Wonderful Holidays - Happy 2011

We've had a wonderful Holiday Season around here, even though it's been hectic beyond hectic.  Family, friends, carolers, cookies, did I mention family & friends?  It's been snowy and promise, yes I do, to post more often in 2011.  I'll have some news as we begin 2011.  Right now I'm putting together pictures, cleaning the house from the visits, and smiling at the wonderful time.  As the sun sets on 2010, all in all, it's been a great year!

MaryBeth Shaw is having a giveaway - go there and sign up!

MaryBeth Shaw, the great teacher & mixed media artist, is having a giveaway on her blog.  She has great stencils & sells wood icing on her "Stencil Girl Products" web page.  I've used 'em, and they're great.  So, go sign up! (and check out her new smaller size stencils - I know I'm going to ask Santa to bring me some!)


The Common Denominator: Holidaze are here!! Hip Hip Hooray for a Give Away!

I have some other news, but it will have to wait a day or two.  Tonight it's snowing ever so much around here - it's lake effect snow at it's very best (???).  Hope it's warm where you are!

http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/holidaze-are-here-hip-hip-hooray-for.html

In the newest Gallery Show

My two pieces have been placed in the "Healing Arts Gallery" at our local hospital.  It's a wonderful hallway in the main area of the hospital, that people pass on their way to routine tests or to visit those in the hospital.  I feel very honored to have pieces hanging there.  It's a wonderful show, with all different kinds of media displayed.  Our show will stay hanging for the next two months.  Yes, I'm excited!!  


Happy Halloween to everyone!  

Juried Show & more news!!

Well, the Juried Show here in Manistee at our Manistee Art Institute is closing today.  I can't tell you how much fun it has been to be a part of the 36 amazing artists at the show.  As you can see, the space is beautiful in this over 100 year old hall - beautiful woodwork all around - and the art, well, there was art in almost every media.  There were some wonderful pieces that won prize money.  And although I didn't win any prize money (and would have been very shocked if I had), I had my two submissions chosen to be a part of the show (you could submit up to two pieces), and was very honored when I saw the quality of the work, and the artists whose work was chosen.  So many working, professional artists.  What an honor to be included in a group like this.

The show ends today, which means, of course, that I must go pick up my pieces.  But wait -- I received a call yesterday from one of the wonderful ladies on the MAI Board.  She asked if I would consider having my pieces taken to the local hospital to be put on display in their "Healing Arts Gallery."  And, they'd like to take both of my pieces! 

The local hospital has a hallway which everyone must go down who is receiving treatment, having tests, or visiting someone staying in the hospital.  The MAI has for a number of years, filled the hallway with delicious art - bright, cheery, and always original art, often done by local artists.  Any time I'm in there for those routine tests that everyone must take from time to time, I always budget an extra 15 minutes or so, just to take in all the new art.  Each new exhibit hangs in the gallery hallway for two months before it is rotated with the next exhibit!! 

Needless to say, I said that I was honored, and yes, they could take my pieces!  Imagine this, I'm in a gallery for two months!  Wow!!  They said they would display a price, if I'd like to offer the pieces for sale while on display.  For sale!  Well, since that was never a part of this experiment, I declined.  Mike likes these two pieces too much, and he complains that I don't hang much of my work in the house, I give it away to charity auctions and the like.  I'm so excited to show my in-laws when they are here from Georgia in December.  The only problem will be pulling in  the hospital to show them, and saying all right, everyone, let's get out and go look at art!!.... LOL!! 

More soon - hope every is well in your neck of the woods and enjoying fall.

Getting to #101

So, it's been almost two months since I posted.  Perhaps I'll just be a "sometimes" blogger for a while longer.  I'm sure you, gentle readers, will understand.  Those duties associated with a full time job call me often. 

But... I have news, and will soon have pictures.  Our town has a non-profit art group - the Manistee Art Institute.  They have a yearly juried art show, which is a fund-raiser for the organization, and a way to bring local artists in & local art lovers in.  The show is held in a 100+ year old beautiful hall, which is just made for an art exhibit. 

I saw the "call for exhibitors," for this year's show about a week and a half ago, and the submission dates were last Friday & Saturday.  This is a juried show, and while there is an entry fee, the fee is nominal - but it was clear, not everyone's submissions would be taken - in fact, there are specific times listed for the non-selected pieces to be picked up. 

