...trying a little something different here...might start posting some of these here artist's quotes that I make...just a thought for the day...I have already been making these here and there and posting to my various social media pages...but will post here, too, for now will post in my art blog...might post in my teaching blog later...not sure yet....gotta dust the cobwebs off that one!
When I think of Marc Chagall, I always think of my high school art teacher, who once told me he was one of her favorite artists...and anytime I think of her, I smile. Sending love to Mrs. Calcutt on this Wednesday morning. Feel free to 'pin' if it speaks to you : )
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CEDs 317-318...and new WC pencils! ...headcold...so might not make sense...but here goes...I started my piece (CED#317) last night somewhere along the way...passed out from this nasty cold I have managed to get...woke up at 12:30 at the foot of my bed and just called it a night. Moving forward...today. Feeling a little better but not 100% by any means. Two positives...my new watercolor pencils arrived today for one. I had all intentions of unwrapping them and playing...but then I thought it would be better to wait til I am not blowing my nose every two seconds...no need to contaminate the new fancy art pencils. Another positive, got a nice message from someone via my art FB page, and even sold a piece of art! Yay! Oh yeah, and I finished CED #318, too. And now...just some ramblings...boy, I sure do love these fashion illustrations. I have been working on my speed and working in a gestural manner, which I love and I feel will help me if I ever live-sketch at a fashion show (sigh, eyes twinkling...maybe one day...) But at the same time...my hands kind of itch to do some more detailed drawing. So I might do, uh...another side project...and just do a couple of detailed pieces for fun? Maybe? But how will I label these? OMG...girl stop. (talking to myself here, of course) Deep breath. Will worry about that later, but I think that is something that I would like to add in this month. Now, the smart thing would be to gradually get more detailed with my daily pieces as the month progresses and leave my fashion illustrations in the more loose format... Another thing that I am thinking of is revisiting my butterflies...lot's to think about! But for now.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... Whenever I don’t have time to blog, I feel a little guilty…but not as guilty as I would feel if I didn’t do my daily art. Over the past few days…I did make time for my art, not posting pics or blogging, but making art…yep, did that. Admittedly, it was busy. This weekend I made the pilgrimage to my professional conference, the Florida Art Education conference, in St. Petersburg for the second and final year in this location (next year is Daytona!) Now, I know I spend a lot of time in my blog rambling about my love of fashion illustration, sparkly thangs, mixed in with some cheer references and other msc. things that I encounter in my daily journey as an artist and creative soul… Today- today I will write about teaching and making art… being a teacher and artist. I struggle with this sometimes, balancing my love for teaching with my love for art. The whole reason that I got into teaching art was, well, because I love art- always have. I have been hooked on art for as long as I can remember, from carrying around an empty Shed’s Spread container filled with broken crayons…to being inspired by Mrs. Calcutt in high school…from my time in undergrad and graduate school...even to tonight when I was working on my fashion illustration for the day… I feel that I have been making the time for my art, and for the most part being productive…of course I will be the hardest on myself in this area…but not only do I want to continue to grow as an artist, but while I am teaching…and I do say one that because I hope that one of these days I can really just wake up and just make art all day…but for now…I do teach art, and I want to be as good at it as possible, at teaching I mean. One thing that I do to improve and grow as an art teacher is to attend my professional conference. I have tried to attend my conferences every year that I have been teaching, in NC and now in Florida. Leaving from my conference today I was convinced more than ever that what I do matters, and that art, my art, is important. One of the themes that resounded with me leaving from conference, again, was the theme of maintaining myself self as an artist. I whole heartedly believe that if I don’t do this, to continue to grow as an artist I am no good to my students, my friends , family, myself…no good to anyone. Last year I attended a presentation by Professor David Chang from Florida International University…here is the link to last year’s blog post which specifically mentioned him and my conference experience; http://www.jenniferlovegironda.com/1/post/2011/11/thank-you-st-petethat-was-much-needed.html So here I am, a year later. Before conference I did take a minute to send Professor Chang an email and to let him know what an impact he has had on my artistically. And he read the email. When I saw him and conference and he said, ‘you’re the one that emailed me’. Yeah, it was me. He remembered me and acknowledged my productivity. My face hurt from smiling. But interestingly enough, I attended his session this year…and he made it known that I had created all this work…and at some point asked the group, raise you hand if you consider yourself and artist…my hand didn’t shoot up. Folks did turn and look, surely I would raise my hand, but I didn’t. Here is why, I guess. I do consider myself an artist, and I think I make art…but then I get confused sometimes, should I say I am a teacher first? I may only be connecting with a small audience…but regardless of the work I have created…this is still something I struggle with. When people ask, what do you do?