Nandan Nair

A McDonald’s made out of a refrigerator box… Enjoy!!!

The Majestic Cobra is my first reptile painting. I am fascinated by Cobra’s and King Cobra’s because of their hood and unique abilities. Naturally, I wanted to paint a Cobra. In this painting, I learnt some new techniques to handle this massive snake – on the canvas.

The most challenging thing for me was the scales on the back of the body and the details on the hood. Since body is very thin, I had to make very small lines to represent the scales and make them turn along with the different shapes and colored scales. Along with that, I had to not only change the scales, but also had to change the body. This was because the color would quickly blend and not be visible. So I had to change the body color and handle the light scales on the dark part of the body.

The different color changes on the hood and belly using yellow, white, brown, and grey were also very tricky, but I could handle it. My teacher Ms. Sharon Pierce told me what I had to do for various parts of the painting. I searched for different pictures and facts about King Cobra and researched a lot information about them on the internet.

I hope that you enjoy reading this blog and seeing the pictures on my painting on Flickr.

This was my second painting on natural disasters. It was also a very challenging painting because I had to add shading to lava as well as the mountains. In this painting I learned some new techniques that I would like to discuss.

For example – In the mountain, I used different shades of white, brown, black and grey. I made every stroke as an inverted arch to give the 3D feel on the mountain. For the lava, I started off at the beginning of each lava flow, stroked the brush up to show the flow and at the same time blended it with the colors in that direction. So in the picture, the color blends from dark to bright as you move upwards. To give texture on the mountains, my teacher taught me another new technique – if the color is dark, then use a small and thin light color stroke. In this painting, you will see some white spots on the mountain. To show burning objects, I showed a burning animal and tree. To show the burning effect, I showed the object that was burning clearly. Then, I made red, yellow and orange strokes around it randomly to show that it was burning everywhere. On some places, I showed smoke as well to show burning.

Please write your comments below and let me know what you think.

Last time, I wrote about my special dish – How to Make Cracker Pizza. Now, with a few odd but different ingredients, I have managed to create “Cracker Pizza – Double Deluxe”. In case you want to try and make them, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Pizza Sauce/Tomato ketchup (Depending on base) – enough to spread on cracker
Small/Medium/Large Circular crackers – 1 whole
Bread – 2 slices of any flat bread (New)
Cheese – Any cheese, 1 square slice to make 2 layers of thin slices on cracker and bread (New)
Seasoning (basil leaves, ground pepper, salt, garlic powder) sprinkle to taste.

Steps:
For Cracker Pizza

• Spread the sauce on the cracker.
• Using mold, cut the cheese into thin slices matching the cracker shape.
• Put the cheese slice on top of the cracker with sauce.
• Microwave upto 10 seconds or until cheese melts.
• Top in with seasonings.

For Double Deluxe

• Take 1 slice of bread, remove the crust.
• Sprinkle little garlic powder, pepper powder and spread on bread.
• Put cracker pizza on top of the side of bread that has seasonings.
• Fold the remaining part of the bread on top of the cracker pizza.
• Take the other slice of bread and once again remove the crust.
• This time, sprinkle little basil leaves and spread it on the bread.
• Cover the bread and cracker pizza with this slice having basil leaves and press the bread to secure and cover the edges.
• Take little sauce and spread across the top of the bread.
• Mold the cheese to put it on top of the bread with cracker pizza and sauce
• Put it in microwave oven or regular oven until cheese melts to get soft or crusty “Cracker Pizza – Double Deluxe”.
• Serve it hot with any side and healthy drink.

Please do try it and leave me your comments about it on how it tastes.

 Yesterday was a very special day for me because not only was it my birthday, but I also turned 10! This year, we went to Canobie Lake Park. When we got there, we had to wait for 20 minutes because it only opened at 11:00 and the time was 10:40. after it opened, we tried […]

Right now, I look back a week ago when I finished 4th grade. It was until now my greatest year at school. I remember my friends, my teachers, the staff and everyone who helped me come this way. I cant believe that I am finally graduating from the Marshall School and going to middle school at Point Webster and Central Middle School. It was a very emotional day last Monday to tell everyone that we were not going to be coming back to this school as regular students, but we would be coming back as old students from Marshall school. I would like to thank my 4th grade teacher, Ms. E, and all my class friends for all the nice memories in the class.

During this year, we had some interesting field trips to:
– Tis The Season… Symphony & Song
– Opera in Boston
– Boston Duck Tours
– Quincy Historical Bus Drive
– Central Middle School Introduction
–Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy
– Fly Up Day at Point Webster Middle School

I would also like to thank Dr. Cuff, Mr. Mike, Ms. Marianne and  Ms. Linda. I would also like to thank our Principal, Mr. Ahearn, the Asst. Principal Ms. Patch and other school friends and teachers for some unforgettable memories.

I would like to share some interesting achievements that I recollect from this amazing 4th grade year and from previous years:

• Received Phillip J. Connolly Pride In Education Award
• Had my name in Clifford Marshall School Roll of Honor
• Got into Central Middle School for Advanced Program
• Taught class of students to motivate them to enjoy Science
• I Played Clarinet for the Band and performed for Parents and Students
• Our class won Gold Medal in 4th grade hockey tournament

It was a wonderful year and I look forward to wishing all of you a wonderful summer and wish good luck to all the upcoming fourth graders. I have created a 4th Grade Memories Album at Flickr which you can visit and see how much fun it was.

This was my project report on Crocodiles that I made in my 4th grade. Hope you all enjoy reading it.

Last week, during the Annual 4th Grade Breakfast Ceremony at my school (Clifford Marshall School, Quincy, MA), I was given the “Phillip J. Connolly – Pride In Education” Award. My name was written in Golden Letters with the graduating year on a board along with the students who received it in the previous years even from the 1990’s! Very few students are given this award for excellence in education and I feel very proud to be one of them.

I have to thank our Principal Nicholas Ahearn, my class teacher Ms. Errichiello, all my teachers, my friends and the school staff for their help and support through the years at the Marshall School. I would like to deeply thank my family for the help, guidance and support.

My experience at the Marshall school was amazing. I will always cherish this school throughout my life. Now that I am going to Point Webster School and Central Middle School for my 5th grade, I am definitely going to miss the great days at the Marshall school. You can see the photos on my Flickr Page.