Tuesday, December 04, 2012

A Moosifesto

Now
As the holiday tradition dictates
brought to you by the
Society of Moose Against Using Reindeer
(S.M.A.U.R.)

I submit to you...


A Moosifesto


For hundreds of years Santa Clause has been delivering toys to children around the world. Though he is not beyond using outside assistance, Santa has been able to distribute presents on Christmas Eve without the help of FedEx, UPS or the United States Postal System. His primary mode of transportation has been a sleigh driven by an original team of eight tiny reindeer with the occasional help from a mutant red-nosed deer, and a misguided or perhaps delusional dog.




As members of SMAUR, we now provide the following reasons for the immediate elimination of the use of reindeer and the prompt replacement by flying moose.

1. More Torque:

Pound for pound, moose produce massive amounts more torque than reindeer. Where horsepower, or in this case reindeerpower, is needed for speed, torque is the ability to overcome resistance. Though it is true that speed is necessary to circle the globe in one night, it is the initial ability to pull the sleigh, weighted down by a ginormous amount of toys and often hindered by heavy, laden snow, which is needed before horsepower can even be applied.




2. Ease of Spelling:

Riendeer? Reindear? Raindeer? “I” before “E” except after “C” and sometimes “Y”? Isn’t rein spelled r-a-i-n? And deer spelled d-e-a-r? Let’s face it. Without a spell checker, reindeer is just too hard to spell! Moose on the other hand is simple. Only five letters and no confusing vowel arrangements.




3. American Made:

Moose are born and bred and raised in the good old US of A! Hiring moose to pull Santa’s sleigh is not only good for America, it’s our patriotic duty. Imports, such as reindeer, are manufactured abroad in such un-American places as Northern Europe and even Russia! Look for the “Born in Maine” label next time you consider hiring your sleigh team.





4. Better Night Vision:

All it takes is one foggy Christmas Eve and Santa can be shut down in a heart beat. An entire year’s worth of elf work, down the drain all because of low hanging cloud vapor. The issue, poor eye sight on the part of reindeer. This is more than a threat as it almost happened Christmas Eve 1964. Thankfully, the travesty was narrowly averted after a red fog light was attached to the nose of Prancer. Prancer was later said to have been so humility by the event that he and Cupid fabricated a tale of a red-nose reindeer that saved the day. These so called “close calls” can easily be prevented through the intervention of a deer removable, keen-eyed moose replacement task force.





5. No More Reindeer Games:

Reindeer are generally poor-spirited creatures that tend to weed out the vulnerable in the herd and deliberately poke fun of them till, tired and weak, they leave the comfort and safety of the compound. Many times the stronger of the deers will laugh and call the weaker reindeer names. On some occasions there have even been reports of the more feeble reindeers not being allowed to play any reindeer games.
Moose have a motto. No moose is left behind.


Conclusion:

We believe every effort should be made to, and a call for, a cease and desist order to be implemented, for all reindeer regarding any attempts to fly, pull, or be in connection or association with, Santa, the elves, toy delivery or Christmas in any way, shape, form or means.

Furthermore, SMAUR is advocating for the establishment of the Meese Labs where moose and geese can be cross pollinated to form a new species of flying moose (code name: meese). Meese will merge the flight path navigational abilities of the Canadian goose with the strength, torque and American brand name that we have all come to respect and love, of the moose.

Merry Moosifesto!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

How to Create Light Graffiti


Light Graffiti

Subject: Visual Arts

Grade Level: 6-12

Objective: The student will create light graffiti images with digital cameras set to slow shutter speeds 


This project merges technology with stencils and the concept of positive and negative space into one fun and effective lesson. Students will learn how to easily manipulate photos to make stencils to create cool light graffiti images using glow sticks and digital cameras!

Light graffiti is just a starting point. This lesson could easily be modified to create stencils for lesson using spray paint or even printing techniques.

This plan includes step-by-step, easy to follow instructions with lots of photographs demonstrating exactly how you class can create awesome light graffiti art!

Download the Complete Lesson here!





The complete Light Graffiti Lesson Plan is available for download. Click Here!

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Friday, November 23, 2012

A Dinocow Christmas!!

So maybe you decided to stay home on Black Friday but are still looking for the perfect gift? Or maybe you are all about supporting Small Business Saturday? Or maybe you know you can get the best deals during Online Monday.. Then here is the answer to all three...





If a freak milk accident that sparks life to a half cow, half stegosaurus isn’t weird enough, imagine how strange it’s going to get when Trip Stanley’s class starts drinking the milk! 

Trip Stanley’s best friend Jules spills a glass of creamery milk onto his uncle’s dinosaur machine and activates the contraption. 

A creature hatches and grows rapidly into a black and white spotted stegosaurus with and an udder. A stegcowsaurus. When the last bottle of creamery milk that Jules had planned to bring to school for show and tell is knocked over, Trip decides to milk the stegcowsaurus.


