Life Installed Exhibit at BSU

School is finally overwith. The final class project for 3-D art was to install a museum collection that could be either something real or something fictional. I worked with another student on a collection about the four basic types of weaving, with lots of colorful examples. The display looks fabulous and very professional. This exhibit is called "Life Installed" and there's a total of 12 different collections. They are currently on display at the Liberal Arts Building at BSU until December 17th.

I am in a wierd state of transition--the holiday break. I don't have any classes now until January 20th. I have more free time than I know what to do with. This is the time when I wish I had a job!

Last Week of Classes And A New Marketing Venture

This week I will be helping to install an exhibit at the Liberal Arts Building at BSU. My 3-D art class will be hanging their museum collection projects Tuesday and Thursday. I am working with another classmate, helping to install a project about weaving. I am doing the text and cutting the black mats. So that is my goal Monday, to have all this ready to hang up Tuesday. My partner is in charge of the weaving samples and the large banner, and since she is the weaving expert, she did most of the planning. This is much easier than having to do a project all by myself.

Also, I have four more ceramic pieces to paint or glaze, then I have to turn in my synopsis of all my ceramic work for the semester. And then I'm done with that class as well.

This week I am starting a new marketing venture. I am going to start selling my art online via ecommerce. I was able to network with a local business person who has his own online store and wants to sell art and crafts made by local people like me. I am going to sell my art through an online store called After Midnight Design. The website is shop.aftermidnightdesign.net.

My Ceramics Collection--So Far

Siamese Cat Vessel

(My teacher really liked this one!)

Green Teapot with White Flower


Squirrel Teapot

A Potato Chip Bowl

I thought I would use today's blog site to show you all the ceramic pieces I have done so far that are completed. For not having any previous experience in ceramics and glazing, I thought I did pretty well and I'm very happy with the results.

I have been using Thanksgiving break to do as much homework as I can for my art classes. All my ceramic pieces have been made and are just waiting to be fired and then painted. I have a total of 11 pieces. About half of them have been fired and painted.

All my homework for 3-D Art 108 has been done. However, my 3-D art class is going to give us one last project and we only get about one weekend to complete it! But it is a group project, so maybe it won't be so bad. I hope not. I couldn't even use this holiday break to get started on the project because no one knows exactly what type of project it will be. We only know it will have to do with a museum presentation of a collection that is either factual or ficticious.

The Pepe Portrait Commission

It is nice to be well again and cold-free with no more symptoms. Now my husband has what I had and he was just sick three weeks ago with the flu. (Sigh) I HATE viruses!

I have caught up with all my BSU homework for the time being, but there is still more to do. I am going to go into ceramics class this weekend and do one last session with clay before I let them all dry out and get them ready for firing in the kiln. I have nine pieces so far. Do I have time to make one more piece? We'll see.

I just hope I have time for everything I am suppose to do by December 1oth. I have to work on one more project for 3D art that needs to be completed by December 8th. Fortunately, I will be working in a group and will have help. Then I have to have all my ceramics fired and painted or glazed, then turn in a synopsis of photos, etc. of all the ceramic pieces I have made this semester.

In the midst of the obstacles I've had to deal with like my car breaking down, me getting sick, my husband getting sick, something good actually happened! I got a new portrait commission! Not only did I get this commission, but I got paid for it in advance! That rarely ever happens. I will be doing a portrait of a little dog named Pepe who was a chihuahua mix. I say "was" because the dog passed away just last month. The owner found my website and contacted me. Sometimes my website really does pay for itself!

The photos for the "Pepe portrait commission" that I have to work with are not real good--only fair--so I will have to get some of my own references to use to fill in the detail, but I think I can come up with a really nice portrait for my client. I can't even start on this commission until after my classes are over and done with. But that's okay. I will have something to look forward to.

Thanksgiving Break Is Here

I have an entire week off with no BSU classes! It will be very, very nice to have a chance to catch up on things. However, I still have some homework to do. The teachers want to make sure that we don't have it too easy over Thanksgiving break! I may not get much of a chance to work on my own art projects.

The last class days for both my BSU classes are December 8-10. That is only a few weeks from now! Yicks! I have a few more pieces of pottery in Ceramics I need to finish and another project to do in 3D art.

I just found out that the final project for 3-D art will be on display downstairs in the Liberal Arts Building of BSU. There will be a reception and a press release, just like a regular art show. That is cool! This will be sometime around the second or third week in December.

I was eager to go in Friday or Saturday to do some extra ceramic work in class, but I got sick. The dreaded virus that is hitting everyone finally hit me. Fortunately, it is not the swine flu--just a cold. This has definitely been an week of battles. On top of being sick, my Saturn decided to break down this week, so I am back to sharing the truck with my husband until my car gets repaired.

Christmas Bazaar Season

Saturday I had a booth at a Christmas bazaar and sold some art. The bazaar was at my church, the Vineyard Christian Fellowship. This is the first time they have held a Christmas bazaar. I thought there was a pretty good turnout for the first bazaar. I sold enough to make the whole thing worth while. In this weak economy I get a little nervous sometimes when I do a show because I'm afraid nothing will sell, but I was happy with the results I got. It was fun looking at some of the creative things the other vendors had made and were selling. One of the most interesting designs there were hanging metal mobiles that had some beautiful and creative designs cut into them. I even took some photos which I may post on my blog later when I get the film developed. I did a trade with one vendor and got an awesome cross necklace made out of horseshoe nails.

I took some clay home with me from class last week and did some ceramic work at home because I wasn't able to make it to school to work on any of my ceramic projects. I finished the rest of the little figurative pieces for my Lord of The Ring narrative ceramic project. Now all I have to do is scrape out the underneath part of the piece to make it ready for firing and attach the two figures. The teacher said he likes this piece and he gave me some tips to make sure it doesn't blow-up in the kiln! I am still learning about what to do and what not to do when you make things in clay and apparently, when you make a piece that is very solid and thick without any airholes poked into it, it will blow up in the kiln. This actually happened to another ceramic piece I made, but I was able to glue the broken pieces on and after I painted it, you couldn't tell anything had broken off.

Lots and Lots of School Projects!

School work has really been keeping me busy! There is only about one month left of school and it is CRUNCH TIME! Now is the time for me to play Billy Joel's song, "Pressure!" I have been working on several projects for both my classes. It has also been difficult to find the time to look for a part-time job. So until I get an actual job, I am making my living with my art and selling some items on the internet.

