Cheryl Trowbridge writes a terrific blog aimed at helping elementary school educators who teach or use art in their curricula. The blog has amazing ideas that can help art supply retailers connect with schools to expand their role as more that just a source of supplies. Perhaps in part because she is married to Roy Trowbridge, the head of Palace Art & Office, she seems to have a knack for coming up with ways to showcase this idea of partnership between creative supply stores and teachers.
Check out Cheryl’s blog: Teach Kids Art
To give you a flavor for her unique perspective, here is an excerpt from a recent posting that described a Model Magic demo and why this Crayola product is such a versatile medium for teaching and demos:
“So, here’s what I like about Model Magic….
1. It air dries overnight, so you don’t need to fire it or bake it.
2. It comes in several colors plus white and black, and you can mix your own “custom” colors by kneading colors together. (If you stop kneading before the colors are fully mixed, you get a beautiful “marbled” effect.) If you work with the white, you can also paint your finished pieces with watercolor, tempera or acrylic paint, or color them with markers.
3. It’s not messy, it doesn’t stain your hands and it’s non-toxic. Super easy to clean up!
4. You can stamp it or press textures into it (note the “shells” above which were made by pressing Model Magic onto a real shell to pick up its shape and texture.)
5. You can roll it out into a very thin slab using a Crayola marker as a rolling pin. (The smooth, round marker barrel is perfect for this.)
6. To join separate pieces, all you do is stick them together! (Unlike clay, which requires scoring and slip and then still sometimes pops apart!)