New Homes

Some new rowhouse pieces from me...a few are months old but, the purple shiny one (below) is brand new! These are affordable, ready to hang, and available for purchase on my website, here.

Neon Fruits of Labor

Almost every Fall session I get some kind of a seasonal present from a student near the end of the semester...food stuff, a nice card, home made soap last year...and this year, BAM, paint. Backstory is that I went wild for this color paint she had, and said I wanted to lick it...and then I had to explain to everyone about my thing with color and consumption, and that if I want to lick it, it's good; rich, deep, robust are all foodie words too. As someone else postulated/inquired to me, "Why do you think they call it having good taste in art?". Ah, touche.

Anyway, this paint was given to me and I painted with it yesterday and I love it. Of course, the photograph will never do the color justice and I am not finished with it yet, but...mmmm, neon purple. *slurp*

Anatomy of a Mind Through Song

Been a pretty emotional few months for me...and I'm not sure I have all the words yet, so I can't quite translate to visuals yet...which seems backwards, but it's the way things often work for me.

Anyway, here are the recent, perpetual songs on repeat for me. Maybe if I collect them I will see something in their entirety.

Is She Weird - The Pixies
Sea Lion - Sage Francis
John Finn's Wife - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Drink Before the War - Sinead O' Connor
Bad Blood - Bastille
Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
Radio-Friendly Unit Shifter - Nirvana
and for dancey-ness, Starboy - The Weeknd

Seasonals!

I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of writing this winter break, so you might just be getting a barrage of posts in a big chunk here soon, but in the meantime...

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

 Because, NUTcrackers  ;)

Studio Stuff

In cleaning my studio, I am reminded of all the fun/cool stuff all around the room. This is a pairing on my art closet door, with the work of D. Garzelloni. I haven't seen it in awhile because that corner was blocked from view for several months. But I unloaded all of my large boxes onto my students for their cardboard chair projects, so the area is again free and clean.

Hello, my old friends...

 ...and with the broken heart...omg, Universe! Yeah, I see you.

 

INITTOWINIT!

I will have this work in the Small Wonders Annual at The Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis this December! More info:  http://mdfedart.com/portfolio/74/
 

Mondrian in Second

By GOD, I love creating lesson plans. I mean really, such a thrill when I have packed in everything they need to learn, simply and efficiently.

So this is the in-class exemplar for basic painting and paint mixing skills. We are currently in the Color Unit, and this also utilizes some nice ruler skills. Patience, and challenging ones self  is the name of the game!

By the way, these lines are actually straight, but the paper has not been properly pressed! As usual, I make all the mistakes, so they don't have to! It's also great to give them a visual example of what not to do as well as what should happen.

Mondrian in Second: Students are asked to start their Color Unit by mixing secondary colors with paint, to create Mondrian-esque pieces.
 

The students are using (and therefor I was forced to use) tempera paint. The tempera is provided to them for free, so it's easy for them to use in that way, but HOLY MAN, who ever seriously used tempera paint in their professional art practice, and as an adult....who? WHO?

I should have them make egg tempera, shoot, something. Tempera is, in my opinion, the worst. I DETEST it.

Because Reasons

my four watercolor paint palettes

In Two Dimensions

This semester I am fairly JAZZED that I was given my first 2D course to teach. Since my media is normally a little more on the 2D than the 3D side (although not exclusive by any means), I have been begging for 2D or Drawing I...or something. I got it this semester, CHOOCHOO!

Thus, in addition to the 3D classes, I am relearning (or learning backwards) how to do this 2D thing, or at least teach to it. It's strange to put into words, the process of what one does quickly, naturally and even inherently, as an artist. But I welcome the strange backwardness, because of course, anything I teach always helps me understand my own process more thoroughly (and slowly). It's a win-win for learning! And if you know me, you know my absolute favorite part of teaching is the lesson planning. I have an overabundance of ideas, and so it works out really well for me. Nothing, then, seems wasted. That is a blessing.

I've really been enjoying finding a related exemplar within my own work for my 2D students to look at, for the beginning of each presentation. I was digging about and found this tiny little photo, of what is actually a tiny little etching. I feel like it might have been on a steel plate...

