Papa Asa

With the big move coming up in just three more weeks my busy schedule is slowing down. I gave up my position as Sunday School teacher and on the Township Library Board. I was looking at my schedule last week hoping that I'd get some good long hours of painting in before the move. That hasn't quite happened yet. I did get this handsome guy done a little over a week ago though. 

This is my Grandpa Asa who died a few years ago. I was pretty close with this Grandpa even though we fought a lot! Stubborn runs in the family I guess. 

I worked on this one on and off for about 4 months before it was finally finished. I already shipped it off to my Grandma Mary, his wife. I already miss him though. I admit when I started painting this I started at his eyes and I cried for the first couple days. Papa's eyes were his most striking feature and it was really hard to paint him. 

Last year I finished a painting of my Grandma Lennis. 

I think I'm getting better. I'd like to paint a picture of each of my grandparents but I'm having trouble finding good photos of my other grandpa to work from. 

Yesterday I was hoping to paint but Yahoo was sick all day. Maybe nothing urgent will come up today and I can get some time in. I think one of the hardest things about being an artist is not allowing day to day life intrude on your creative time. 

I am such an ART NERD!

Just to give you a little insight on just how much of an art nerd I truly am.....

The film The Monuments Men comes out in theatres on February 7th (Only 5 DAYS!!!!)

I was watching the trailer the other day....take a couple minutes and watch it (George Clooney and Matt Damon!! Eye candy to boot!!)

 

So this is how nerdy I am....I started crying, yes real tears, at the scene of the empty art museum and the burning of paintings (burning a RAPHAEL!!! FYI: No one knows for sure if that one was actually burned but it hasn't been seen since the war. Some experts expect it to resurface in another generation or two. I sure hope I'm around for that). I can barely stand the thought. To think of so many masterpieces, a visual legacy of time and culture, burned!!! Gone forever!! (tears are forming as I type!)

 

I always knew Hitler stole artworks during WWII but I didn't realize to what extent and magnitude his plans were until I watched the 2 hour documentary The Rape of Europa. Hitler was "collecting" the great masterpieces of Europe (and burned or sold at a pittance the ones he found distasteful, such as Picasso and Matisse) to fill his own Fuhrer Art Museum he planned after the war. It's a great thing to watch for any of you history, art and/or culture lovers. My favorite tidbit is how masons were brought in to surround Michelangelo's masterpieces (David and the Slaves) with in a brick honeycomb to protect them from German bombs. AMAZING!! Oh!! And the part about moving the Nike of Samothroce down the steps at the Louvre in Paris!! I was on pins and needles (even though I know it survived). Don't even get me started on the bit about the Ghent Alterpiece!!!!

 

 

 

I also just happened to start reading The Madonnas of Leningrad that touches on the evacuation of The Hermitage Art Museum in Leningrad (that had a larger collection than the Louvre!!!) and how museum employees packed and shipped away art work and then lived in the basement for the duration of the 900 day siege roasting potatoes in linseed oil. Imagine the dedication to art and history and culture to go out of your way to protect artistic masterpieces.

 

 

So this little mystery of history is my current past time and I'm really looking forward to seeing The Monuments Men. Matt Damon is in it and if he chose to film this one then I know it's good. He's such an advocate for education, he's probably the one actor that I'd really like to meet someday.

 

One problem....the LEGO movie, which my boys have been DYING to see for a year, comes out on the same day. Ditch my kids for my own movie? See two movies in one day? Get a babysitter? I'm not sure how this will work yet but I WILL see this film soon! If any of you see it before me let me know what you thought!

 

Santa Success and my first Private Party!

This past week I taught two painting classes in one day, one in the morning and one in the evening. During both sessions I led the ladies, and one very brave teenage boy, in painting a Santa Claus. 

Our painting parties have become so popular that we outgrew our library and had to move to our town's Senior Center next door. 

We had some crazy Kansas State fans that painted Santa's iconic hat purple! I thought that was great but I told them I would absolutely refuse to help them draw Willy the Wildcat. I have to uphold my allegiance to Purdue Pete you know!! 

Altogether we had 23 Santas created on Tuesday. One woman even attended both sessions and she's planning on painting a Santa for each of her daughters for Christmas. 

With this group I led my first pair of sisters in painting together, the two ladies on the right. Talk about fun! Those two were egging one another on and laughing all evening. I get to lead these two next week too as the lady in the middle is hosting my first private party! We are both really excited! 

Leading these painting parties have been so much fun. You'd think that after leading a class for two or three hours I'd be exhausted but I find myself coming home after these classes excited and energized! 

What I really enjoy is that so many different and individual paintings can come out of the very same instructions. 

