Mini Art Show

I love art.

There is something so personal and challenging about it.
It makes me excited, happy, and very busy.
Memorizing numbers and vocabulary words is easy (personally),
but art offers a challenge that only the person
doing it can achieve. The only competition is with yourself.
And personal viewpoints and backgrounds only enhance
the work rather than deters from it.
Your art is your story. It comes only from you. You are the
person figuring out the puzzle and applying the meaning.
Isn't it so fun?

I think I seriously am going to have the best job in the world.
Who doesn't want to play with pencils, paint, and crafty stuff
all day? And I love the fact that I will maybe help others discover
their talents and what inspires them.
Yes, I am a crazy artist and I love it.

School has kept me very, very busy.
There is my final work sample portfolio that I've been stressing
over for the last month. It has to include a unit with 6-7 lesson plans,
assessments, adaptations, students work, and resources. I've
been scanning, printing, photographing, writing, stressing, organizing,
stressing, and perfecting this thing for the big day where I go in
front of a panel of professors and present it. And then they decide
based on it and my teaching whether I can be a teacher.
It is FINALLY done though. (Clap, please.)
I feel very accomplished, proud, and ready.

But my real pride is my students. They keep me on
my toes. Some days I come home thinking there is no way in
heavens I can do this. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING!
They are crazy, wild, uncooperative, and frustrating.
But then there are the rewarding days where I see them
break through a problem and feel good about what they have done.
I see them take pride in their work.
I see them try their best.
The days where I help them see the world a little different
are the bomb-diggity.
They make the crazy days worth it.

I'd thought I would show you a mini art show of some
of the more recent projects we have been working on.

Student Artwork:

Scratch art is where you scratch off the black to present
another color underneath. Students studied negative and
positive shapes. I wished these would photography better,
but the silver is so shiny I keep getting a glare.

I
I loved doing the wire sculptures.
They turned out so cool. I wish the pictures were better.

Last are the tape sculptures that go up tomorrow.
Students had to wrap themselves in tape to create life size
sculptures of themselves and make an installation in the school.
It is fun just to see the process.
I'll show you the final results when we get them up.

I wish I could have taken pictures of everything.
My classes are so good.

I will assure you there is more to come.

Hitler was an Artist, Who Knew

Interesting fact....

Hitler was intent on become an artist, but he failed
twice the art academy's admission test. His drawing
skills were called "unsatisfactory."
I happen to think that his drawing skills are quite
promising and it is sad (not just for him) that he was never
given the opportunity to study under a graphic designer
or a painter.
In Vienna, he would spend hours looking at the
magnificent architecture using his inheritance to go
to opera, paint, and wander the streets.

Hitler's rise has been amounted to nothing more
than dumb luck. But if one
looks at his eager mind to assimilate, synthesize, and apply
the influences of his day, it makes sense for him to do so.
Hitler had his own version of artistic means of influence-
the poetic oratory and elegant designs.
I have to admit that it is a little weird to think
of Hitler as an artist. Even more so that I find
myself appreciating his work.

Moral:
I don't know that one yet.

Whiteboard

Again, no photoshop so I couldn't do a detailed tutorial, but honestly

this totally cute whiteboard didn't need it. It is so darn easy and I

believe an essential for every college student. My roommate and I write notes

back and forth to each other. And I love me a handwritten note.

Here are the directions:

1) Purchase yourself a frame. I bought a square one from Porter's Craft

for about $8. Make sure you have glass in it.

2) Using Modge Podge, I just cut out some scrapbook paper I liked and

glued it on. In the corner, for the flowers, I just did the same thing I did

in this tutorial and glued them on.

(Tip: these flowers are also adorable to glue on headbands.)

3) I put a piece of scrapbook paper on the back and closed up the frame.

4) And now the fun part: write away on the glass with dry-erase markers.

I freakin love our whiteboard. It adds a lot to our apartment.

ThE ZoNe

There is something magical about producing something that wasn't there

before. For me, it is art. I get so excited when I sit down and release all

that pent up energy into something that has been playing across my mind.

Something that has wanted to get out for a while. It is so satisfying to

look at something you did and know that it is the very essence

of who you are. It doesn't have to be perfect. BUT don't let the fear of failure

discourage you from trying. You will be surprised by the your own

capability. It is something that I feel I must do to understand life.

It clears my head and makes me feel like I have purpose.

{this is my neice Tayla with a twist inspired by the Fauves, Acrylic}
For the big day tomorrow my cooperating teacher (whom I'll call Mrs. CT)
asked if I would create a small slide show introducing myself to the kids. For some odd reason, kids think that teachers live in the school and don't have lives of their own. Mrs. CT also said to include some of my artwork to show the kid that yes, art teachers know how to draw. (This is great for me. I have the hardest time drawing on the chalkboard.)

I've been going through some of my old work (most what I've done in classes at school) and it was so fun to look at. I'd thought I would share a little bit of some of the things I've done. I've added some quotes about creating or art that I related to. Enjoy!

