Through the e-course, Blogging Your Way, (hosted by Holly Becker from the Decor8 fame), I’ve been expanding my creative outlooks. The purpose of mood boards is to help you connect with your inner loves. If you are new to blogging, mood boards can help you establish or at least nudge you in your authentic creative direction. For me, my blog is pretty established, but there’s always room for more inspiration!
Creating a Mood Board for Art Lessons
The whole idea behind the mood boards is to flex your creative muscle. Most of the bloggers in the e-course are fashion and home decor blogs. It feels natural that designers and stylists create mood boards but I still think it’s a great way to start thinking about color, subjects, images, textures for an art unit.
I began with a file folder and started collecting things that had anything to do with Sate Fairs, which was an idea for an art unit that I had previously come up with. I found a few things around the house; some quilt squares, painting chips, and well, that’s basically it. Then I cheated a bit and went to my Pinterest account where I’ve been collecting images for my upcoming State Fairs theme. I printed out a few photos and illustrated a few more (that’s my little sheep and pickled preserves!).
Placing all of the images, colors and fabrics on a 12″ x 18″ white piece of paper (nothing fancy, just plain school art paper) I arranged the images until it resembled something inspiring.
Adding Text
One of our rules was not to use our computer. But I cheated. I printing out a few titles, but I did try and hand-write some of the fancy fonts, but they turned out a bit messy so I hid them behind the cow’s butt.
Why Bother?
I know some of you might be thinking who has the bloody time to create an inspiration board when it’s hard enough coming up with a supply list for tomorrow’s class. Believe me, I know what you mean. I was supposed to be ripping up glued-down engineered hardwood floor from a concrete slab today, but instead I escaped to my office and got inspired. It really is fun. There is no right way or wrong way to do it, but the trick truly is to let yourself be creative. It took me about ten days to compile everything, so it’s not meant to be slapped together either.
You may or may not be doing this “mood board” thing already. Your sketchbook probably has a few ideas floating around and maybe your class planner has snippets from magazines. Now you just need to place these ideas all together to see what inspires you!
I love mood/inspiration/vision boards. They totally relax me and get the creative juices flowing. I just made one from all my pinterest pins here. http://mericherry.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/pinterest-rocks-again/ Never thought of doing one for my kindergarten class though. Cool idea.
that’s what pinterest is for!! I have loved following you there.
Awesome. Thanks!
I think the mood/inspiration boards are great! I plan on making a few this summer…..they would be great in the classroom……for any grade level!
I noticed the image of the jars on the mood board and came up with an Oct. art lesson. I had the kids make a spooky halloween jars drawing (5th and 6th grade). I made a PPT about drawing 3-d jars and then they just went for it, drawing jars on shelves filled with vampire teeth, candy corn, shrunken heads, etc. They loved it.
That’s a brilliant idea!!!!
I ordered four books paid for them and have never recieved them . It has been 3 months. Where are they.
Hi Jan,
I sent you an email earlier today but wanted to post here as well. All PDF’s are available immediately through download. You probably missed the link or perhaps it went to your junk mail. Either way, Neil will send you teh direct links today. I’m glad you contacted us as we have no way of knowing who doesn’t receive their links (Paypal, right?)
Jan,
Neil sent you the direct links last week to the email associated with this comment (. Please check your junk folder.