...so...here is what went down Thursday and Friday...
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...so... today my art mostly consisted of blue and orange...and an unfinished tree to be posted tomorrow...after a day of teaching art it was time for Gator Growl at PBGHS (so proud of the JV and Varsity teams!)...and...even more exciting news...ART HIVE IS OFFICIALLY A REALITY! Yay! My friends Jessie and Angela saw this dream through to reality, and I couldn't be happier, and I am so glad that I am a part of it. Sigh. You can actually go on the site, http://www.arthivemagazine.com and view the magazine. It is...amazing. Go ahead, check it out! (And look for my article!!!)
Oh my...I need to go to sleep earlier...but I am just too excited. ![]() THE FALL OF ICARUS, 1943 ...my FABULOUS fifth graders are working on some colorful, fauvist collages based on Henri Matisse's Fall of Icarus and while they were ripping their tissue paper and gluing it down with the glue/water mixture...I had the idea to incorporate some of the tissue paper in the fashion illustrations I completed earlier this morning. I traced the shapes onto the tissue paper and then cut them out, and carefully glued them on top of the figures to create the color in the clothing. The result was vibrant color with a nice wrinkled texture. Not sure if I will do any more in this style, but I like the idea. Originally I was not going to cut the tissue paper to fit the figure, I was just going to place squares of color on top of the line drawing...I would still like to try that out. In other art news...finished up my CED #283, definitely influenced by the fashion illustrations that I am so consumed by. I saw a print image in W magazine and it was a model in a sheer gown...and the idea to continue with the tree imagery but focus more on pulling the tree elements into the rest of the composition using the dress. I want to explore this idea some more, focusing on flowing gowns and the tree imagery. ...between my brother being in the hospital, end of the semester grading, homecoming week, the Art Hive magazine launch and trying to make my workouts...I just may have a nervous breakdown or get a gray hair. (Gathering myself) I can do this. ![]() Pic from 2005 The past week was pretty bad. It was awful. My brother was in ICU right after his accident, then went in for a surgery to have his spine fused to a metal rod for support...and now...paralysis. He is paralyzed from his waist down. I just can't believe it. I made a trip home to NC to see my brother and try and be there for my mom and my sister. In addition to being physically tired I am emotionally exhausted- everyone is. My head just spins when I think about all that will be changing, all the things that my brother and my family will have to think about. But...he is still alive. I hope that he will find the strength to overcome all of the physical, mental and emotional obstacles that are ahead, and come out better for it. But while I was home I did try to enjoy time with my family. I think the most fun I had was at the nursing home on Sunday when we went to see Granny. My nephew, Noah, and I took pictures of ourselves making silly faces and laughing. It felt really good to forget for a second why I came home. And...I made art. I completed three pieces this weekend, CEDs #279-281. #279 and #281 were done en route to and from FL-NC, at various points along the way...in the airport, on the plane.
![]() So...sometimes art just...doesn't make it. This piece...yeah. This will go into my 'oops' archive until I forget about it, or until I find it and do something with it... And...on the heels of such a great weekend in NYC and also exciting news from my sister-in-law Maria...let'e just say that this week it has been pretty bad. Yep. Not going to go into it that much, just will say that my brother in NC was in a really bad car accident and sustained very serious injuries. Not really ready to deal with this, but I will be travelling home to NC to...I don't know. Something. One thing that have done is felt very fortunate to have really awesome people in my life, their positive words and help with various things this week has been amazing. And...I am glad to have my art to keep my mind off things, and give me something to focus on instead of what has been going on this week. So...I completed my CEDs and also some fashion illustrations. And, well...here they are. so...I made some arts today...a self portrait to represent me in September...fashion illustrations #46-49...a piece I revisited and added to for a Day of the Dead show...and CED #275...the first one in the new series for October...the theme is 'trees'...and I better make like a tree and leaf...to get some sleep! "...It's better to burn out...than to fade away....my my, hey hey." - Neil Young
Less than 48 hours...but man, did I pack in some experiences. My flight was delayed but it worked out great, was able to chill for a minute and complete CED #273 while I waited a few minutes in Penn Station for Cat to get off work. We made it back to Brooklyn, stayed up at while chatting at the kitchen table and then it was off to bed, with visits throughout the night by Charlie the cat. Saturday morning, it was off to the museums. Cat (not Charlie the cat, but Cat my cousin) gives the best directions ever and this small-town girl was able to travel the subways with ease. I felt a small sense of accomplishment that I made there. (yay, me!) After an amazing lunch with Cat, Aunt Belle and Cat's beau, Jon (I now have a new standard for blue cheese burgers)...it was off to the Met. Now, I have already walked, alot. The Met almost did me in. The combination of the enormous building, all of the people and trying to look at all the art made me feel overwhelmed. My eyes started to ache.I think I would need a few days, a week, to really view the collections.
