Hi - 7

I couldn't go a full week without posting and reading HP is going way slower than I expected. So... I'm back. I am finding lists to be the easiest way for me to post lately because I am just not awesome enough to write a post that makes sense and covers everything I want to say. So here ya go.

1. I ran this morning, for 30 minutes. I decided to try a new route. It was wonderful! I had to stop a few times because it was really hilly, but it felt really good to run. I am finally getting to the point where I don't dread running. I am kind of enjoying it, kinda. So maybe after this triathlon I will train for a half marathon.

2. We should start the process of building our house really soon. If we want to get it done before next August we need to start very soon. We need to be done by next August for many reasons, a few include the need for more space as Evie gets bigger and the need for more privacy now that Ben is home. My parents have been overly awesome about us living with them but I don't want to wear out our welcome. I can't wait to get started! I am very excited about making our house a reality.

3. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, so forgive me if I have. Ben is getting out of the Army next summer. That is another reason why we need to build our house before next August. He will be out, no more deployments, no more moving, no more uncertainty of safety and time together. I am thrilled!! We are both scared of what our financial situation will be post-Army. I truly believe we will be okay. I am thinking I will work more and try to bring more income into the equation.

4. Today I answered a job ad for an ABA tutor. I don't know what ABA stands for but the job is basically being a tutor to an autistic kid. I have worked with autistic children in the past, I have subbed for special ed teachers and when I was a camp counselor I taught autistic children. I had an opportunity to be a ABA tutor in Indiana a few years ago but I couldn't take the job because I knew I would have to move. Anyway, I am really excited about the idea of getting free ABA training and getting paid to help an autistic kid. I love working with families and children, especially special needs kids (as long as they aren't violent, which this kid is not). So, wish me luck that this family and I will be a good match and they will hire me. It would be about 10-25 hours a week of paid work, depending on what they need.

5. I just got another job from the Art Museum for January. They are gonna pay me $100 to plan and execute an activity in conjunction with a new exhibit. I am really excited to get another job and be able to create an activity. I am still teaching twice a month at the children's hospital, it doesn't pay much but I really enjoy it.

6. Ben's sister is coming to visit this weekend. I am really excited to see her and I am especially excited for her to see Evie. Last time she saw Evelyn was Christmas, Evie is so much more fun now, I know the two of them are going to have a blast! And I know Ben is really looking forward to seeing his sister.

7. I think I will be doing more and more farmer stuff in the future. I am actually pretty excited about helping take care of the animals. At some point the goats and donkey are gonna need vaccine shots and I think I will be helping with that. I like giving shots, is that weird?

Art and David

One of the most recognized sculptures in Western art is this one.


Michelangelo's David 1504

This is truly a wonderful sculpture on a few levels. Michelangelo wanted to make the perfect man, he wanted this sculpture to encompass everything that is good about a man. And many would say he succeeded with flying colors. What is interesting about Michelangelo's David is that it is timeless in it's portrayal of male beauty. There has never been a time period (that I am aware of) when having a muscular virile looking male body was bad or unappealing. If you ask me I think David looks a little to young and girly for my taste, but that's me. I prefer an older, darker, and bigger and better looking ideal. But I can definitely see the appeal of this sculpture. The other levels of this sculpture are it's proportions. Michelangelo made this sculpture to go high up on a facade of a church (I think) and so he made the proportions all different so that when people looked up to it it would look in proportion. If you look closely at this picture you can see that David's hands and head are huge! Looking at the sculpture from way below his hands and head would look like they are in proportion. This play on proportion was very adventurous for a Renaissance artist. Another interesting thing about this sculpture is the story it represents. The tale being told is that of David and Goliath. The story is rather understated in Michelangelo's sculpture. The only reference to the story is that David is holding a rock in his left hand and a slingshot in his right hand. But it is very understated and easy to miss these minute details of the sculpture.


Bernini's David 1623-1624

Now here we have Bernini's Baroque version of David. And this David is much more real. Bernini's David is more real because we are seeing David as he is about to slingshot the rock at Goliath's head. The story is the subject of Bernini's David. In typical Baroque style there is a lot of movement, an off center focus, and we are seeing an action at the height of its excitement.



The differences between Michelangelo's David and Bernini's David perfectly illustrate the differences between Renaissance and Baroque art. Where Michelangelo's David is perfect, classic, and static. Bernini's David is passionate, dramatic, and dynamic. I prefer Baroque art and therefore Bernini's depiction of David. Both are stunning though!

