Back from The Holidays

I find that holidays with family and friends are wonderful times to rejuvenate. These last few weeks I spent some time viewing the annual boat parade at Balboa Island, holiday meals with family and then a short trip to Carmel, CA where the weather was unseasonably glorious!! (Check out the 16 foot surf!!!!)

I returned to the pleasant surprise of a nod from fellow art teacher, Phyl, at There's a Dragon in my Art Room, in the form of a Premio Dardos Award.

The Premio Dardos award  is a virtual award sent as a ‘gift’ from one blogger to another as “recognition for the creativity, effort and dedication” we each put  into our blog. The award originated in Spain around 2008-2009 and has been sent from blogger to blogger ever since.

 To accept the award, you simply:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you (which I did above)
2. Display the award icon (also above), and
3. Nominate others whose blogs you admire for these qualities.

#3 is always hard for me to narrow down, and I know that this award has already been passed to many art teacher blogs so I may repeat (my apologies). While I spend most of my blog time visiting art teacher sites, some places I go have a different focus and I am including a couple of those sites, too:

     1. I like Kimmie's images (and ideas) on Art in Red Wagons.
     2. Art with Mr. Hall has some great student work that often celebrates ideas he has found on other blogs and then tweaked to achieve new results.
     3. One of my favorite places to visit is Chronicles of a Country Girl. Kate is the epitome of a dedicated  blogger. She is such a talented photographer and is so generous with her techniques and her observations. I always leave her blog feeling just a little bit richer for having stopped by!!
     4. Mrs. Tannert at Field Elementary Art Blog has posted some lovely student work. I especially liked her November post of enlarged animals here.

I hope you enjoy visiting these sites.

And now, after all this rest and rejuvenation, it is back to work tomorrow.  I LOVE the project that 5th graders will be working on this week and will share with you very soon. Here's to a Happy and Artistic New Year for us all!!