Happy Fall Ya'll

Here it is the end of October already!!  As I mentioned in my last post,  I would share some photos of my ceramics workshop that I've been attending for the past month.  We are down to the last class coming up this week.  So I thought it was high time to get some pictures posted.

Here are a few:

I think this is going to be turned into a mug.  The masters make it look so easy.  It is a skill that takes much practice.  The final week of the course is glazing.  I'll see if I can get some pictures of my work up here in the not so distant future.  Thanks for looking!

Fall

Here it is already!  Fall!!!   My last post was this past spring.  Doesn't seem that long ago.  But of course like most people I have been very busy.

Over the summer I helped design an online course.  "The Art of Game Design".  That has pretty much been my focus and continues to be my focus for online teaching this fall as I am teaching two sections of about 60 students total.  PHEW!!  lots of grading!!

As for my printing, that has been nonexistent.  Although winter will soon be around the corner, which is my traditional printing time, or so it has been for the past 3 years.

My wife Deb and I are actually going to be taking a 5 week ceramics class starting tomorrow.  So maybe I'll try sharing some of our progress on that endeavor here in this blog.

I found a funny cartoon related to gamers.  So if you know any gamers out there, you might relate?

My Spring Garden

So I made this quick video of my garden.  Along with showing my garden to you, I'm working on uploading video to this blog.  Hope it isn't to boring!?

Had to use youtube.

Goat Gotta Itch!

I took my Monday, vacation day, last week from school while it was also a rainy day and worked on a new print.  This is it.  "Goat Gotta Itch!" 
Several weeks ago I visited a friend that has about 15 goats in her back 40, and took some pictures.  This print was based on a photo I took of a goat using his horn to itch his leg.  I've seen this sort of action many times when visiting goats and thought it would be a good representation of what goats do?
For this print I decided to challenge myself and do another reduction print.  It has been about 2 years since I attempted a sunset over water reduction print, so this is only my second attempt.  I actually also used wood, so that was another added challenge.  All of my previous prints have been Linoleum.
This is a 3 color print, green, brown, and black.  4 colors if you count the white of the paper.  I started out with 15 copies and ended up with 8 that were halfway decent.  It is not easy to get the registration accurate with minimal equipment.  The size of this print is 4 1/2x 6 1/4".  Hope you enjoyed it.  And if you would like a real copy of it. Drop me a line!

Public Works Administration

Mt. Baldy from Lake Arrowhead

Franz Geritz-1928

A few weeks ago, my wife had the Antique's Road Show on PBS.  During the show a lady had 3 large block prints that she said she saved from being thrown away.  They were prints of Grain Mills and other architecture from the Mid-west.  The antique dealer that was telling the lady about these prints said they were made by artist hired by the PWA, during the New Deal.  A few months prior to finding out about these prints, which by the way were now worth I think about 2000.00, I was at the North Carolina History Museum in Raleigh, NC.  They had a special exhibit of Photography done by PWA Photographers around North Carolina, again during the New Deal.  Oh, here is the actual prints from the Antique's Road Show, just found them.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/199802A32.html  These are really good they remind me of the works by the painter Charles Sheeler and Edward Hopper a bit.  

Charles Sheeler, Ballet Mechanique, 1931

This brings me to my desire to learn more about the printmakers of the PWA.  Who were they?  How were they picked?  What images did they portray?  When doing some research on this using Google... I found a simple quote from Roosevelt:

    "New Deal art would be art that was: …native, human, eager and alive… that was painted for the people of this country by their own kind in their own country, and painted about things they know and look at often and have touched and loved."  http://www.articlesandtexticles.co.uk/2009/04/07/the-public-works-of-art-project-pwa/

So if anyone has anymore info about this subject I would really like love to have you share!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my "Followers" and anyone else that may be dropping in! Last year at about this time I was making some resolutions of all the things I wanted to do in the coming year. I'll have to see if I can find that list:P Hold on...

Ok, I found them, lets see how I did?  These were for 2010.

I don't usually make resolutions, but I would like to try to list out a few that I'm sure I will soon forget about.

1. I would like to do at least 5 new prints this year, I would also like to try to do more reduction prints. Already got 1 done!!!
2. I would like to do at least 2 acrylic paintings this year. Possibly have it reproduced to sell prints.
3. I would like to join the local arts council and try to sell some of my work at their gallery. 
4. I would like to participate in at least 3 art/crafts shows this year.
5. I would like to enter at least one competition/show.
6. I would like to keep up with my blog and website!!! This one is hard for me.

OK, so as I mentioned I don't do resolutions.  Here's the results:


1. I did 3 prints all in black and white.
2. Didn't do any paintings that I can recall? Might have done one for my parents, but can't remember if that was this year or 2009?
3. Still haven't joined the arts council.
4. participated in No arts and crafts fairs.
5. Entered no competitions.
6. HUmmm, not very well at that one either!


While these were pretty lofty goals and I didn't get to reach most of them, I'm wondering if it really matters.  There were alot of good things that happened this year that I didn't plan for!! And I was blessed with anyway. One major things I was blessed with a new part-time job teaching Digital Photography Online!  So maybe making New Year's resolutions is just a good way to reflect on the past year.  If you can keep up with them:)  Maybe I'll post some new ones tomorrow, in 2011!


That's all for now!

Contentment

Ok, This is the first time that I've done this but I've been contemplating the idea of contentment for the past few days. Mainly in light of recent events that are happening in the world and in my own sphere. It is a concept or principle that seems to get lost in daily life and living in the USA. It would seem that the whole American economy is based on not being content, needing to get new and better things to fill our lives. It also raises the question that I've heard many people say over the years, "How much is enough"? So what is the truth about contentment? Well , I believe the best place to turn is to the Bible:) Basically, I feel like I can have all kinds of thoughts about contentment, but it is the Bible that is the real authority for me and gives clear direction on the issue of contentment. I have not done an exhaustive study on contentment, but I would just like to share a few things that I thought spoke to me personally.
First of all I found the most obvious answer to contentment, it is found in the Lord. Paul was speaking in Philippians that he had "learned" to be content in whatever his situation, abounding or in want. "Learning"- jumped out at me! What does that mean? "Learning to be content." After checking a cross-reference 2 Cor.9:8-10, I found that God is the one that makes Grace abound and supplies you with every good work... Humm! Well, if you continue reading in 2 Cor. you can see that contentment, as Paul may have "learned", is gained through helping others that are in need. That seems like it would lead to contentment wouldn't it?
Paul writing to Timothy about contentment has some familiar words that you may have heard quoted by many people. "Now godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this word and it is certain that we can carry nothing out, and having food and clothing we shall be content."-1 Tim. 6:6-8
So, it seems that there is a freedom in these verses.
As I began researching "contentment" I started in the Old Testament and found some interesting advice written in Ecclesiastes. This was written by Solomon, as he was given everything that he asked for, by God. He found great Joy in the works of his hands that God gave him, But also realized that it was all vanity, grasping at the wind.-Ecc.2:10-11
Later in Chapter 5:18-19 of Ecclesiastes- He writes, "It is good and fitting to enjoy the wealth of the labors of your hands- this is a gift of God, for he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joys of his heart." What does a person who dwells unduly on his days look like? I think it is someone with regrets? If you continue reading in this chapter it paints a grim tale of a person that holds onto his wealth and doesn't enjoy it. This brings us back to the beginning of my outline here. How do you have contentment? I hope that this made sense and is a starting for living with contentment.- Merry Christmas!!