Be Careful What You Wish For

my yard nymph looks like an Ice Fairy

As the holiday break lay before me, now a week and a half ago, I hoped for time to work on my entry for the upcoming Maine Art Educators Association Members Show at the Saco Museum. I wanted to also get a few things done around the house like cleaning my frig - the dear dinosaur is over 27 years old (my electrician says I should says this quietly) and in need of a good cleaning. Two days before Christmas we had an ice storm and lost power. Late on Christmas day the power came back and by then we were using the unheated mudroom floor for refrigeration. I couldn't just load all the food back into a messy frig, so this is how my wish came true and I found the time to do a nice job cleaning my frig... on Christmas evening. I am pleased that it's clean and I will know all year long what day I last cleaned it!

Ice Storm 2013

Happy New Year's Eve. May 2014 be a wonderful year for everyone!

NBPTS CERTIFIED! and Winslow Homer school mural

'Young Ducks' - Winslow Homer 

This morning before the sun was up, I logged onto the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website and found out that I am a NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER!
I received an email earlier in the week letting me know that the scores would be available today. I patiently waited 6 months for this news. I can not tell you how happy, thrilled and excited I am. I feel as though I could fly, though this might be influenced by the fact that it is a very windy day here in Maine.
Perhaps this is a good moment to share a picture of the mural I did with my students, staff, and learning community (parents, grandparents, etc.) this fall. I do a mural every year with my students. My students are Kindergarten thru 8th Grade. This fun project reminds us we can do great things together. The Portland Museum of Art has posters of the original work: "Young Ducks", by Winslow Homer. Tours of Homer's studio at Prout's Neck are also available through the museum - I highly recommend them. And now, back to thoughts of flying....

Art Room, Art Conference

My classroom, a truly wonderful art room for 300+ K-8 students.

The school year is speeding along. We've had technology glitches to deal with - as in lightening taking down the district's hard drive (and it's still not up yet). I received probably the only iPad mini (in the state of Maine?!) that didn't work properly. How do you know if something isn't working if you've never used it before? I gave it my best shot for 2 months and nearly lost all personal confidence in my ability to use/manipulate technology. The 'lemon' iPad was replaced this week on the eve of my attending a conference in Orono. The new iPad works beautifully and the conference was a good chance to catch up with arts teachers from around the state, and meet new colleagues.

can you hear me knitting?

I charged my batteries at the conference through the exchange of info and ideas and I knitted a pair of mittens!

Orange Sock-Monkeys

... And now back to grading... on many slips of paper the old fashioned way until that hard drive is fully functional.

Late August Poppies & Dilly Beans

I bought poppy seeds in Vermont in late June, planted them after the 4th of July. TODAY the first one bloomed! I will have poppies in September for the first time ever. My veggie garden is still putting forth tomatoes, beans, dill, and cucumbers. I have been making dilly beans. There's nothing like a couple of dilly beans on your sandwich in February to remind you that LIFE IS VERY GOOD.

I have been clearing brush down by the river, washing windows and other chores that I want done before winter. School started this week with 3 days of workshops, the students return on Tuesday. Once teaching gets underway it's hard to find the time for these bigger projects. It was a fine summer. I had a lot of time in my studio, but I am ready to see the students again and see what they will create!

Christmas at the end of July...

I dug up garlic yesterday. Nothing says 'Christmas in July' better than a harvest of garlic!
Summer is battery charging time. I divide my time between my studio and my gardens. I've been working in my studio on two paintings, one is quite large, a portrait. The other painting will become a print in my Etsy shop.



I took a little trip last month. First I collected my mother from her butterfly hatchery in Vermont, then we drove to Montreal to the Botanical Gardens to see the 'Mosaicultures' show. IT WAS AMAZING. This show runs until 9/29/13 and is a 'must see' if at all possible. Here are a couple of pics. The bird sculpture in the water was my favorite.

I want to live in this tree!