a little Buonorroti

graphite on paper
April 2009
sketch/detail of Michelangelo's Pietà

The Bear

The Grizzly (adapted from National Geographic, January 2009) [Graphite on paper]

Setting small goals while watching TV online

Ok. Doing all this work means setting a million small goals. I can't look at the big picture too much: teaching, learning, fathering, personal growth.. Trying to fit it all together in one scene is too much like trying to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in my head. So instead, I'm going to work on one sketch at a time until somewhere down the line I have a finished picture. Once in a while I'll stand back to make sure it's not becoming too surreal.

For today: I finished one of three readings and posted a discussion topic entry for the first of three due this week. Hooray for me! Now I'm grading journals for French III & IV while I let Fringe play on Fox.com. (I caught part of the pilot, and it intrigued me. However, why do we need so many British or Australian [etc.] actors on TV pretending to be American?) It's something like a 21st century X-files. I don't know if it's meant to have the same cachet, but it was worth a second look. The first episode did freak me out with the whole liquefied flesh business. It's not a show for the kids!

One journal left, and then it's off to marking some homework papers and checking art projects. Believe it or not, I do work my whole planning period. I'm going to have to cut back on preparations...someday.

Well underway!

Whew! After two and a half weeks of school, my students are all into their first projects. My French 2 students will give short oral presentations on their future careers. In my French 3 class, students are 'remodeling' a room in their house while keeping to a budget in Euros. My students in Visual Arts 1 have completed a project on the principles of design, and starting Monday, they'll be exploring the art of Australian Aborigines. I'm excited.

feed address change

I'm making a few changes to the overall idea behind my website. When I started, I intended mostly to post artwork. However, those who read my site probably notice that my life takes up the biggest portion of the posts. Without further ado, welcome to art, life & poetry.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/artlifepoetry

Practice

Because I'll have who knows how many art classes this school year, I figured that I had better dust off my pencils and sketch book. With so much translating to do lately, most of my spare time has been devoted to reading and improving my French skills. My drawing has been ignored, and photography has been something I've enjoyed only once in a while. So yesterday, I trekked over to the Barnes & Noble to sit in the café, to have a latte and to sketch from a coffee table book. I found some beautiful 360° photos of places in France, and once my inspiration opened before me, I began to sketch. Here's my version of a sand dune in the South of France.

Dune, July 2008 (graphite on paper)

Ancient Indian Art

In the National Geographic issue for January 2008, I read portions of an article on Ancient Indian artwork from temples and religious structures throughout the subcontinent. The artwork is inspiring and striking even in its decrepit state. I can hardly imagine its beauty in its most pristine state. My one, simplistic sketch in chalk does not do justice to the fresco depicting the god Krishna.

Trompe l'œil

It's just a Kodak CX7430 EasyShare snapshot of my computer after I uploaded a picture of my Christmas tree. If I could balance the colors better, the trick would be more appealing.

Still life on crumpled cloth (Store-bought kitch)

Ebony pencil on 65# Canson white paper

Morning Meds in Macro

taken with Kodak EasyShare CX7430, retouched in Photoshop Elements 2

Value scale of colored pillows

taken with Kodak EasyShare CX7430, cropped in Photoshop Elements 2

Suddenly one room seems too small

tempera (water color pigment mixed with egg yolk as a binder) on 90 lb. paper