Which David do you prefer?

9 North

9 North is the place where little kids with psychiatric problems stay in our local hospital. As you already know I teach art to the terminally sick kids at that same hospital once a month. Today was my first time teaching for the kids at 9 North. It was a great experience. I think the kids really enjoyed having something to do besides stare at the walls of their rooms. We made sculptural chairs out of pipe cleaner and then decorated our chairs with beads and feathers. I was really impressed with the detail these kids put into their chairs. They each named their chairs and talked about their work, unsolicited. It was really cool. But it was also really sad, really really sad. I had to count exactly how many pairs of scissors I had and how many pencils I had, to make sure the kids didn't steal them and use them to hurt themselves. One girl was cutting her finger with the scissors while we were sitting there. She wasn't trying to draw blood she just thought it felt cool. These kids were between the ages of 9 and 15. So young. And they got there for drinking a bottle of Windex because they were depressed, or because they beat up other kids, or whatever. The bottom line is that something in these kids lives is wrong, as in someone or someones are hurting them. Emotionally, physically, sexually, whatever. A baby doesn't come into this world and want to hurt herself or others. Those kinds of behaviors are a serious cry for help. I pray that I can protect Evelyn from whoever or whatever causes these poor kids to feel so bad that they want to die or hurt someone else.

Art and the Ladies

I realized tonight that I never talk about art on my blog. I talk about teaching but I don't talk about the art that I love. So here are some art pieces that I love. The theme of this post is the Ladies. By Ladies I mean women that are strong and powerful or women that are not empowered or strong and how subtle both ideas are in most art that features females. I'll explain why these women are strong and powerful (or not) as we go.

Disclaimer: I love art, I have an Art History BA. But, I am only an expert on my opinion, so go easy on me. And feel free to leave your 2 cents about my thoughts or the art work.

Nike of Samothrace


This piece is really interesting to me. Here we have an incomplete piece of art. This sculpture used to have a head and arms (presumably). What strikes me as powerful and strong in this piece is the pose. She is standing in the classical S-curve that was popular in Greek/Roman art. The s-curve creates a sense of movement, of motion. This sense of motion gives us a narrative. Is she just landing? Is she about to take off? Many questions pop up. The bottom line for me is the beauty of this female form. The seductiveness of the very thin and clingy fabric around her body. The belly button and slight curvature of the skin on the belly. What is strong and powerful about this piece, to me, is the beauty and motion. She is autonomous, she can fly away, she doesn't appear trapped, she feels free and relaxed. I love that!



Manet's Dejeuner sur L'herbe


This piece is awesome because it has many levels happening within it. The women in this painting are both empowered and stripped (literally) of their power simultaneously. The woman in the foreground is empowered because she is looking directly at us (the viewer). Typically female nudes are submissive in that they do not look at the viewer. They don't engage with us, they shy from us, they look away or to the side. Looking someone in the eye is actually an aggressive thing to do, it shows power and confidence. This woman is gazing back at us, she is engaging us and challenging us. So she is powerful, she is calling us perverts because we are staring at her nakedness. The woman in the background is a direct opposite. She is a bathing (almost) nude and she is not engaging us. She is in a cowering position and she is looking down and to the side. Manet wanted to juxtapose these two nudes to show the disparity in what was/and is really going on in Art with all the naked women. He was making an obvious point which is that looking at a naked female is pervy. No matter what the context or how you "dress it up" you are still looking at nudie pics of chicks. I just love the subversiveness of the piece, love it!


I think I have bored you enough for today. I'll try to do this more. Talking about art is really fun to me. =)

Awe Inspiring

Yesterday I went to our local children's hospital to help teach an art activity. It was amazing. I didn't know what to expect with this experience. I knew that they would all be very sick kids but I didn't know what that would look like, ya know. I have never been to a children's hospital, I don't even like going to the regular hospital. So when the nurses brought out the three kids to do the art activity I was really impressed. These kids were hooked up to IVs and had wires coming out of them and they were hooked up to monitors...but they were sitting down with us to make some art. I don't know about you all but when I'm really sick I get really depressed, I don't want to see anyone or do anything. These kids, these amazing, courageous kids sat down with us and smiled, and played, and made necklaces for their Moms. I am crying just thinking about it. They all focused on their families. One little boy made a bead for each of his sisters and one for himself and his Mom. We didn't tell the kids to make these for their moms, they just all did anyway, because that's who they trust, that's who takes care of them. It just killed me! I couldn't cry in front of them but now I can, in front of my computer, holding my sleeping baby.