I just completed a real crazy project for my 3D art class. This project involves transforming part of the human body into something unusual or wierd--kind of like a mutation. My project involved turning the female body, specifically the breasts and the navel, into hot and cold water valves and turning the navel into a water faucet. This is definitely one of the strangest pieces of art that I have ever created, but my teacher loved the idea, so I went with it. Oh, what we students will do just to get an 'A' ! This piece will definitely NOT end up hanging over the fireplace in the living room!

This Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I will be selling my art and crafts at a Christmas Bazaar at the Vineyard Church. This is the Vineyard's first Christmas bazaar and I hope it is a real success! All this week I have been busy preparing for it.

I also have been coming into the Ceramics class at BSU one extra day per week so that I can have a large enough body of ceramic works to show for the end of the semester. So far, I have four pieces that have been bisque fired, three that are glazed and finished, one that I have to paint/glaze, and two other pieces that are drying out, waiting to be bisqued fired. Then I have two others that I have started to sculpt, but they are not finished.

My 3DArt Class Project Photos

I have posted photos of the latest projects I have made in my 3-D Art Class at BSU. The bottom two photos are two views of the soap sculpture that was actually my mid-term. This sculpture will be in a student art show sometime in mid-November and I am excited about that. It has been a while since I have been in any art exhibit that was at Boise State University.

The top two photos are from a 3D Book project, which was our last assigned class project. For my project, I made my version (in miniature) of the no-kill cat shelter, Simply Cats, where I did some volunteer work this past summer. The very top photo was a close-up of one of the rooms in the shelter that was especially for the fat cats who are on a diet and exercise program to lose weight. My camera doesn't have the capability of getting really tiny details, so this is as detailed as I could get. You can see the one cat that is on a treadmill machine and the sign above says, "Think Thin!" The other two rooms are the allergy room (cats with allergies) and the kitten room.

The text that you see running through the front of the room are the names of the cats that were in that room at the time I was doing the volunteer work or a name or description of the type of cats that were in that room, like 'Fat Cats' or 'Sneezy Felines' etc.

You can't see it but some of the signs on the walls in the other rooms say, "I'm not allergic to love!" "I don't care what time it is--feed me!" "Another day, another cat-tastrophe!" "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!" And in the allergy room, I have a bottle of medicine that is labeled, "Freeze-a-Sneeze Allergy Medicine."

The cat project hasn't been graded yet so I can't take it home. There is a chance that it might also be in the student art show but I don't know for sure.

Honorable Mention for Mid-Term Soap Sculpture!

I am happy to say that I actually won a prize this week for my mid-term soap sculpture for my 3-D art class! They had four prizes for the best sculptures and I won Honorable Mention! This was in a class that has about 25-30 students. My prize was a crazy but cute pair of Boise Bronco flip-flops that have little footballs on them. They actually fit too! I have posted a photo of what I won. I will post a photo of my soap sculpture as soon as I can get the film developed.

The other great thing that happened this week was that I got paid for the sale of three prints that sold during my October show at the Garden City Library. Money is very tight for me right now and every little bit helps a lot!

My goal this week is to finish my portrait commission that I have been working on for two months. It is almost done. The sooner I finish this portrait, the sooner I can get paid for it and be free to prepare for the Christmas holidays and the last few months of school that I have left.

Mid-Terms, Homework and Project Runway

I am SO busy with homework right now! I just found out that I have a mid-term this week for 3-D art class. It is a take-home mid-term. My assignment is to make some sort of sculpture out of soap (Dove or Ivory). The soap is given to us in class on Tuesday and it is due Thursday. So we only have Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday to work on it. I did a practice sculpture with some Dove soap this weekend because my sculpturing skills are not nearly as good as my drawing and painting skills. You should have seen my art room! There were so many soap shavings it looked like it had snowed in there! Once we get our soap Tuesday, we have to make the sculpture from that piece of soap and we can't add to it if we make a mistake. There are even going to be judges and prizes given. This is starting to feel like Project Runway. "Don't bore the judges" and "Make it work" as Tim Gunn would say.

I decided that I am going to make a bird out of soap. We have to make some sort of base for our sculpture to sit on, so I made a bird's nest. I didn't want to buy one, so I made one out of a pair of my husband's old leather moccasin slippers, some grapevines & twigs and some soft downy material I bought at a craft store a while back. The nest looks like the real thing too.

I am also going to have to step it up a bit for my ceramics class. I have about five more ceramic projects to complete before the end of the semester, which I think is December 15th. I went in last week during one of my days off and did some extra work. So folks, the pressure is on. I don't think I could fit in time for a part-time job now, even if i did get one!

Simply Cats 3-D Art Project

I have been very busy this weekend finishing my next project for 3-D art class. It is due next Tuesday, so I spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday working on it. I just have a few things to do Monday and it is done. My project is a minature version of a cat shelter that I did volunteer work for this summer, Simply Cats. It was made from a book folding pattern that I turned into three separate rooms that housed the cats. Simply Cats has a total of about 11 rooms, but I didn't have time to create all of them, so I just highlighted three. Simply Cats groups certain types of cats together in the same room. The fat, overweight cats are in one room, the kittens are in a room all together, and the cats with allergies are put together in another room. These are the three cat rooms that I represented in my 3-D project. I happen to love minatures and this was a perfect opportunity to indulge in one of my interests. My mother had the same love of minatures. She use to make doll houses and put minature fixtures inside the houses. I guess that is where I got attraction for all things minature came from. I have a small collection of minatures from my vintage Barbie collection and some other nic-nacs, so I used a few of these items for this project. I really didn't have to buy hardly supplies for this piece. I had most of them at home.

Since this is 3-D, I can't really put it into the scanner right now so it can be seen. But I will take a picture of it and post it later. It turned out really fantastic and it was so much fun to do. I'm pretty sure I will get an 'A' on this project. It's kind of like those shows on T.V., Project Runway or Design Star, where you think you have created the perfect project or design, but it all depends on what the judges think--or in this case, what the teacher thinks.

Colored Pencil Art Workshop Teaching Job!

This weekend I taught an art workshop at the Vineyard Vine Arts Studio. The workshop was on colored pencil and turpenoid. I had a total of four students, which isn't bad for this economy. I had so much fun and the students did too. There is another workshop next Saturday that all four students will be coming too. It is wonderful to have this opportunity because so many art schools and art programs have been closing their doors due to the economy and that really sucks when teaching art is what you want to do for a living. What is really a blessing is that I am actually getting paid to teach these workshops! How cool is that!