Yes, I went ahead and selected two of my pieces (one made at Art Unraveled, one made at home), and took them & submitted them last Friday.  I awaited my mail to see if, just maybe, something might be selected by the juror, a professional artist, for the show.

When the form came back, earlier this week, yes, BOTH had been accepted.  **Grins** I will be going tomorrow night to the "meet the Artists" reception for the show opening, where I will be one of "the artists!"  I'm very excited, and while a small step, I can't tell you how exciting this is to me.  

The show runs this weekend and next, and I'll take pictures and post them.  I'll be going tomorrow night for the "Meet the Artists" and then back again on Saturday to take Mike - he can't go with me tomorrow, as he has a home football game (the life of a band director - I'm just glad I do NOT have a home football game tomorrow night!) and will need to see me pieces hanging in the show.  Or more like, I'll have to show him my pieces hanging in the show!!!

That's my news!  

Post #100

I'll be honest, when I saw that I was getting close to post #100 a few weeks ago, I was a little intimidated.  I follow several bloggers, and it seems that in blog-land, when you reach a milestone post, it's like a milestone birthday....  Well, I now know I'm not particularly good with either!  (LOL!)

So, in 100 posts, what have I learned?  Here's 10 things:

10:  It's all about making time for what's important, even just at that moment.  
9.  Once you get started, the task at hand doesn't take nearly as long as you thought it would.  (Or else it takes two or three times as long, but never, NEVER what you thought! LOL!)
8.  Computers take a toll on our eyesight - be careful & take lots of breaks!  I mean, keep reading the blogs, but set a timer.
7.  The world is a lot smaller than I ever imagined.
6.  The inspiration I receive from others is amazing - it's so fun to see what everyone else is up to, and hear about their lives and what inspires them.
5.  Art, like music, is a wonderful creative place to be!  And it is a place, as well as an activity, to me.  A state of mind, as it were.
4.  Friends build you up & keep you going.  (Knew that already, just it's so fun to have blog friendships over such long distances - how cool is this??)
3.  I love looking at blog pictures & need to remember to take lots and post them!
2.  There's so much out there in the world that I want to explore.

And the number one thing I've learned since becoming a blogger is....... wait for it..... wait for it....

1.  It's fun!  

I know, I know, nothing profound.  But, in the end, taking time for ourselves to do something that enriches us or helps us grow is indeed profound.  

And to that end, I wish you a day of fun, wherever and whatever that may be!  As for me, I'm going to do a little in the "craft house" and maybe go explore a new place for lunch.

Til next time!

Summer adventures

So many things to tell about!  What a jam-packed summer it's been.  


Art Unraveled was a truly inspiring experience.  I spent time with my art-buddy Kim from Phoenix who I met on the very first day of the very first Art Unraveled we both attended, five years ago.  (We were in line to register together & started talking - we haven't stopped since!! LOL!! )  We sure had fun & I look forward to when we can "play" again - she's such a lucky gal to get to go to Journalfest & Artfest this year - I'm going to want to hear all about it!

To my teachers at Art Unraveled, I just want to thank each of you - what an inspirational week we all had, and I can't wait to get busy practicing what I learned from each of you.  Although eleven classes in eight days is LOT to digest, I just can't believe what we were all able to do in those eight days.  

Linda & Chuck are the organizers for Art Unraveled, and they do a whale of a job!  Thanks to them!   

My first class of the week was "Hard Candy" a wonderful class on copper enameling by Melissa Manley.  Melissa did a great job in helping us transform sheets of copper into baubles that we could transform into other things.  Just look at what I brought home from this class.  I'll post pictures of what I make with these little gems, and the additional copper enameling I plan on doing.  Love it!

I also took two classes by husband and wife team Thomas & Jane Wynn.  In Jane's class, called "Science Under Glass," we worked on floating solder over a brass or copper sheet, and then adding a bezel, which then housed a beautiful butterfly wing.  It is to be a pendant, and I have yet to finish it, because I also made a round bezel, and added some pearls to the bottom, and a connector to the top.   I'm going to add something fun with a little Ice Resin into the bezel - I think it's going to be stunning!! I LOVED soldering!  

