Notice

I looked back at all of my lists and I have included typewrites several times. Is it time to invest? Or is it just nostalgia and my love for antiques...

I'm almost done with my second summer at Glaze and I have definitely experimented with 'craftier' projects. I have mixed feelings about it, because I really prefer to focus on art history and creative problem solving. The way I look at it though is I am in some ways promoting the DIY movement. I really tried to incorporate reused/upcycled materials.


The project featured above we used pringles containers to create a bracelet!
Below we used puzzle pieces for best friend necklaces and then old clothing and wooden beads to create a necklace. I feel pretty good about the results and there still was some choice in these projects. Next summer I want to go further into the history of jewelry and use that as a basis for the skills.


On another note in the same vein... I also just finished teaching an adult mosaic class and my students created some amazing designs and translated them beautifully to tiles. I have been looking at mosaic artists more closely and who knows... this may be a new path for me. I am also really interested in translating my love for collage into jewelry.. one day at a time. I love, love love this work and this as well. I know some of it is very trendy and kitschy right now but it is so beautiful. I would love to incorporate hand made tiles as well. Overall I think I need to just make instead of writing about it here.

More later.

commited

Is it strange that I can't wait for this man to ask me to marry him and yet signing a 2 year contract for a phone family plan freaks me out? I kind of figure I want the big commitment before making all of these little ones? I guess moving to another state is not really a little one though.

We started putting together furniture for my NEW classroom this fall on Sunday. I could not be happier, really. Unless everything was done and put together and my curriculum was polished and ready to roll. Soon enough I suppose.

One thing at a time, one foot in front of the other. I wish this ring finger would stop itching too.

wall art

I want to do this in my apartment. Damn lack of wall space.

I need a new list. I need to write. Make...

Anniversary

So it's been about a year since I've started this blog and in the past months I have been admittedly inattentive... well lazy. But in any case I am back.

I finally landed a job teaching art and am excited to explore the possibilities at my school. We're a small independent school in Hoboken, NJ. I really like Hoboken because it reminds me so much of Baltimore. There are brownstones and artsy shops and street fairs and it's right near the water. The best part is though, that it's a 15minute ride on the Path Train to get into NYC. I definitely won't complain about that. I would love to move there but a. it's way too expensive and b. I am committed to living in Piermont until we're ready to buy a house, hopefully by age 30.

The floral business is going well too. I ended up booking all three weddings for May, one for July, one for August and four so far for next year! I want this business to grow so much... but there's only so much time to dedicate between life and lesson planning.

We went to the MoMA last week and it was so inspirational, as usual, but I still find myself stuck in a funk of not making art outside of classroom prototypes. I figure if I keep convincing myself that I will make art again then it will happen in its own time. For now though I will be the weirdo who is so excited about getting a new washer delivered and making dinner at home. Send the creative mojo anyway though. Cheers.

ten again.

Send out the appreciation.

1. An exciting new haircut
2. Getting a 25% tip
3. Winning solataire (finally)
4. Movies from the 80s
5. Home grown veggies
6. The hum of my sewing machine
7. Printmaking Ink
8. Postcards
9. When a student says a sweet thing and means it
10. The chirpy sounds my kitten makes

art-ing and banking on it.

I painted for the first time in about five years. I put my hands into the paint and it exhilarating. The product may not be my best work but it's a start.

I am feeling a new and revived motivation. Making artwork, gearing up for my own summer camp!!! There is a paint your own pottery studio near by called 'Glaze'. The first day they opened I dropped off my resume and it's only been good things since then. They called just a few weeks later and asked me about creating a camp. Bonus is that they wanted it to be an art history-based thing so I get to create art problems as opposed to just projects. It's so nice to be able to start from scratch and put my stamp on everything. The ladies who run it are such wonderful people! I know it's going to be great.

Also I have quite possibly booked three weddings for May! Two in New York and one in Maryland (conveniently on Mother's day weekend). The bride's are all really sweet and easy going for the most part. Always a relief. Besides May being a really great month for flowers. This kind of jump in business can only mean good things, especially in THIS economy.

Luckily other things are going well too. The restaurant is slow but I never leave empty handed. It's also really nice to have some spending money finally. The people are pretty cool too although I always get uncomfortable when I'm the new kid in town. I just do my best and hope for the best. I've already made good with the bus boys so I get extra help whenever I need it and hopefully they will teach me some Spanish too! I really want to learn another language, especially since there are so many ESL kids in the schools now. I actually have four Japanese students, two of which speak zero English. What do I do with that?

Speaking of school.. I am the technology teacher until April. The real tech teacher is out with unexpected surgery and I am there in his stead. It's really nice to have a classroom and teach a subject that's close to art. Hopefully it will only lead to the real ticket.

Hope.hope.hope. That's what I am banking on.