…You know, I struggle with this. Do I tell them I am a teacher, since that is what pays my bills? Or do I say that I am in an artist, something I also commit time to every day…and sometimes make money doing? What am I exactly? And that may just be something that I struggle with and others don’t, I don’t know. But that is the reason I didn’t raise my hand. But I am doing it now, raising my hand. I am an artist, and I have made art every day this year, without fail. I have made work for my Creative Every Day series, working within distinct themes, made work for shows, made work just because, made jewelry, and just recently, made fashion illustrations. I have MADE. And again…this post will ramble on, in and out of making any kind of sense or following any real sequence…it is for me, really. As I search for some resolution in this matter, affirmation, I don’t know…I just recall what Professor Chang said at conference this year…here are some bits and pieces, I scribbled these words down in my terrible, scribbly handwriting and then tried to go back and decipher like some set of mysterious hieroglyphs…bear with me, might not make sense, very stream of consciousness… “…when we begin to teach…sometimes we begin to retire, artistically…when you check that box on your conference form, are you a practicing artist, what will you check?...your students WANT you to be a practicing artist…they want someone who PRACTICES what they TEACH…don’t retire from being an artist when you start teaching…It needs room in your life….start with something manageable…do your artwork, begin with once a week…look, there is always something to do...you have to make art part of your routine, like brushing your teeth, you wouldn’t skip brushing your teeth, would you? Every week, find half an hour, to start thinking, about what you might want to do artistically…start from thinking, not doing…ART TAKES THINKING, takes conceptualizing…The most successful artists have been organized, right and left brain; combining the ‘want’ and the ‘ought’ to…what can we do in half an hour? Put away all distractions isolate yourself for half an hour to think about your art…then write it down…Go…in your life, your non-art life, next time, doing something else, set up your space…within a few weeks you will create a small piece…The art spirit is always hungry; we need to feed it to stay alive’…It is important to recognize your achievement, important to pay yourself on the back…now what to do with all the art….what if I get rejected?....Feeling bad is good. Feeling bad makes you feel like you have to do something.” It might read like gibberish, but to me there are hidden screams and yells within those words telling me to keep working- keep making. I feel bad when I do not create. Literally, I can’t stop thinking about making art, and I feel sick to my stomach if I do not sit down every day and…make…something. Anything. And I know I am rambling. But what I guess I am trying to say that yes, I am an art teacher. And I love it. My students inspire me- we inspire each other. But I do understand that I must also continue to be an artist first. Everything in my life points this out to me. So maybe next time…maybe next time I will have the courage to raise my hand when the question is asked, are you an artist, are you producing work? Yes. I am. And I practice what I teach. posted this earlier to FB...and well, why reinvent the wheel?
...you know...regardless of how this all turns out...i am glad that took advantage of my right to vote, and that so many of my friends did. even if we don't vote for the same person, at least we care, and we did something. and we, the regular ol' folk, 'we the people'...we are the ones that really make things happen anyway...alright, i am going back to dying my hair blue and drawing on every scrap of paper in sight... ...just some pics from today...the new cheerleading uniforms arrived for my IMS team, can't wait for the team to see them! The uniforms are all sorted and on display for our next practice...also, continued sketching from Armani Pre-Fall and Fall 2012...and caught up with some Project Runway All Stars...if I had not had a killer migraine this would have been a perfect day!
...if you are already on my site...uh...you already know about my site...but that's not the point...The point is I made a QR code. The destination, you ask? You're already here! Welcome to my art site! Tell yer friends www.jenniferlovegironda.com...a place of artistic ramblings, fashion illustrations, daily doses of art and inspiration, the occasional cheerleading pic and, of course, all things that sparkle. And now...to Pinterest I go to pin this QR code! If you have been reading my blog, you know I have been stressing about my November series, mostly how I will number/categorize the piece. So...gulp...gonna listen to my husband. Yep, gonna listen to him, after all, he is pretty smart, getting his PhD an all...he sees how much I stress about my crazy self-imposed numbering and rules and structures...and his suggestion was just, 'if you make more than one piece in a day, just pick the one you like the best to be your CED 'numbered' piece, then number the rest within the Fashion Illustrations.' Then I think he sipped his coffee matter-o-factly and sauntered into the other room all smart-like, with the cats following behind him. I think that is how it went down. Okay. Yes, great idea. That is what I am going to do...that way I can just focus in the fashion illustration for the month, but not stress about creating a piece within a separate series, not related...it makes sense to me anyway. I updated my CED blog with the daily pieces from Nov 1-4 and also the fashion illustrations, all the numbering is straightened out now and I can go to sleep (after 11pm, of course...sigh....) with a little piece of mind. On the agenda for this week...cheerleading practice with my two teams, a pep rally at IMS, more art and getting ready for the FAEA conference in St. Petersburg! Here are some more pics from the end of last week as well as this weekend... I still don't know what I am going to do this month...and...ummm...here are some pictures to distract you...and me...
I did manage to bedazzle an apron, make 10 new fashion illustrations and attend a cool service event at the Palm Beach Zoo with some of my cheerleaders, donate work for the silent auction...and get my face painted! ....ummmmm...stressing myself a little bit because I am not sure whether to go with my Creative Every Day numbering...which would make this piece CED#306...or with my Fashion Illustration numbering...which would make this FI #77...yikes. I dunno. I think I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow. Anyway...here is my art from today...not going to create an album FB page or formally post to my CED blog until I figure the numbering out...again...this is just me being all crazy...sigh. (Left)On this first day of November... Art Hive event at DeBilzan Gallery...(Top)artin' before the event, had to abandon it and head down to Delray...(Bottom) picking out something sparkly to wear...out on the avenue in Delray with my Art Hive magazine...(Right) and finally, late night...finished up my piece for day, now having an internal battle on how to number this piece... |
AuthorArtist and Art Teacher
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