News

Hi Art Friends!

We are quickly winding down the year in art. For most of my classes, I only see them 4 more times! That is only 3 hours that I get to spend with my young artists before we all break for the summer! As for me, I hope to cherish each minute!

Thank you for allowing me to teach your kids! I have felt welcomed by the community and have built some strong relationships. As you look forward to the summer, I hope you know that your students will be missed in our building!

All the best wishes,

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

I sure hope you had a great spring break and had a chance to enjoy the warm weather! My family traveled to Texas where we also enjoyed the warmth.

This is the time of year when I like offer some perspective. Even though we are in the last two months of school, we are in our last two weeks of art. I know! I am only scheduled to see each class 12 more times at the most. With all of the spring activities like field day, assessment days, assemblies, fund raisers, and the like... I will be lucky to see each class 10 more times.

So, while students are still testing and learning new content in their regular classrooms, in art we will begin to wrap things up. As always, if you have questions or concerns, I am available to conference with you via online, phone, or in person.

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

It is ART SHOW MONTH! Beginning on March 9th, artwork from all of the elementary schools in Jeffco will be displayed at Red Rocks Community College. This is a great opportunity to have an art museum experience for free, to be inspired, and to celebrate all of the creativity in our district. Especially with Spring Break coming up, I encourage you all to make the time to view the show, which is open Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00. The show closes on March 27th, so be sure to plan your visit!

Red Rocks Community College

13300 West 6th Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80228

March 9 - 27

Weekdays 8:00 - 5:00

Enjoy!

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

We are in the middle of the winter and often times it's difficult to get outside. What can you do with all of that extra energy? I recommend adding some art practice into your month. I believe you'll find that creating artworks can be relaxing, calming, reflective, challenging, inspirational, joyous, and connective.

Here are just a few ideas that you can dive into for just a bit while you're stuck inside:

• open a puzzle and get the whole family working on it... or create your own puzzle!

• get the family to pitch in and create some art for the house!

• paint a rock that you likely have in your yard... here's how to create a rainbow rock!

• challenge everyone to make clothes out of household items like plastic wrap, foil, duct tape, cardboard, etc... get inspired to create by watching this!

• use both sides of your brain to create a rube goldberg machine!

Have so much fun and send me a picture!

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

The winter break was surely needed. My family took the time to watch holiday movies, cook new foods, draw on our giant chalk board wall, and hike some quiet trails. I hope you found time to do the things that bring you joy and I can't wait to hear all about it!

As we get back to work in the art studio, I look forward to teaching your young artists about our second artist of the year, Jean Dubuffet, and getting our hands on some clay. Clay is one of my favorite things to work with and teach, so I am excited to share it with my students!

Be well and remember to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. Really. :)

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

The winter break is fast approaching and I always get questions about how to get artwork onto gift items like coffee mugs, coasters, tiles, and the like. Here are my quick tips for creating one-of-a-kind gifts for your whole family:

1. Photograph your chosen artwork with a good digital camera (a good phone camera will do)

2. Take the photo outside, in consistent (not dappled) shade, on a sunny day... ultimately, you are looking for full, natural light

3. Crop the image so that you can ONLY see the artwork

4. Upload the image to any photo printing site and select the products you would like to order

If you have any clarifying questions about how to create photo gifts, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

Have fun and remember to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. Really. :)

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

We are about to finish our first trimester, which means you will be seeing art grades on your child's grade card. I strongly encourage you to reach out to me if you have any questions about this process or about your child's grades. I can email, call, or set up an online Meet if you wish to communicate.

It is about this time of the year that I start to get questions about holiday gifts for children who love art. The suggestion that I always offer is to give your child an authentic art experience. You can take them to the Denver Art Museum for a snowy afternoon (or purchase a year membership), visit a lesser known art museum like the Clifford Still, admire the life size dioramas at the Nature and Science Museum, or attend a show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (or the more quaint Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton). Keep in mind that your art experience doesn't have to cost anything if you don't want it to. You could also drive around the city in search of murals and outdoor sculptures, grab a hot chocolate and look at holiday lights, or bring a sketchbook when you travel so that your child can draw the people and items that describe the trip. Art doesn't have to be about fancy tools or preplanned projects. Art is a way of being and sometimes our children just need to know that art is out there for them to experience.

Have fun and remember to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. Really. :)

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

We are finishing up our first projects and I am starting to learn the personalities of my young artists. I am beginning to be able to laugh with them and to understand when I can challenge them. I am in the beginning stages of teaching them to make their own artistic decisions and they are starting to learn to trust me. We are building a strong and trusting art community. Things are starting to click!

For this month, I encourage you to create at home. Everyone in my family loves to make cupcakes that look like monsters. We use this fondant recipe so that we can sculpt the decorations like clay. It is so fun and it will fill an entire afternoon if you want it to!

Have fun and remember to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. Really. :)

- Mrs. Rose

Hi Art Friends!

As I sit and write this, most students have only had art now for a total of 3 hours. Yep, ONLY 3 hours! So while it seems they have been in school for a month and your routines are certainly set up and running smoothly, we are still learning and reviewing routines in class. These will build a reliable foundation for our art community so that we can launch into more complicated processes.

We are also in the middle of learning our first 5 art elements and principles: Line, Color, Texture, Variety, and Emphasis & Contrast. I teach these first, just as letters are taught before learning to read and numbers before addition. Feel free to ask your student what they know about these building blocks for art!

This month, I will also be introducing our artist, Jacob Lawrence. If you are up for it, explore this artists life and work with your young artist!

Take care and enjoy the fall weather!

- Mrs. Rose

Welcome back to school! I am so excited to meet all of you and see your creative hearts at work!

As I start this year at a new school, I challenge myself to be brave in the place I am standing. We are all, at all times, in different places. This has never before been more important to remember as we have all experienced the last year and a half together and, at the same time, in some ways apart. I aim to be patient with where I am at as a new member of the Colorow and Peifer families, to give myself grace as I learn about all of our young artists, and to be true to my art heart as I embed myself into the strong cultures that already exist. I aim to be present and to bring my best self for the good of our communities. In doing all of this, I am confident that our young artists will have fun and learn a ton in art this year!

What do you challenge yourself to be this year?

- Mrs. Rose