Art Made Easy

You probably know someone just like today's guest. Someone who is passionate, dedicated, creative, and organized. She's the gale that takes on everything and does it so well. You may even find that she reminds you of YOU. Ashley Bruce is our Sparkler Spotlight for September. Ashley started her own art business in San Diego, California and visits local schools to help start and support art programs...

If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that you can't teach art unless you have some sort of management plan in place. Art is really exciting for kids and often you'll have eager students ready to create art, but it's also very common to experience predictable issues like these: - Talkative students - Disruptive or disrespectful students - Students who refuse to work - Absent or continually t...

What is the ONE thing you want most this school year? A healthier lifestyle? More money? A more organized classroom? While I can't claim to hold the secret to achieving these things, I can share the one secret that I know will transform your school year...if only you stay open to it. The biggest impact for me, in both my personal and business life, has been asking for help. Knowing when my desires...

While on vacation this month in Canada, I have had lots of time to reflect on what is working in my life and what needs adjusting. I identified a few things that are an absolute must for living a healthy, inspiring and productive life. This podcast takes a deep dive into morning routines, the essentials of inspiration (including how I cultivate mine) and the hard facts of aging well. I can’t wait...

Connecting with children through art is an essential ingredient in the success and longevity of artist, Jill Hatcher. Jill teaches children ages 4-12 in a public school, does after school art classes and hosts private classes in her home. And she doesn't hold a teaching degree! It's hard to imagine where she finds the energy until you meet her. Jill is enthusiastic, warm and loves connecting with...

DRAWING WITH CHILDREN WITH MONA BROOKES: AME 100 I wondered how to make this milestone episode special. When I thought back to all the episodes, there is one thread that runs through them. And that is that no matter where you teach art, how you teach art, or what stage you are at in your teaching journey...you are not alone. We're here for you. When I began teaching art in 2004, and had no idea ho...

Do you have a mantra that you live by each day? As creatives, we often gravitate towards specific sayings or guideposts. And in Mary’s case, she adopts her own. Mary Crowlie taught in a classroom for 20 years before changing paths and becoming the art teacher for 800 children in grades 1st-5th. This was her realization of nabbing her dream job. But it was more challenging than she expected. To kee...

Do you want to write a book? Chances are, you do. It's a dream many of us share until you sit down and stare at an empty screen. Perhaps you wonder if you have it in you. The endurance to see it through to the end. Maybe you do and maybe you don't. This episode will share 5 action steps that I think are critical to you success as a writer. A few years ago, I was asked to write a book. I considered...

After volunteering in her children's classrooms teaching art, June Wood decided to take a stab at pursuing a paid position. After approaching a few schools in her district, June was offered the job as an art specialist. If you ever wondered what opportunities are available for those who do not have a teaching credential, this episode is for you. June and I chat about her unusual approach to managi...

As an artist and a teacher you have the unique ability to inspire kids...to help THEM become artists, critical thinkers, decision makers and creators. As art teachers, we strive to be completely original, to inspire passion through process and pattern, and hopefully our students will appreciate our efforts. But if it's our goal to generate original ideas and projects that lure children away from t...

Have you ever heard of Flow Learning™? It’s a technique that Joseph Cornell from the Sharing Nature Foundation developed to help children channel their natural tendencies and curiosities into focused learning. A fellow Sparkler, Chandi Holliman, shared this approach with me and I was immediately intrigued. In this episode of Art Made Easy, Chandi shares how she used this approach with her pre-scho...

Today on AME, I'm talking all about money...specifically how it applies to art teachers who run classes or workshops or have a product to sell. I'm revealing my strategies for determining how to set the right price for your product service. After 10 years of running an online business, I've learned a thing or two about what price to charge for products. And although I didn't always get it right, I...

Today I'm talking to an art teacher who confesses to being focused on the end result. Before you judge, listen to how Britt Curley, from the blog, Art Room Britt, sets her intention with her students as they work through mediums, learn techniques and create a beautiful piece of art in the process. Britt puts a lot of attention on a finely tuned finished product. Craftsmanship, neatness and detail...