I finally have some breathing room to get back to some of my personal art projects, like the commissioned portrait I received in September. Fortunately there is no deadline on this commission, so there is really no pressure. I just want it to be done before the Christmas season starts to kick in. I am also motivated to finish it so I can get paid.

Ephemeral Art at Payette Lake

When I was in McCall by the beautiful Payette Lake, I happen to be on a beach with a lot of things like pine needles, pine cones, bird feathers, etc., so I used these items to make a little sculpture arrangement right there on the beach next to some rocks. I have posted a photo of the sculpture I made and another one of me enjoying my time on the beach of the Payette Lake.

There is an artist by the name of Andy Goldsworthy who does this same type of nature sculpture. He uses objects found in nature and puts them together to make an amazing design and leaves them out there in the open. He calls it ephemeral art because it is art that is meant to be temporary. It is art that is made from nature and will eventually be destroyed by nature and the elements. I learned about his art in my 3D art class at school and I think I would like to follow this tradition whenever and wherever I go on vacation.

Butterfly Art From McCall

This piece was made from both butterflies and feathers

When I was in McCall a few weeks ago I visited a gallery, Granite Mountain Nature Gallery, that had beautiful and unusual butterfly art. I had never seen anything like it before. I finally got my film developed and wanted to post photos of this butterfly art. It is really amazingly!

Garden City Library Art Show

My art show at the Garden City Public Library started last Friday. This show will be for the entire month of October. I have 14 framed paintings and a basket of 8X10 prints for sale. I am exhibiting with a fellow artist and good friend of mine, Lisa Marten, who does impressionistic landscapes and abstract collages. To see more of her art, go to www.revelatorart.blogspot.com.

The Garden City Library is located in Garden City on the corner of Glenwood and Marigold.

Ceramics Demo, Garden City Art Show and 3D Art Projects

I just got back from spending two days in Banks, Idaho, surrounded by pine trees. It was a sort of church retreat that I went to, this time without my husband. I made a lot of new friends and in spite of this being a very busy time for me, I'm glad I went.

This coming week is going to be very busy. I have an art project due this Tuesday for my 3-D art class. Then I have an art show opening at the Garden City Public Library that starts in October and I have to go into the library to hang the show Friday. There is also a party my husband and I will be hosting this Saturday, so I have to prepare the house for guests.

I found out last Thursday that I got an A- on my first 3-D art project! The teacher really liked it. I hope I do just as well on this next art project. My next project is a flower design I am making out of orange prescription bottles that will be cut into various shapes. I am also utilizing actual prescription capsules into the design. This is a project that focuses on conceptual art. We are suppose to use something that is an everyday object and turn it into some sort of interesting artistic design. The goal is to alter it so that it no longer looks like the original object it was intended to be used for. This project has a subtle reference to the health care system.

Last Thursday I went to an art demonstration given by ceramics artist, Rich Briggs. He is a teacher at the University of Idaho in Moscow. This was a mandatory event I had to attend that was a part of my BSU class, beginning ceramics. I really enjoyed the demonstration. I found the artist's work very creative and interesting. However, I have a lot to learn in this field. I haven't even started with the glazing part of ceramics yet. That will come in the next few week, probably.

Roseberry, Idaho

The Church and the Valley County Museum of Roseberry

Let me introduce you to Roseberry, Idaho. This is a ghost town about 11 miles outside of McCall near Donnelly, Idaho. It has been re-created to look just like it was way back when. My husband and I decided to visit it Saturday and found it to be a really fantastic place! Talk about a blast from the past! It was the 1880's and early 1900's all over again. The Long Valley Preservation Society restored this town and recreated it. Some of the buildings on the walking tour were part of the original town and others have been brought in from other locations in the Valley.

I have posted a photo of two of the buildings in Roseberry, the Church and the Valley County Museum, which use to be a school house. My favorite building was the general store. It was stocked with items exactly like what you would see during the late 19th and early 20th century. There was a potbellied stove and some chairs, just like you would imagine in an old fashion general store. My grandfather would feel right at home here. It use to be called the McDougal Store and was originally built in 1905. The owner of this building, Frank Eld, collected all kinds of artifacts and goods from this time period and put them into this store. Frank and some volunteers have restored this building complete with period wallpaper, tins or canned goods and dry goods to look like it use to. This is not just a replica--this is the real deal from history. The closest thing I have seen to this was Knott's Berry Farm, where I grew up. At Knott's you walk into a general store that is made to look like it existed in 1890, but was actually made in the 1950's.

I think you could consider this general store a type of art museum that recreates the look of the 1880's, 90's and early 1900's. Even the architectural design of the buildings are unique and have their own artistic merit. Even the dry goods in the general store have their own artistic merit. I think there is something really wonderful about re-creating an atmosphere from a time where life was different and slower, and there were no high-tech toys around.

Has anyone seen the Twilight Zone movie about the guy who kept dreaming about a place called Willowby that he wanted to live in because his life was too stressful? Well, Roseberry is just like that town. I felt like the guy in that movie and I just stepped out of my fast-paced, high pressured world and stepped into an old fashioned paradise! Cool!

Gallery Hopping in McCall

Stone Art that I bought in McCall

I just got home from my vacation which was a weekend at McCall, Idaho. It was wonderful! I have posted a photo of McCall (above). I stayed at the Holiday Inn Hunts Lodge, which was an awesome hotel that served a full breakfast, had wonder little extras like an indoor pool and fitness center.

McCall has several art galleries and of course, I had to go to as many of them as I could. I went to the Artizen Gallery, Mustache Flats Gallery Outlet, and the Mountain House Gallery. I saw some really interesting art. The Artizen Gallery takes art on consignment in the Spring and Summer, so I may try and sell my art there next year. Some unusual art that I saw at these galleries: a coffee table made out of parts from cars, a Caterpillar tractor, and a Harley Davison Motorcycle, Butterfly art made from real butterflies, unusual & beautiful photo digital impressionistic art, Encaustic art made from colored wax, and some very unusual metal sculpture art. I got to talk to some of the artists that made the art and that was really fun. When two artists get together, there is an instant bond that happens and I love to talk about art to anyone who will listen and not get bored! I took pictures and made sketches of some of the art I liked and as soon as I get my film developed, I will post some of it on this blog site.

We also went for a drive and did some walking around McCall's Payette Lake. We went to Ponderosa State Park and viewed the lake from a cliff. The view was breathtakingly beautiful! It was what I call, "God's Artwork." I did a sketch of part of the lake and my husband and I had lunch by the lake. It was great to be able to do some plein aire sketching in such a gorgeous setting. It was so beautiful, I didn't want to leave!