Currently, we are covering Shape, Form and Line (contour/cross-contour) and still strictly in the black and white realm.

P.S. This is my leg.

Breaking the Mold - Exhibition

A little late on the draw, this show is only up through August 27th. Breaking the Mold is currently on view at the AR Gallery at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore.

I was asked to be a part of this exhibition of past Creative Alliance educators, and I got to see a whole metric TON of my MACA/MFACA peeps while I was there, too. I guess we all tend to gravitate that way, for at least a minute. I worked at CA for 3 years at the start (I am still at the start, really) of my teaching career. I miss teaching the kiddos. This was the first year that I didn't teach any little ones at all; just adults for me. I did notice, and I am sad about it...in the new year I will work on that again.

Anyway, this was my piece... In the Round (but it's really not, sometimes I just like to be contrary). Also, the heavy shadows give away the illusion (space). I'm not sure if that helps or hurts me in display. Still nice to see the art that lives in buckets in my studio, to get a chance on the wall for once. Happy to be a part of the show!

I Was There

Boltonstock 2016! This was a neighborhood affair, and the TFAPB team was there with some fun art for the kiddos, and some informational postcards from us.

The community arts project seemed to be a hit. I carved some --what else-- mandalas linoleum plates for the kids to print and color in. I am convinced that symmetry makes everyone feel happy.

our next door tent mate, Trauma Mama

Jessica, TFAPB Board Chair

 Coloring... 

Some prints the kiddos made... 

Okay, it's definitive. I am the messiest printmaker around. You have the "proof" (punny). The professionals should shun me. Thank the gods for bleed prints, amiright?!

Mandala Your Meal

Hey all, I have some exemplars here for my summer 3D class. Since mandalas are one of my favorite things to work with (we've got some geometry built right into our art), and the summer class has a much shorter time period in which to work, I devised this lesson plan with food.

So basically, you would use the ingredients for your meal as the sole art materials. Here are my exemplars -- can't wait to see what my students come up with! I am hoping we can put together a visual arts recipe book. I will trial run the creation of it this July!



'Chicken Taco Mandala' #mandalayourmeal #pleaseplaywithyourfood #artaseveryday

Ingredients/Materials: corn tortilla, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh salsa, white onion, shredded, seasoned chicken, guacamole, hot sauce

'Pea Salad Mandala' #mandalayourmeal #pleaseplaywithyourfood #artaseveryday

Ingredients/Materials: frozen peas, turkey bacon, cheddar cheese, purple onion, bell pepper, mayo, italian dressing, black pepper.

'Shepherd's Pie Mandala' (a weak-sauce, Americanized version) #mandalayourmeal #pleaseplaywithyourfood #artaseveryday 

 
Ingredients/Materials: seasoned ground turkey, purple onions, carrots, frozen peas, frozen corn, mashed potatoes, cream of celery soup, cheddar & pepper jack cheeses.
 

Another Winning Student!

During the Spring semester at the Student Exhibition, one of my students nabbed the (Arts & Humanities) Dean's Award. I was there to capture the moment, because a little birdie told me to make sure HE was there...

Ian is my second student to receive the award in the three-ish years I have been there! Good show!

My 3D Student Ian Miner and his work for the 3D Mandala project! He created this using metal, a CD and some cardboard. This one blew me away when I first saw it....and really, it continues to blow me away. She's a real beauty. And it was NFS (pissing said Dean off) because his veryvery smart mom had already claimed it. Moms know excellence.

I believe Ian is planning on an engineering career. *cough*. Thems the breaks, artists. ;)

I'm Back

Whoops, I haven't been here in awhile. In the meantime I bought a three story house, so you know....house stuff has been happening.

So I'll have to backtrack a bit first, before I properly get into the swing of things again...

My last exhibition at Clay Pots was a small, intimate affair. It was a treat to see how all of the pieces related, I had never seen them together. Some of the neighbors expressed interest, so I might be doing some scanning in the future, for prints, or a book. I have always wanted to make a book!

"February"

Water-based mixed media on canvas, 12" x 12"

This Is Happening, March 5th!