My Studio Modifications!

Still not all that it can be, but on the way to sheer bliss!!!!

I think I want this on a wall in my studio!

I'll post more pics later but I just had to put this one up.  What a beautiful photo!  Watching Ave work today was just the best medicine for anything that might be ailing anyone!!!!  I've said it before and I'll say it again... teaching is THE best gig EVER!!!!!

Looking at things in a different way this morning!

After an incredibly productive learning experience with Joseph (and Madeline) yesterday, I've decided to try to spend today looking at everything a bit differently!  First, I decided that I really didn't need to export my photos from iPhoto then load them to my facebook page... I actually checked out the link on iPhoto and decided, "I'm doing it!"  Nothing came up that made me cringe, so I'm thinking "it's all good" and moving forward!
Next... well, I thought I should update my blog and I REALLY should have a facebook page for my art classes so more people can see the work and what I do with the kids, but I decided that getting to my blog this morning should happen before I do that, so.... time to change how I see the title of this blog!
I've got to get some guidance on making this blog more me, and that will have to be AFTER I create that fb page for my art classes.... thankfully, the weekend is almost here!

Okay... student work..... LOVE IT!!!!!

Tuesday morning... a creative day planned!!!!

After reading so many quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr., I've decided to get my day moving and make it a creative day all around!
First- it's a workout.... I'm hoping that todays dvd is for legs and butt... my arms, back and shoulders are definitely feeling the workouts of the past couple of days!
Second- into the studio to start another page of my "Inspiration Art Journal"!  I've been gathering things to continue each day.... I don't know if I'll keep moving or just do one a day, but I'm definitely inspired!
Third... cutting mats for the acrylic paintings so I can frame then and then hang them in the studio tonight!

positive energy.... be in the moments.... breathe..... be happy......  all good thoughts for today!

Matisse has inspired Fineline art students!

Sounds like a title for the newspaper right?!?!?!?  Well, I have to honestly say that these kids in this class have truly invoked the spirit of Matisse and what he was thinking with his move toward Fauvism and his still life paintings!!!!  I left Friday night so incredibly inspired and my soul was definitely singing so loudly that I thought my heart would burst!  I know, I know it sounds sappy and crazy and like, "okay, Julie, that's a little over the top!"  BUT.... what you may not understand is how much happiness a teacher can feel when a lesson truly flows and the results are like these!!!!  These kids keep reminding me how much I love what I do!

My quote for today....

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.  ~Mark Van Doren  


I'll add to that... for both, the student AND the teacher!!!!

  

Happy New Year! Happy New ART CLASSES & STUDENTS!

 

I know, I know... left the blog thing in mid stream yet again!  BUT.. I'm here today and that's the best I can do right now~ I'm trying...really!
Here's the huge news... the art classes are growing.  It's not leaps and bounds, but it's better than I ever hoped for!  My Friday class is full- 6 kids.  Any more and they'd be literally painting one another in the space we've got!  Monday's class- 5 kids!!!!  Tuesday has a few open places, but it's all GREAT, WONDERFUL, INSPIRING!
I'll take all of 2010 to be as inspiring as these first couple of weeks have been~ we are off and running!
Here's what we've done the past couple of classes.......

        

lines.....

Here are the turtles... check out the lines and patterns!! 4yrs, 5 yrs & 7 yrs!!

Some pics.....

What A Week!!!

Seems like I keep saying the time is just flying by!  Guess that means I'm getting older!?
This week we worked on studying VanGogh's Sunflowers with the 5-8 yr olds and we talked about line and patterns in my other class.  Too much fun, that's all I can say!  The answers to questions are just so matter of fact!  I just love that about young kids... not to mention their artwork.  It's the same~ matter of fact!  That's how it is, that's what I want it to look like and I'm going to create things this way.... no issues with "I can't do it" or "I'm afraid to make the wrong mark"

I'm going to blend all that thought into my life today!  No negative- all that ...this is good, I can do it... I make GREAT artwork ...so that didn't work, I'll make a different line here..... and on and on!!!!

Once again, the teacher learns from the students~ teaching is still the BEST gig EVER!!!!!

Another week.... time to get busy!

Okay- so I've gotten the workout in- found the necessary visuals for today's lesson and am now headed upstairs to finish one muse and start another!  I definitely need something to keep the jumpstart going past noon!

Where have I been?????

