10 Minutes a Day...

My sister and I were talking the other day... about everything... but spent quite a bit of time talking about our... for lack of a better explanation...  artistic practices...

 

It boils down to this. We are both very creative and love working on our various art projects. Unfortunately, we both lead busy lives and while we are being creative in our work, we are not sketching; which is something we would both like to do more of. We both try to make room to sketch or draw in our schedule... and have great intentions to "make a change" and "make it happen". Heck I've even written it on my schedule. But something always seems to get in the way... excuses, excuses... Sooo... We have challenged each other to sketch 10 min every day.

 

Here it is! the first sketch of our challenge..

 

Yesterday, as my boyfriend and I were setting up to go fishing it dawned on me... rather hard. That while it was still early in the afternoon, by the time we got home, it would be late and I would (again) have pushed off sketching... So, then and there. I sketched.... and it was so much fun!

 

 

These pictures are not exactly where I was sketching from... but of the same area across the river.

 

 

 And of course... I left some room for artistic interpretation..

 

It is definitely not a complete sketch. I am considering adding some watercolor or colored pencil to it. At the same time I like the unfinished appearance of it.... I will have to ponder my sketch a while longer.

 



I had almost forgotten how much I LOVE to throw!!!

It is so easy to get carried away in the rush of life.. the non stop action of teaching... along with all the lessons and grading and paperwork..  and then needing to make sure I am assisting each of my students over the course of thI class and being supportive of everyone... I don't want anyone to feel like I've forgotten about them....

I love to teach. And I love to create art... naturally I love to teach art... but teaching art is not the same as creating my own Art... 

The other day I had a demonstration in my 2 ceramics classes on centering clay on the wheel... and pulling a basic cylinder... I then decided to show my classes a few other tricks they could try.. to easily modify their vessel...

I had SO MUCH FUN!! It's like I got sucked into my own land... away from the classroom and to my own dreamworld. I really didn't... and amazingly I was still completely aware of the students sitting semi-circle around me, and the ones roaming around the room behind them (Ask any one of the students paying attention. I had to stop and disilcipline my roamers a number of times.. the former group was not impressed).

But my muscle memory was right on que. And the cylinders came out perfect and smooth and balanced... I couldn't believe it!! The whole process was so smooth... and I could manipulate the clay so much!!  *sigh*

I need to throw more...but was 40 minutes of sheer pleasure.. and the strongest dose dose of art therapy I've experienced in a long time!

Anyway... I'm totally rambling...

Check them out...

I will be glazing them tomorrow!!

Talent Tuesdays

Another post for Talent Tuesdays. 
Remember this is when I will be showcasing my students artwork! Some weeks I will have one piece to share. Other times many pieces.

The Mug is another work in progress. This project was created out of slabs then the student created the imagery using the a sgraffito technique. It is currently being fired, then will be over glazed with transparent glaze to seal it off and make it shiny. Great job!

The portrait was done by another student. This picture does not show the completed project, unfortunately I was unable to get a photo before she brought it home. Even in this picture it looks awesome!

Finally the paint brushes were painted by one of the seniors in out school (a former student of mine) who is working on her portfolio.. she is very talented!!

There will be more to share next week!!

Hope you enjoy!

Talent Tuesdays!!!

So I want to start this new thing (probably not new at all...but new for me)...

Talent Tuesdays!!!

Each Tuesday (or every Tuesday that I actually remember) I will post a piece of artwork by one of my students!!!

This one is a work in progress... I know she was inspired by a "Zentangle Inspired Artwork" that she found online while researching patterns to use in another assignment. And the next thing I know... she has this!! I believe the artist is going to add a little color.. I can't wait to see what she comes up with!!

I'll post another pic when she's done!

Some Zentangle Inspired Ideas...

Just some Zentangle inspired doodles from my staff meeting notes.... I love looking at them. They make me smile...

This one (above) is very Mooka...esque.

I feel like wave(y) doodle is missing a pirate ship..

I love drawing paisleys...

A Day in the Sun

A few weeks back (maybe April, when it was still cool almost every day) we had one beautiful day when it was calm, sunny and 60-70* all day. BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!!...

I carted out a bunch of my art materials, a nice cup of coffee, and my dog...

And painted, and drew, and created all day!!! It was WONDERFUL!

