I've got my head in the clouds!

 I don't know when I've been more excited about what I saw on a blog post than by this one right here: http://manualescanigo.blogspot.com/2013/05/sol-y-lluvia.html.  I have so many ideas as a result of this blog post that my mind is whirring.  I've chosen not to copy Cristina's photos to this post as I would not do so without permission.  But there are clouds of white fluff hanging from the ceiling, with all sorts of raindrops - made from stuffed felt, bottlecaps, and more.  There's smaller clouds that look like perhaps painted sponges, with raindrops (foil?) hanging from them.  There's a large table area covered with a painted pond, with ceramic ducks swimming, lily pads with frogs, and again, more. 

One of my ideas is based on an image from the blog of little wire people with their heads surrounded by white cotton fluff.  It's got me thinking of all kinds of 'head in the clouds' artwork, both 2 and 3 dimensional.  I see so many possibilities!

I know many of you already are regular readers of Cristina's awesome blog, but if you aren't, you are missing out on a blog by an incredibly inspiring art teacher.  You will be amazed by the fabulous student artwork.   And by the way, for those of you, like me, who aren't good at foreign language, there is a translator button on the blog.  The translation isn't great, but it does help (though it doesn't address the process or materials at all; instead it is more philosophical in nature).

By the way, I don't like to write a post without photos, so I need to give photo credit/explanation.  The photos in this post are both by my son, shot during his stay at Stellenbosch University in South Africa (Stellenbosch is near Capetown) when he was there for a college internship 3 years ago.  The top photo is him, shot via self-timer. He always takes a photo of himself jumping on tops of mountains.  I wish he had tied his shoelaces better, but he made it home safely so I guess I shouldn't complain!

Late Breaking News! Idea Redeemed!!!

(That's my son giving the thumbs-up after completing the world's highest commercial bungee off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa last summer. The photo is in the correct direction even though it looks sideways. He is being hauled back up after the jump.) For those of you who need a little perspective, below is the Bloukrans Bridge. Yikes. The bungee jump is right from the middle. Egads!

Why the thumbs-up? Because after my last post, bemoaning the lack of internet to present a workshop on blogging at my state conference, I emailed the workshop coordinator. She already emailed me back (thanks!) and there will be internet access arranged for in a couple of rooms, so I can present the workshop after all. YEAH!!!

What have I gotten myself into? I'll be teaching a 2-hour hands-on workshop and a 1-hour blogging workshop, hopefully one right after the other. My idea is to get it all done, breathe a sigh of relief, and then just have fun for the rest of the day. Am I crazy? Will I have time to go to the bathroom? I guess I figure these two things:

1. I'll probably retire in year so there's only so it's time to give back to other art teachers rather than get new ideas for myself, and
   
2. I've attended some less-than-adequate workshops in past years (and some wonderful ones). I do not like having my time wasted, and know I'll give the best workshop that I can. Hopefully nobody will be disappointed.
   

Gifts from South Africa

When my son went to South Africa this summer, I told him there were three things I wanted him to bring back for me as souvenirs. I wanted beads (to make jewelry, or that were already made into jewelry), and textiles (to sew into something-or-other like maybe a vest or a tote). I also mentioned masks, since I have a little crazy mask collection on a wall at home.

I received: the beaded elephant pictured above, and the lizard batik now hanging on my living room wall (pictured below - you can see how large it is next to a standing lamp and china cabinet). He totally forgot I ever mentioned masks.

I love both my gifts, but obviously there is nothing there to wear, or any raw material to make something I can wear. He admitted he didn't have a clue.

The moral of this story is: that despite my attempts to be non-sexist and treat boys and girls the same, and my insistence on equality, the hard truth is that there are still inate diferences. Sigh... Lots of boys (and men) do not "get it" when it comes to stuff like this. And despite our decidedly non-sexist family, and despite living in a house filled with artwork, jewelry, and my assorted crafty projects, I still can't trust either my husband or my son to pick me out jewelry, clothing, or textiles that I will like. Next time I know better than to ask!

