Happy day after stuffing your face day!! Happy Black Friday!!!

Lovely dinner, wonderful family time with John and Erin!! Danny and family went to Katy to spend the weekend with Jaclynn's family-love to all the Smiths and Guerras too!!!
Did you hear about the lady who pepper sprayed people who got in her way at Walmart? Wow, makes me even gladder that we NEVER go anywhere on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I'm going to work on my studio tomorrow, need to put up the last pieces of siding, and get the paint and sealer for the outside. I need to take a picture, but the backyard is a mess from not putting things away all summer...gotta be honest, no one came and wrecked my backyard, no alien ship landed, or band of traveling yard wreckers. nope, just us, not putting things up...tomorrow!!
It sprinkled this morning, cloudy sll day, actually seemed more like early spring than late autumn. Pics tomorrow, Dan put trim around the windows of my studio, and we moved it so we could reside the back - it looks awesome! I need my space so I can go out there whenever I want to, and don't have to put things away each time - can't wait!!

TAEA Conference was awesome!!!

So many great workshops and speakers!! I always wish I could go to all of them, it's sooo hard to chose! The highlight was getting to attend Patricia Baldwin Seggebrusch's encaustic workshop!! I am such a fan, and she is such a cool lady! This workshop was worth the whole trip!! We got in at 6am this morning and didn't get up until 1pm! another pj day!! Galveston was gorgeous, but as always, glad to be home...

Progress!!

House has a new roof!!! A few places to tweak - don't like the shiney metal showing, but it's a pretty brown instead of orange, so I love it! My studio has been moved - now the roof, walls, floor and rest of the siding needs to be done. The top half of the artroom has been painted, thanks to John and Max!!!!! Still have to paint bulletin boards and a fews places need to be painted black on the bottom half. I have pictures, but I have 'misplaced' my pink camera - maybe it's with my car keys!!! Still have LOTS of putting away to do in the house, and I have someone who is going to repair the ceiling in the new guest room, sooooo it's getting there slowly. I am WAY behind on the photoshop class, so I HAVE to catch up!. Still uploading pictures and making envelopes for everyone to send the actual pictures to each one. Just found out yesterday that we actually have to be at school all day Aug 9,10,and 11.....that just chopped my last week in half - still have lesson plans, bulletin boards, and major CLEAN UP in the artroom. So there it is! Major progress this summer! And I have 3 more weeks to finish everything else! Yippee!!!

Summer Time!!!

As usual, my summer TO DO list is 3' long, and VERY tiny print...but I don't start worrying until after the 4th of July!
So far, I'm working in the garage, my bedroom, my 'office' in the laundry room, and putting the stuff from my Dad's house away, and working in the yard, and working in my studio(ready to fix the roof, then watch out!! Some art will begin to happen!) aaaannnnddd, then in my spare time, cleaning house and putting things away(hoping not to be turned in to 'The Hoarders' tv show), cleaning the art room, making new lesson plans, going to some awesome jewelry making classes at Beads and More in Odessa, doing a Photoshop bootcamp online, scanning pictures, reading 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Gallows', one conference in Austin last week, and another one in mid July, and hopefully several trips to Barnes and Noble with my best buddy Laree!!
I am a 'grazer' - I can NOT just work in one area until I'm done - I suffer from BSS - Bright and Shiney Syndrome - I can not stay in one place very long, so I work here and there, and get off track frequently...
Of course, the best art of summer is visiting grandbabies!!!! Drew will be 2 in 2 weeks!! Kyndel just turned 7, how is that possible and Jilly will be 4 in October - wow - got a lot of huggin' to do!!

Another BIG Gap!!! BWO or G(guilt)!!!

Graduation is Friday May 27, school is almost out - this year has gone by so fast!!! I still want to add lots of pictures of this year and really try to keep up with this online journal of mine. It's my answer to letter writing I guess.
Trying to get organized, trying not to forget things, trying to keep in touch with my family somehow, trying to 'make time count'.
I've nearly given up my stickie notes since I got an IPAD from Dan for Christmas, that's a big change for me. I make all my lists on it, and I don't forget things as easily - there are even stickies and yellow legal pads in it, the only thing that could make it better would be if the scratch paper looked like the back of an envelope - truly my very favorite list making paper!! Random...
As always I have a HUGE to do list for the summer, so we'll see how well I do. I am VERY excited - just like the kids!!

