Remember that time I taught at the Library and I believed that all teens & tweens were little angels?

I hosted Fandom Friday at my art studio the other night. I advertised it for Teens & Tweens to come together in the art room and make masterpieces inspired by their favorite fandom!

Leonardo after da Vinci's Mona Lisa

I was so excited to have five high school kids and six junior high kids spend their evening making art!  I loosely presented the idea of making fine art parodies and provided several resources, but I let them know they were free to use whatever supplies I had and they could work independently on whatever they would like.

It started off pretty good, but the kids had some super high energy.  By the end of the night I was gently scolding a child for running around chasing another kid with a painty paintbrush, unlocking my classroom door to let an escapee back in, asking someone to get off the floor, and helping someone else get paint off their white sleeve.  (Oh yeah, those were all the same two kids.)  Have you ever been to a child's birthday party during the last 5 or 10 minutes?  The kids just had their cupcake and are waiting for their parents to pick them up and they are not engaged, so they run around and chase each other and squeal?  Yeah.  It was like that.

It wasn't that much different than teaching my K-5s, and it was a completely different experience  I had at the library for teen drawing night. I was thinking of my classroom discipline strategies, like using "I" statements:

"I don't like it when you paint on your neighbors face."  And "I need you to stop squealing loudly."

 I also thought about how effective giving students choices are, like:

"You can sit back at the table and work on a project, or I can throw you out the window.  You make the choice."

These were not working too well.

I haven't had discipline issues in my other classes at the studio because I've set up a few mini procedural things as the class begins.  I didn't really even think about stating, "The most important rule in the studio is to stay in your seat!" to a bunch of teens, plus they know there isn't really much I could do about it, except not welcome them back to the next event. Admittedly, I know the kids very well who were the worst.  I know their parents and I've known them since they were little.  I definitely think I could have nipped it in the bud sooner, but because I knew the kids I didn't think it was going to get that out of control.

Regardless!  Everything else about the evening was great.  It was once again refreshing and inspiring to see so many young artists getting excited about art!  Check out our photostream!

No Corner Suns Art Studio is offering quality art education classes at the Westmont & Clarendon Hills Park District.

In a little less then two weeks, my classes at the Westmont and Clarendon Hills Park district get underway.  There is still time to register and pass the information on to your students!  (If they happen to be in Western Chicagoland!)

Summer 2014

Register for these classes through the Clarendon Hills or Westmont Park District.

Visit WPD4fun.org and Clarendonhillsparkdistrict.org for more information.

 Time Traveling Artists

Travel around the globe and experience

the universal language of art.

Age:                 6-8 years old

Location: Westmont Park District

Day:                 Tuesdays

Fee:                 $60 (n/r $75)

Code                 Date                       Time

2501-2               July 8-July 29        3:30-4:30pm

Art Sampler

Art Sampler will develop your artistic eye for

color, shape, texture and form.

Age:                 9-11 years old

Location: Westmont Park District

Day:                 Tuesdays

Fee:                 $90 (n/r $113)

Code                                                                                                                                               Date                       Time

2502-2               July 8-July 29        4:30-6:00pm

Street Art

Street Art concentrates on the history of street art culture and

teaches the basics without spray paint.

Age:                 12-13 years old

Location: Clarendon Hills Park District

Day:                 Wednesdays

Fee:                 $90 (n/r $113)

Code                                    Date                       Time

2503-2               July 9-July 30        3:30-5:00pm

Water Color

Explore color theory and new techniques with the diverse media of

watercolor.

Age:                 8-13 years old

Location: Clarendon Hills Park District

Day:                 Wednesdays

Fee:                 $90 (n/r $113)

Code               Date                       Time

2504-2              July 9-July 30        5:00-6:30pm

nocornersuns.com IS ALL NEW! But still delivers the same quality content you've grown to expect.

I love teaching art. I love seeing the pride on a students face when they complete a successful project.  That is why I became an art teacher.  Teaching art is like giving a gift with every lesson.

Last winter I got the crazy idea that I wanted to teach even MORE art. I just wasn't satisfied with the amount of art lesson gifts I was giving! "I should teach more!!"  I reached out to my local park district and was able to get some classes scheduled for this summer.  "More!!" I also worked closely with a  business owner in my hometown.  I would be able to rent a space from him in the fall and schedule very small after school classes.  Truth be told, it was my husband.  He owns a music store and would have some available space, so I jumped at the chance.

Here is my table at our local park district's Summer Class Expo.  The tablecloth matched my blouse, and potential clients had the chance to make some art!  

I still was not satisfied with that amount of art I'd be sharing in my community!  More art classes!  More!  More!  It's was like a chant happening in my head.  I worked closely with my hometown to set up a free art lesson table during their weekly street fair, and I scheduled a Wine & Paint Party with a local eatery.  Could this be enough?

Yes, for now.

All this required a complete overhaul of nocornersuns.com.  It was the home base for this blogspot blog, but is now officially the home base of No Corner Suns Art Studio:  Creative Art Classes for all ages.

If you have downloaded worksheets in the past, or see the "nocornersuns.com" url on my resources, rest assured you will still get directed here via the "art teacher resources" tab.

Nocornersuns.com is now the hub for my classes and events in the community. I hope you have a chance to check it out!  Thanks!