gratitude

It is a practice of leaping from the very spot you are mired in, that gives you wings.

6 x 6 inches mixed media on panel.

Florida mango grove landscape study

Memory and dream combine as inspiration and method for this small painting, 6 x 6 inches. This is the view out over the empty lot where the school plans to build a performing art center and more classrooms.  That is the dream. Construction has been delayed due to local politics, so it won't happen this summer. I am hoping to be teaching here when we finally have gallery space for the kid's work. The landscape painting was done from memory, after a day spent with classroom students outside the trailer we currently use, and in the mango grove.

Students in the landscape

We are winding the school year down by taking the lesson outside. Students in my upper school class have moved from the classroom into a grove of mango trees. The focus is to learn to work at an easel (and set it up and take it down), use a horizontal canvas panel, and break down the basic elements of the landscape into an inspired work of art. Half the class wants to create their abstracted interpretation and the other half wants to respond to what they are seeing as realistically as possible. So I will be moving about these 32 students (two classes) with some mental and technical flexibility!
I've really enjoyed working with these kids for the last few months and as we gather their portfolios together we all see the technical progress and the unique individual styles. It is a rich product and I couldn't be more proud of them. Many of my most dedicated painters came to the class because they were kicked out of drama, or they just needed an art credit. They have come to see that they have talent, and a valuable sense of vision. The class respects one another, each student so different from their peers. I love that about this school- Palmer Trinity- we embrace diversity.

Stumbling blocks

turn into stepping stones. How perfect and unexpected! Here is a painting for my kids.
5 x 4 inches acrylic and collage on canvas.

we've started a mural at school

Love painting walls...The hardest thing for me to do is watch. I want to do it myself! But this is sort of a "final exam" for my Middle school painting class. I'll keep you posted.

The good in the bad

I have to be thankful for the bad things that fall in my life. Some of the worst events have turned out to be the best (and vice verso). What had me in a tizzy last week, barely able to breathe or function, is over. I think I look at the world differently. It's only a small shift, but I feel it deep inside in my sense of appreciation for everything. I feel stronger, proud of my ability to handle necessary details, and I even feel more content with my life choices than before.

This small painting (5 x 4 in) is more brilliant, more inky black and fuchsia and deep yellow, than the photo. My camera is back in the shop.

Thankful for Sisters

I have many sisters. Each is different and a jewel in my heart. Thank goodness for the richness that has been bestowed upon me by these women. They make me laugh, give me hugs, and cry right next to me if I need them to. I see their hands reaching for me when I feel lost, I feel their pats of encouragement when I feel doubt. Four of them are biological, and two or three others are close enough. It's all a spiritual bond.
I won't imagine growing old without them by my side.
5 x 4 inches, canvas panel, mixed media