On Being Ignored: Shellless

I have two major problems. I get ignored and I get ignored.
 See, I had to say it twice because you probably ignored me the first time. 

Shellless on Amazon

The Open Art Room

After two years of writing, editing and editing... The Open Art Room is ready for pre-orders! Based on years of experience, both successes failures, working with the students at Apex, The Open Art Room provides a student-centered approach to art instruction at the secondary level.

The Open Art Room By Melissa Purtee and Ian Sands 

Taking inspiration from a variety of contemporary approaches, this book presents a framework for Choice-Based instruction for Secondary Level (grades 6–12) Art Education. 

The Open Art Room provides a student-centered approach to art instruction that is inspirational, practical, and classroom-tested. 

Highlights include: 

• Flexible instructional frameworks with options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of Choice 

• Assessment for Choice-Based art teachers 

• Unit plans, bootcamps, mini-lessons, and classroom examples

• Clear connections to the National Core Art Standards 

• Engaging stories of student struggles and successes

Put The Open Art Room on your summer reading list! Click here!

Mouse 1 and Mouse 2

Mouse One and Mouse Two... New Critters on #ZonkeyStreet

New Critters on Zonkey Street

A new batch of Critters on Zonkey Street 

Pizzly: A hybrid of a polar bear and a grizzly

 

J-raf: We farm these for the meat ;)

Liger: Cause who doesn't like ligers?

Gator: With love

Download Project Flop: Free for Christmas!

Did you get a Kindle for Christmas and need a good book to read? Well, I've got another present for you! It's the eBook Project Flop and it's free!

Download Project Flop for Free December 24-26!
Click here!

The only class I ever failed in college was ‘Intro To Art Education’. Ironic, as I am now the Arts Department Chair at Apex High School. So why a book about failures? Because I believe I can’t take credit for my successes unless I take credit for my failings. There are hundred’s of books about classroom successes. This is a book about failures

Kindle Edition on Amazon 
Paperback on Amazon

All project start off with the best intentions. Whether you create the lesson from scratch or borrow it from someone else, in your mind you envision success. You write your lesson trying to plan for every situation that may arise. The supplies are laid out, a presentation and a demo are reviewed and practiced, and everything should go off without a hitch.

Then, be it fate, a misalignment of the planets or perhaps the art gods are angry, the lesson falls apart. Regardless of your preparation the students don’t understand. As for your enthusiasm, the class simply doesn’t share your zeal for the project. You try to pull it all together but in the end, for lack of a better word, it fails. Worse off, you take it personally. You feel like you failed. You will be happy to know that you’re in good company.

Project Flop consists of stories from some of the biggest failures that Ian Sands ever taught at Apex High School. Some projects were domed from the start, others appeared successful till an unexpected twist occurred.

Kindle Edition on Amazon 
Paperback on Amazon

Here are some of the best failed projects!


Monalloon:
I wanted a project that would out do any project we had done before or probably would do again. I came up with the best idea in the world. A giant replica of the Mona Lisa created out of balloons. Click Here to see The Monalloon!

Interactive Chalk Mural:
I was standing in the courtyard watching the students snap photos of their friends inserted in the art. I leaned over and asked the creative writing teacher what she thought, expecting obvious praise. “I hate it,” she said. View the Interactive Chalk Murals!

Expressive Skittle Portraits:
The project created a class full of students weary of gluing rows of candy, angry moms tired of purchasing Skittles, and a hungry mob that circled the trailer waiting for any chance that the door might open. View the Skittle Portraits!

Broken Kites:
March comes in like a lion and after having been cooped up all winter in a musky auditorium, I thought it would be fun to take the Art History class outside and let them feel the wind in their hair. View the Kites Project!

Sketch Song Project: First Release

With Sparkcon coming this weekend to Raleigh, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to release the first set of CD's from the  Sketch Song Project!

Back in the late 80’s I owned a Tascam 4 track recorder. Using regular cassette tapes, I was able to create multi-track recordings. I can compare the songs I wrote and recorded to that of an artist’s visual journal. These weren’t polished works of art by any means but rather rough sketches.