I'm finding too that some of these women who are attending these classes keep coming back again and again. I even asked them why and some of their answers were surprising. Some said they do it because it helps out our town library and it's local. It's nice to have something to do in our tiny town and not having to drive an hour to do something. Some ladies enjoy it as a challenge that is forcing them out of their comfort zone. Others have realized that they can paint and it was something that they never thought they could do. I've always been convinced though that ANYONE can create art!! I've also found that it seems to be a really fun way for women to spend evenings together. Most evenings are filled with just as much relaxing and laughing as creative painting! 

My library ladies, that's what I call my core group of women who return time after time, have already told me they are expecting a painting next month. The librarian in our town has been choosing the paintings so I'm excited to see what she chooses! 

P.S. - Next Friday I'm doing my first private painting party at my friend's house and we'll be painting a Grain Elevator at Sunset! I'm am beyond excited!!!

Montezuma Monets - A Painting Party!

I am soo very excited because we have a date set for our first painting party!! And I GET TO TEACH IT!! Yay for me!! 

Seriously, this is going to be so much fun. Would you care to come join us in our creative party? 

The Montezuma Township Library in Montezuma, Kansas will be hosting this first painting party on Tuesday, September 24th from 9-11 am.  We are calling ourselves The Montezuma Monets.....love that name, wish I could take credit for it...ha! 

Our first painting will be this Sunflower! A very appropriate theme for Kansas I thought and it shouldn't be too difficult for anyone. I'll lead everyone through painting this flower. 

Are you thinking you don't have any artistic talent and couldn't possibly embarrass yourself by trying to paint in front of people? No worries!!! Everyone will who comes will be newbies and we are here for FUN!! And what's more fun than making a mess with paint?? 

 Anyone interested in signing up for the class can contact Angie at the Montezuma Library (620)846-7032. There will be a cost for the class but I don't know exactly how much, I'm thinking it should only be $20 or so but that fee will include all supplies and a snack! Cost for the class is $.... which includes all needed supplies (brushes, paints, canvas, snacks).You may want to wear an old shirt or bring an apron and a FRIEND.

Yay!! I can't wait. This will be so much fun for me. I'm hoping that this is the first of many parties for the Montezuma Monets!! 

I've been doing a lot of painting lately :)

I've been doing a lot of paintings lately! I'm not sure where I've found the time between running the kids here and there this summer but I've managed to get a lot of paintings done. 

We'll call this one Feathers I suppose. Surely though you have a better title I could use! Feathers is a bit boring!!  

And this one I'll call...uh....I can't think of anything. What do you suggest? 

I am really no good with words and naming paintings. 

Have you ever heard of a painting party? I never had either but my town librarian was telling me about it.  You and your friends can come to a space where an instructor leads you all in completing the same painting. Something simple and fun. Well, our town librarian, Angie, and I have decided to try it, with me as the instructor, and see what kind of response we might have. If it goes well these painting parties might become a monthly thing, we'll just have to see. 

Anyhow, to get ready for this I've been doing some paintings in about an hour. My theory is this; if it's simple enough that I can paint it in one hour then a group of non-painters should be able to finish it in about two hours or so. We'll see how it goes. 

The next couple pics aren't great, I took them with my phone. This owl, man it gave me fits. I didn't plan it well and I ended up painting this canvas three times before I had something I was pleased with. I still don't like owls but  I thought they were a good subject to start with. 

This sunflower though, this was an easy one and I was pretty proud of how this one turned out. I probably painted this one in less than an hour. 

Have you ever done a painting party? Would you ever be interested in painting with a bunch of friends? I could see how it would be appealing to people; an opportunity to be creative but with an instructor to guide you there is less anxiety of failure. I'm really excited about this! I sure hope we have a good response! 

Blurry Leaves Painting

I whipped out this little painting the other a couple weeks ago, it's about 8x8 inch square. I kept taking lots of pics of this thinking they weren't in focus but no, it's just looks blurry because that's the way I painted it! I don't do many types of "fuzzy" paintings. I'm fairly happy with it. 

This one I actually would hang up on my wall. 

Surviving the snow days.

Two snow days down and one to go. The boys haven't had school Wednesday, Thursday or today. It snowed all day yesterday and we received about a foot of snow. It's been quite the storm. Kansas hasn't seen a snow storm like this since the 1970's. 

Isn't it beautiful? I love all this moisture going straight down into my garden. I'm hoping this storm will bring us a very green spring!  

I was a bit worried though how we'd get along being snowed in but the kids have been able to find plenty of things to keep them occupied. 

We had just received hammocks in the mail that I was planning on saving for when the weather warmed up. The hammocks kept them occupied for quite a while once we figured out how to rig them up in closets and under the bunk bed. 

