The Art of Journaling

Every year, when my older students enter the art room they each receive a shiny red art journal with the words “sketch book” printed on the front. They spend the year filling these books with all kinds of wonderful things such as; information from our lessons, preliminary sketches, ideas that pop into their heads, and even random drawings done just for fun. So why, you wonder, do you never see these shiny red books at the end of the year?

By the time these books make it home they are no longer red or shiny. Journals are personal objects. Though some of the contents may be the handouts I supply, the inside of these books reflect the journey through art that each individual student takes every year. Because these creative experieces are so personal, everyone has the chance to design his own Journal cover. This is no easy task. It requires a great deal of thought to decide what will grace the cover of these books and the students will often spend several sessions getting it just right.

We use a collage method in the art room to create our cover designs. The students begin by sorting through the visual images collection I have available and choose the ones that suit their taste. Glue sticks ad mod podge flow abundantly and so does the chatter as students discuss their ideas with each other and with me. When the images are secure and coated with even more mod podge it is time to hit the collage collection. The decisions are not made easily. The students must choose the right collage elements for their design, but also keep in mind that too many elements will weigh down the cover.

There is no scientific explanation for it, it’s just a gut feeling, but somehow, you can feel when the journal cover is done. When the images are placed just so and there is just the right amount of tissue paper and bling, when you look at the cover and see it completed you can instinctively say “That is MY art journal!” Now it is time for the art journey to begin.

I am very excited about the year ahead. I have so many exciting adventures planned for our children. You can stay updated by visiting my blog: chayfleischhacker.blogspot.com If you can’t wait until the end of the year to see these journals, please feel free to stop by to visit and/or volunteer in the art room.

Please Help Keep The Art Room Green

I have a recycle wish list,that I’m sure some of you already heard about from your children. Each time a child brings me an item from the list she will receive a sticker. Ten stickers will be rewarded with a prize from my treasure box. The items are: Styrofoam egg cartons, paper towel tubes, yogurt containers, the tops from the yo crunch containers, apple sauce and snack fruit cups, crystal lite containers and shoe boxes. Please make sure that the items are clean and in usable condition. Thanks.