Summer Vacation? ummm.....huh??

I am not going to lie, I am sure there are teachers out there who do nothing their entire break but vacation...but I don't personally know any of them. I usually spend my summer vacation working.yes... working. Working on being a better artist, on being a better teacher, on building connections, on reorganizing and restructuring my classroom, and working on that massive pile of laundry that accumulated between the early May arts festival and the June graduation ceremonies.

Michael DeMeng demo on paint

I realize that because I don't have to punch a time clock and I can actually sit with my coffee and catch up on facebook before I start most people don't consider it work.  But, everything I am doing is bwork-related.  For example, I am in the process of completing 17 hours of online coursework through ed2go(CRAZY I know) and I only have 9 more to go. I can now be the master of my own wiki, create beneficial pod casts, use Microsoft Word 2010 and PowerPoint 2010 with incredible ease and have created a workbook and other learning aids for my classroom. soon I will be the master of differentiated instruction and assessment. And while I am really enjoying the online graduate work, I do like the hands on workshops just a tad bit more. Especially when they are taught at the Small Studios in Westlake, Ohio by the illustrious Michael DeMeng.

Watchmakers results

If you look closely,
you can see the blue
 monkey

Demeng's workshops are all about assemblage, or Ahh-sem-blahge. They cover techniques that I can use in my own art and teach to my students. They are filled with laughter, anecdotes, and plenty of puns.  I started the first workshop, Mad Watchmakers,  the next day after school was out. I should admit, I hardly considered it work though. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. As a teacher DeMeng is encouraging, knowledgeable, and comical. While I was learning from Michael and the other artists in the group, it was the perfect way to start the summer. Two whole days of tips and techniques, and creative influence and two fully finished, well almost finished, projects......well worth it.

The second workshop with Michael was creating a shrine to the Saint of Discarded things. This is my piece. Not finished of course but I had a creative block early on. I plan on adding lights, a footing, and maybe a mini handle for the top. I also still have a lot of painting to do yet. I plan on leaving it the vibrant yellow. I have already located a place in our home for display and have sketches started for a few more variations from all the junk I took with me.

MARK GOLDEN

After the DeMeng workshop I had a breather for a few days before attending the Golden Acrylic Paints workshop in Ashland. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the instructor was CEO Mark Golden. What a fantastic person. I was amazed at the generosity and responsibility that Golden paints feels towards their employees and their artists. Their humanitarian actions are humbling.  I already use their paints with my sculptures but their mediums I wasn't familiar with. I can foresee a huge monetary commitment on my part for home and for school! I can't wait to incorporate some of their products into my classes!

Bead Medium...love

A Little Redirection.......

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but growing up I always knew I wanted to be an artist...or a dancer(HA).......but really, I knew I wanted to be an artist. I loved that when I put pencil to paper people really saw what was there, unlike my dancing which was met with averted eyes. I didn't really want dance lessons, or piano lessons, or baton lessons, although I did like being in parades, but what I did want was an easel and all the things that might go with it. Pencils, charcoal, paint..man I loved to paint and ultra fine pens and permanent markers!! A little slice of heaven.

I don't think I ever expected to grow up to be an art teacher. In fact, I know I didn't. I was only in FTA(Future Teachers of America) for the letter and honor points. But when I went to college, I had a long discussion on the financial aspect of being an artist, mainly that I wouldn't be receiving any help financially from my parents if I went for "ART". So I declared physical therapy my major and signed up for as many general ed and fine arts classes(as electives of course) that I could. Eventually, I started researching art careers and I stumbled across Art Education. I changed my major and yes, eventually told my parents. I actually liked education. I transferred to a school that had a better arts program, (GO FALCONS!!) and started on my way with methods courses and some heavy studio coursework.

I think everyone of us in that ART ED graduating class thought that being an artist and an educator would be easy because they go hand in hand. But there is a fundamental difference between being a professional artist and a professional educator and juggling both is something that I struggle with. I am not going to pretend I am in galleries, that I am represented, and that money is rolling in, although I wouldn't mind it, but I am producing and creating.  Mostly small commissioned pieces and work for friends and loved ones. It took a long time to get to the point that I could even want to do both again.

But I did find that there are a few things that I needed to help make me more successful...first ..a dedicated work space other than my classroom or kitchen table. Actual work time while at school..no not gonna happen at least not with my high schoolers. They keep me busy enough.   Second, I needed a dedicated work time. It just so happened that I had to sacrifice my daily walk on the treadmill. Um yeah, that "sacrifice" isn't really working out though so I will be adjusting the schedule to include both this summer.  I also needed my own "holy grail". Something I could jot down ideas in whenever they hit or wherever I found inspiration. I have one for home and one for school. Actually I have about 15 total because I always misplace them. Sometimes they are old abandoned sketchbooks, or a moleskin journal-still missing, or a new sketchbook from a vendor, and sometimes they are just a yellow legal pad but I always have a sharpie or a uni ball to jot with. and last, but not least, I needed to have a sense of humor to deal with everything life tends to throw out at you at one time


Anyways, this blog is mainly about that struggle, the choices, we make to do both, the experiences, influences and everything else that shapes us into artists AND educators, with some of those classroom escapades thrown in for some comic relief. Just be thankful it isn't a video of me dancing.

The search for the Holy Grail.........

As summer approaches and I begin to disect the school year, I think about the lessons I have learned, the ones I have taught, and what to do with them.  I begin to fill the Holy Grail with ideas and adjustments for the following year. My Holy Grail is my journal. It is filled with lesson ideas, inspirations, images, and techniques that I either want to try, think I need to look at again, or want to share. I always create a new holy grail starting about mid April. I usually look at my old grails to see what I have missed from previous years, but this year I will only have one that I am able to review.

I was asked by a colleague and friend what my plans for summer were this year. I said I didn't know and I really didn't! I had been contemplating(barely) getting a second job, looking into graduate coursework and just working in the studio. After thinking about this for a little bit, I realize that for many of us who teach, summer is almost like like our second chance at "New Year's resolutions" So I am dubbing them Summer resolutions...I  know really creative title.

So here are a few of my summer resoltions.:

1. Finish the army of Pot and Pan people....they deserve it.
2. Clean the couch in the studio. No explanation needed.
3. Finish the revisions for the Crafts Curriculum.
4. Work on the portraits I need to finish.
5. Finish the Ceramic Monsters series...they rattle, they roll, they look like little trolls
6. Enjoy the morning sun since the afternoon sun hates me.
7. Finish the Holy Grail samples

I am sure I will add more to this list soon, but since that f word keeps popping up often, I think I will need to accomplish those first.