I spent several hours looking through all the stores and gift shops in McCall. My favorite one was the Granite Mountain Nature Gallery. This is a gift store that sells mostly rocks and gems and anything else that can be make from rocks. It also sells fossils and butterfly art made from real butterflies. I am a rock hound and I have a love for any type of art that is made by nature, so this store was perfect for me! They had quite a collection of rocks and unusual items. There isn't anything like it in Boise. I posted a photo (above) of the "rock art" that I bought. The top piece is an amethyst stone necklace pendant, and the item below it is a round box made from rock (marble or granite, I think) with a pearl or mother of pearl laid-in design.

I had SO much fun that I am going to have to make several other blog entries to describe it all.

3D Art 108 Project and Art In The Park

This past week in my 3D art class we turned in our first sculpture project. Mine was a sculpture made out of wire and painted pantyhose that was shaped in all sorts of swirly shapes and fastened together. It was painted white with some streaks of blue and topped off with some glitter paint. I really loved the way it turned out and so did my teacher. I think (I hope) I will be getting a good grade on it. It was really fascinating to see what the other students came up with. Each student is suppose to give a presentation of their work and talk about the process of how we made it. Then the class gives a critique of it. My teacher told us that a few of these pieces are going into an on-campus show. I have yet to find out which ones will be picked.

This weekend was Art in the Park at Julia Davis Park. I went today to check out some cool & very creative art. I did some sketching of the designs and art that I really loved. These sketches will go into the journal I am keeping for the 3-D art class as part of my assigned homework.

I think my favorite art from Art in the Park today was the bamboo sculpture art and some animals that were made from recycled metal. The bamboo artist was Peter J. Gallagher, (www.onewhitebrow.com) and the metal animal artist's name was Rich Kolb (no website). His animals had a real funny and whimsical quality to them and were very creative.

In spite of the uncomfortable heat, I'm glad I went to Art in the Park. (The snow cone helped!) I got some really great ideas for some future ceramic projects.

3D Art Class & First Thursday Gallery Stroll

My second week of school and I am loving it! I am doing a lot better in ceramics now and some things are beginning to make sense now. I am making some teapots right now and so far, they are turning out MUCH better than the first 'thing' I made. In my 3D art class, I am making a sculpture out of clothing hanger wire and pantyhose, then I am painting parts of it. It is due this week, so it has to be fully completed by this Thursday. I am really enjoying this project. It is kind of fun to get outside the 2D art box that I am usually in.

This past week I went to the First Thursday Gallery Stroll in downtown boise this past week. I went with my friend, Lisa. We are both artists, so we are very into the art scene. There were lots of people downtown because that night was the same night as the big BSU Bronco football game which was also the first game of the season. There was a lots of celebrating going on and lots of people wearing blue and orange. First Thursday was also an opportunity for me to do some extra credit work for my 3D art class, so I took advantage of it. I gotta do what I can to get a good grade! I visited three galleries that night. Between walking all day at BSU and the gallery stroll, I must have walked about 5 miles. I was pooped by the time I got home, but it was fun.

The First Week of the Fall Semester

This was my first week of school (second semester) at Boise State University. My first class in the morning is beginning ceramics. Last Thursday we actually got to start working with the clay. The only clay work I have done before was many years ago at Fullerton Community College at a clay sculpture class that did not include ceramics.

My ceramics teacher demonstrated a certain method we are suppose to use called the coil method. It looked fairly simple...until I tried it myself. It's not as easy as it looks! Fortunately, this is just a practice piece and not something we are going to be graded on. I wanted it to be a small bowl but somehow it ended up to be a large plate and I have no idea how that happened! I hated it so much that I wanted to destroy it and start all over again! But my teacher recommended that I not rework the clay and turn it into something else, because reworked clay doesn't work as well as fresh unused clay. Besides, this is just a practice piece, not an assignment to be graded. I think I know what I did wrong and I am anxious to start another piece that will be more successful. I think I am going to have to spend a lot of extra hours just practicing and developing some skill. It would be nice if I could pull at least a 'B' in this class. At this point, I think an 'A' is too much to shoot for!

My other class in the afternoon is Art Foundations for 3 Dimensional work. We already have homework. Next week we start working on our first project. We are suppose to construct a sculpture or shape out of wire and then place some sort of "skin" around the wire. I thought of a great idea that was based on a kid's project that I saw when I did some volunteer work last spring at the Boise Art Museum Art Camp for Kids. I am going to use clothes hanger wire and pantyhose to make a sculpture. I will probably paint it. I actually started on the basic structure of it this weekend.

This past week I also went to a BSU job fair because I'm still looking for some kind of part-time or temporary job that works around my school schedule. Meanwhile, I am making some money from art sales. I will have a check coming in September from the sales I made in August at the Sawtooth Artisan's Gift Shop. I will also have some money for the commissioned portrait I am working on. I think September will be a good month to do some online selling of some stuff around the house that I don't need or want anymore.

New Portrait Commission and Battle Fatigue

Well, next week is the first week of school and I am ready! I have been looking forward to school all summer long and it is finally hear.

This past year has been a year of persecution and battles and I have had to cope with a few unpleasant battles this week while preparing for school next week. I have come to realize that I am suffering from "battle fatigue." I am definitely running on empty! So I am taking steps to get better. I decided to give myself a weekend alone in Banks, Idaho. This is a special event that focuses on healing and renewal while you stay at a beautiful place with great mountain scenery.

I have started on the portrait commission that I recently got of a little boy hugging a persian cat. The photo I'm working with is not quite as sharp as I would like it to be, but I can work with it. So far, it is coming out very well. Not having a job or schoolwork gives me a lot of time to work on this. It will probably be done by mid-September.

Another Autumn Landscape Completed

I finished my second landscape of Hidden Lake from my trip to Leavenworth and Plains, Washington and have posted it above. I think I will call it "Autumn Landscape." I am really happy with how it turned out. I used colored pencil and turpenoid and added some acrylic spatters to give it an interesting texture. I already have a customer who wants a print of it.

After about six months of no portrait commission work at all, I finally got a portrait commission order! It will be of a small boy and a beautiful Himalayan cat. The client has to resend the photo to me by email because the first one was too big to print and the second photo was too tiny to use. I have learned that the most challenging part of a portrait commission is just getting the photo from the client. I had about six other people sign up for portraits, but only one has actually followed through with a photo.