I plan on adding quotes to some of these paintings... and the orange sunset with the single tree framing the right side of the painting, has some gold glitter added to it..
      Don't worry, I don't abuse glitter... It looks really nice!!

I have several  more that I am working on, but they will have to remain a secret until they have been completed. ;-) shhhh....

This last painting needs no quote... I love it the way it is!
It reminds me of my uncle's camp... I cannot wait for summer to go put my feet up, and sit by the lake... mmm... until then, I will day dream...

Finding Treasures...

This weekend following our KEY Club Convention I found myself on a quest for the list of ideas we had come up for fundraisers in the past... This meant flipping through my notebooks from the last three years of teaching... But, I found myself laughing at the doodles and sketches I had created during many staff meetings and professional development days. Of course these doodles were in the margins - or... better yet... started in the margins and quickly took over half the page. I thought they would be fun to share... (if any of them are repeats from previous posts, I apologize).

Why was the Peacock red?
Because he was a Rooster for Halloween...

I can't decide if my Peacock is really a Rooster. 

The Letter S

Silent Lullaby

Slow Down

you're moving too fast...

Three More

Three more today!

Chris says he found a hobby that he really enjoys...

First

Second

Third

More New Art

Two days in a row! This must be a new accomplishment for me... I think I am breaking a record!... I like this new movement. Maybe I can keep it up!

More of Chris' artwork!

This technique really seems to click for him...

He tried several exploratory applications today. I had a lot of fun watching. It was like magic each time he tried something new... the colors and textures change dramatically with each movement. 

...The end results are stunning...

I highly recommend zooming in... there is a lot of detail..

Number 2

I love the astroid cluster in the top left corner.

Number 3

I am very impressed... I cannot choose a favorite part.

I also wanted to share some artwork by my students... Maybe it will pop up tomorrow...

Trying something new...

I haven't blogged in what seems like forever. Last semester was quite the experience for me. I'm used to teaching art... And I was teaching two classes that are DEFINITELY not art. I did teach one art class, and I will be putting photos of that artwork soon! The way I see it... Last semester was a HUGE learning experience. I am glad I had the opportunity, and I am proud of how much I have taken away from the course.

Anyway, I have popped back on as a means of sharing some art created by my boyfriend. This is his first attempt and he is very excited to try some more. Check it out!!

Click image to enlarge

The Silent Dancer...

I have completed my whimsical woman!

Well... kind of... I do feel that she still needs a little something... but I am not sure what. So, she is where she is now.. and we'll see what I come up with to modify her in the future.

I am calling her The Silent Dancer... although she still needs a name...

I almost feel like she is standing backstage peering around the curtain before a show - I think it is the hair piece that makes me think that way. And her expression, is like the ... "go get'em" focused face while she tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The calm moment before the excitement...

I am contemplating creating a curtain that frames the top and flows down the side of the picture. ....I will continue to play with that idea... I could use a fabric, or draw it in.. tough decision..

Whimsical Woman....in progress..

This young woman is my current work in progress... I love the idea that is in my head... But because I have such high expectations for it, she is taking forever.

I was originally inspired by another artist, Michelle Mathey. I have been following her blog "Pigment of my Imagination" for a while now and have always marveled at the portraits she creates. I love the simple colorful style of her work... The way she uses a variety of different black lines.... The way her bold solid colors create a sense of feeling. The people she creates are simply drawn, but have SO much character and personality. 

I decided to give it a try...

A simple sketch of a woman (I had no one in mind when I started it... I just went with the flow). Now, she looks a lot like one of my cousins.

Here, I began adding color using my Inktense blocks. Sandy, you were right... the Inkense are AWESOME!!

  

My workspace... who said creation was clean??... My creative side shuts off if it is too clean around me... I like the term "organized mess" when I am working.

I took a break from painting/inking the hair... I wanted to see how it looked when it was dry... (the color does change a bit when there is no water on the paper anymore).. in the meantime, I began creating the Zentangle Y.A.F. pattern that I am going to put in her hair...

Back to the girl, and inking in the colors... In this picture I am almost done with the color... I think she is going to get a little more rouge on her cheeks.

Creating the background for my Whimsical Woman... I want something that contrasts the colors and lines of the face and hair... A Zentangle background using grid-based patterns to contrast the soft curved lines of the hair?

