Rickshaw

This summer is going by way too fast and we’re getting pretty frustrated that there are way too few hours in the day after we get back from work, make dinner, clean, etc. This +  all of the other things going on has put us in a little funk.

With the school year approaching, I’ve been filling a lot of professional development hours with workshops. Some are not so exciting but still helpful—like the two-day sessions on classroom discipline. And others—like the ones at the MFAH and Glassell—are much more enjoyable and relevant. The sessions were only a few hours each, but I got to dabble in collograph printing, pinhole cameras, enameling, ceramics, and, well, just having some fun. It was just the boost/kick in the butt I needed, and now BJ and I are considering taking an evening class during the school year.

Instant pick me up. I used to by these by the strip, but I spied a bulk pack at Candylicious in the Rice Village.

Our plates and cups seem to be chipping at record rates. I wish I knew how to do something like this.

I tried enameling for the first time and decided to do something simple and not so “art teacher”. You know what I mean?

Yes! Got to go back into the darkroom and learned how to use a paint can as a pinhole camera. The weather and lighting were unpredictable, but I still had fun shooting in the sculpture garden.

Working on a few projects and still figuring out my footing.

hah. excuse all the hand shots. not feeling so creative. again.

We’re back! Our feet are worn out, our bellies are full, and our brains are about to explode from all the noise, art, people, sights of New York City. We ended up taking more photos with our new Diana Instant back (Thanks you Catherine!), and once those get scanned, I’ll post them here and write more about our trip later…

10.75 lunch specials at Azusa, Grand Central market lobby, Pearl River Market, Despana tapas, water towers, MOMA, the Met with Annie, Brooklyn Museum to see Kiki Smith + the fashion exhibit, Vanessa, and looking at the skyline from a dock in Brooklyn.

Hi there,

Just coming up for some air. Whew. My house is covered in paper scraps, my head is spinning, and 24 hours seems like too short of a day! I finally settled my car situation, and we decided to take out a loan to buy a new car. At least I’ll have more peace of mind during my long commutes to work. And we’ll both be sharing it, so I think it’s a good idea in the long run. Still, timing? Not so great.

I thought I would share this piece BJ did a few nights ago. I swear he busted it out so quickly. Don’t you think he should do more?

I’m so excited to see all my friends and family next week.

4/15/2010

I’m slowly realizing how important it is to document process and keep a journal during these first years of teaching. We’re currently working on jewelry and the only ones breaking drill bits are boys. Too aggressive

I woke up at 5:50am Saturday morning in a cussing storm because I’d slept through one alarm. And I was laying on my cell phone so that its alarm would have awakened me if my back hadn’t been pressing snooze! Luckily, I live super-close to work so I was just a few minutes late to leave for our state art competition. This is the mayhem that went on all day:

This year 2,000 of 24,000 pieces submitted advanced to state. It’s always a little odd for me when I go to this event because not too long ago my friends and I were here running around the campus and nervously awaiting our results. Some of my best memories from high school took place here.

A lot has changed within those few years—mainly how people view the student exhibit. Back then, teachers would take photos of other work to show their classes and people walked slowly  through the exhibition. Now, 9 out of ten people had a camera and you can barely stand and enjoy a work because you’re in someone’s camera view. Many took pictures of almost every single piece. Now, I understand that inspiration and looking at other artist is an important part of creating a piece, but there was something off about how snap happy everyone was and the pace at which they were consuming the art. I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I was a proud teacher that day though—4 out of 5 got the highest possible rating. And the one other student missed it by only one point. One!!!

One of the best feelings is coming across a movie/artist/song after a few years of the movie/artist/song’s name eluding you. You’re only holding onto a fuzzy image or the first few letters of a creator or creation, with the work settling stubbornly on the tip of your tongue. So when I was in Issues, the local magazine shop, and the saw a photo of Alessandra Sanguinetti on the cover of Cabinet, I might’ve let out a yelp. Early in college, my Photo I instructor showed us the Sanguinetti series The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Enigmatic Meaning of Their Dreams, and I remember falling in love with the soft light, the rich color, and the compelling relationship—visually and emotionally—between the two young cousins. And maybe most of all, I admired the way she captured the transition from childhood to adolescence without being too heavy and cheesy, but rather with restraint and sensitivity. Fast forward a few years to today: I was surprised to see that the series continued into their adulthood and documented marriage and motherhood.

I thought this excerpt was interesting:

In 1839 William Henry Fox Talbot coined the phrase “the art of fixing a shadow” to describe his negative-positive photographic process that became the basis of the photographic medium. Since then critics and historians have written at length about the metaphorical role photography plays in preserving the past and halting the fleeting moment. Childhood is a very brief period of personal development and discovery, perhaps even more so for Guille and Belinda where the onset of adulthood comes at an early age. The enigmatic dreams and fantasies from the fertile imaginations of Guille and Belinda might have gone unobserved if not for Sanguinetti’s efforts. Through this archive of images, which are as inexplicable as the imaginations that choreographed their content, this fleeting shadow of youth is preserved.

Excerpt from Contact Sheet 120, Alessandra Sanguinetti: The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Enigmatic Meaning of Their Dreams. via lightwork.org

hat tip: wrenhandmade

I was already looking forward to see Beach House for Trang’s birthday, but now I’m even more excited because Confetti System will be designing the set for the band’s tour. Their use of  simple, everyday objects create ethereal sites, bring us back to the past, and make us long for a little bit more fun(sparkle) in our lives. I like how one writer described what CS created as “a moment that’s at once tangible and fleeting.”

A great behind the scenes piece by Sight Unseen here.

Bisque ware demo pieces. I’m not totally sure what color I’ll glaze them, but I’m leaning towards white or transparent. If I can make at least 25 more, maybe they’ll be used as vases for the reception. We’ll see …

Hello, weekend! I love you!

B + C

For me, the best way to unwind after a long day is to work on patterns. I wouldn’t mind getting paid to do this all day. The same applies to other activities like cutting rubylith, paper, or split ends. I find the repetitive motions strangely calming (One time I spent two hours at the library looking at split ends instead of writing a paper. Kind of gross, I know.)

Most of the drawings are related to BJ and me—places we’ve been, themes we’re drawn to. The plans are to somehow incorporate it into our wedding, but the ampersand can be easily adapted to other combinations like these:

1. peanut butter  + chocolate
2. strawberry + lemonade
3. me + you
4. snow days + sleeping in

The possibilities are endless!

For BJ. Notebook paper inspired by Rob Ryan

For Ben + Eilene (This one was done on white paper so more light came through)