Out With The Old and Painting Autumn

'Autumn at Hidden Lake'

It's only a few weeks before school starts again and I am really looking forward to it. I am taking Ceramics and Art Foundations for 3-D art. Both of these are new areas for me that I don't have much experience in, so I know I will learn a lot.

This is also a time for "out with the old, in with the new." I am voluntarily walking away from my job as a custodian. It was terribly hard on my back, leading to pain and chiropractic visits about once a week. There were other problems which made it very stressful for me and it was difficult to handle the stress and concentrate on my school work. I thought it would be like my previous job at TenXsys and would be a 'light' custodial work, but really wasn't. I never worked harder in my life than I did at this job! Although this is not the best time to be quitting a job and looking for another one, I think I made the right decision. I will be making some money as a art workshop teacher at the Vineyard and I will continue to market and sell my art.

I started another art piece that is a companion to my 'Autumn at Hidden lake' (posted above). It is the same lake, but different view. It has the same beautiful autumn colors to it. It's about half done and I will post it when it is finished.

I recently sold a framed print of the 'Autumn at Hidden Lake' piece and the purchaser would like another print that has the same colors, so that motivated me to start this new piece. Another reason I decided to do another 'Hidden Lake' piece is that I am really enjoying the exploration of painting autumn colors. This is something new to me and I am learning a lot. So many of my landscapes are in colors of brown, gray, green and blue. It is nice to be able to work in a pallet that made up of yellows, oranges and reds.

Refuge In You Art Exhibit & Reception

"Under His Wings"

"Serenity In The Sawtooths"

I just got back from the Vine Arts Exhibit reception at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship. This show is called "Refuge in You." I entered two pieces in this show--"Under His Wings" and "Serenity in the Sawtooths." Both pieces are posted above.

The piece "Under His Wings" actually is an illustration for Psalms 91: 3-4 which says, "Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

Yes, I know it LOOKS like two birds mating, but that is NOT what this is suppose to be illustrating. I took a chance and decided to enter this piece, know that is might cause a few uplifted eyebrows, but the pastors did not have a problem with it, so I don't either!

The other piece, "Serenity in the Sawtooths," was originally a piece I used for my Christmas cards one year. I actually did some touching up to this painting and took out the red Christmas bulbs on the one tree in this piece. The photo shown on my blog site is the version that still shows the Christmas ornaments on the tree.

More Leavenworth, Washtington Art

Since I don't have a job right now, I have had much more time for art. I just completed another piece of art based on my 2007 trip to the Leavenworth, Washington. The entire piece is too big for my scanner, so I only posted (above) two sections of what I did. Most all of the restaurants and stores in Leavenworth have some sort of design or picture painted on the building or they have an very artistic, decorative sign with their name on it. So what I did with this piece is I re-created some of my favorite pieces of art that are on these stores & buildings and put them together in collage form. The background is watercolor with plastic wrap over it. When the watercolor dries, I lift off the plastic wrap and it forms a really interesting design that kind of looks like crystals.

The top photo shows the sign that hangs in front of the Red Baron Gift House. I loved the typography and the way it was designed, with the little Red Baron in the middle. The vine design around the Red Baron sign is the same design that is painted on the Tannebaum Building in Leavenworth.

The photo below it is the beautiful stained glass art that hangs above a restaurant in Leavenworth, Washington.

Under His Wings

I just completed a brand new piece (posted above) I call, "Under His Wings" based on Psalms 91:1-4. I was getting ready for the new Vine Arts Gallery exhibit coming the end of this month and I wanted one more piece that fit the theme of the show, "Refuge in You." I found this wonderful photograph in an old book I have on Island Life and it illustrated this Psalm just perfectly.

These birds are Fairy Terns and are done in colored pencil & turpenoid and the background is in watercolor. I also added some white acrylic paint spatters just to add some interesting texture.

I like the theme of the Vine Arts show: "Refuge." It seems especially appropriate during these tough economic times to focus on the things that we can take refuge in like our faith in God, our friends, and our families. I know that I am not the only one who is looking for a job, struggling to make ends meet and waiting it out hoping for better times. I think this show will be uplifting and encouraging to people and that is what we need right now.

Happy Days & Not So Happy Fish

Paul Peterson

Henry Winkler, me and Donny Most from "Happy Days"

A few weeks ago, I met two of the stars from the TV Series, Happy Days--Henry Winkler (The Fonz) and Donny Most (Ralph Malph) and I had my picture taken with them! This a rare and exciting event for me and one that does not happen every day, so I thought I would post this photo on my blog site. I also met and had a great time chatting with with Paul Peterson, a former child actor best known as Jeff from the Donna Reed Show. He is also the founder of a child actor advocacy organization called A Minor Consideration that fights for the rights of child actors.

I met these actors at the Northwest Car Show at the Expo Center (also known as the Western Idaho Fairgrounds.) My husband loves cars and I especially love the designs of the old cars from the 1900's through the 1940's.

My art show at Happy Fish Sushi got cancelled for very unethical and unprofessional reasons so I am not going to do business with them again. This kind of thing kills trust! You don't cancel an artist's show a day before it is scheduled to go up and tell them that the boss decided to do something else. Yes, I was mad for awhile, but it doesn't do any good to hold on to the anger. I decided it was best to just move forward.

I am getting ready for two different shows. There will be a new exhibit at the Vine Art Gallery the end of this month and I will post more on this later. I am also going to enter a few pieces in the Western Idaho Fair Juried Show in August. Other than that, I don't really have much going on.

Reaching For The Star

"Reaching For The Star"

Today I finished my latest piece, "Reaching For The Star." This is actually a photo of one of the cats my mother-in-law use to have, an Abyssinian cat by the name of Cinnamon. I used colored pencil & turpenoid and pasted a special hand-made paper in the foreground and background. This is the same paper I used in my other animal piece, "Mighty Mouse." I thought it might be a nice idea to mix things up a bit by using some decorative paper instead of finishing it off with more colored pencil or watercolor and this fit perfectly with the color and composition without taking away from the main subject, the cat reaching into the trash.

Today was also the day of the Michael Jackson Memorial service which the news has been covering all day today. I watched most of it and was extremely moved. The music was excellent. I guess you could call it a "reaching out" to a star that touched the hearts of many of us, including me.

These are strange times for many of us. I know it is for me. Many of us, including me, are have difficulty surviving the economic meltdown that is occurring right now. We are trying to hold on to our dreams and tough times like these can bring huge obstacles that we weren't planning on facing. I am going to have to make some changes in the future in order to get through this economic downturn, but one thing I know for sure is I will NOT give up my dream to be an artist and to be an art teacher. I will continue to go to school to get my degree and I will use my art to help and enrich the lives of other people.