![]() So I just wandered around, feeling almost lost but loving it and taking pictures the while way. I tried to find some of the artists/works from time periods that my 6-8th graders are studying so that I can show them especially to show the scale of the work. Just wandered...aimlessly. Later, sitting on the steps of the Met, waiting for Cat (who didn't have to work after all, yay!)...I just tried to take in that moment. The city is so vibrant, so alive...constantly moving...it just felt right to sit and try to be an observer, just trying to take in the moment. Cat and I had an awesome walk along central park, which was partially closed off due to a concert...Band of Horses playing off in the distance...live. Wow. And we were just chatting it up, heading to Times Square to see a former cheerleader, Antwan Bethea, in the Broadway production of 'Bring it On'. Just when I was thinking, wow, this can't get much better...I get a call from my sister-in-law, Maria, and...she's engaged! So happy! (my next project...Maria's wedding! I can't wait!!!!) I can't even express how amazing the show was. This was my first Broadway show, and to be seeing it so close, to see someone that I know and I have coached...there were several times that I got tears in my eyes watching Antwan on the stage. It feels so good to know that he is living out his dream, and knowing that I was a part of his story. He is so talented, but more than that he is just an awesome person with a good heart and I know that this is just the beginning...After the show Antwan got us on the list to go back stage and gave us a tour of the theatre....man...it was just...amazing. I can't find another word. Amazing. Then...back to Brooklyn...which the trains were their own little adventures on this evening...and then met up with Jon to grab a drink and something to eat. I showered and hit that pillow hard..four hours later it was time to get up and head to JFK for the trip back to West Palm Beach. And of course...artin' on the plane. Completed my last CED for this month, #274, and five fashion illustrations with a little hint of Kusama... I am babbling. I am still trying to just grasp the weekend. It was so much in such a short amount of time. I am just excited that I was able to make the trip, see the art, see family, see Antwan's show...and find time to make art.
Oh...and speaking of here are my fashion illustrations for the day, #41-45. Definitely inspired by Kusama's red and white dots and all of the New York ladies I saw, dressed in black, over the weekend. ..I guess a side note would be...today I think finished Tom's dragon piece...waiting to hear back from him regarding possible revisions... When I was planning the composition, I wanted to design it so that Tom could place the images side by side in any arrangement and the pieces would still line up, which I did by using the horizontal line as the connecting compositional element. Below I created a collage showing the different ways he could arrange the three separate pieces; ...still got to finish my self portrait(s)...plural because I realized I still have some touch ups to do on the one fro August in addition to completing this month's portrait...finish up a piece for a Day of the Dead show in Fort Lauderdale..and I really wanted to make a special necklace to wear for the Monster Mash opening...busy, busy!
But for now...sleep...finally! Well, maybe after I take a peek at the next CED monthly theme... ![]() ...can't wait! Heading to NYC to see the Kusama show! Not sure how much I will have time to update this here blog...but I can't wait. I can't stand it. I am freaking out a little....yay! |
AuthorArtist and Art Teacher
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