Happy birthing day, new website!

Welcome, welcome!  I’ve been contemplating an art-related website for some time. There are so many facets of the art world that I love – it’s an easy choice. I have played with art tools for as long as I can remember. Crayons were early faves and I admit to racing heartbeats when I open a new box of 120 colors to this day. Watercolor is a favorite medium, too, and I delight in painting the wildflowers that grow in the woods around my house.  (Yes, I know that Scotch Broom is a noxious weed but it’s yellow flower are gorgeous in the spring before we attack and obliterate them…) Our rainfall is plentiful during the winter so springtime is prime flower watching time for me.

Then there’s the fun of tearing different textures of paper, gathering ephemera, and putting together collages. Some of them find their way into encaustic worlds, too, with the application of hot beeswax. I use pen and ink to draw a variety of subjects and mix wider, differently shaped calligraphy pens with even more inks to work on illuminated letters. Weaving assemblages on to driftwood and found objects, a little bit of quilting, and a life-long sewing hobby all find their way into my small corner studio.

Another important part of my art world is Zentangles®. I found the intriguing little designs, learned all I could about them on my own, then traveled to Massachusetts to take the training necessary to be certified to teach others about the art form. I teach classes and private lessons to adults in a couple of different settings, continue to hone my own skills, and smile when my students catch the Zentangle bug.

And the best part of all? I get to spend my days as an elementary art teacher. The art studio at our school is set up with seven distinct media areas. Following the tenets of a pedagogy called TAB – Teaching for Artistic Behavior – children design their own projects, choose media appropriate to their ideas, and create to their art’s content. We have such fun.

On my to do list are lots of projects. I’ll share some of them here. I’m so pleased you’ve joined me.