Today I'm talking to acrylic artist Anna Bartlett about all things acrylic paints, art studios, paint parties and how to make the easiest sketch books ever. Anna is an artist from Queensland, Australia and the owner of Shiny Happy Art. We met through Instagram and instantly connected over our shared love of bright colors and happy art. Anna shares her journey of transitioning from an accountant to...

Sally Haughey Fowler brings absolute wonder to her students through the Waldorf environment. She walks into an art room with intention, passion and enough drama to rival a Disney production. In this episode, Sally discusses her 10 tips for teaching art to kids with emphasis on the Waldorf approach to art. She shares her three art teacher superpowers that reveal exactly how children think. Sally wa...

Wonder what it's like to step into the art room serving 500 kids a week after being in a classroom for 20 years? I was curious too, so I asked Crissy Harvey if she would share what that experience was like for her. Crissy is a Sparkler in The Sparklers Club. What she was sharing in our private Facebook group was blowing me away. As a first-time art teacher, I was amazed at the attention to detail,...

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WORK FOR YOU: AME 088 Wouldn't it be nice if we could step into our art rooms and spend the entire session creating art? Not likely, right? Managing behavior, creating management plans, enforcing rules and asking children to stop talking consumes most of our energy. And when our classroom management plan is no longer effective, any effort is literally exhaustin...

Michelle Gifford, a second-grade teacher from Thousand Oaks California, confessed to failing miserably with her first attempt at teaching art. She had followed her school's purchased art program but never felt confident that she was giving her students the best art experience. After a miserable open house, where parents expressed disappointment with her art attempts, Michelle plucked up the determ...

If you've ever wondered if opening your own art studio is the right path for you, today's guest, Arielle Goddard from Art Camp, will share what factors played a significant role in her decision to transition from an art teacher to creative entrepreneur... Arielle will share how she transitioned from a program director and teacher of an art academy to a sole entrepreneur of her own art studio. She...

Do you have a dream that you've been working towards? The goal that when accomplished, will fill your bucket list and give you permission to say, I did it? What if, after working tirelessly for years on this one dream, you decide to abandon it...give up. What would that say about you? Are you a quitter? In this episode of Art Made Easy, I'm sharing my book publishing journey...how it started, what...

This is a special bonus episode in response to a beautiful outpouring from a Sparkler inside our private Facebook Group. Her anticipated art show generated only a few attendees and as we can all imagine, low attendance just doesn’t feel great. I know I’ve coordinated many art shows that ranged from just a few parents here and there to shoulder to shoulder crowds. This episode shares 3 simple steps...

Today I'm answering the most asked questions I receive about teaching kids to paint. This is the second episode in our series, Questions You Were Afraid To Ask. If you want to know how to prevent your paper from curling, wonder why the salting technique doesn't work for you or whether you should buy acrylic or tempera paint, this episode is perfect for you. Make sure to download the free PDF that...

We're going back to basics today to answer 5 questions that you may have been afraid to ask about teaching kids to draw. I've been sharing how to teach drawing to kids for a long time but what I noticed was the same 5 questions were asked over and over again by my audience. These questions are the direct results of diving into an art project but experiencing a reaction from a child that was unexpe...

The fine art of art demonstrations is not something we learn at school. Often, teachers are plunked in front of a class without knowing exactly what to do. Do you show a finished project? Where do kids sit? Do you have supplies on the table or do you offer a self-serve approach? Believe me, I've been there! This episode is in response to a question posed in our Sparkler Facebook group: I'm curious...

In this episode, I share why I feel so strongly about supporting and sharing with others. Why it's good for me and how sharing, collaborating and being positive shapes my life. I call it living with abundance but it can also be called The Golden Rule: Do to others what you would want them to do for you. This episode shares a few stories about how giving and sharing has made a huge difference in my...