But, with all that said, I must repeat: I love my gifts!!! And I'll append that statement with another: I love both my boys (the younger and the older).

The return of Lucy, and my son in flight

These photos are of my crazy son on his 216m bungee off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa. It has been called the world's highest commercial bungee, though there's one slightly higher from a tower in China. I guess it depends whether or not the Chinese one still has an actively running a commercial operation. He said it was very smooth, but being that I break into a sweat even driving over a much lower and smaller bridge, I have my doubts that I'd ever want to jump off of one. Thank God he made it home safely!

Anyhow, I put him on my blog tonight to thank him, because a few minutes ago he helped me out. He fixed my original blog heading with its photo of Lucy, the dragon who really does reside in my art room, so she should fit appropriately in the new blog design. I'm glad to have her back where she belongs! Thanks, Ben :-)

Below is a photo of the Bloukrans Bridge. The bungee operation would be right below that truck in the center of the bridge. Yikes!!!!!

sittin' in a NYC hotel room changing my blog layout

I love this picture, but don't know where I originally found it. It goes well with my tag line: Come on in, the color's fine!

Why am I in a hotel somewhere in Queens, NY? Because, early tomorrow morning we will go to JFK airport to pick up our son, who has been in South Africa for 8 weeks. While there he's been on a safari, bungeed off a bridge (possibly the world's highest commercial bungee), attended a world cup soccer game, and much much more, and somehow did it all and still found time for the 6 week college internship program he was in Africa to attend.

So tonight, in between checking periodically to see if his flights are on schedule, I've decided it's time to give my blog a new look. I've changed it so many times tonight I've lost all perspective. So it's time to quit and get some sleep. I don't know if I like it, but I doubt I'd be able to get it back in its original simple configuration anyhow. So don't be surprised if it changes again while I'm still on summer vacation... Please, let me know if you like it and if you are able to find what you are looking for. Be honest !

Just checked the airline. His 8 hour flight from Johannesburg to Dakar landed on time, and he is now back in the air again, for another 8 hours that will bring him here to NYC. Then it's a 4 to 5 hour drive home... But his girlfriend will be with us and it should all be good!

Being artistic at the beach...

I did two of my favorite vacation activities today while on the Maine coast - playing in the sand (you're never too old), and mucking about in tidepools!

The sand creation started out to be a lizard eating a dragonfly, but somewhere along the way the lizard was given bumps on its back and decidedly alligator-like eyeballs. So I suppose I should have changed the dragonfly into a severed limb of some poor victim...

After it was complete, two tiny little girls arrived, picked up my shovel, and went to work altering my critter - they made it a dish filled with 'food' in case it was hungry, removed its nose, and were still at it when we left. Their parents were very worried I'd be upset, so I had to assure them I was fine with the kids' alterations, since in a few hours the tide would wash it all away anyhow.

On another note, for those of you who read my blog earlier this spring/summer when I nervously mentioned my 21 yr. old son heading off to South Africa, we've been worried about him this week because he had left the security of a college campus and was traveling independently on a backpacker's bus. So yesterday he did the one thing I begged him not to do (how dumb of me) - he jumped off a bridge - the Bloukran's bridge, at 216m supposedly the world's highest commercial bungee jump . And survived. Today, he's safely with relatives near Johannesburg so we are awash with relief. Saturday they get on a helicopter to go to a game reserve for a 5-day safari.

How I wasted my afternoon when I was supposed to be somewhere else...

It all started yesterday, when I went to a local craft fair. I don't like to spend money on things I can make myself, but instead I love to shop craft fairs for ideas. I saw some lovely pictures of flowers that at first I thought were photos (no) and then I thought were paintings (no) and then I considered that maybe they were actual pressed pansies (no), and finally I asked. The exhibitor explained that he grows his own flowers, and scans them while fresh, and then prints on high-quality photo paper. Cool, huh?!