 

 C. R. Radding did a wonderful class on making a heart pin from wire and beads.  Here's my pin, which I just couldn't finish that evening - too much close work for one day.  My eyes just gave out mid attachment - that's why you see a piece of wire sticking out from both sides of the round thing (button) on the right side of the heart - I just had to stop.  When I finish it, I'll post again. 

Carrie Imai did a GREAT workshop for five of us gals, titled "Art for the Non-Artist."  Too many cool things to show from the class, but I will show two things (I came home with a pile of papers almost an inch thick from that class!):  First, we worked on using watercolors to make clouds -
 

Then, we worked on a water color painting of grasses or weeds.  I just LOVED this technique!
 

 Speaking of watercolor, I took Jane LaFazio's workshop on watercolors journal style.  Her style is so wonderful, and she is such a good and patient teacher - I went into this class on Kim's suggestion, even though I kept saying, "But Kim, I can't draw.... I CAN'T draw."  


Kim very nicely told me that Jane could teach me to draw.  See what happened when I listened to Kim!!:

Okay, so maybe I CAN draw - a little!!  (**snort!**)

I have followed Mary Beth Shaw's work for quite a while now, and last summer went to see her booth at the Nashville Art Fair while we were there for the ASBDA convention.  It was hotter there than I can ever remember being (or at least for a LONG time), and we didn't stay nearly long enough.  THEN, the Art Unraveled class list came out, and guess who was on it?  Well, Mary Beth's class became one of my "non-negotiables" for this AU, and look what I did in her class, "Moving in the Right Circles": 

 

I had so much fun in that class, and look forward to working with her again in the future.  

Serena Barton is another artist whose blog and work I follow - she taught her "Wabi Sabi" process at AU, and again, that was just another "non-negotiable" for me.  Kim and I got to take the class together, and it was so much fun!  Here's two pieces that I did in Serena's class:   

As I mentioned, I took eleven classes, so I have more to show you, and will do so in an upcoming post.  In addition, I have more pictures and stories to share from other summer events & travels.  I look forward to sharing.

To those friends that I made connections with again while at AU - it was fun to see you and see how you're doing.  It seems like the few days that we are there just fly by!  To my new friends that I made, from both near and far, I enjoyed meeting all of you, and look forward to "arting" with you again in the near future.  

And for now, I have to get thinking about my next post - I can't believe it, but my next post is Number One-Hundred!!  See you soon! 

Summertime beauty

This beautiful sunset brought to you from the top of the John Hancock Building in Chicago. Lovely.

One Month Later - So Many Stories, So Many Memories

So, I was noticing that my last post was exactly one month ago today. Wow, has time flown. I've done so many wonderful things in the past month, I am very blessed.

Since I last wrote, I have:

Had my students perform in a wonderful parade (I got to march through twice!!)
Ate caramel corn from the caramel corn lady that comes to town only once a year - what a treat!
Driven to Orlando to preside over a marvelous and energizing convention of wonderful educators - again I feel blessed to be part of such a tremendous group of people.
Driven back to Michigan to do laundry and...
Drive to the summer camp I have now worked at for 22 years, and work with some wonderful students and tremendous professionals. We'll put on a concert in a few days, and it's going to be outstanding (if I do say so myself!)

Whew.

And today... I learned how to "cast off" in knitting. This, after of course, learning how to knit just before we went to Orlando. Now, mind you, I don't know purl. No, I know "knit." That's it. Today I expanded my knitting knowledge by 100%, as I now know "casting off." You may ask, but you must have "cast on." Yes, yes, I did. I didn't retain a thing. I am going to "cast on" with my new yummy yarn, and hopefully this time it will stick. I am also going to learn "purl." I have a great teacher - a woman who taught needle arts in a high school for 33 years. She assures me that she can teach "even me...." We'll see, but so far, so good!

See my new scarf - the object of my "casting off" lesson today!



And see my yummy new yarn that will be the next scarf. I am not sure, but what I will only do "knit" on this scarf, as well, as I like the idea of the textured yarn and the nubbie quality of the use of only "knit." Rats - my teacher told me what that is called (there's a name for it), and I have forgotten that. Back to class!!

The whirlwind continues

In the midst of some of the busiest times of my life come these amazing flowers. I smile each time I walk by them. And...I try to remember to stop and enjoy them! The business & hurry hurry of today will not last, and eventually things will slow down enough to get back to enjoying art and friends, but for now, I just have to remember to breathe deeply & take enjoyment in all things.