More work on the Y.A.F. ...adding some green-ish and pink-ish pigments... and some glitter... not too much, just a little.

Where the Whimsical Woman stands now... I have a bit more to do. Maybe I will have her finished up sometime tomorrow... but you never know... I tend to keep adding and adding to my projects whenever I think I am almost done. 

 

 

Now, here's the thing... I feel like she needs a name... Any thoughts? I am looking for ideas!

Some new projects...

It has been a busy summer... Quite a few hours at my part time job and several day trips... Fun! Fun! Fun!

Aaaaand... I've had time to create! Here are a couple of my most recent projects...

The bag is a gift I made for my sister's birthday. I repurposed some old T-shirts... and sewed them together on my grandmother's old kenmore... the top shirt is a soft lime green and says "express your hearts desires".... I Love... Love.... Love this bag!

Then... the mandala is inspired by a post on Dion Dior's blog... you can see it here... I will have to take better pictures of it tomorrow.

Finally, I have some pictures of my current work in progress... but... those will be in another post... sooo to be continued... 

Falling into routine

Dear followers (if I have any out there), 

I'm sorry for not being around very much. Life has been very busy. I has been hard to find a few minutes here and there to post. Recently I got a part time job at a local retail store to earn a little extra... moola... this summer. This meant along with teaching, I was training and working shifts at the store to begin training. And let's face it... Teachers days don't end when the bell rings! From the expected staff meetings and other PLC meetings... to after school club meetings... to staying after school to catch up my students who were way far behind on their school work... to reading papers and grading artwork. My days just kept getting longer and longer.. 

And then I went and got myself a sencond job... (don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my now job... but...) This meant the days that I worked at school and at the store. I have to rush out of school (as soon as my after-school responsibilities were done). Take out the dog. Eat dinner. Change my clothes. And get to work on time, which was usually within 1 hour of leaving the school. When I'd get home from the store I'd be beat. But now the school year has come to an end. And the extra days I put in to work on the curriculum alignment have been completed! There (should) be lots of time to work on my creative projects. This also means I should be blogging more... Hopefully 

You know, its funny, in college I was always busy: classes, and homework, and work(my job), and student organization meetings, and office hours... I lived on the go... and that was great for me! I loved feeling busy and productive and focused. I still do! But I like slowing down a little bit too... I live on a balance of fast paced days and slow, relaxed, chill days.

OK enough gabbing... pictures???. As the last project of the year my ceramics made masks. Here are a few of them...


 This student really is a lumberjack... The mask is very fitting

 This pair of photos make me laugh... to the left... the photo is taken while the student is back-lit, so the camera doesn't pick up all the detail... the Mask almost looks believable!

The pic to the right shows the real deal... I do have to say. While the skin on the mask is a bit bright... it blends with his natural skin tone well.




I LOVE  this mask!! It is super creepy! (go ahead.... enlarge the pic check out the detail... the eyes are sewn shut!!!)



In case you can't tell, this student has quite the personality. She actually went home... Put on her mask and a hooded black cape that covered her whole body and sat at the dining room table (in the dark) until her mother came home. Her mother screamed.

I have to say, if I was her mother, I would be in the ER with a heart attack.

A spoof on the mask from Phantom of the Opera... Except this student loves the color purple... can you tell?

I love how the students' personalities shine through their artwork. It is quite impressive!


 

Two very different students...

Two very different styles...


Two awesome projects!

Finally, This last mask is a butterfly... I love how the student incorporated the wings into the face of her mask.

I've also been working on an artist journal. I think we're pretty different techniques I'm learning from different artists that I've been in contact with. Each page has a different artist and/or technique.... Some activities go on for a couple of pages. This has been a lot of fun and tend to get carried away. I'm going to have to do some more work on it. I can't wait to turn some of these pages into full out pieces of art!  Those pictures will be here soon!

I also want to take a minute to share these productivity playlists that Tiffany Han has been putting out each month. They are great! I honestly tried it for the first time the other day. And got so much done. To quote her, "To maximize your productive time, remember: hit play and commit to focus for the duration of the playlist. Then when the music stops, you get a 5-minute break. It's sort of like musical chairs for your brain - except at the end of this game, EVERYONE wins!"

So.... Hop on over to her blog at TiffanyHan.com and check it out!