There are so many sad things that happen in this world. So many scary, violent, bad things. Being with those kids yesterday, seeing their courage and love, and hope and determination...it was awe inspiring.

Intro to Art History

Ok Dear Readers in case you missed it I will be teaching a 12 week Intro to Art History class for high school aged homeschoolers in a few months. Here is the syllabus I have going so far.

Week 1: Prehistoric Art
Week 2: Greek and Roman Art
Week 3: Medieval Art
Week 4: Renaissance Art I
Week 5: Final Paper Assigned and Renaissance Art II
Week 6: Baroque Art
Week 7: Final Paper Topics Due and Impressionism I
Week 8: Impressionism II
Week 9: Final Paper Bibliography Due and Modern Art I
Week 10: Modern Art II
Week 11: Final Paper Questions/Concerns and Contemporary Art
Week 12: Class Review and Final Papers Due

There will be a little quiz at each class to review art we have already looked at. The bulk of the grade will be based on the final paper that is due at the last class. Here's a break down of how grades will work. Each student's grade is out of 100 pts.

10 quizzes=5 pts each
Final Paper=50pts

90-100 pts = A
81-89 pts = B
71-80 pts = C
61-70 pts = D
Anything below 60 pts = F

How does the syllabus look to you?



Ohh OHH! I just bought 4 used copies of Gardner's Art Through the Ages for $16 including shipping! It's an old edition (8th) but still, they'll be perfect for my students! Yay Amazon!

p.s. Am I nerdy or what!!?? =)

African Maraca?

This weekend was awesome! Dear Readers, I have to tell you, my family totally rocks. Period. We are so awesome and we choose the coolest mates, for real. Big Bro and his fiancee Dr. Rom came to town this weekend and it was a blast. I got to spend a lot of time talking with Dr. Rom and I have to tell you, I really love her, already. I have known her for months now and I have really liked her the whole time, but this weekend really took my feelings for her to another level. I don't have any sisters and Dr. Rom really makes me see what a valuable relationship a sister has with another sister. I am so glad she is joining the family. And the icing on the cake of this new sister relationship, Evelyn ADORES her. Evie can not stop smiling and having fun with Dr. Rom. It is so sweet and cute and I just love that they are so good together.



The other awesome thing about this weekend was that I taught that African musical instrument making class. It was the COOLEST! I love teaching art to kids when there are no rules and they can just have fun. The best part of the activity was when the kids took their instruments with them to the performance and they used them as part of the show. That was so cool to hear 30 kids with their maracas playing along to live African music. Here's my maraca.

Shrinky Dink Making

Hello Dear Readers! I am flying solo with Evie again this weekend and I am feeling ambitious. Mom and Dad went to visit Big Bro and Future Mrs. Big Bro. So my goal this weekend is to make shrinky dinks for everyone that participated in this contest. So in the next few days you will be seeing a lot of pics of shrinky dinks.

Haircut and Art

First off I have to say how pleased I am to have gotten 2 people's comments so far, thank you! I really like the interactive aspect of blogging so please keep commenting! =)

In other news, I went to the art museum today to finalize the details of an art activity I am developing for March 17th. The activity is to make an African morocca/musical instrument. I have to have a prototype made up to show them next week. While I was there they offered me more work, whoo hoo! They want me to teach an activity next week to a school group, I of course said yes and thank you. Also they asked me to teach art activities to the sick kids at the local Children's Hospital about 2 times a month, hell yeah! =) I am sooo pleased to be working with kids and art again, I can't even tell you! And I love that I can create my own activities and get paid to do something I truly love, I am so lucky! I thought I would never get to use my degree in a meaningful, non stressful way, but here I am, living the dream!

After leaving the museum I decided to go get my haircut. I hate having my hair touch the back of my neck and I hate having to style my hair so I asked them to give me a dummy proof short haircut. Well dear readers, they did it! I am very pleased with the new 'do.



Finally I have to send a shout out to Heather, Mimi, and Grandpop for being the first 3 winners of the Egg contest, congrats! So that means there are still 2 winning slots left! Some of you are true egg lovers, Mrs. Future Big Bro, so I am expecting to see some comments about eggs from you!