AESTHETIC EDUCATION SUMMER INSTITUTE

 

 

 

 

My annual "job" has ended.

The intense work of planning with my three partner-facilatators since April
was rewarded with the training of 22 new teachers for the program. My eighth
year of bringing new teachers "on board" since being trained at New York City's Lincoln Center for the Arts in 2001, where the program originated over 30 years ago. Kalamazoo county now has over 200 teachers and 5000 students participating,
as well as around 30 working teaching artists in visual, dance, theater, and music.
You can find out more by going the Lincoln Center's website.

TAOS: taking care of the kids in the band

 

 

 

TOUGH JOB, but SOMEBODY had to do it, and it was a job, not easy to find in taos, 1969.

TAOS/ PEACE~LOVE: THESE ARE THE DAYS, my friend, but so were THOSE

 
 
 
 

Somewhere along the way I've learned to INTEGRATE the then and now, for the good of all. I am the fortunate person that I am now because of all the experiences along the way. 40 years ago, 23 years old, a year out of college, out on the new frontier of HOPE, the promise of that time...Barack Obama was just 8, son of a very interesting, independent mother. Happy mother's day to her, and his grandma, and my mom, who survived all the worry I put upon her. And I survived all the worry I'd put upon myself!!
(record album cover, 1969. i'm the "den mother" with colorful clothes)

TAOS: 40th anniversary of the SUMMER OF LOVE? in KALAMAZOO?

 

GREETED BY MY FORMER SECOND GRADERS, Pablo and Jacob. . .celebrating their last day of middle school. . .by "dressing up". I guess the Taos Summer of Luv Retro thing has spread, even to kalamazoo. We're at the 6th grade graduation of their sisters, and others that i've taught, at our old elementary school.

My how times change, or do they?

Just look at this and then the album cover from 1969 posted on MAY 10TH!!

Solstice Greetings

 

 

The ARCH and I
made it through
a long, cold, snowy
winter

and revel now
in the lightness
bursting all
around

FETZER INSTITUTE'S WELCOME "SIGN"

 

hmmmmmmmm, fetzer institute, right around the corner from my house. a "little" kalamazoo surprise, center of energy, love and foregiveness, hosting desmond tutu, tibetan monks, bill moyers, parker palmer's courage to teach, ... a long list.

check: www.fetzer.org

camera as a tool to avoid "REAL PAINTING"

 
 
 
 

WHAT WAS I THINKING?
"Plein aire?"..wasn't thinking. drawn to the idea of floating around the Fetzer Institute's lovely grounds for a week with lovely lunches served at one's leisure. i did manage a couple of little postcard sized images with my oil sticks...which i will pick up today. and had plenty of weather! and some good demonstrations. and lots of angst over my inexperience.
aw. another lifetime. i'm just a photo junkie and dis-co fan right at the moment, at least!!

mysterious "contemporary"

 
 
 

sign & blocks:
gallery stop

INSPIRATION WALL~~SHELF~~ARTIFACTS (response to invitation to share inspiration boards from 'altered page')

 
 
 
 








































MY INSPIRATION THINGS,
wings, strings,
and even beans.

pods and rods,
clay and hay.
rocks that i've "rapt"
and carried away.

and framed works
from friends
making the wall
that never ends.

INSPIRATION (wall continued)

 
 
 
 

{and a few of my "humble offerings", little practice pieces}

TAOS, FINALLY EXPOSED: big step, showing my WORK?

 
i've done very little lately.
i DO HAVE excuses.
like, work on the summer's training for aesthetic education??
hmmmmmmmmm, looking for a new haircutter???
aw, taking photos? being away?
at any rate,
one thing i did do was to frame what i've come to call "the BIG BLUE TAOS THING" because i started it last july in sas's taos workshop, and rolled it up and sent it home, taped it to the wall, and then started attacking it with my experiential devices and materials i'd bought and never used, like oil sticks. i scraped and scratched at it. and reapplied, and scraped some more. all NEW TO ME. now i've put the big thing in a lovely wooden frame, and it's ON THE WALL in the living room. the fourth piece of mine framed.
SLOW PROGRESS.
SO NOW, i look at it, and think i'd love to find out how to do "encaustic"...add ONE MORE LAYER, but just a fine film of smokey wax.

and i've added something to my blog this week. finally.