Bank Account

Hello my friends!
As you can see I have returned from the sunny south!

I have printed something below that I received from my friend Sr. Madeline
Please take a moment to read it!



Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bankaccount of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.I am still depositing.

'Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.


Wasn't that great!
Have a great day all!
Hugs Mary

Friday Get Away Day

What do all high school students and their teachers have in common?
We
ALL
Love
VACATION!!!
Happy February Vacation everyone!!

Frozen Sundae.... umm.... Sunday Anyone?

Greetings! 

Yes... it seems like the winter weather has finally arrived. Well, at least the temperature is what we normally experience this time of year.  I can't say I have missed it nor, have I missed the snow.

Today I finally got around to completing a project I have been trying to get to all winter! 

I really enjoy wet felting.  Last year when Jaylee ran a workshop at my school we made the felted soaps. 

And a couple of years ago I took a class at

 New England Felting Supply.  

At that time I made a felted pocket book. I loved it but the process of making it took over 6 hours!! My back was aching so much I could hardly get in the car for the 1 1/2 hr. drive home. At the time I remember saying I wouldn't sell it for less than 800 dollars!!

Anyways.....the project I have been trying to get to was -

Nuno Felting.  What is Nuno felting you ask?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Example of what can be achieved with Nuno felting - Spring 2012 Collection Jacket by Eve Anders Fashion.jpg

Nuno felting is a fabric felting technique developed by Polly Stirling, a fiber artist from New South Wales, Australia, around 1992. The name is derived from the Japanese word "nuno" meaning cloth^[1]. The technique bonds loose fibre, usually wool, into a sheer fabric such as silk gauze, creating a lightweight felt. The fibres can completely cover the background fabric, or they may be used as a decorative design that allows the backing fabric to show. Nuno felting often incorporates several layers of loose fibres combined to build up colour, texture, and/or design elements in the finished fabric

OK...Not in my wildest dreams --------->
.

But.... I took one of the silk scarves I had dyed with various shades of pinks and tan and added some wool in shades of purple's and pink's.... It took a couple of hours but, I am very pleased with the outcome!

I am so happy with it that I hope it will be all dry 

so I can wear it to school tomorrow!

That's all for tonight! I'm off to get my books

 and belongings all set out for the morning and then  I can 

tune in for the Grammy Awards tonight!!

Wow...That is such sad news about Whitney Houston.

What a terrible waste of such a marvelous God given talent.

Bye for now

Hugs!

Mary

Friday-Catch Up

Hi there!
I thought I would share with you what we did in my

 Drawing & Painting class this week


Recently I have been giving instructions on how to use watercolors.  Watercolors have been my favorite medium to use for many years .


We played around with painting tones so my students
could get use to the different brushes and get a feel for working with transparent layers.


Usually I love to have the first project be a still life. We also tackle a difficult subject-glass. Here I have a very simple still life of an apple and my favorite glass pitcher. I find it fun to use green and red subject matters (complementary colors)




I kept a photo log of my painting as we went along.

 Sorry- it is quite a dark photo

First the basic drawing....






                Then I add some blue tones to set the background.

           Then I lay in some green & red...

I am slowly adding more layers of color.

Almost done...

A little work to define the highlights

And it's finished...

My wonderful students

Look how hard they are concentrating!

Each are beginning to develop their own style.

 Don't worry ...they said I could put them in my blog!

Yeah...I am pretty crazy about my kiddos!

Yes... it is a small class!

The joys of teaching in a private school

Oh ...someone asked why the green glass pitcher is so special to me...

I bought it years ago  while I was a student at Marietta College.

My husband did inspections in parts of West Virginia and one day we stopped into

Blenko Glass Factory.  Had a tour and I have been crazy about hand blown glass ever since that day!

That's all for today!

Snow is on the way so keep warm and I hope to see you soon!

Hugs

Mary

The HEAT is on!

The heat is on, on the street
Inside your head, on every beat
And the beat's so loud, deep inside
The pressure's high, just to stay alive
'Cause the heat is on.... Sorry bout that but as soon as I typed the
title That song by Glen Frye just PoPPEd into my head!!


What I mean is that the heat is working and my
 studio is a comfy 68 degrees once again!!

Now where were we...
At the WAM looking at the beautiful florals.




Back to one arrangement I was in love with...


It was located off of the Renaissance Court . 
• Such an ethereal, romantic piece. 
It looked as if about 15 nautilus shells were attached  together.

They were filled with many soft, muted tones which reflected the 

pearly colors of the shells themselves.

 The highly textured floral elements were stunning 

against the smooth, reflective shells. 

Several Florists were invited to interpret a work of art through their floral design.

I was really moved by this painting and the floral arrangement.  Notice the way the branches and green leaves mimicked the background of the painting.


The tones of the brown leaves go along with the brown in the child's boots.
A touch of red beside the child is represented by the touch of red blooms in the arrangement. Finally, (my photo doesn't do it justice) there are two large and
very lovely white calla lilies that remind me of the model's white stiff collar.




Then in a really interesting area of the museum is the Charter house.

First a bit of the "Charter House" history.