So today, I noticed that the pansies (my favorite flower) on my path were wet from the rain and looking rather spectacular. So I ditched my plan to clean the bathtub and vacuum the cat hair off the rug and instead played on my scanner/computer all afternoon. I haven't done much editing yet, and these pics above are what I've got so far, but I do see lots of possibilities. Below are two more, the first with a fancy wrapping paper background, and the other which was me playing with an image, inverting colors and solarizing and otherwise altering it for fun. Just what I needed... another hobby...

And if that all wasn't enough, then there was the gal who made really gorgeous floral brooches by rolling and looping zippers. She was charging $25 per pin (yikes), so I made a pit stop at Joanne's Fabrics to buy my own zipper, and my hot glue gun is warming up. I'll let you know how it turns out. :-)

Sigh... I planned to post a heavily philosophical art teacher-y musing today, but I guess this distraction was way more fun. I should get to it in a day or two.

And one last thing -

For those of you who are interested in the lives of people you've never met - my son has been in South Africa now almost a week, has been bitten by a penguin (he's fine), climbed a mountain behind Stellenbosch University (Stellenbosch Mountain perhaps?), and is having a fine time. He's enjoying the enthusiasm surrounding the World Cup, though those crazy horns (vuvuzela?) are loud and traffic is rather heavy.

Not your usual art teacher blog posting... my baby's en route to Africa!

This is my 21 year old son Ben, and it has been a very big day for him and us (my husband and me), because today we put him on a plane to South Africa. By tomorrow sometime, after 17 hours of airtime and more in airports, he'll arrive in Capetown, and then head to Stellenbosch University where he'll be for 6 weeks participating in an internship program that will have him working in the local community. After that, he'll have another 2 weeks for some travel and adventure including a safari, and then finally he'll be on a plane from Johannesburg on his way home again. He'll be home for a few short weeks and then back to his senior year of college. Ben, if you happen to take a peek at my blog here, I hope you don't mind my posting this story!

This photo above is Ben and his buddy Kevin, at our "camp" on Loon Lake in the Adirondacks (that's local terminology - you may call it a cottage or a lake house or a summer home).
The photo was taken on Thanksgiving, and for the two of them, building giant constructions with Legos until the wee hours of the morning has become an annual event. You are never too old to play with Legos! :-)

Here's Ben on a drive through the Berkshires (in Western Massachusetts) on his way to Boston with his girlfriend this March.

Our trek to the airport to send Ben to South Africa was an event in itself. He flew out of JFK International Airport in New York City, which is a drive of about 4 to 5 hours from here in the Adirondack foothills, depending on traffic.

So yesterday I took the day off of work, and away we all went. Driving to The City (that's what everyone calls NYC, or The Big Apple) is no piece of cake - lots of traffic and aggressive drivers; bridges and highways to choose from, and we were very glad to arrive. I much prefer country roads. (But we do love the City.)

Ben had made plans to meet up with his girlfriend for dinner and evening, as she is in Manhattan for the summer, and decided to get there via subway once we'd checked into our hotel near the airport. (Again, for those of you not familiar, the airport is in Queens, which is at the beginning of Long Island. Manhattan is actually an island, and the traffic is horrific and terrifying. The drive of just a short number of miles could take hours with typical city construction and traffic etc. There is no way we would drive there.) Ben knows his way around the subway system and we were told the subway ride could take about 45 minutes.

Well, instead, it took him about 2 hours in each direction, between closed subway stops and bus transfers and shuttle buses going to the wrong dropoff, and making train connections. His cell phone battery was low and I couldn't reach him when he was late returning; I admit I was more worried about him getting back to the hotel safely than I am about the flight.

So off he is, and and we've successfully navigated the trek back home, been welcomed by the kitty, and have 8 weeks to relax before we have to make the drive again to collect Ben from the airport. By the time I do my next blog posting I should know that he's arrived safely. Hopefully South Africa will be the adventure of a lifetime for him.

By the way - thinking as an art teacher - Ben's a camera buff so I expect to see lots of pictures. I'm personally planning several awesome Africa art projects next year, of course.

Postscript, two days later.... He's arrived, safe and happy. Can you sense the stress just POURING out of every pore of this momma's body? I'm a happy gal!