Oh, and journals

Okay, so there are a pile of unfinished journals on my work table. Some **spoken for**, some to just make. Okay, so they're going to get made some time within the next couple of weeks.

It's always interesting to me to watch how the creative process goes - there is a time that I walk by the pile of unfinished journals and say "Ugh, I can't even imagine doing that..." That's been going on for at least 2 years, in my case..... I'm admitting it. And yesterday, after I finished my assignment for my class, and I had no more time for 'creating' I said "oh, that looks like so much FUN...' Yes, it's a mysterious thing, the creative process.

But, Journals will be produced. Journals will be sent - Laura email me your address. I owe you a pink and black journal, and I'm thinking maybe a little more! :-)

I am so excited

Well, it's May, State Festivals are over, I've been to a Michigan Music Conference meeting, the ASBDA Convention appears to be pretty well in hand, and now I can focus on the things I like to do. I spent the day yesterday catching up on things I like to do: 1) I did my assignments for my Juliana Coles class - I'm completely caught up. It was fun, I am doing this class about an "Extreme Art Journal" - pics to come. 2) I did some work on the yard. Yup, yard work. Me. Don't like the work, LOVE the result. 3) Got to dream of when I don't have to work on someone else's clock.

Then today, I spent the better part of a day working at a Michigan Music Conference meeting. Love working on coming up with ideas, and implementing those ideas. Don't like a lot of the rest. I guess that's why I want to be in business for myself some time in the future. Maybe sooner rather than later - who knows.

I am so excited, however, with possibilities. I love the possibilities of new ideas. I think that's what I've always loved about being a band conductor - the possibilities of new ideas, new things - new problems to solve.

Perhaps it's time to have new problems to solve. Perhaps. Time will tell.

Juliana Coles online class

Hey, Kim - I see we're both in the Julianna Coles online class - I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm gong to have to hurry to finish before June 10th! HA! Just joined today, so now I have to pick out a book. I've missed taking classes from Julianna, and this is JUST what I remember. It will be a good time!

Don't forget to enjoy the moment.

My friend Lucy, the secretary at one of the schools where I teach, sent me an email last week to tell me that she had the list of kids who would be helping me on Thursday and Friday as we hosted our last evaluations of the year (with literally thousands of people coming - 24 groups, each group made up of between 30 - 80 kids and the additional parents/grandparents/well-wishers who follow each group - stress levels were high) with words that I've really thought about since then - she said "do great things, but don't forget to enjoy the moment."

Thanks, Lucy - I did enjoy the moment - it was sublime! One of the best concerts I can remember conducting.

And now, it's spring - don't forget to enjoy the moment!

Where the Heck Have You Been?

you might be asking? Well, band directors get really busy in February & March - especially if you're also a judge (like me...)

So, I've been judging solo & ensemble festivals and band & orchestra festivals, hosting a day of festival here at my school, taking my own bands to festival, getting kids ready for solo & ensemble, and on and on and on. I promise I'll get posting more often. But, probably not yet for a while - it's now State Festival season, plus I'm working on stuff for ASBDA.

Thanks for being patient with me - I promise I'll post soon.

Remains of the Day

Kim - I'm posting this so you can see my "Remains of the Day" journal. This is a wonderful on-line class by Mary Ann Moss - she does beautiful mixed media work, and has these wonderful journals that she makes. She just did an on-line class, and thankfully it was a "take it when you can" kind of class - during the school year, I'm not very good with a "this week to this week" kind of class with a definite beginning and ending and work that you have to keep up with. Well, like take this week, for example. Right now I'm home for about an hour and a half, then I have to go to the elementary school to have our 5th grade band beginner parent night.

(Wait, you might ask, why are you doing beginning band starting in FEBRUARY - don't most people usually do that in September or October??? Yes, that's true, but that's another entire post, and and I suppose I shall just leave it all unsaid -- but yes, I'm just now - in February - going to start beginning band ..........)

Then, tomorrow night is the Pre-Evaluations Concert in the evening, but first it's jazz band morning - so that means getting to school an entire hour early for jazz band. Plus it's Tuesday, which means it's Study Hall day, which means I get 20 minutes to end one class, pack up, lock up the room, drive to another building, unpack, eat lunch, and then start another class.

