Cardinal Strong.

Today I had my first Google Meet with students. I was asked to join one of my first grade classes and do a guided drawing with them. I spent a few hours this morning setting up both my laptop and iPad so that students could see both me and my paper at the same time. I thought I had it all figured out. Then when it came time for the Meet, my internet connection decided to give out, partway through the drawing. One of the last things I saw was one of my students in tears because she couldn’t follow along because she hadn’t been able to see my drawing.

I promised my students that I would create a video for them so that they could draw on their own time. My plan had been to share only my finished drawing, but since I made a video, I may as well post that as well. I hope you enjoy drawing a cardinal with me.

Vol. 5, No. 085, April 29, 2020

5085 - Bleeding Butterflies.

Today was another Miller Time Art day. Middle Miller needed to make a butterfly, so everyone tested out one of my Kindergarten and First grade lessons. We colored coffee filters with washable markers and the got the filters wet, causing the colors to bleed. Then we folded the filters and attached two together. We couldn't find pipe cleaners, so we used binder clips instead.

Vol. 5, No. 084, April 27, 2020

5084 - All Grown Up.

It's hard to believe that Lil' E is no longer a baby; today she officially turns one! While I didn't get to be with her today, we did celebrate over the weekend. On Saturday, we met up for cake decorating and a One Year photo shoot. The smiles were hard to find, but it was a beautiful day, which made for some beautiful pictures. Then on Sunday, we celebrated with a Birthday Zoom call.

Today, I got to celebrate with Shawn and Ziva as they celebrate their birthday as well, turning 33 and 3. Normally I would have made them cakes, but Margo has taken over the baking at our house lately.

Vol. 5, No. 083, April 26, 2020

5083 - Cheater.

The next project for my middle school art students is to take a virtual field trip to an art museum. While there, they need to choose am artwork they would like to reproduce. Then they have to make a poster showing the original and reproduction side by side.

I decided to be a good teacher and make an example. I chose "Pies, Pies, Pies" by Wayne Thiebaud. This may look familiar, because I used a picture I had taken and shared back in September. Fortunately, my students won't know.

Vol. 5, No. 082, April 24, 2020

5082 - Belated.

Last week I made a birthday card for a friend and then forgot to post it. It may not be the best card in the world, but the pop-up cake is fun.

Vol. 5, No. 081, April 23, 2020

5081 - No Going Back.

Today Governor Walz announced that Minnesota schools would be closed for the remainder of the year. Everyone at the Miller house, parents included, was sad about the announcement. They won't get to see their friends or teachers in person again. Middle Miller asked me if I was sad, I gave him my honest answer, "no". My reasoning was that this way I got to spend more time with all of them. To help brighten their day, I added a new quote to their chalkboard. Oldest Miller added the hearts.

Vol. 5, No. 080, April 22, 2020

5080 - Artsy Millers.

I go for some Miller time once or twice a week, usually taking some of the kids outside while others are getting individual help on school work. Today was art day for the Miller Littles, so I decided to lend a hand. Littlest Miller had to draw a helicopter. Miller4Ever didn't want to be left out, so he did some coloring of his own on top of mine. Then Oldest Miller had to draw a raceway. Mine got a little squished. The last project was drawing a jaguar with Middle Miller.

Vol. 5, No. 079, April 20, 2020

5079 - Sunny Sunday.

Yesterday I took advantage of the sun and the Easter flowers that were going bad, to make some art. I used Nature Print Paper and created some cool prints. The butterfly was my dad's suggestion.

Now I just have to decide what the next step will be.

Vol. 5, No. 078, April 18, 2020

5078 - Let's Get Creative.

One of my Kindergarten classes uses Facebook as their mode of communication during this time apart. I was invited to join their class which is awesome because O get to see pictures of them and things they are doing and creating at home. On Griday their teacher posted a directed drawing, showing how to draw 5 different farm animals. I thought it was an awesome project and I wanted to get in on the action. I sat down with the Miller Littles and we drew along with the videos. The girls just free individual animals, I took it further, drawing and coloring a whole scene. I love how the picture turned out. Oldest Miller did too, she asked to keep it.