{Study done with watercolor}

"God didn’t give me a choice. Art is not just something I create but something I am. It makes me one with my personal God. When I see something of beauty—landscape, still life objects—I need to be a part of it; through the creative process, I become one with my subject. My subject’s soul and my soul intertwine." -ritzymitzi
{Perfume Ad, Watercolor}
"I paint because it is the only time when I can be truly me and only me..."
-Anni

{Study, Watercolor}

"If you are true artist, you make art throughout your entire life. You have no choice." -John Mars

{head study, Graphite Pencil}

"I paint, sketch because I live art. Look, see, observe, smell, taste, feel. Art is what we are. It's actually an extension of ourselves which God himself gave to us at birth. Sit behind your easel and smell fresh paint and mediums and if you are not excited deep within, then you are not destined to produce art. It has different meanings for us all, but all in a nutshell "We just have to!"
{My roommate who was a dance major, Oil}

{Figure study, Pastel}

{Flower, Watercolor}

"I started painting in my 50s and it totally changed how I look at my world and how I live my life. When I paint I have total freedom to create whatever I chose to. The fact that there are no rules is so liberating and that freedom spills over into my daily life. I love it!" -Margidy

{China girl inspired by my visit to China, Pen, Ink, and Gouche}

."The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty." -Uchtdorf

{China woman, Gouche on wood sanded off}

"No one can tell me I'm wrong."

{Illustration Study, Acrylic}

{Flowers, Gouche}

{Elephant, Charcoal and Gouche}

Mom doesn't like the word random

~ When I finally have a house of my own to decorate, I am

going to put thousands of glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceilings.

I have them in my bedroom now and I love trying to find constellations

as I am going to sleep. I make up my own with their own stories.

(I did this with a past boyfriend for a date. We went and checked out
children's books at the library, made a fort out of the couch cushions, and

tried to find constellations on the ceilings as we ate smores made from the

stovetop. I don't think he liked it as much as I did. Cued me in that he wasn't

right for me. :) {Image found at weheartit.com}

~ My mom's name is Ann. My grandma's name is Shirley. I've always

wanted to name one of my daughters: Anne Shirley.

"Anne with an e."

It honors three great people.

{Mom cutting Grandma's hair. This is one of my favorite pictures.}

Anne of Green Gables= fantastic book, fantastic movie

Probably going to watch it today and eat my cupcakes.

~ I Love Lucy is the best show in the whole world. I have never laughed so hard.

I own 6 seasons on DVD and I watch them every year. I've dyed my hair
red in honor of her several times.

{image found at weheartit.com}

~I don't really have celebrity crushes. Although for a while I really liked Orlando Bloom. I liked watching him in Lord of the Rings. Running. Hmm. He made a pretty great pirate as well.

~Getting notes is one of my most favorite things. I love making cards to give

to people. I think notes should be as long as the space available.

There is always more to say to a person, fill'er up!

~Summer is coming to an end. Did I get rid of my pasty-white chicken legs? No.

Did I read any of the books I planned to? No.
Did I do some art projects that I could use for my student teaching? No.

My excuse: for the last four years I have done nothing but study my

brains out. Read and read. I use to love reading. It feels now like

something I have to do (a chore) and I don't want to. I'm done studying for a while.

All I want to do is watch T.V. and eat cupcakes. It makes me

feel sluggish and gross, but I deserve it. I have worked hard to finish college

and this my break. Next week I'll be moving into a new apartment, in a

new town, and starting a new "grown-up" job; I'm scared! I'm having all sorts

of doubts. What if I really don't like teaching? What if I'm not a good teacher?

Crap.

Mom says I worry too much. I know I do.

~These chairs are making me so happy. I painted them yesterday.

The frames were plain wood I had sitting around that I sprayed

with a light coat of white and scruffed up a bit with sandpaper.

Watercolor.

~I really want to know how to make a heart on the computer.

Anyone know?

Quick and Easy Footstool

I haven't painted for a while and I've been feeling the urge.

This last semester I wasn't able to take an art class because I

was getting done with all my history classes.

And how I have missed it!

It makes me all the more excited for my student teaching

because I'll be doing nothing but ART!

I feel challenged when painting, but also so free. No one can tell

me that my painting is wrong and I didn't learn right, because it is mine.

It is a puzzle that only I can figure out and there is no guide to help.

It is my responsiblity to contribute something that didn't exist before.

I love watching the piece emerge as I use highlights and shade

to create shapes. It is so relaxing and satisfying. I just love it!

This is the watercolor I did yesterday.
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{In advance: I apologize for the low quality of pictures.

I am still trying to figure out how to take pictures of myself

while doing the actual project.}

Here is a quick little, easy project for ya all!

I painted this cute this stool in elementary school and

lately I've been hiding it in the back of my closet. It isn't something

I'm really liking. It definitely needs a new update.

I first sanded all the old paint off I could and painted it all white.

I then added a coat of black on top. Taking a fine grade sandpaper,

I roughed up the edges to let some of the white come through.

I have these two bottles of medium that work handy.

Pick a brush that you aren't afraid of getting ruined.

I picked some scrapbook paper that I liked and cut it to fit the

top of the stool.

I prepared a thick coat of Matte Medium on the surface of the
stool and let it sit for about five minutes to let it set up a bit.

Starting at one end, set the end of the paper onto the stool

and I used the Varnish Medium to adhere it on the top.

Avoid just setting the whole paper onto the top of the stool.

Doing this will create bubbles that will be difficult to get out.

Roll it down adding more and more medium on top with a brush.

Don't be afraid to add quite a bit of medium, though adding too much

will make the scrapbook paper a bit murky.

Let dry. And enjoy.

I am excited to put this in the new apartment.