A New Endeavor - Teaching Art

Well... I have been very busy over the last 9 months with a new job and career change. In June 2009, I took the MTEL, passed (phew!) and became a MA certified teacher of visual arts. I am writing this in March 2010 and am back dating some of these postings to show the artwork created by my students over the course of many months since becoming an art teacher.

I started work at a private elementary school in Boston during June 2009. The school, over the past five years, developed a full and enriching day habilitation program for young adults aged 18 - 22 years old with moderate to severe disabilities. Since I began teaching art to these wonderful young adults, I have learned a great deal about myself, about art, and the process of teaching. The outcome of their hard work I am showing here. You can see more of what the students have been up to at the Access All blog, which I created and keep up-to-date.

My personal art has taken a back seat over the months, but I am starting to work on personal projects again.

So... check back over the coming months to see my new creations.

Organic Prints (final)

Organic Prints (yes, more)

Organic Prints (still, more)

Organic Prints (more)

Organic Prints

It's been such a long time since I have worked on my art and posted anything. I'm happy to be at it again and this time I'm working within a whole new medium and process for me - printmaking. The prints shown here were created during a 4 hour workshop I took today in printmaking. It was fantastic! I will definitely be creating more art using this method, though I will be experimenting with the "plate" material. In the workshop the plate was made from gelatin and being a vegan I had some real issues with using it.... but since I wanted to learn a new technique, and knew that I could replicate the plate and process using agar agar instead of animal based gelatin, I forged ahead. I highly recommend going to this workshop if you're close to Cambridge, MA. The instructor, Tamar, is wonderful. Post a comment if you'd like me to email you her contact information. Her next workshop is July 26.

Grace & Strength

The model that sat was a joy to sketch. It was the first time I felt I truly enjoyed drawing from a live model. Her skin was amazing, her hair wonderfully textured and her features so perfect for a model. I used pencil for this ~ it was a warm up, a very quick sketch.

Beauty & the Guy

When I sketch or paint a live model I feel as though pins and needles are surging through my body. It's a little uncomfortable but exciting at the same time. I love working in charcoal ~these were quick sketches that express the mood of the sitters. Though I don't think the guy was really that angry! More to come.

Degas ballerina

One of my favorite artists is Degas. This exercise was freeing yet challenging for me since I tend not to draw very loosely. I sketched this ballerina using varied techniques. I am taking this idea into my future work. My mantra of late ~ loosen up!

Little girl in chair

I was feeling nostalgic and, since I haven't produced any new work, thought I'd post this picture I did many many many years ago which I just found recently. It's behind framed glass so the image is not as crisp as it could be because I had to photograph it not scan it but, still, you get the idea. This was one of my favorites. I always loved the look on her face, sweet and dreamy. The drawing is done using colored pencils which is something I'd like to explore again. It's been ages since I've attempted a drawing like this one.