The Creative Process

Step one... The sketch.

To all my students, I really do sketch out my ideas first.

Did you notice the note to add beads into the steam?

Using watercolor pencils the color scheme has been worked out.

Next step adding the steam and texture under the mug using my sewing machine.

Keep watching I will show you my experiments using free motion techniques.

I'm a bit rusty and haven't sewn on paper before but I'm up for the challenge.

Summer Reading First Book

Just finished reading The Lost Hours by Karen White. If you enjoy stories about Women, love Mysteries from the South, (Savannah) than you should enjoy this summer read. I especially liked the fact that The Lost Hours was not predictable.

Summer Reading Challenge 2009

My Summer Reading Challenge 2009

Book list

Roast Pig & Other Essays Charles Lamb

First Light: A Magical Journey Carol O'Biso (Art Appreciation)

The Alchemist Paulo Coeltto

The Lost Hours Karen White

People of the Book Geraldine Brooks (Art Appreciation)

Favorite Mug

My favorite mug.

I purchased this a few years ago from a graduate student at R.I.T.

The Rochester Institute of Technology.

This week bloggers Valerie of Acornmoon and Pat of Weaver of Grass are hosting a posting on favorite mugs. Click on to their blogs to see the list of other participants.

My favorite mug comes up missing many a morning and almost every time it was left in my studio from the night before. Can you guess how many times you think my paint brush has been dipped in coffee rather than water or mineral spirit's?

China Plates and Charles Lamb

An orginal hand bound copy of "Roast Pig & Other Essays"

by Charles Lamb.

China cup by Royal Albert

I found this delightful plate at a Flea Market.

For me it symbolized the special relationship women share.

My favorite American China by Georgian.
It was given to me by a wonderful woman named Donna.
If only you could see her collection of China.

My wedding China... Minton

My favorite piece of China.
Another treasure from Donna.

I first visited Elizabeth’s blog, “About New York” after viewing fellow blogger, Leslie’s post on Plates. Leslie had written that Elizabeth just launched a cross-blog posting on “Favorite Plates.” Hmm, I’ve collected a few nice plates, this might be fun.
After reading Elizabeth’s first sentence; “Like Charles Lamb, I like old china. I like new china too.” I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew who Charles Lamb was and had just written a note to myself to find his essays to read over the summer.
This would be my next Art Adventure. First find a book by Charles Lamb and then find my notes on how to take Still Life photographs. For those of you who know me you’re probably thinking sure Karen, you’re married to a commercial photographer we know who’ll be taking your photographs. Sorry he’s much to busy.
As luck would have it the following day when I walked into school I was greeted by my friend Brian, our school librarian. I inquired about Charles Lamb; did he have any books written by the British author? We couldn’t believe our luck, tucked away was an original hand bound copy of “Roast Pig & Other Essays”. No one had taken out the book in thirty years and Brian was surprised he had kept it. Guess what the last essay in the book was titled? “I like China.”
The following day I started creating five separate still life arrangements, one for each of my plates and the book. Yes I was rather nervous about turning off the auto pilot on my camera. Thank goodness my husband agreed to offer advice, hold the white foam board and let me borrow a tripod.
I hope you enjoy the photos of my plates and the story. Like Charles Lamb, I also like old China.

Miss I Need Help

The graduation present.

The first thing I changed.

My favorite part of the painting.

The only thing left of the students orginal work.

As a teacher, a comment most often heard is; “Can you help me? I don’t know what to do.”

This past week I tried to motivate my seniors. They were creating graffiti paintings. One student was getting frustrated with his work. “Miss it just doesn’t look good, can you please help me?”

The painting was dark, had lots of splatters and his lettering was all the same size. I suggested he try a stencil. He came back with “50 cents” done in red with a black out line. “Can you make it better?”

I asked him if I could demo on his piece for the class. They were all stuck in the same spot. I repainted the 50 making it bolder. “Can I add some contrast to your work?” “Yep, go for it” was his reply. I added white and rewrote his name. I was having fun and didn’t want to stop. The bell was about to ring and I asked him if I could play around with his painting. I asked him, “What was your favorite sport.” “Basketball” was the reply as he headed out the door.

Looking around the room I spotted a basketball stamp another student had tossed in the garbage. I needed a picture. As luck would have it CD’s with pictures of the students from the basketball season had just been dropped off to the gym office. The coach let me borrow one and with the help of Photoshop I had my photos.

When I was finished the only thing left on the painting that my student did was the cent sign. He received a graduation present from me and the other students had just learned they could create a “Self Portrait” using graffiti style art.