Day 37 of Year 16:    What a great day!  I got another email form one of my Junior Art Historians and she wrote to say she received a score of 5 on her AP Art History exam - one of the hardest tests there is to take!  I had actually forgotten I could look up the scores myself so after sending her a congratulatory responce (in between dancing around the room myself) I wne to the College Board website and saw that of the 22 students who took the exam, 19 passed!  And of the 19 who passed, 4 received a 5, 8 received a 4, and 7 received a 3.

I have an exceptional class of great minds.

Day 35 of Year 16:  A week of not posting and I couldn't be happier.  I have found myself yearning to get to the studio and keep workin on painting - I haven't felt this in years.  I am, for the moment, free from feeling like everything I do art-wise has to be a finished piece of art.  I am working on several self portraits at once and continue prepping paper for the next one.  The portrait below wasn't right so I kept painting - even painting over areas that were "acceptable" but not correct - I used to hold on to the areas that were good - afraid I wouldn't be able to recreate them if I made a mistake.  Today I just kept painting.  I'm thinking of all the artists who were searching for seomthing when they painted.  I don't know what I'm searching for.  Maybe nothing other than the joy of painting.

Self portrait #2

Day 29 of year 16:

I'm actually longing to get back in the studio.  I haven't felt this way in years.  I do something called "nesting" when I think I need to be in the studio I spend time arranging, cleaning, thinking.  I know it's all part of the process I go through but it is also this thing called "procrastination".  I have fear.  Fear tht what I used to be able to do I no longer can - or will be good at.  I sold in galleries and had shows.  Now I have trouble attempting to create what used to be seamless for me.

I was trying to recreate.  That's impossible.  Why recreate what has been created once, and quite well (if I do say so myself).  Time to strike off in another direction - ans that's the fearful part... Which way do I go without getting lost?  Maybe I need to embrace the getting lost part and just go for it.  Isn't this what I tell my students every single day.  Now here I am at a crossroad myself.

The old me...

Continuation of day 26, year 16:
Beautiful, simply beautiful...

Day 26 of year 16:  
Things to be happy and thankful for:

1.  I got an air conditioning unit for the studio (it was 106 yesterday...) and installed it myself!
2.  I worked in the studio all morning and actually produced - sketches and painted and was in touch.
3.  There is an actual new teacher - he said yes and so did the district...
4.  Sempre e per sempre e per sempre - esperanza.

Day 23 of Year 16:  I received an email from my department chair saying the art teacher we interviewed last Thursday was offered the position as Art 1 and Sculpture teacher.  I will admit, when I interviewed him I was not feeling very positive - especially because I thought we had already found "the one" a weeek earlier.  Having been left by ALL the other teachers I think I had begun to feel like the program was all mine - that sharing was not even going to be an option any longer.  I had just finished substitute teaching biology (!) for three days with a student teacher at the helm and the thought of interviewing someone who had an extensive coaching background was not on my list of things to look forward to.

I was mistaken.  He is going to be a great addition and I spent almost two hours talking with him and sharing different philosophies we each held.  Today I went to school rather than the studio and started organizing - the first time I've actually done the process this early.  A good omen, I think.

And another view of the studio chair...

Day 18 of year 16:  Worked summer school - substitute for a biology teacher who had an intern actually teaching.  There's a mouthful...

Longing to be in the studio (that's a good thing) and thinking about the materials I want to use on the piece I actually did start (another good thing).

There's just something about an Adirondack chair and dusk.  This is what I see at my studio every night.  Nice...