Advantages of an Art Educator

As an artist it is very important for me to practice drawing from a live model, to keep my observation skills honed. However, being an art educator, makes it difficult for me to attend the figure labs near me during regular days. So when the school does a one day "Jump Rope for Heart" day, I am overwhelmed with joy! I don't teach a regular class that day, but help monitor the kids as they " jump rope"~ we gather in the gym and I bring along my sketch book to practice my quick & fast gesture drawings!!! 

This year I brought along my water refillable brush and a sketch and wash pencil by "General" , some manilla paper and some loose strathmore paper out of an old sketch book. I was set. 

The trick to making action drawings is in your skill to observe and record with your eye and subconscious mind. Watching consistently makes you see the rhythm of movement being created by the model. In my case, jumping rope. It doesn't matter if the model you are observing moves away while you are drawing. The next jumper who comes across your line of vision may be doing the same movements. Your eyes must linger on the contour of the figure ( model) being observed, every fraction of movement being followed by your pupil is like drawing with your eyes. Don't think about the pencil in your hand. The hand moves automatically with the eyes, following the contour and gesture. Very quick, scratches, dashes, dots and squiggles. Now move on to the next drawing. Each drawing taking only seconds to draw. A most exhilarating feeling! Try it, as an art educator, you have no shortage of models, for the rest of you, go visit the local playground, watch a sport on TV, go to the zoo. 

Now I am thinking of using white pastels to do some highlights on the Manila paper - later, I want to share these right now! 

Visiting SanAntonio

Last week went to San Antonio for the Texas Art Educators Association (TAEA) annual conference. It's really a beautiful city with the beautiful river walk, trees, markets and arts! Since I was presenting too, did not quite get the time to see as much as I would have liked to. However I did get to do some sketches in and around the hotel and convention center. I really need to get more organized about recording my travels.

Catch up Time

If HAS been ages since I have has time to write! Not that I stopped sketching, just busy getting the classes going. l have been doing small, random sketches around the school - and now I realized it is already time to do the first progress report cards!
So I have been playing with the ballpoint pen and these are what I scratched up- I think the speak the way I feel- 1) too many things to do, 2) working to the bone, and 3) now ready to jump to the next session!!

Summer Travel to Bangladesh

I landed on a Friday and the streets were empty - because being a Muslim country their Friday is our Sunday (pray at the mosque). The ride home was quite calm and the day came when I was finally over my jet lag and went out. No one follows any traffic rules, everyone is everywhere all over the place... cars moving at ants pace and breaking and jerking all the time! HELP... I need my chiropractor! Since we were so long sitting in traffic, I got the chance to do some sketching-

Art, artists, friends, food & hogs!

Hanging out with artist friends is a great way to spend the weekend. After visiting an art show in Bay City-we went over to Matagorda Bay, where there is a restaurant almost in the middle of nowhere, set next to the water banks. On the opposite side of the banks were collection of hogs! Many, many hogs! The food MUST be good. Inside the restaurant they had all kinds of hustle bustle, lights and wall hangings including a flying pig (or hog?) welcoming all! The food took two hours to get to us, but the wonderful company of friends made it all better!

Lost in Downtown

So I got to use my phone GPS for the first time! I had to go downtown -(Houston) to attend area art supervisors meet at the Hobby Center. What a beautiful view from the "founders room"! Things were going fine till it was time to come back home! So I turned on the GPS and stared at this blue dot that kept blinking at me as I drove... and drove and drove. I was getting quite concerned because I had been informed previously that the "dot" moves when you do!!
But the dot just blinked back at me from the same spot! I drove some more, getting quite giddy by now, almost panicking, thinking about all those one way streets...
And then... I realized I had only been going round and round - yes I was still in the parking garage!
You think it's age?!?
Well, at least I got a nice sketch done!

INSPIRATION

There is nothing more inspiring than hanging out in a studio classroom at Clements High school! The moment I walked in I can hear the rhythmic beat of music, I see students bustling about trying to finish up last moment art work, while their teacher Ms. Reedy patiently tries to fix the Matt cutter. I sit in one corner and spy a column in the middle painted by various graduating students of past. Paintings strung all around - each singing a different tune , yet all the same dreams of aspiring artists! All getting ready for year end show "Retrospective". - tomorrow.