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.

The Cat Show and Dealing With A Sick Cat

"Maynard on Roses"

A portrait of my beautiful cat, Maynard the Maine Coon.

This weekend I was at the Idaho Cat Fancier's Show exhibiting my artwork. I wasn't sure what to expect with the economy being the way it is right now, but I did very well. Anytime I make more money than what I spend on the booth fee, I consider the show a success. Most of my sales were from people showing their cats and from other vendors. The cat show doesn't get enough publicity and it is in an area kind of hidden in the back, making it harder for the public to find.

I got about four orders for portraits and I will try and follow-up on them to turn them into actual sales. Most of the portraits are going to be cat portraits, which I have a special fondness for!

The day before the cat show, I found out that my 16 year old cat, Maynard, has a small tumor in his intestines that has caused him to lose a lot of weight. This was added stress to me that I didn't need because I wanted to just focus on the show and not worry so much about Maynard. He is on special medication & a special diet to reduce the tumor and help him gain weight, but this is a serious health problem. I can't let myself think too much about "putting him down" right now or I will probably have a melt-down. He is doing a little bit better than he was Friday, but we are just going to have to take it one day at a time. Maynard is one of those rare cats that comes along once in a lifetime. We have a special connection. He has a wonderful outgoing personality and temperment and one of the loudest "purrs" of any cat I have ever owned. Each day I have with him is a gift and from now on, I will treasure whatever time I have left with him.

The cat show was a kind of "therapy" for me because it helped me focus on something other than Maynard. I saw so many other cats that I wanted to take home but can't right now. (Maybe later?) It was wonderful seeing so many types of cats represented at the show. Some of them were quite beautiful and exotic looking. The young ones are so energetic and playful. They are so much fun to watch.

The Cat Show, Spring Break, and Art Methods Class

I have my first art exhibit of the year this weekend at the Idaho Cat Fancier's Show. This show is just down the street from where I live, at the Idaho Fairgrounds. I spent some of my time this weekend preparing for this show, gathering all my prints, note cards and displays.

I also managed to squeeze in some time to work on my black bear wildlife piece. It is 11 X 14 and is almost done. I have posted a photo of a portion of this piece (above). Not sure if I will have this piece completed in time for the cat show this weekend.

In my Art Methods class at BSU, we have been building an entire circus out of recycled material and wire. This project is based on the art creations of Alexander Calder and his wire art performing circus. I choose to do a circus elephant and a baby elephant, with a lady riding the elephant. I made it from materials like wire, plastic straws, soda pop can, plastic film canisters and brown grocery bags. It has really been a lot of fun. This doesn't seem like a college class, it seems more like "play" therapy!

I have all next week off because it is spring break, so no custodial job next week! Yay! I will be spending some of my time attending several children's art classes as an assistant and observer. This is part of my homework for my BSU Art Methods Class. By the end of the semester, we have to have a total of 30 hours of observing or assisting with a children's art class. By the end of March I should have about 22 hours.

Big Portrait Commission & Art Methods Class Projects

In the midst of having to "put out many fires" (my life is somewhat stressful right now), I got some very good news! A friend of mine has commissioned me to do a portrait of her children. She has five of them. I haven't had a portrait commission this big for a long time. Most of my portrait orders are for small portraits or rock animals and can be anywhere from $20.00 to $200.00. I actually haven't had a portrait commission to work on since December of last year.

I have been working on some fun art projects at my Art Methods class at BSU. We recently spent some of our class time creating art from recycled materials. I created a little notebook/journal (pictured in above photo) made from matt board, paper, fabric, ribbon and a recycled 7-UP aluminum can. This week we are going to creat some circus theme art based on wire sculpture. This class has been very good "therapy" for me and I need it right now.

A Short Update

The "We Art Women" art show at Esther Simplot Performing Arts Center came and went this week and I didn't sell anything. That is not surprising in light of the current economy.

This weekend I worked a bit on a new piece I am doing with a black bear and her cub. My life is a bit stressful right now and I was emotionally & physically exhausted this weekend. My part-time job can be physically demanding. I really want to get out of the custodian business entirely and go to a teacher's aide job, or something that is less physical. But right now, the job market is terrible and the timing doesn't seem right for this.

I didn't feel terribly motivated to do art work this weekend. I mostly just wanted to rest. Hopefully, inspiration will come later on. I am looking forward to spring break (the last week of this month) when I can really relax and plug into my art.

I have decided that this year I am not going to spend a lot of time promoting my art and spending money on art show fees. I am going to only exhibit my art in places that are either free with no fee or are $50.oo or less. In this economy everyone is cutting back and I am having to do this too.

I have a few weeks before my first art show of the year, which is the cat show on March 21-22. That is what I will be concentrating on & preparing for in the coming weeks. I don't have a lot of artwork preparation to do for this. I mostly have to organize what I want to take and plan how to display it.