Chasing Ice: A Review

 

It's been a long time since I have written up a review of any of the documentaries I have watched. I guess I just haven't been super impressed. But as soon as I saw Chasing Ice, I knew I had to spread the word. In short: it is amazing.
The documentary is about James Balog, an amazing nature photographer that I just can't get enough of. His latest work has been doing time-lapse photography to capture the glacier melt that has been happening at northern latitudes, and this film is his story of making that project come to life.
James installed cameras throughout Greenland, Iceland, Alaska and Montana and has set the cameras to take multiple photos each day. He collected photos over several years, and linked the pictures together to give time lapse images of how the glaciers have changed. The amount of movement, and melt, blew my mind (and I teach about global warming!).
James is trying to show the reality of global warming in a way that everyone can understand. As James points out in the film, numerical data and climate models don't mean much to the average person, and a line graph certainly doesn't instill fear into most people. But, watching huge glaciers melt before our very eyes.... well, that, to me, brings a whole new urgency to the issue of climate change.
I decided to show this film to my class this term. It speaks to the importance of global warming, but through the beauty of photography, and I found myself tearing up at several points throughout the film, both at the beauty of the images James was capturing, and the terrifying fate of of our glaciers and our future.
This is one to watch. If you have Netflix, you can watch it instantly. Pin It Now!

Finn's Art Space

Finn's art space. Sadly, this is about as clean as it gets!

 Finn is an amazing artist. On a normal day, he spends1-2 hours on art projects, most of them ones that he initiates and carries out completely on his own. His creativity amazes me.... from recycled art to paintings of people with super-human qualities to intricate scenes where an entire story is happening. I have always enjoyed art. I took a drawing class in college, love to be crafty, and spend a lot of time with my camera. But drawing and painting are not my forte, and I am seriously impressed with what Finn can come up with.
Anyways, creativity takes space and often makes a big mess. And, in an 800 square foot house, space is what we don't have (although, usually we do have a mess!). So, over time, I have been moving more and more of Finn's art supplies to our covered back porch, and giving him free reign over creating art out there. He has a table, an easel, plenty of storage and ample floor space. In essence, it has become Finn's studio. I must say that since my crafting workspace (aka mom's studio) consists of the corner of my bedroom, I am slightly jealous of Finn'a creative space... yet thoroughly enjoy that we can provide him with an area to do what he loves.
Finn is a pretty anxious little guy and art seems to be his go-to activity to calm him down. I notice that sometimes he is in a negative mood, but after spending some time creating, he is much more positive and way easier to deal with. I think he just needs to be alone with his imagination and some colors, and it seems to do wonders for him.
He does make a huge mess, and although we try and clean up together each night, it is rarely actually clean. But, I have learned to live with that. We have had to impose some rules about cleaning up (each night) and restrictions on how much paint can be poured at one time. But we are making it work.  Now I just wonder what will happen when the weather gets colder and the back porch is not such an inviting place to be.....
Here is a quick tour of Finn'a Creation Station:

Material storage. Now the paint bin needs adult supervision!

The work table and painting easel.

The paint bin- Finn's favorite!

Works in progress.....

Pin It Now!

Summertime Art!

Finn is an artist at heart. There are days where he will spend 4 hours straight at the art table imagining and creating. It's awesome. So, needless to say, these days of summer have been filled with lots of art. Of course there is a lot of drawing, painting, and cutting. But this summer I have been trying to find more planned projects... some of which have worked well, and others which have been a complete flop. Several of the art ideas we have played with this summer have been inspired by pinterest (my new addiction!). Here is a sampling of some of our summertime art:

Taped- Name Fingerpainting:

Homemade Play Dough (an old and favorite stand-by):

Recycled Robots. Ours don't look exactly like the tutorial....but these were awesome and we plan on making more.:

and Bubble Prints:

What art have you and your kids been doing this summer? Pin It Now!

Waste Land: A Review

I recently watched the film Waste Land, about a Brazilian artist named Vik Muniz, and was deeply moved. Muniz is an artist who moved to Brooklyn, NY, and made a name for himself. Inspired to help others less fortunate than himself, he moved back to Brazil for 2 years, creating a series of works about "pickers". The "pickers" are the ones who work at the local landfill in Rio, pulling anything recyclable out of the landfill and selling it to the recycling companies to earn a living. It is hard, dirty, and dangerous work.
This movie was shocking to me in so many ways. First, that Rio, a huge metropolis, would have no recycling program. People just throw their recyclables into the trash, because there isn't anywhere else to put them, and then the entire recycling system relies on people who pick through the trash to reclaim those recyclables. We know there is a better way, because we have one here. It blows my mind that in the 21st century that is where the state of recycling is in Brazil.
The "pickers", whose lives were profiled throughout the film, were nothing short of amazing. These folks resorted to picking usually as a last resort, a way to salvage their lives and support their families. Some were embarrassed and ashamed of their jobs, others were proud to be saving the environment with their work.
Muniz spent time with these pickers, learning about their lives, and then he photographed several pickers in meaningful poses. Then, by enlisting the help of the pickers themselves in his artwork, he projected the photograph onto the floor of a warehouse, and used recyclables that the pickers collected from the landfill to "draw" the photograph. It is hard to explain, but the artwork turned out amazing. Each piece was auctioned off, and all of the proceeds went to the picker who was the subject of the piece.
So, this amazing artist was helping to lift these pickers out of poverty while creating art from trash and bringing awareness to the entire situation. What a fabulous story and an inspiring film. Please watch it! Pin It Now!