Vol. 5, No. 077, April 17, 2020

5077 - A Girl and Her Pup.

On Holy Saturday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went outside to take Easter pictures. Lil’ E was not a fan of wearing anything on her head, so the headband came off quickly every time, but we got a few cute pics with it. Lil’ E loves to touch Ziva, so we got her in on some pics too. The only way we could get them to sit still was by having Margo hold Ziva’s favorite frisbee in the air.

On Easter, when the weather got much colder and it snowed, we got a few shots inside with Easter eggs.

Vol. 5, No. 076, April 16, 2020

5076 - Cardinal Strong.

As teachers, we are banding together to support each other and our students. At Annandale Middle School, each of the teachers were invited to send in a picture with a message of encouragement that was shared with the students. I decided to take out some paints and make this quick sign, complete with a cardinal; as the art teacher, I needed something artsy.

Vol. 5, No. 075, April 11, 2020

5075 - Rejoice.

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It is low key holiday filled with lots of time spent with family and hours at church. I love attending the Easter Vigil each year. This year, I won’t get to hold a candle and smell the sweet sense of incense, but I still get to spent time with family. Together, Margo, Becca, Dad, Eleanor and I created some awesome sidewalk art. We taped of the sidewalk, creating a stained glass style drawing. With all the changes this Easter Season, it is nice that we still have things to make the season bright.

Vol. 5, No. 074, April 10, 2020

5074 - Farm Fun.

Today was National Farm Animal Day. To celebrate, I made a quick pencil sketch of a cow head.

Vol. 5, No. 073, April 7, 2020

5073 - Learning Together Apart.

As we delve into the world of Distance Learning, I have to write new lessons plans for my students. New lesson plans means new project examples. This week, my middle school students created found object color wheel. They were required to use at least three objects of each color. My 6th grade studens focused on primary and secondary colors. The 7th graders added tertiary colors.

Vol. 5, No. 072, April 6, 2020

5072 - Palm Monday.

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. I had a lot of time, so I decided to try something new. I braided 6 palm fronds to create this cross. It may not be perfect, but it was a great attempt.

Vol. 5, No. 071, April 5, 2020

5071 - More Flour Please.

Today I helped Momma Miller celebrate her birthday by making a flourless chocolate cake. She had wanted a Tripple-layer Brownie Cake, but that is a large time commitment, so I chose something equally as good, but a lot easier to make. Before I started baking, I was getting supplies ready. After making scones the other day, I new the flour was low, so I asked that it be added to the grocery list. Margo looked at me and asked "Why? It's a flourless cake." Whoops!

The cake turned out beautifully, topped with chocolate ganache and Reese's.

Vol. 5, No. 070, April 4, 2020

5070 - Fridge Clean Out.

The other night, I made sweet potatoes for dinner. I had been craving some Sweet Potato Pie since Pi day in March, so I cooked extra potatoes and stuck them in the fridge. Yesterday, during my Prep Time Culinary session, I made Sweet Potato Hand Pies. I stuck the pies in the freezer so that I can have a little pick me up during these long days at home.

Vol. 5, No. 069, April 3, 2020

5069 - Beneficial Baking.

As a teacher, working from home and learning lots of new technology has been a struggle, but there are some benefits to this arrangement. One benefit is that during my "prep time" I can do other things. Yesterday I went on a walk with my sister and the day before I watched a couple episodes of a TV show with my brother. Today, I decided to bake. Culinary project number one was Candy Cane Scones. I had been planning on making these since Christmas when I crushed up the candy canes. Today I made time to actually do it.

To top the scones, I made some Candy Cane Cream.

Vol. 5, No. 068, March 30, 2020

5068 - Finding Joy.

