Creative Global Classrooms

  My bags are littered with sketchbooks.  Small ones in my purse, larger ones in my school bag, and ALWAYS one in my travel gear.  Even when space is tight I make sure to pack some sort of small art kit, even if it’s just a few markers and tiny watercolor set. Sketching on site allows me to really be present and notice small details of the day around me while working on a page back at the hotel gives me a chance to reflect.  Some trips I do more pages than others, but I always love looking back at my sketchbooks, remembering small moments from trips I may have otherwise forgotten.  The Gear Micron Pens : my go-to for adventure sketching.  I usually have a handful of sizes and colors to fit whatever mood or drawing. I love micron pens (or other similar brands like faber castel) because they create a great line without bleeding through the paper.  Watercolor set : the classic. A quick wash of watercolors can bring any pen drawing to life. I either use a ...

My bags are littered with sketchbooks.  Small ones in my purse, larger ones in my school bag, and ALWAYS one in my travel gear.  Even when space is tight I make sure to pack some sort of small art kit, even if it’s just a few markers and tiny watercolor set. Sketching on site allows me to really be present and notice small details of the day around me while working on a page back at the hotel gives me a chance to reflect.  Some trips I do more pages than others, but I always love looking back at my sketchbooks, remembering small moments from trips I may have otherwise forgotten.  Morocco is rich beyond words in visual details to delight anyone, and my artist eyes had a field day.  The colors!  The patterns!  The buildings and people!!!  Everything was so very different from Ohio, and I couldn’t stop being amazed every time I turned around. I took tons of pictures to share with students, family and friends and was still able to draw a bit each day....

 Excuse Our Dust! Currently in the process of transferring blogs.  In the mean time, check out other art lessons and art teacher wandering here!

  This past summer I was able to travel to Morocco through a generous grant from the National Education Association Foundation. (If you'd like to apply, check out the grant information here! ) To say it was a life-changing experience is a bit of an understatement.  Getting to experience a culture vastly different from my own, exploring areas both urban and rural and getting to really known several locals made this a transformative journey, not a vacation. More than anything I loved learning about the traditional arts and crafts made throughout Morocco, and the processes the artisans use to make them.  Everywhere possible I stopped and tried to talk (through our guide or a translation app) to craftspeople or at least watch them work.  One of my favorite experiences of the trip was a trip to a mosaic tile studio where I was able to not only watch the mosaics being made, but was able to try parts of the process myself! I don't think this is a normal part of the tour, an...