The boys spent plenty of time on art projects too. 

A while ago I had laminated portraits of the kids which they enjoy making funny faces with. 

Then we melted crayons to "draw" with. What little boys is going to turn down the chance to play with fire? 

Can you guess who this Lego man is? 

Ghostrider. Yip loves scary and gory movies and has been fascinated with skull head lately. 

And of course the kids spent lots of time playing with Legos Wednesday and Thursday. I didn't get many photos of Yap the last couple of days because he was holed up in the basement with his Legos and barely came upstairs. 

Not to be left behind Yahoo came up to me and insisted that I take a photo of her creation as well. 

This is an interesting cardboard creation Yip is working on. It's his Halloween costume. Can you believe he's started working on it already? Can you guess what it is? 

Of course our last couple snow days have also been filled with lots of movie watching. Two days down and one to go. Wednesday was nice having the kids around all day. By Thursday afternoon I was getting a bit stir crazy being cooped up for so long. Yahoo was also running a 101 degree fever last night, so I'm not quite sure how today will go. 

Needless to say we've had a pretty relaxing couple of days, oh if every day could be this unscheduled! 

Mural is almost done.

Almost done!! 

I am painting a School Mural!

In my boy's elementary school there was a large painting that measured 57"x 75". It hung right inside the entrance so it was on e of the first things you noticed when you walked in. I Hated IT!!! Everytime I looked at this painting I would just shudder. The objects were too small, so was the lettering and there was too much empty space with nothing big enough or bright enough to be a strong focal point. No offense to the artist who first painted it. Painting on an extra large space is intimidating and takes a different point of view. 

So imagine my excitement when one of my teacher friends asked if I'd be interested in re-painting it. I literally jumped up and down (in front of a class of 4th graders). Talk about making my day! I just love painting BIG!! 

(I had started to prime it before I thought to take a picture. The only thing you really don't see are some word's at the top.) 

I don't think there are too many more inviting things than a large blank surface just calling to me. 

It was decided that I'd choose a few different quotes or inspirational sayings and the teachers would narrow them down to a couple of their favorites. They chose; "You are Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, and Smarter than you think." and "Reading is Dreaming with your eyes wide open."

Then I came up with a quick sketch for each quote. I think these were about 2' x 3'. 

It was decided that I'd bring both drawings into the school and show them to the students and answer any questions they might have. Then the sketches were hung up in the hallway for a week for the studetns to look over. As a school they voted on teh one they would like for me to paint as the final mural. 

Can you guess which one they chose? 

I was anticipating that they would choose the girl reading the book.

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But they didn't. They chose the cliff diver by an overwhelming majority! 

I was able to get started just a little before Christmas vacation. The school is nice enough to let me paint in an older unused school building. Thank goodness because I don't know where I'd put a painting this big to work on in my house. 

I'm so excited and I'm having a ball with it! So far I'm fairly pleased too. 

I think the students are excited too. One fourth grader asked just last week if I was finished yet..such optimism! The fourth grade teacher is also going to drop in on the room occasionally, with her class, so they can see the progress of the painting.  

I'll keep you updated on how it's going. My goal is to have it finished by spring break. Cross your fingers! 

Art Nights, NO TV!

We have instituted a new rule in our house this school year which is "No TV on School Days". That means no television before school or after school or in the evenings. I must admit I was a bit worried how this would work. Last year I'd regularly allow tv watching while I was making dinner but it never failed to turn into a big fight. "Just one more Mom!" or "It's ALMOST over!". Every school night was full of arguments. I was imagining there would be a lot fights over tv once school started but those only lasted about a week. 

This school year of no television has been so stress free, it's unbelievable! The boys don't even ask to watch television during the week. They do REALLY look forward to Friday nights though when they know they get movie night. Of course the lack of arguments might also have something to do with another change we've made in our school week routine; ART NIGHT.  After dinner on Wednesday nights the kids and I started meeting around the dinner table to do some kind of art. Some nights we would have a theme. For example, in October we did some creepy, scary art. Another week the boys wanted to do something with clay but most nights it's an art free for all. They can do any kind of artwork, painting drawing, building, Legos, as long as it's art. 

Lately though art night has kind of branched out into whatever night they want to do stuff. Which is GREAT! The kids know that television is off limits during the school week but the art supplies aren't. We go through a LOT of paper and a LOT of tape and we make LOTS of messes but I'm really okay with that. 

Yip even had a night where he came up with costumes for his thumb! These were outfits for his thumb "wrestler"! LOL!! 

I've been so happy with how the boys creativity and imagination, problem solving and analytical skills have seemed to blossom this year and I think it has a lot to do with limiting tv and never running dry on art supplies. 

Aren't making messes great?!