Getting Past The Creative Block

It has been nice having more time for my art work. I realize now how much my job, before it ended for the summer, and stress, were draining my creativity this past year. Except for what I created in my art methods class in school, I really didn't make any really great art pieces. I think I was suffering from a kind of creative block. Art Methods class was really good for me because it helped me to think outside the box and get past that creative block.

I have been working on a piece I call, "Reaching for the Stars." It is almost done but I don't want to post a photo of it until it is 100% done. I am pleased with how it has turned out so far.

My "Otter Odyssey" piece is up for exhibit this week on the Web Digest Weekly website under the gallery page. To see it, go to www.webdigestweekly.com.

I am still looking around for more art shows to book and am keeping my eyes open for other part-time jobs in case I don't go back to my custodial job.

College Classes vs. Part-Time Job

Although it is very nice not to have to do any custodial work this summer, I find myself occasionally getting stressed about the fact that I don't know if I'm going to have a job in the fall. Then I think about taking just any job, just to have a paycheck. But I find that I really don't want just "any" job. I want to be a teacher's aide. That way I can have the opportunity to do some art and crafts with kids. It would also utilize my office experience and computer skills. I would even consider another office job if it was part-time and fit around my class schedule. My challenge is that I can only work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays because I have classes Tuesdays and Thursdays. I arranged my class schedule that way thinking that I would be going back to my night time custodial job. Once you arrange your college schedule, it is really hard (sometimes impossible) to change it later. There have been numerous cut-backs in the school district and I don't know if I will be going back to my night time job. Besides, what I really want to do...where my heart is really at is teaching and working with kids.

It seems that during my lifetime I have always had two jobs/careers--the job that I have to have because it pays the bills and the job that I consider my career choice, where my heart is really at. This has to change! The job that pays the bills needs to be the job where my heart is really at. I am just tired of settling for less.

Anyway, as a stress-buster I went to the Boise Zoo this week and visited the new African exhibit. I loved it and it definitely helped clear my head!

Rock Animal Orders and Happy Fish

I just completed painting the above two rock animal "Stone Critters." These are for an order I received this week via email. Someone saw my rock animals on my website and placed an order. Special orders like this and portrait orders are down from what they were last year at this time, probably due to the slow economy.

I have also been preparing for my art show at Happy Fish Sushi and Martini Bar in downtown Boise during the month of July. I have almost everything ready expect for a small advertising display. It will hang in two weeks, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Now that I don't have to do custodial work anymore, I plan to spend more of my time booking future art shows and exhibits, at least until I can find another part-time job in the fall. Finding a job during this slow economy is always such fun. LOL.

Emerging Artists Show at Capital City Market

"Salmon River in Stanley"

(My biggest seller today!)

I had another art show today at the Emerging Artists Exhibit at the downtown Boise public market. I am very encouraged (even amazed) at how well I did! Could this actually be a sign that the recession is letting up? I certainly hope so. I think I made a little over $250. This market is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. So $250 is not bad for only four hours! I sold a lot of little things but I also sold some big-ticket items like a framed giclee print of the Salmon River in Stanley. (See photo above.) This seemed to be a popular seller today. I brought three prints of this piece and sold them all!

The weather was a bit threatening with black clouds hovering over us, but it actually didn't start to rain until after the show closed at 1:30 p.m. How often does that happen?

There seemed to be a lot of people today on tour from out of state. Out-of-staters are really good for business because the seem to come just for buying souvenirs. Everything looks unique to them because they haven't seen it before.

I had to leave my exhibit today at 12:15 and let my husband, Jon, take over and then pack up for me because I had to go to an volunteer orientation at Simply Cats at 1:00 p.m. Simply Cats is a no-kill cat shelter for homeless cats. Since I am crazy about cats, I decided to do some volunteer work this month and next month. I get to play with the cats and kittens and get lots of purrs and kisses from the puddy-cats! I also will be doing things like cleaning their shelters and anything else they might need me for. This animal shelter is very top quality. No cats are put in cages. They all have lots of space and their own little rooms to play in--rent free too.

Art & Roses

Sunday was Art & Roses art show day and the weather was perfect. It had been raining the day before, so it was a real blessing to have perfect weather for the show. It started raining just a little as everyone packed up at the end of the show. It is rare for Mother Nature to actually cooperate with outdoor shows like this!

Anyway, I did very well in sales. I actually did better than I did last time I did this show, which was two years ago. I sold note cards and small 5 X 8 size original watercolors, but no large expensive originals. Being that we are still in the midst of the recession, I didn't know what to expect in terms of sales, but I was pleased with the results. I made about $115.00. Not bad considering that I can't sell my prints or rock animals at this show. My most popular sellers were the otter note cards and the little mouse holding the miniature gun. (See photos posted above.)

My husband helped me and was at my booth in the morning for about an hour, then came back at about 3:00 p.m. and stayed until the end of the day. Several people we knew came to this show and stopped by to say hello.

A lot of people were walking their dogs and I always find it fun and interesting to see all the different types of animals people have. One lady had a little tiny baby pug dog puppy--so cute! There was also a very cute multi-colored Pomeranian dog and a husky puppy with one blue eye and one brown eye.

I have another show at the downtown market this Saturday (June 13) and I have to get busy and make more note cards and a few more rock animals.

Preparing For Art & Roses

This Sunday, June 7th, I have an outdoor art show at Julia Davis Park in Boise. This is the annual Art & Roses Show. I have been preparing for it all week and I am almost finished packing everything. My husband helps me to set up this show as it requires two people to set up the canopy and the racks for hanging the artwork. This show only allows original art and notecards to be displayed and sold, so I can't sell my prints or rock animals (unfortunately). I sell mostly note cards and sometimes I actually do sell an original piece of art. The fee for this show is only $25.00 and I always make enough in sales to make it worth doing.

I have posted above two little mini-original watercolors about 5" X 5" that I just finished this week that will be for sale at the Art & Roses show.

Art Show At The Capital City Market

I have posted a card above that advertises the 8th Street Capital City Market Place. I did not do the art on it on it but yesterday (Saturday) I got a chance, at the last minute, to be a part of this market place. I was part of the Emerging Artists exhibit at the Boise Capital City Market. Normally, you can only exhibit once during the year at this Emerging Artists show and I scheduled myself for an exhibit on June 20th. You can sign up to do more than one show, but you have to be on a waiting list then wait for someone to cancel. Another artist happened to cancel for May 30th and they asked me to fill in. The show was from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

It was unusually hot Saturday, about 85 degrees. I didn't make quite as much in sales as I usually do at this show, which is probably a reflection of the bad economy, but I still did fairly well. This show has NO booth fee so any sales you get is profit.