Another week has basically flown by!  Seems I'm always moving, so perhaps that's partly why I never notice the minutes and hours ticking away!  I just came downstairs from working at my bench- another Artful Spirits Muse is just about finished!  This one is my courage muse and truly in homage to those women I know that have taken on cancer and had the courage to fight and live their lives.  All that's left of my "Courage Muse" is her hair!  I'm thinking of how I'll do this one.... hair/no hair???  Wild/tame????  Hmmm, I"m going to think about this until tomorrow!

Holy C*%#!!!! How can it be Friday?!?

Okay, I can NOT believe it's already Friday- this week just FLEW by!!!  I guess that's what mach 5 will do for you!  Now if it could just uplift the jowls a bit and feather away a few pounds and wrinkle lines- I'd be frigging fabulous!!!!  Just kidding!!  My inner muse is truly trying to embrace all of me!

This morning has already been stellar!  I have boldly gone where I have not ventured before and made my own listings on etsy!  I know, what the hell has happened to me, right?  I have absolutely no idea! But, I am loving it!  I'll do more later tonight after I get home from teaching my "leather n links" Artful Spirits class at Fineline.  I do have a few more pieces to post!  My Be Fearless muse being one... just not sure I'm ready to risk losing her!  (How ridiculous is THAT???  Create a Be Fearless Muse and then be afraid to sell her??????)  Okay- letting go of that crap right now!

I will be listing the Muse later!
Off to work outside today, teach later and enjoy that glass of wine while I list some pieces on etsy.... in keeping with the spirit of Halloween... I am definitely frightening myself!!!!! ;)

2009- no such thing as a fall funk!!!!

I took the last week I thought I could incorporate pumpkins safely and we studied line with the I'm an artist group... well, it turned out to be 2 sisters because of cold season!  Here's the great part... it just doesn't matter how many!  I chatted with them about line and  about lines on a pumpkin not being straight, but curved.  We looked at our straight lines from last week's Mondrian/line lesson and even counted curved lines.... then Avery says to her sister and me, "Did you know that if a pumpkin has more lines it has more seeds?" Neither of us had heard that- I was so impressed that she shared that and was quite confident with herself!

I do believe my fall funk has been put on hold because of these incredible young artists I get to share my time with.... I have no room in my life for a fall funk this year and I am loving it!!!!!

Monday, Monday...can't trust that day!!!!

Well, I was in my art room waiting with all my bells and whistles and of my 3 students- 2 were sick and well, one was just "mia"!!!  It does give me more time to fine tune the lesson on portraits~ so it's really not a bad thing!!!  Hopefully, James and Julia will feel much better and Rose will be back with bells on next week!!!!  Today is a tissue paper collage still life for my 4 & 5 year olds!!!  Gotta love that!

Another day~another post

I may not be posting every day, but I've promised myself to do at least 2 per week... so far, so good!  I'm not sure if anyone is reading the blog, or even looking at the pictures, but I've got to keep on moving forward.... routines aren't that easy, you know?!?!?
Yesterday's class was the second group of Warhol to Durer.  They did great!  There's something special about 3rd graders when you dialog as you're teaching.  They really have so much insight!
They set up their own still-life (asymmetrical, like Cezanne!) and finished their drawing with watercolor washes.  Time to think about next week's lessons!  Bring it on.... another day, another artist!

Be Fearless Muse......

I've been busy in the studio today and while I'm not quite
finished with her.... my "Be Fearless Muse" is well on her way to
being finished!  It definitely feels like where I'm supposed to be right
now.... breathing and playing!  I've got another piece cut out, so I'll be moving forward soon!  First I need to add some of the gold filled wire and complete this muse!!!!

It's FRIDAY!!!!!

Yes, attempting at productivity right now... my goddess brooch is in the pickle~ the clothes are being wash, dried and folded!!  So far, so good!  I've got class at 4:30.... I can't wait to see what the kids come up with as far as designing their own still life!  I'm debating on whether I give them different things or not?
Photo of brooch coming in a few......

Thought for today!!!!!

“Logic will get you from A to B.   Imagination will take you everywhere.”
―Albert Einstein

Art and Wednesday!!!

I just posted the work from my class, "I'm An Artist" for 4, 5 and 6 year olds. We talked about lines- straight lines... some thick, some thin, some longer some shorter, some vertical, some horizontal and then Piet Mondrian! I think the kids did a great job, especially in an hour!

Today, I'm headed outdoors to try and accomplish getting the front flower beds ready for winter! I'm done waiting for the flowers to die! They're done in my opinion!!! Small steps require me to only do the front, then try to get to some copper work in my studio before Zoe and Amanda get here for ccd!!!

I'm hitting the treadmill now, then the gardens, then, Studio, here I come!!!

Working with Verticals, Horizontals and Mondrian!