This room(originally from the Benedictine Priory of Saint John in west central France) once served the needs of a small celibate community of men engaged in a life of prayer, study, and reflection.

 In the Chapter House (consisting of one room) the religious community would gather daily to discuss its business affairs and assign the duties of the members.

This 12th century architecture (common to French and Spanish regions)   characterized by stone vaulted ceilings was the first development in western Europe to rival the sophistication of the Roman world. 

The ceiling is divided into six compartments of quadripartite vaults springing from piers in the four corners of the room and supported in the center by two monolithic columns. The visually dynamic division of the ceiling is echoed in the rounded forms of the windows and their columnar supports.

I was so excited to see what the florist from "Bloomers" had done in this area.  My good friend Renee owns a large iron cart that she loaned Ken and Michael.

Here are some views of what they did...

This photo had to be lightened up quite a bit as we can not use flash photography in the museum.

A little close up view.

We were very lucky to get this photo...

Rene went back into this room at least 4 times until she 

could get close enough for a photo

The sharp contrast between the darks and 

lights are stunning to say the least!

And last for today I want to share with you these 2 arrangements.

These sweet and very original florals were at the main desk as

we entered the Museum. I love them!! 

They are so FUN!!!

That is it for today!

Thank you so much for stopping and reading my blog!

I do love comments so...

Please feel free to leave one!!

Hugs,

Mary

WAM Flora in Winter January 2012

   Hello my kind friends!


Last weekend I was fortunate enough to get over to
the Worcester Art Museum (known as WAM)
to view the Flora exhibit. 

In the dead of winter Worcester Art Museum comes alive with 
this marvelous annual floral design event.


Let me tell you it is my idea of heaven!  Taking in the fresh scent of flowers
art in the galleries and music in the Renaissance Court.  The afternoon I was there the Chorus group from a local high school performed. 


So, my friends grab your cup of tea and settle down for our 

little trip through one of my favorite places!!!

  






                        I saw this handsome guy right near the main entrance.






                              






























Take a closer look at the little fish



I am pretty sure he is made from the leaves of a jade plant.

"Just  keep swimming, swimming..."

       

                           I have to say-This is one of my favorite florals! 

It is so silvery and peach -like a walk on the beach!

Those shells and flowers are reflected on the huge mirror they are perched upon.

A close up

Here is one of 

 Louise Nevelsons sculptures

And this red arrangement next to the black was

a real show stopper!

Many different varieties of red flowers were

packed into square planters creating a

"Nevelson" like arrangement

Here, I just fell in love with the hand made

 tall vases holding these white and coral flowers

This was the florist's take on 

Georgia O'Keefes 

"Blue Skies"

Brrrrrr........



There seems to be a problem with the heat in my studio office...?


I will have to take a short break here.
Please enjoy a few more pictures  I have posted below and
I shall return as soon as possible

Senior Projects Continue

Hello and rabbit, rabbit, rabbit :O)

Yeah!! Lets hear it for my seniors!! Every single one of them did
an outstanding job!!!

Senior Projects, a rite of passage for members of the senior class, 
are well underway at the Academy. 
Grade 12 students are required to complete a project identifying, tracing and 
examining a theme from a literary work, and articulating that theme in another
 art form – music, dance, visual arts, or theater. 


Students spend the first part of senior year working individually
 with their English teachers and members of the Arts Department to
 hone their presentations.
 During January and February, seniors present their projects 
before a jury of faculty members in the Auditorium. 


Teachers are encouraged to allow their classes to attend
 the presentations and there are plenty of friends, parents, 
and family members present to encourage those on-stage.


Some of the short stories are...
Salome,  The Scissors,  Rising of the Moon,   Ana Maria, 
 A Company of Laughing Faces,  Lemontov,  Prue, 
The Horse Dealer's Daughter, A Little Cloud, 
A Simple Heart,  The Centerfielder,  A New Man, 
The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,
Araby,  The Book of Sand, The Dream of the Ridiculous Man
The Weed, Royal Beatings...and on and on


One story I particularly DISLIKE is
The Decapitated Chicken.  But anyways...
On with the photos :O)


Dance

                       
                                                
                                         Theater

                                                      Music

                                             Art

                        


2 close ups                                          Pastels
                                                      Theme - Change With Age
                                                        My Old Home  by Lu Hsun
                                                   

And of course more art......

Charcoal

Theme...Obsession With Death-

The One Who Came To Save Me  by Pineva

Photo Montage

Theme-Cultural Influence

The Weed  by Pritam

Sculpture

Theme- Duty

A Simple Heart  by G. Flaubert

Photography (This is only one of a series)

Theme- Transformation

The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World  by G.Marquez

Mixed Media (close up of one area)

Theme The Negative Effects of Secrecy

A Meeting in Dark  by Ngugiwa Thiong

Mixed Media

Theme-Unintentional Love

 The Horse Dealers Daughter

Textile

Theme- Family Devotion

A Devoted Son  by Anita Desai

Those are all the photos I have at the moment.

I had 16 students in all that I was responsible for-

Many haven't taken art in years.

Hope you all have a lovely day and return to my blog soon!

Hugs,

Mary