In this time of uncertainty, many things have been canceled. One thing that we can't cancel is Birthdays. There are so many kids that were so excited to celebrate their Birthday at school and are now celebrating from home. One of these kids is Middle Miller. His birthday has always. Fallen over spring break, this year was different. But he's celebrating at home anyways. To make the celebrate a little bit better, I offered to make him a cake. Middle  Miller wanted a Reese's Ice Cream Cake. Since all of the DQ's within a 20 mile radius are closed, I offered to make one. Chocolate ganache and Reese's peanut butter cups smooshed between ice cream sandwiches and smothered in more chocolate ganache. Thanks Margo for making the ganache.

Vol. 5, No. 067, March 27, 2020

5067 - Double The Fun.

Today I was invited for for Double Miller Time, that's Miller Time with twice as many Millers. We got together to show our appreciation for our hard working healthcare providers.  We covered the sidewalks at both clinics and the hospital with word of encouragement and thanks. It was a fun way to spend some time outside during our quarantine time. This shows 4 of the squares that I decorated.

Vol. 5, No. 066, March 24, 2020

5066 - Lunch Doodles.

Today during Miller Time, the Miller Littles and I watched Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. We learned how to draw Pigeon from Mo's pigeon books. I made my pigeon into a king ruling over a castle. I also made a creature with lots of legs standing guard.

Vol. 5, No. 065, March 23, 2020

5065 - Bug Family Dinner.

I had a little bit of Miller Time today. During "art time" I drew a family of ants eating family dinner. H decided that the ants were eating a cheeseburger with pickles, ketchup and mustard.

Vol. 5, No. 064, March 20, 2020

5064 - Monster Sports.

I decided on a graphic design challenge today. I manipulated a photo of my wax house to make it look like a monster of sorts. Then I added a soccer ball and stuck it all on a green background. Thus a monster playing a sport.

Vol. 5, No. 063, March 19, 2020

5063 - Other Planet House.

I sculpted a house out of cheese wax. It is a two story house with a balcony. I encountered some difficulty as the wax kept cracking.

Vol. 5, No. 062, March 18, 2020

5062 - Strange Toppings.

Today I was one of the few people working at school today. So while taking a break, I made an art pizza. It was a rectangular pizza modeled after a classic school lunch. My pizza toppings include shredded paper, glue sticks, scissors, pencils, and markers. It's not edible, but it is fun to look at.

Vol. 5, No. 061, March 17, 2020

5061 - A Robot Jumping Rope.

I dug in the junk drawer to find materials for this installation. I used a variety of batteries and lip balm for the robot. The jump rope was made from screws and a tape measure.

Vol. 5, No. 060, March 16, 2020

5060 - A Dinosaur Playing An Instrument.

Following today's SoulSparklettes prompt,  I drew a t-rex playing the drums. It started snowing heavily this morning, so I decided to take my art outside. After planning my drawing in the margin of a newspaper, I took to the sidewalk with a stick. I had to work sort of quickly as it was snowing pretty hard and my picture was disappearing as I drew.

Margo also got in on the action. Without discussing what the other was making, we both chose to draw a t-rex. Margo made hers more comical, drawing a t-rex trying to play a ukulele. Little arms make it hard.

Vol. 5, No. 059, March 15, 2020

5059 - Flexible Learning.

In light of the  COVID-19 pandemic, my school has implemented Flexible Learning for at least the next two days. To prepare, I created a Google Slide for my 7th grade students to follow to create art at home. Their first project is to choose a prompt from the list provided. There are a wide variety of prompts to choose from including a llama surfing. Students then gather materials (whatever they can find) and start creating art. When they are finished they have to share their work and write and artist statement. To support my students I will be doing similar projects for the next 3 weeks. However, I am following a different set of prompts than I gave them. My prompts were provided by Julie Soul of soulsparklettes. I found her list on Instagram. You can follow these prompts too. Here is the link: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soulsparklettes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F03%2F3-Weeks-of-Daily-Drawing-Prompts-for-Kids.pdf&e=ATNyBKVNnPNgGhWhpdqXx0lFPhW7JgLB9eKeWp9NDffKAEsZR4KKuDFtU-Cc6wbVf2FEv_Ssz-XHEFpz&s=1

Vol. 5, No. 058, March 11, 2020

5058 - So Many Dinosaurs.

