Art Education 2.0 new member

I joined a new group today from on the web. I am still scouting it out but I think it will be a good resource for digital technology with visual art emphases.
Other than that, I received the book "Studio Thinking" by Lois Hetland, Ellen Winner, Shirley Veenema and Kimberly M. Sheridan. Just started reading that also.
Besides thinking about art I took a rather colorful picture of garden refuse recently.

Also, today my 84 year old Father who woke up this morning and ran four miles, went bike riding this afternoon. Unfortunately, he took a corner rather fast, put on the breaks and went over the top of the bike. He wears a helmet so his head suffered no injury but he did break a bone near his collarbone. He is now incapacitated until further notice. So far, he is in a good mood.

A moment

My daughter is home. That means for a brief period, the family is together. She returned from California from a workshop for small group ensembles in Sonoma to the flooding in Iowa City. Her apartment is fine, but the entire arts district of university buildings are under water. The artwork at the University of Iowa Art Museum was carted up the best they could and sent to Chicago for safe keeping. A friend of mines daughter volunteered to wrap up the 300A.D. African artwork in bubble wrap before FEMA enters and says "everyone out". The Clapp Music Center, Hancher Auditorium, and new art building (less than two years old) are swimming in water.

Fern Peony

Another plant in bloom. I covered the yard today taking pictures with my digital camera looking for inspiration. I believe I will try and resurrect the Yardworks idea for an attempt to get back into painting. Might as well start where I left off and see what develops.

There was a devastating tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa yesterday. Seven people were killed and many houses destroyed. Nature can be brutal when it wants to be. And yet on a perfect morning such as on this Memorial Day it can be breathtakingly beautiful.

Schools out for Summer

Spring!!! The birds are singing, flowers bloom and school is out!! Ahhhhh!! Picture of daughter and pet dog, Annie. Also, a view of the magnificent flowering crab tree. I am home catching up on the little odds and ends that get put to the side as I teach. Bills, correspondence, telephone calls, and reading. Starting to acclimate to summer mode. Usually it takes a couple weeks to decompress.

2nd Annual Three Sisters Planter Competition

Today marks the opening of the 2008 Three Sisters Planter Competition. Basically the rules are that my two sisters and myself are to plant a planter which I bought from the shopclass and photograph it during the first 15 days of July and then send it around to my mother who is the judge. Us sisters are practicing "following through" and my mom is practicing "decision making". Criteria is still forthwith. Last year my sister Mary won the first competition with her winter entry. That was the only photo taken of all the planters which were mostly dismal failures.

The Birds are Back

My bird feeder if full today. Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles, Cardinals, and Goldfinch. Color everywhere. It is a windy days so the birds just ride the feeder in the wind.

I worked on graduation cards today. I have almost 20 graduations and I am trying to create their cards instead of buying them. I am going to photograph the front of the school where it says"I will study and prepare myself and someday my time will come" spoken by Abraham Lincoln.

The story goes:

One day, after Abraham Lincoln had lost several elections, he was observed in heavy reading. The person asked him how he felt being on the losing end so often.

“I will study and prepare myself,” Lincoln replied. “Perhaps someday my time will come. I want to be ready.”

On the front of the school is also a homely looking owl that stands for wisdom I am sure. It is rather straggly looking, formed out of cement I am pretty sure. Architectural ornament of the 1930s for school buildings. This would now be considered extravagant.

Friday night movie

I just finished watching the Blues Brothers movie on HBO. It has been many years since I watched that particular movie. It did get me started on my weekend. I am now in countdown mode for school to be done. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep everyone's focus and interest. In addition I have a college student that is observing me until the end of the school year. This throws me off my game, even thought I suppose it should be business as usual. She is nice enough and helpful. It s hard to keep her busy. I am so use to doing everything myself. She did help with some ordering and inventory. That is always a huge job before the year is out. Ordering supplies takes many hours of time.
I hope to write more often now that school is coming to a close.