Then, it's Wednesday, and the first day of beginning band, in a classroom, with what appears to be 57 kids. Yup. Fifty-seven. (almost 50% of the entire grade) No chairs, no stands, but desks, and another teacher (did I mention that the classroom is, er, occupied?????)

Then, it's Thursday, just go back to tuesday, lather rinse & repeat, but this time without jazz band.

Now, some place in there, this week, I get a haircut, teach two lessons, maybe 3, and just do all the normal things of life.

That is why a normal online class doesn't work for me.

But, this one did. So, below, feast your eyes on the pictures of my Remains of the Day Journal, so far.

And now I'm off to the rest of my week! Have a great one!

Summer Dreamin'

Enjoy!

Swap stuff done

I just finished my chunky book pages for the swap for Art Unraveled's Technique book this year. I'm excited about the fact that I made little bitty "trashy clutches" like we made in Alissa Burke's class this past August at AU. 29 little clutches, stuffed with a business card & a "how I did it" information sheet. I think they should bind into a book pretty well. And imagine, all that from a grocery bag! Pretty cool, eh?

Solo & Ensemble Day

Tomorrow is high school solo & ensemble day, and we're off to Cadillac High School. The students are ready, and now it's time to go and play for the judges. I'll try to get some pictures of some of my students playing tomorrow and post. Needless to say, there's been little in the arena of art making.

I have a swap due soon, and I knew I would need to have gotten the swap mainly done over the holidays, but that just didn't happen, so I guess Sunday will be a big art making day for me. I have lots of things to do for school, for band, and for ASBDA, but I'll get some art making in there, too. I think I need to splash a little paint around, it will be good for the soul.

See you again soon!

Michigan All-State

Congrats and kudos to all the kids in the Michigan All-State Bands and Orchestras - this past three days was wonderful & I was impressed by the performances on Saturday morning. What wonderful musicians we have here in Michigan, both band and orchestra! Thanks also to our outstanding directors - Dr. Andrea Strauss from Shorter University in Georgia, Dr. Robert Hasty from Northwestern University, Gerardo Edelstein from Penn State, and John Whitwell, Professor Emeritus from Michigan State University. I'm 'plum tuckered out' from the weekend, and also smiling from ear to ear. What a great time!

Did I Show You?

Did I show you all the cool stuff I made at Art Unraveled? Did I show you some of the other cool stuff I've been working on lately? Well, if I did, I'll chalk this up to forgetfulness. If I didn't - here's some new things to gaze upon!

This is the clutch purse & coin purse that I made in Alissa Burke's class at Art Unraveled - oh my she is a sweetie! If you like the idea of shabby chic (she calls it trashy chic, because yes, these items were made out of what others might call trash - brown paper bag and insert from junk mail) then hop on over to Alissa's website/blog & take one of her classes. I've taken a couple online classes with her so far, and have learned something new on each one. I understand she has a video out, as well, and I might have to put that on my wish list!

This is the book I made in Leighanna Light's class at Art Unraveled - I love it! The thing I like best about it is the cover, on which we used amber shellac. I'd never used amber shellac, and kept reading other artists (look at me, saying "other artists..." like I'm one, too.... *grin*) talk about using amber shellac on their projects and I finally got a chance to use it. And yes, when I got home, I went right to Wahr Hardware (the local hardware store) and bought a can. Sadly, it's sitting unopened, but I feel a snow day coming on some time soon (maybe even tomorrow, because it's absolutely frightful outside right now and not supposed to get any better) and will launch into some serious project work using amber shellac - I have several things just sitting there waiting.

Which leads me to my next story - the class I'm taking right now. My friend Kim emailed me last evening saying that I needed to take this online class with Mary Ann Moss - that I'd just love it. She was taking it and knew that I'd love it. (she was right!) Anyway, the funny thing is that I had been waiting until the drive home from Georgia to visit the in-laws to sign up for the class - I had signed up for the class on Thursday!!! LOL - Kim, great minds think alike!

So, I'm working on my "Remains of the Day Journal" today - this is the class that I'm taking online from Mary Ann Moss (no, Laura, it's not the pink and black journal I promised you - yours is sitting on my work bench, almost done.... I PROMISE....) when I run out of brown thread. So.... now I need brown thread AND a snow day....

Have a great day!

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010 everyone! I wish you blessings in this new year!