The Kindergarten dinosaur excavation had been going well. However, after the students were finished excavating, they didn't know what to do next. To make the process take a little longer, I created placemats that show each of the dinosaurs buried in the sand. Now when a student finds a dinosaur, they can look at the chart and identify the dinosaurs. It also helped a little with sand getting everywhere on the table.

To make the placemats, I first had to identify each dinosaur. Next I had to find pictures to go with each dinosaur.

Vol. 5, No. 057, March 6, 2020

5057 - Dino Dig.

This afternoon, I put in a lot of overtime at school, prepping supplies for kindergarten Dinosaur Exploration Centers. On Monday we will be beginning our Dinosaur Drawing Unit, which begins with centers that allow students to explore dinosaurs seeing their shapes and characteristics up close. It looks a lot like playing, but they are learning as they go. One of the centers is a dinosaur dig. Students get to pretend they are archaeologists, digging for fossils. Last year, they were  given a container with dinosaurs buried in loose sand. The dinos were usually uncovered in under 30 seconds and there was sand everywhere. To try and fix these problems, I decided to bury the dinos in homemade moon sand. It was made using 20 parts sand, 10 parts cornstarch and 3 parts water. The moon sand replicates the feel of wet sand, causing it to clump together more. The dinosaurs are buried under the sand, I just laid a few on top for the picture.

Vol. 5, No. 056, March 5, 2020

5056 - Tin Heart.

As I was sitting at the dinner table tonight, I noticed a Dove chocolate wrapper sitting on the table. After reading the saying, I started mindlessly playing with the foil. All of a sudden I had a cute little heart.

Vol. 5, No. 055, March 1, 2020

5055 - Surrounding Smells.

When I arrived for Miller Time on Saturday, Miller4Ever was finishing up breakfast and asked for a banana. The smell of that banana inspired me to bake some more banana bread when I got home. I used heart shaped pans this time. I filled the pans a little full, so they aren’t quite as heart-shaped as I was hoping.

Vol. 5, No. 054, March 1, 2020

5054 - In Your Cup.

Before heading out for a Miller Time adventure, I had a cup of coffee. I using dot markers, I created a coffee mug picture.

Vol. 5, No. 053, March 1, 2020

5053 - Emotional State.

As I was hanging out at Wheel and Cog with the Miller Littles, I spent some time with Littlest Miller in the foam pit. She wanted me to bury her and then she popped out. It was a perfect expression of our fun day and the fact that it was Leap Day. I love that the foam fell into a heart in her lap at the end.

Vol. 5, No. 052, March 1, 2020

5052 - Nature Shrine.

This project was a family collaboration. Becca, Nate, Dad, Eleanor and I all made hearts using the melting snow and ice. We left the hearts in the park for others to enjoy.

Vol. 5, No. 051, March 1, 2020

5051 - Contrasts.

Momma Miller both started working on this prompt with out consulting each other. While we were crafting at Wheel and Cog, she used thick and think tape lines to make Oldest Miller a sign. I added the heart and made a tape bookmark.

Vol. 5, No. 050, March 1, 2020

5050 - Lost.

I’ve gotten a little behind in my posting. This project was inspired by Oldest Miller. As we were crafting at Wheel and Cog the other day, I read her all of the prompts that I hadn’t completed yet. She said that one thing she keeps losing is her blanket. She started making a card with flowers on it similar to the colors on her blanket. I helped her finish it, adding a heart.