Chris Jordan: Have You Seen His Work Yet?

Chris Jordan is an amazing photographer who depicts environmental and social issues in his work. Things like the number of plastic water bottles we throw away, the number of disposable cups used on airplanes, and packs of cigarettes that people smoke. But he turns these 'numbers' into amazing works of art.
I was first brought to his attention several years ago while watching his ted.com talk, and I was recently reminded of his work while watching a film (Bag It) that interviewed him. His work is amazing, and I wanted to spread the word.
You can find his website here. In my opinion, his most amazing works are in his galleries entitled "running the numbers". If you zoom into the pictures, you will see what I mean. His more recent work includes depicting the large amount of plastic found inside of dead birds. Makes you wonder what we are doing to our planet.
Take a moment and go check out his work. I promise, you won't be disappointed! Pin It Now!

Nature Art

Over the past few days we have been noticing the first changes into autumn... cooler crisper mornings, and the changing of some of the leaves on the trees. These changes have made us more aware of our natural surroundings, and in doing so, were an inspiration to create some nature art!

Some painted river rocks that will brighten up our garden on the dreariest of days. We used acrylic paints so the paint wouldn't wash off in the rain, which also meant it wouldn't wash off of anything else that it got on. We were very, very careful doing this project.

The rocks have been fun decorations, useful paperweights, and fun to stack. We hope to make another round next spring to add to our garden.

This morning, we did some bark rubbings from trees on our street (inspired by My Big World of Wonder) and then talked about how they were different.

Finn also made a collage of treasures that he found on a morning walk. I think the objects really show that autumn is on its way! He wanted to include a roly-poly bug, but I have a rule that we can't collect anything alive or pick anything living.

Pin It Now!

Home-made Playdough

Here is a quick and easy playdough recipe that will save you money!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
food coloring (the gel kind works well)
glitter (optional)
scented oils (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together, stirring over low heat until the dough begins to thicken (think mashed potatoes). When the dough begins to form a clump in the center remove from heat. If your playdough is still sticky to the touch, just cook it a bit longer. Playdough that is ready should pull easily away from your fingers.

When cool enough to work with, split the dough into 1 or more balls, depending on how many different colors you want to make. Add a generous amount of food coloring and glitter to each ball; it always takes more coloring than you would think to make vibrant colors. For more subdued colors, use less dye. Thoroughly mix food coloring in by kneading, being careful to keep color away from hands if possible (yes, it will stain them.. temporarily!).

Store in an air-tight container and have fun!

Pin It Now!

Nature-Inspired Art

Need a new art idea for your toddler? My son and I do what I call "paint-with-nature" projects where we use nature to inspire our art.
The first thing we do is take a walk.. around our neighborhood, on a favorite trail, or on the way home from the library. Along our walk, we collect things from nature (rocks, sticks, pine cones, leaves) that look interesting, have a unique shape, or just feel right. Please make sure to only collect items that have fallen onto the street or sidewalk and do not pick flowers or plants from people yards! We than bring these items home and they form our paintbrushes for the day.
I then set up a paint area as usual, with a drop cloth, large piece of blank paper, and rinsed applesauce or other clean plastic containers to hold the paint. Make sure to use washable paint, unless you love you child's artwork so much that you want it memorialized on your walls and floors forever..
Now use the items you found as brushes to create interesting shapes and textures on the paper. It is an experience in combining nature and art, as well as a delight for the tactile side of your child! Pin It Now!

A Year of Trash

Here is a link to an awesome blog. It is an artist, Kuros Zahedi, who has taken a year's worth of one man's trash and is turning it into a work of art. If you scroll back to the oldest posts (December) you will see the trash in it's raw form (and yes, there is a lot of it). The more current entries show the state of the project as it is now, and what an unbelievable transformation!
This artist has a history of turning trash into treasure, and you can check that out on his website as well. This is not only a great way to reuse what would be tossed into a landfill, but also makes a lovely statement about the amount of trash we produce and the way that us humans treat our planet.
So, check it out. Get inspired. Create something from what you find in your trashcan. Pin It Now!

Flubber!

Need something to keep your kids entertained for a bit? How about some flubber? Flubber oozes like a liquid, but can be torn like a solid. It is sort of like play-doh, but not really. Not a good description? Give this recipe a try and find out for yourself. Cookie cutters make a great flubber accompaniment.
You can find this original recipe, along with others, from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Ingredients:

Warm water
2 cups Elmers White Glue*
Liquid Water Color (do not use food coloring)
Glitter (optional)
2 tsp. Borax (20 Mule Team Borax, available in any grocery store laundry section)

Instructions:

• In a small container, combine:
  1 and 1/3 cup very warm water
  2 tsp. Borax
• Stir until Borax is completely dissolved.
• Set aside.
• In a large container, combine:
  1 and 1/2 cup very warm water
  2 cups Elmer's White Glue
  Liquid Water Color
  Glitter (optional)
• Mix thoroughly.
• Pour the contents of the small container into the large container.
• Mix well using your hands.
• Lift and turn the mixture until it is fully combined.

Notes:

If flubber sticks on hair, clothes or carpet, use white vinegar to clean it. The vinegar completely dissolves the flubber.
This recipe yields enough for 6 children.
If stored in an airtight container, the flubber will last for up to two weeks. Pin It Now!