What Inspires Me? #6 Paper Sculpting
Calvin Nicholls is an artist, a sculpture. His medium of choice: paper.
Paper is my medium of choice, too. I click away on a computer, sure, but as a substitute for paper (and slave to technology) not by choice. Paper is my happy place. I scribble on it, print on it, stack it, cut it, tear it, crumple it—toss it into the recycle bin, too (rarely score a 3-pointer), and while sometimes my paper scribbles inspire art. My paper is not art.
Calvin Nicholls shapes, molds, cuts, transforms paper into art. Just look:
Here’s a cardinal.
Here’s Calvin Nicoll’s cardinal.
What’s so appealing about creating paper sculpture? Here’s a snippet from Calvin Nicholls:
I still recall working on my first bird sculpture and marveled at how my interest in drawing, model making, sculpting and photography blended so beautifully with my life long interest in wildlife and the natural world…Every piece is a discovery of sorts too. I’m always learning with each
new sculpture.
To see more about Calvin Nicolls and read about his process—and see more of his paper sculptures, click over to his website: Calvin Nicolls
Fin Pal asks Norman: "How Did You Draw That?"
Norman T. Goldfish answers letters from readers. Click on the link to read his reply.
This is a question lots of kids at school visits ask.
Ready to read Norman’s answer? Scroll down . . .
Glug
Glug
Glug . . .
Here’s a photograph of illustrator Noah Z. Jones with Kelly at a school visit. Read more about Noah and how he created Norman in this interview “About that Sweatband!”
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish—about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Poetry Challenge #229-Once More with Feeling!
Happy Groundhog Day aka Feb. 2nd, the day where folks all over the US and Canada look to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and a groundhog named Phil, to tells us when winter will end.
Here’s the 4-1-1: The drama begins when Phil comes out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, Phil will freak and scurry back into his den. If this happens, winter will last six more weeks. If he stays outside to play, spring is on the way!
I feel like I’ve watched this over and over and over . . .
Poetry Challenge #229
Once More With Feeling!
In a popular movie in the 1990’s, a weatherman got stuck repeating Groundhog Day. In honor of this year’s Groundhog Day, write a poem that gets stuck repeating a line.
Write two lines that rhyme and then write the repeating line (refrain).
Try to write at least a 9-line poem.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
In the mood for more Groundhog’s Day Lore? Click over to “11 Little Known Facts about Groundhog Day” published in Better Homes and Gardens (and don’t you dare say you’re read it all before.)
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
World Read Aloud Day 2-2-2022--Let's do it!
Tomorrow, Feb 2nd is World Read Aloud Day. So you’ll be all ready to read, I’m sending this post and #read-aloud today! I recorded it just for you to enjoy, share—and maybe laugh at—have fun! That’s what read is supposed to be!
Happy World Read Aloud Day! Let’s Get WRAD!
People all over the world—in at least 173 countries! —are celebrating reading—and the power of reading—by all reading books together ALOUD today, Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
What’s WRAD?
“LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day in 2010 to celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right. Since then, millions of people around the world commit to reading aloud together.”
Celebrate World Read Aloud Day 2022 with me. Sit back, get cozy, and whenever you’re ready, Click on the link below to enjoy NORMAN ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH (illustrated by Noah Z Jones, published by Candlewick Press).
Norman and I think it’s flipping fintastic that we are all together, here today celebrating reading—because we can. And now that you’ve finished listening, if you’re in the mood, click over for MORE from NORMAN!