From now until the fall, I don't have to work as a custodian anymore! Yay! I am very happy about that because the custodial job is very hard on my back and has been causing too many trips to the chiropractor. I am looking forward to this summer because I have several art shows, art projects, home rennovation projects to do, as well as some art classes I may be teaching soon. I am also going to look around for another part-time job for this fall to see if I can find something that isn't so hard on my back.

Art Shows This Spring/Summer

I have posted above a postcard advertising the current Vine Arts Exhibit at the Vineyard. It is called the Creator's Heart. One of my watercolors is on this card. It is the third one from the left, top row, with the blue sky and the three little crosses. I was happy that my art made the cover of this advertisement. This show will be up until sometime in July.

This is a busy time of year for me. I have two art shows in June and then I have to deliver some of my art (for sale) to the Sawtooth Artisan's gift shop and gallery in Stanley, Idaho. Then I have a one-man show in July at the Happy Fish & Sushi Bar in downtown Boise.

Multiple Musings

Lately I have been thinking about ways I can further simplify my life. It has gotten way TOO complicated--too much debt, too many bills, too little money coming in, too little time for my artwork, too many other things to manage and maintain that keep me away from my real passion--my art and getting my BFA in Art Education. Then there are those annoying dysfunctional people who pop into your life and drain you of the creative energy that you are trying to save for your artwork. I want to just dump it all and focus totally on the goals that are important to me. But sometimes that is easier said than done.

I have been kicking around some ideas to solve this problem. One of them is to rent out a room downstairs in my house to bring in some extra money. Then I wouldn't have to find some part-time job that fits my school schedule and takes time away from doing my artwork. But renting out a room also has complications attached to it. I can't do this until the plumbing in the bathroom is fixed and right now we have no money to do that. Then there is the problem of WHO to rent the room out to? Who do we feel we can actually live with and be compatible enough with?

Sometimes I wish I lived with a rich relative or that I lived in a cave that didn't have a mortgage, an electric bill, or a gas bill attached to it.

Draw Like An Egyptian

My Art Methods Class at BSU is over. I'm kind of sad to see it go. I really enjoyed getting acquainted with my classmates. There will be other classes I have yet to take with this same teacher, so I am looking forward to that.

Last Thursday, I presented an art lesson to the BSU 322 Art Methods Class. This was something everyone had to do and it took the place of a final exam. I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I'd be. I know everyone in class, so no one was a stranger. That helped a lot!

My lesson was on Egyptian art and was called "Draw Like An Egyptian". I have a fascination for Egyptian art and history. (I'm a big fan of movies like The Mummy and Stargate.) I brought a CD player and played that song by the Bangles, "Walk Like An Egyptian". That was a big hit with everyone. Later on in the class I asked if they would like to hear that song again and they all said "Yes!"

I have posted above a picture of the project that I taught in class. I had a really cool Egyptian coloring book that used actual designs found in the tombs of Egypt. I photocopied several pages for everyone so they could use these. They were to take one of these designs and a piece of tracing paper and some drawing paper. Then I taught them how to use graphite pencil to create a drawing that you could transfer onto white drawing paper. Then you go over it with permanent marker and color it in with colored pencil, or colored markers, or you can use watercolor pencils. I also introduced to the class my method of using turpenoid with colored pencils to create a "painted" effect. The last step was to use Egyptian Hyroglyphics to write your own name on the drawing. I had a sheet of paper that translated our alphabet into the matching Eygptian Hyroglyphic symbol. I used a really cool stamp pad kit that my teacher let me use for this lesson. The hyroglyphics you see on my drawing is actually my first name, "Bev" in "Egyptian".

I had SO much fun teaching this class and I felt like a REAL teacher! Now the trick is find a way to actually get paid to do this! This was a special moment for me because I got to taste what it would be like to actually be a teacher in a school environment. And I have to say, I'm hooked!

Vine Arts Gallery Show "The Creator's Heart"

April Elk

Three Crosses

Sunday, May 3rd, was the reception (at the Vineyard Church) for the new art show at the Vine Arts Gallery. The theme of this show is The Creator's Heart. I have posted above the two pieces that I have currently on exhibit.

There was one piece in the show that really intriqued me. I think you would call it "performance art". It was the kind of art where the viewing public becomes a part of the art on itself. There was a mirror and a huge white sheet with paint drippings underneath. The art statement said something like, "God has created you as someone special and He wants to remove and heal the things you are struggling with so you can be what He wants you to be. I invite you to write on this sheet whatever problem/obstacle you are struggling with, then look in the mirror and see that you are a very special part of God's creation." Those aren't the exact words, but the meaning is the same. I thought this was a fantastic idea! Lots of people were writing things on the big sheet. I wrote "discouragement" and "grief from the loss of a pet".

Last Week of Art Methods Class

I have posted (above) a photo of part of a Batik I did in Art Methods Class a few weeks ago. Batiking is an art form that uses melted wax and special fabric paint/dye. I have never done anything like this before and I loved it. I thought it came out pretty good for my first attempt.

This coming week is the last week of my Art Methods Class at BSU. I have been spending most of my spare time working on my presentation for class, which will be about 20 minutes. We don't have finals for this class. Instead, we have to do a presentation of a lesson or part of a lesson that we would teach in grade school or junior high. I am teaching a lesson on Egyptian Art called, "Draw Like An Egyptian."

Last Friday I gave an art lesson to three children at the school I work at. They are the children of a custodian who works there. She needed someone to watch her kids while she finished up her shift at work, so I volunteered to teach art lessons. I used this for part of my homework for Art Methods class. We made Mother's Day cards and an origami star book. It was fun and the kids and I had a good time.

I have two more weeks of work before summer break and I am looking forward to a change of pace. (Work ends until the new school year in August/September). I have lots of art shows that I have arranged to do this summer. I am also looking around for a part-time summer job, but whether or not I will get one in this difficult job market, I don't know. Then for Memorial Day weekend, I am going to the Sawtooth mountains in Stanley and then spending a day in Sun Valley. So I have much to look forward to!

BSU Art Methods Class Almost Completed

I only have two weeks of my BSU class, Art Methods for Elementary School, and most of my spare time has been preparing for that.

