inspiration blanket + boy then

083110: i recently came across a quick painting in a sketchbook that i did of my sweet nephew when he was a baby about eight years ago. he was a monster size baby. most often monstrously happy and giddy. here, not so much. i set up the sketchbook next to a more recent photo of him at a good friend's wedding. for me, he exudes soulfulness and genuine childhood bliss. i really love him for that... and more.


for 083010: i coerced my jmp to engage in an activity i do with my art 1 students on one of the first days of school (classes begin tomorrow!). an inspiration web or blanket. here are our examples. i read a bunch of prompts like "people that inspire you (could be people you know personally or from afar)" on slips of paper the students write their responses. at least two responses for each prompt. "places that inspire you (could be places that you have been to or wish to go to," "inspiring media- movies, books, music, blogs," "inspiring events (could be personal or of the world)." each student glues their inspiration pieces together. each student then affixes their bulk of inspiration onto another student's until the entire class is conjoined. the point of this exercise is to facilitate them in thinking that they indeed possess inspiration, that it is there for them to tap into. they need the opportunity to recognize it. so now, no excuses for not being inspired! on with art class!

where we live

082910: you go on a bike ride and less than a half a mile from home there happens to be a punky- klezmer band playing. that's what it's like to live here. this made us happy. and then we carried on to fetch ice coffee and a fresh loaf of bread.

milk + butter

082810: yellow + white cut paper collage in progress.

icey, double yellow

082710: yellow cut outs. two cards i am making for two people embarking on new adventures.


for 082610: iced coffee. lots of cinnamon. really i should call it "iced cinnamon."

squared

082510: getting back to my money paying work (high school visual art teacher). when i got home tonight i had to do something in my studio. kind of mindless but necessary to paint in some squares with orange and yellow watercolors.

lineup

082410: yellow and red.

tomato soup

082310: jmp made us a yummy dinner for a chilly night. he was able to put about eight enormous tomatoes from our csa to a very good use. creamy tomato soup topped with grated parmesan, a salad, warm slices of rosemary olive oil bread. a perfect meal to wrap up the day in which i allowed myself to not be productive. now for a bath.

pesto + looking upwards

082210: looking upwards.




for 082110: pesto. i ate a spoonful and my knees shivered.

new pink marker

082010: drawing made with a new pink prismacolor marker.

complimentary

081910: colors + flavors. basil from our backyard + tomatoes from our csa farm.

two dimensional galaxy

081810: pink + black + white galaxy. formed right before my eyes.

bags

081710: i hung some bags out to dry on the line. i like how they looked from upstairs.

string doll pressies + a heap

081610: despite having a kind of rough day, i did manage to make a heap of food. tofu, salad featuring lots of arugula, and a mayo-less potato salad. it made things better.

for 081510: two string dolls (these are so great!). one for aidan (age 8) and one for levi (age 7).

five minute stand up

081410: quick paper construction. in case storm king ever were to invite me to offer them some ideas for enormous fabricated sculptures, i need to be in practice.

black mini

081310: just finished my new black mini with big apron like pockets. the former mini was made from some really poor quality fabric. need my mini.

this also made me think of how much i like uniform looking kinds of clothes. maybe more like... wardrobe staples. that made me think of this phenomenal project: the uniform project that i have been following for over a year. i recently realized why i felt so compelled by this project. well, one of the reasons... you really must check it out. when i went to a catholic high school in the late 80's-early 90's, the female students had this odd, vague uniform policy: must wear the long, plaid, issued skirt but it could be paired with any sort of collared, sleeved shirt. my goal was to not wear the same top and accessories (this is where you visualize punk rock girl) twice. i did this with success (on top of causing my parents a lot of grief). apparently, combat boots were not acceptable (even though that was not stated in the handbook) and, so, i consistently got in trouble for consistently wearing them. really though, i was a really good kid, good student... in school.

also this... go down to the june 23, 2010 entry, "not hiding behind her uniform, florence."

intertwined

081210: summertime. i can only hope that i am appreciating you enough.

in the sketchbook

081110: watercolor + sharpie marker.

pulsating

081010: two quarts of these delicious, gorgeous orbs that are nearly bursting with energy sitting in a bowl on the table. from our farm share.

blue ink

080910: blue ink on grid.

paper cup eyes + mint water

080810: mint water. mint from our garden.



for 080710: a very small sample of the nearly hour's worth of fun my friend olive had with paper cup eyes. too much fun and laughing sitting with her and her mom and dad at a local cafe.

a good situation

080610: making drawings that hover.

arranged

080510: four scrap pieces.

simpe green

080410: basil butter. using fresh corn on the cob as its conveyor.

sandwiches, my style

080310: our freezer is now hosting 18 handbuilt sandwiches (no, not completely homemade, silly). cookies from the grocery store bakery, vanilla bean ice cream with sides rolled in coconut. each neatly wrapped in wax paper. come on over!

negative

080210: cut out, pink paper.

tiny scraps, a love letter for you, velocipedes, a tree structure, carrying a plant to her igloo, in love with grid

080110: tiny scraps on my work table. back to working at that table.


for 073110: an outrageously amazing mural project. a series of 50: a love letter for you. along market street from 45th- 63rd streets, philadelphia. bringing some positive, sweet, colorful messages to a place that could use all of that.



a chandelier made out of plastic bottles and other colorful, found things at anthropologie.

for 073010: many beautiful velocipedes at via bicycle, philadelphia where jmp went gaga.


for 072910: amazing tree structure 50 feet up at the morris arboretum.



for 072810: drawing of a girl carrying a plant to her igloo. the bronx.


for 072710: i love you, grid.