August.  Really?

 

Whoever said time flies wasn't kidding.  The summer months are practically over and since the calendar page turned to August I've begun to think about the past few weeks, months and years.
I spent five weeks in summer school with close to 50 elementary students.  I've come to the conclusion that BOYS are much more talkative than girls.  Feel free to argue with me if you'd like. 
My first group consisted of a class with 2 -3 girls (depending on the week) and 14+ boys.  THOSE BOYS!  That's all I'm saying.  But we had fun as long as I kept the paint circulating around the desks.  Watercolor, acrylic and tempera all made their rounds quite frequently.
My second group consisted of 1 - 3 boys, again depending on the week, and 14+ girls!  These kids did as much painting as the younger kids and we spent the last week painting pages for a journal and on the last day we binded the pages together.  It helped me so much to have an assistant who I could depend on each day.  The journals came out fantastic by the way.  Why no pictures?  I was either running back and forth with paint or helping students to master the pamphlet stitch!  There's just no way I can easily maneuver a camera and paint at the same time.  Or needles and awls.  Let me just say that my heart was very happy to see how these students put together their very first visual journal.  They brought magazines to cut and glue images onto their pages.  YES!  The above image on my journal page came out of a rock magazine several years ago and she was one of my inspirations that began my signature "Tag Girls" way back in 2007.     
It'll be back to school soon.  Two weeks.  Have you seen the latest Target back-to-school commercials?  They've become my favorite new back-to-school ad.  Love the recorder playing old rock tunes and the way slashes of what appears to be post-it notes being thrown across the screen at the end advertising something come together.  See, I don't even pay that much attention to the words, I'm just listening to that rockin' recorder instrument in the background! 
Yes, it seems another summer has come and gone leaving me wondering where has the time gone.  Now that I'm back at home it's time to give my poor cluttered art room a good scrubbing and cleanse.  It looks neglected and I must admit that it's not much of a motivator as far as making art goes. 
So off to my art room I go to begin the decluttering process. Hopefully I can once again get inspired to paint pages of my own, reflect, and perhaps post about it here. 

Last Minute Artventures

The art bug bit me on New Year's Eve! I immediately got to work on a birthday card for my brother and a winter journal when this quote slapped me in the face and I wasn't even looking for it! Perfect timing.

This table may not look very neat and orderly to you but this is it in it's best state. LOL! It was a Christmas gift from my son and daughter-in-law. No more taking up the kitchen table!

I was definitely multi-tasking on New Year's Eve. While making my brother a birthday card, I decided to prepare a winter journal to record my artventures. Again, words just came at me from nowhere! Well, there was this old magazine I'd been holding onto and I rediscovered it and these words and phrases came tumbling out waiting to jump into my journal! Conspiracy at it's best I tell ya!

I found a small journal with pre-painted pages in the corner of my art room waiting to be used. I added some words and my "Winter Journal" was born! I made a tape transfer with the quote which was featured at the top of this blog's entry. I could have easily glued it on but as I mentioned earlier, the art bug bit me and when this happens I just don't do things the usual way!

I found this stamp while looking for a birthday quote stamp. See how things work out? All I was supposed to make was a birthday card and I started on a journal as well because of "words" falling into place for me!

Here's my Winter Journal waiting to be filled with a little art and words. The cold months make me get cozy with pens, paint, paper and YARN - as you can see!

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" everyone! Whew, what an unusual 2009 I had. I found that the best way to say adios to 2009 was to spend the last few hours immersed in artventures. I pulled out a journal I'd set aside to record a few of my winter happenings and went to work at the new table my son Raymond and my daughter-in-law Rubi gave me for Christmas. I guess you could say this was a great way to "christened" the table. LOL!

Thanks for being frequent visitors during the past year. I appreciate your visits and love reading your comments. I hope to provide more artventures for you to read and see in 2010. Best wishes for a great year full of art, love and peace.