Last Saturday I helped out at the Family Art Day at the Boise Art Museum. The theme was to create a piece of art with a black and white theme (no color) because one of the exhibits at the gallery was the black & white photography of Ansel Adams. I had a great time and I think I may have recruited a new art student! I was helping a talented girl about 9 years old who loved to draw and her dad was there. As I got to talking to him, it turns out that his daughter has a twin and they both love to draw and would be interested in taking art lessons from me.

I also spent an hour this past week helping one of the teachers at Hillcrest Elementary School with an art project the class was doing--Potato Necklaces. So with this and the three hours I spent at the Boise Art Museum, I have a total of 30 hours of teaching assisting & observation, which fulfills a major requirement for my Art Methods Class.

Now the only thing I have to do for my art class is make a 15-20 minute presentation in front of the class on an art lesson plan that I have developed for elementary-junior high school kids. I have that to do on May 7th.

The only art I have created these past few weeks has been art related to my 322 Art Methods class. Between my art class and my part-time job, there is very little time for doing my own thing. My job ends May 15th and then I am looking forward to being able to spend time doing my own art projects. I recently started on a really interesting cat theme art piece that I think has great potential and is a very original idea. (More on that later.)

See Horse Exhibition at Hemingway Center, BSU

This week was better than last week, but it was still stressful because I had to endure yearly evaluation time at my custodial job. Although it was not horrible, it also was not good either. All part-timers have their last day of work on May 15th because school ends in a few weeks. However, I don't really want to go back again in the fall if I can find something else. I am going to try and find something that relates a bit more to my major at BSU, which is art and art education. And if I can't find that, I'll take some sort of office job.

I have only three more weeks left in my 322 Art Methods class! I thought I had longer than that. I have a lot of homework to do for this class in the next few weeks and I have spent a lot of the weekend working on that homework. On May 7th I have to give a 20-30 minute presentation to the class on one or two art lessons for kids that I want to teach.

Last Thursday our Art Methods class went to a Student Thesis Art Exhibition called "See Horse" that was in the Hemingway Center on campus. This is also called the Senior Show and is part of what an art major has to do to graduate. I will be doing this someday too. Anyway, there was an exhibit that had to do with a white grey hound dog. At first I thought it was really wierd and didn't understand it, until a classmate said that the artist recently lost their beloved pet dog and decided to dedicate his senior show to his dog. There were paintings of his dog as an angel and as the Virgin Mary, and there was a beautiful water fountain that the artist had made and he a sculpted portrait of his dog. I then connected with it totally and it made sense! As a matter of fact, I think I am going to do something like this for my senior show. It will probably be called "Maynard, the Maine Coon."

Sometimes even our heartaches and hurts can be turned into art and that art can be a source of healing for us and for others.

Maynard, The Maine Coon 1993 - 2009

It has been an extremely painful week for me. Today's blog is dedicated to Maynard, the Maine Coon, who passed away last Tuesday, April 7th, due to a cancerous tumor. He was a beautiful cat, very intelligent and very comical. He had the loudest purr and the softest fur of any cat I have ever had. I wanted to share some of the portraits I have done of Maynard. Goodbye, Maynard. I will love you always.

Sick Cats, Booking Shows, and Batiking

Not much to report this week. My cat, Maynard, is becoming very high maintenance and is on about four different types of medications. It is stressing me out. I think I need to take a weekend vacation sometime very soon--just me and my artwork and no sick cats to tend to.

I have been booking some art shows this week for the summer. I have one show during the summer (for one month) at Happy Fish Sushi and Martini Bar which is in downtown Boise. I am also looking into some others.

Last Tuesday, in my Art Methods class, I learned how to do Batiking. The whole class did a Batik art project. It is an ancient art that many cultures use. You put a design of melted wax onto fabric and then paint the fabric with any type of design or color you want. It was fascinating and I really loved doing it.

I am trying to generate some portrait commission work from people who said they were interested, but so far, I haven't gotten any responses. Some people are holding off because they have too many expenses right now.

BAM Spring Break Art Camp

My Spring Break Art Camp Monotype Print

I have had this week off from work at Hillcrest Elementary School because it is spring break. It has been great to have a change of routine.

Tuesday through Thursday I went to the Boise Art Museum (BAM) to do some volunteer work. This work was part of my homework for my Art Methods class at BSU. There was a Spring Art Camp at BAM where children 7-12 got to create several different types of art projects. The theme of this art camp was "Black and White All Over" based on the current gallery exhibit that is going on right now of Ansel Adams photography.

I had a really terrific time at this camp. I helped out setting up and cleaning up, and I also helped the kids with their projects whenever I could. I also took lots of notes on how the classroom was managed, how discipline & order was maintained, and how to create the individual art projects. Whenever possible, I did the same projects the kids were working on so I could understand the process better.

Tuesday we took a short tour of some of the art at the BAM Gallery, then we went to the classroom and did a painting with white paint on black gessoed board and experimented with making things out of Crayola modeling clay. The interesting thing about this clay is that you could color it with a marker, knead the clay, and the clay would have a marbeled look.

Wednesday was my favorite day. We did printmaking. We did a black & white version (called a Monotype Print) and a color print. I really enjoyed this because I had never done anything like this before. It was a fairly easy process and a lot of fun. I have posted (above) a photo of the black & white Monotype Print I did in class. I was amazed at how well it turned out because I have never done anything this abstract before. I think this process really helped to broaden me as an artist.

Thursday we created a hand-made book, did some wood block prints, and some mixed media work with oil pastels and tempera paint. The hand-made book folded out to look like a star, but it is actually a book. I thought this was a very clever idea and I want to use it in my future art lessons. I didn't do a wood block print, but I tried the oil pastel and tempera paint project. We put white oil pastel onto a piece of paper, then brushed on black water-soluable tempera paint. The oil pastel repels the black paint making it look somewhat like a block print. It is an interesting technique. I have little to no experience with oil pastels so this was helpful to me.

There was LOTS of homework this weekend. I had to write two lesson plans for art lessons I would like to teach and write papers each of the 3 days I spent at the BAM Spring Art Camp. I managed to complete all of it.

I had also signed up to do some volunteering at BAM this Saturday, but I had to cancel this because we had an emergency with our cat, Maynard, the one who is sick and has cancer. We don't know how much longer he will be around. We are monitoring him closely and checking with the doctor to know what treatment to use and to make sure he is not suffering. But I know his time is limited. This has created some stress for me, but I am just taking it one day at a time.