Makes the perfect stocking stuffer! Order your copy now on Amazon!

(Santa hat not included)




For all the latest updates, "Like" the How To Milk a Dinocow FaceBook page"

Sunday, November 11, 2012

How To Draw A Zonkey!




In less than two minutes you too could be drawing a Zonkey!

If you can draw a square you can draw a zonkey! In this easy to follow, step by step video you'll learn how to draw a zonkey and what to do with your zonkey once you know how to draw it.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Crushing Turtles

November is National Novel Writing Month! 

Since I will save all that time not shaving (Noshavember), I'll be working on my manuscript titled "Crushing Turtles". 

So what is National Novel Writing Month? Well, basically you write a 50,000 word novel in a month.. or more likely, you pledge to yourself to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. To be honest, most people don't succeed. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try! 

Now in my situation, my manuscript, Crushing Turtles isn't going to be anywhere near 50,000 words. So my goal is much simpler. I want to finish the ten chapters I have left to write. And, if i write 1/2 a chapter a day, regardless of word count, i will finish with time to spare! Wish me luck! 

For more info on NaNoWritMo check out the website http://www.nanowrimo.org

Monday, October 29, 2012

Another Digital Deer Painting


We spent the weekend in a log cabin outside of Boone, NC. Over the mantel was the 4 point buck. I thought it would be interesting to create an observational drawing of a deer instead of using photographs.

I created this painting using sketchbook Pro on my iPad. I really enjoyed drawing this from life and now want to do more. Only problem is, we are back home and I don't have any stuff deer. However, I know some people who do. Maybe i can talk them into lending me a deer head or two. Hmmm.....

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

K-12 Online Presentation

The K-12 Online Presentation, How Technology Helped Me Paint With Mud with your host Ian Sands is now available! Click here!






Presentation Description: In today’s high school art curriculum there is a separation between the visual art class and the technology class. The current high school art curriculum’s focus is on traditional media with very little integrated technology. Technology is separated from traditional visual art classes and given it’s own course titles such as Computer Art.

Likewise, there is a separation in the selection of art medium. Though the art world has evolved to using a plethora of new materials, the majority of art class storage rooms are filled with pencils, tempera paint and other traditional media.

Our challenge as art educators is twofold. First, merge new technology into our everyday art lessons. Second, share with students concepts and ideas that use both traditional materials as well as branch out to media traditionally not consider art material.

In this presentation we will explore ways to incorporate technology into the full range of an art project. We will explore everything from jump starting the ideas, to developing maps and templates, to critiquing online and digital grading. Furthermore, we will accomplish this through the exploration of such nontraditional materials as post-it notes, glow sticks and mud.


Go now! Check it out! Click here!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Post-it Note Murals Explained...



The one project by far that I receive the most requests asking, "How'd you do that?" is the Post It Note Mural. 

In this lesson you will find images and a description of the process we used to complete these projects. There is also a link to a video that demonstrates the process.

I just made the entire process available for free! 



Later you can use the same lesson to create a mosaic out of any material including Skittles, Jelly Beans,or color swatches. We even used it to create a mosaic of the Mona Lisa using over 2,000 balloons!


No matter what the media, the basic concept is the same. Start by creating an image map that uses the same colors as the object (Post-it Notes, balloons, Skittles, etc) that you will use to complete your mural.

This step by step instruction will walk you through the entire process.

Download the entire process for FREE in PDF format! 


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I've just posted two other lesson plans!



How to Create Light Graffiti


This project merges technology with stencils and the concept of positive and negative space into one fun and effective lesson. Students will learn how to easily manipulate photos to make stencils to create cool light graffiti images using glow sticks and digital cameras!

Light graffiti is just a starting point. This lesson could easily be modified to create stencils for lesson using spray paint or even printing techniques.

This plan includes step-by-step, easy to follow instructions with lots of photographs demonstrating exactly how you class can create awesome light graffiti art! 


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How to Create 3D Anamorphosis Drawings!

This project merges technology with traditional drawing and the concept of perspective into one fun and effective lesson. Students will learn how to easily manipulate photos of common day objects so they can be used as references for 3D anamorphosis drawings

3D drawings are just a starting point. This lesson could easily be modified to create references for street art chalk festivals similar to those works created by Julian Beaver.

This plan includes step-by-step, easy to follow, illustrated instructions as well as methods for periodically testing mid project to ensure success.





Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sketchbook Pro Painting


My mom is involved with a charity auction and asked if i could created two paintings to be auctioned off.  I knew wanted to create something that would have a wide appeal and since I've always wanted to be a wildlife artist I thought this might be a great opportunity to try it out.

This work in progress was created on the ipad using sketchbook Pro. The selection of brushes is awesome and the layers let me try out different techniques without fear of messing up ;)

Still trying to figure out how to handle the final piece once it is complete. It will need to be printed out and matted .. I wonder if I should handle it like a print.. run a few copies and destroy the original ? Stuff to think about...