Most tracks were recorded in one take with mistakes becoming part of the song. All the songs chosen for this project hold promise. However, if one listens to the recordings with anything other than a sketchbook mentality, they will miss the value of the work.

In total there are 100 CDs produced for this project. I’ve selected 20 songs and created 5 CD’s for each song. Like all my artwork, all 100 CDs will be left somewhere to be found.

I plan to leave at least the first ten CD's at Sparkcon on Saturday. Hope you find one!!

This is the first song to be part of the Sketch Song Project. The title of the song, I used to be a Wombat is based on the name of a band I was a member of back in the late 80's. We were the Wombats and had fun playing clubs in NYC like CBGB's. All the lyrics in this song are made up of lyrics from other songs we wrote. I still find it interesting how well they strung together.

I Used to be a Wombat

I found a piece of yesterday

It was such a long road away

The sun was half way cross the sky

I pull the cover cross my eye

I never think I’ll dream again

Till you are with me my old friend

Been down before

Not anymore

Don’t think I forgot just where I sat

Don’t think I don’t know how I got where I’m at

Starts with once upon a time

Was living in a nursery rhyme

This old souls be burning out

And I might live my life without

When did the night turn into day

I’m gonna find another way, another way.

Another way

Don’t think I forgot just where I sat

Don’t think I don’t know how I got where I’m at

I used to be a Wombat

Something strange is coming over me

Somehow all of this, was meant to be

focus on the sound

Take a look around

I’ve been down before

Can’t you see me

Don’t you need me anymore

anymore, anymore

So run, hide if you must

Your heart may fade but never rust

We’ll only take the tumble yall

We all start to crumble yall

When vampires come to snatch your soul

Out of the blue they howl so

Come home, come home

I used to be a Wombat

Yo

Sketch Song Project: Burning CDs

So I went to the store and picked up some CD-R's so I could burn a song on each for the 100 Sketch Song Project. 

I was thinking I should pick up some printable labels but then I thought, why not just spray paint right on the CD? So I picked up some spray paint instead.

When I got home I created this little Zonkey stencil out of a cereal box. Isn't it cute!

Then I spray painted the stencil on CD #1. The song is "Use To Be A Wombat" just in case you wanted to know.

This is the CD on top and the stencil once removed below.

Here is the CD in the case. It's almost a complete package. This little project has a lot of parts!

Stay tuned!!

Sketch Song Project: Moving Along

Progress on the Sketch Song Project is moving along slow but steady. The first three album covers are complete and I've started work on the next four. If you're aren't up to speed on the project, read about the idea and how it got started here.

This is the second set of images. These are done so next step will be to cut them out, fold them up and place them inside a jewel case.

Meanwhile, the 20 songs play list is completed and all songs mixed down from cassette tape to MP3. The quality is less than perfect but what can one expect from 25 year old magnetic tape...

Stay tuned!

The "100 Sketch Songs "Project

Back in the late 80’s I owned a Tascam 4 track recorder. Using regular cassette tapes, I was able to create multi-track recordings. I can compare the songs I wrote and recorded to that of an artist’s visual journal. These weren’t polished works of art by any means but rather rough sketches. 

Most tracks were recorded in one take with mistakes becoming part of the song. Although songs held promise, if one listened to the recordings with anything other than a sketchbook mentality, they would miss the value of the work. AKA be sorely disappointed :)

I got to thinking, it would be interesting to see what would happen if I put these sketch songs out there. How would people react? Listen to the song and laugh like one would at a blind contour drawing? Maybe they would throw it away? And the long shot, maybe enjoy them for what they are.

With that thought, the 100 Sketch Song Project was born.

In total there will be 100 CDs produced for this project. I’ve selected 20 songs and will create 5 CD’s for each song. Like all my artwork, all 100 CDs will be left somewhere to be found.

Today, I started work on the first two CD inserts. 1 of 100 and 2 of 100.

Each will be folded up and inserted in a jewel case along with a CD containing only one sketch song.

Here's a look at the first CD.