The Arty Teacher

This year I have decided to take part in Sketchbook Circle.  It was a big decision for me to take part as I have a lot on my plate with teaching, running this website and family commitments.  But aren’t we all busy?  Isn’t it a good idea to take some time to do a little […]

Can you find the 6 differences between these two paintings? Just click on the image below to make it larger. This painting is called ‘The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage’ (1874) and is by an artist called Edgar Degas.  Degas carefully planned this painting and made sketches of all the figures in it first.  You […]

When I saw the stage by stage photos by art teacher Robert Bagley, I knew they would be of interest to art teachers everywhere. They are inspired by the artist Abby Diamond who is an artist I have found to be very popular with students.  Diamond combines detailed, sketchy pen drawing with loose, freely applied […]

Do we deserve a break this Christmas or what? Some evenings I’ve been on my knees and I’ve seen similar comments on social media.  This blog post details 5 ways to relax this Christmas.  There isn’t any rocket science here, but it is good to be reminded of these simple ways to ensure we unwind […]

If you are looking for some Christmas art gifts for your arty friends (or for yourself) there are some great ideas below. You might be planning to be creative over the Christmas break.  Here are some products that are easily available on Amazon, good quality, versatile and have great reviews. I’ve coveted these arteza brush […]

I love it when students don’t realise they’re learning.  When they walk through the door in the few weeks before the winter break and say ‘Are we doing something fun’ or ‘Can we do something festive’, I want to be able to say yes, safe in the knowledge that what I have planned still teaches […]