WOW, 8 months have gone by!!

I started using Facebook, and almost decided to stop using the blog -
Working with my high school kids' photo blog has made me rethink getting rid of mine.
So little by little I will get my online journal up to date...

Check out my high school photo kids' blog!
http://ahs-photography.blogspot.com/

My show is OVER!!

The show went well, I was a little disappointed that so few of the college students came, but I guess that's how it works when you are a 'long distance' student. It was very pretty - it's amazing what a difference a mat and frame make - add a little spot lighting and it is truly magic!! The lovely flowers were sent by my brother Marc and his wife Carolyn. Unfortunately, my photos don't show the magic very well - we didn't bring the big cameras, and my little camera's settings were all messed up, so the pics are not very good.

This show only had 20 pieces - my senior show in 1985 had 42 pieces! Piece of cake!! I have this picture of me and Dad putting the frames together over that Thanksgiving weekend 24 years ago!! Where does the time go?

This time it was Dan and me - my hero!!! And I only procrastinated a little bit, and of course, everything that could go wrong, did...but it looked lovely, and I'm glad it's over!!

Art Show countdown!!!

I am ALMOST DONE with my MASTERS!!!! I graduate in May!!!

My Masters of Art in Art Exhibit is Feb 1-12 in Alpine Texas at SulRoss State University!!! The invitations and posters are ordered, the frames and mats are done, and the glass should be ready next week - it's almost ready - yeah, right!

We set the artwork out last month to see how it would fit in the gallery - mine is on the floor, Ben Sum's (I think) is on the wall, there is another artists work on the wall in another pic - can't remember his name.

Here's a new piece, I had the drawing done 2 years ago, but I did this today! Not finished, but it's looking pretty good - I love oil pastels and oil paint sticks!!! My daughter Erin has red hair and blue eyes, so this is based on her.

Thanksgiving Day 2009

Wonderful dinner cooked by my dh Dan - he's a much better cook than I am! I used to do most of the cooking, then we bought a movie theater here in town in the early 90's and I worked at night 7 days a week for 6 years, we ate out ALOT! Our kids grew up at the movie theater, making popcorn, cleaning, and running the cash register while standing on a stool! It was a family place, and we nearly lived there until I got hired at our high school full time in 1998. Seems like another life ago...

Erin and Aaron ate dinner with us, John and Lisa spent the day with her wonderful BIG family. Danny and Jaclynn and the babies spent the day with her family in Katie! We are spread out all over Texas!

Dan and I will be going to see my Dad next week for a few days, and several of my brothers, Ted, Marc, and Matt for sure, and hopefully Pete too) and their families will be there. My sister Laura and our sister in law Deb and our nephews, David and Matt will also be there, so the whole bunch may make it to visit with Dad and Barbara. It will be great to see everyone for a happy occassion. Can't wait!!!

I'm working on my Curriculum class this weekend, I will have it done in 2 weeks, and then I have to get started measuring, matting, and framing everything for my show in Feb. '10. I already have 7 framed, and 5 ready to be framed. The rest need touching up or something - I tend to abandon things at the end of a semester, so I even have pieces from the fall of 2004 that need a little bit of work!! It will be great to get them off the wall(with push pins) and into frames.
Hope everyone has a peaceful, family-full, yummy holiday. Enjoy your crazy relatives, you IS one to them too!!

Long, long, long, long time!!!

Hi! Hello!! Como esta!!
It's been a while!
School started 2 weeks ago, it is already going FAST!! My kids are great, maybe the best I've ever had! So polite and agreeable, I am so lucky!

It's Labor Day weekend and we're going to see GRANDBABIES!!!! I am so needing little girl hugs! Can't wait! We have little Drew too, 2 months old and 13lbs already! Can't wait to see him, he was only 2 weeks old when I saw him last.

Next weekend is class in Alpine - Sat and Sun, then the rest is online - Adv.Ed.Psych. I took Adv Human Dev. this summer and Art History for Art Educators, seems like the summer went by very fast. This semester I am also doing my curriculum observation at Odessa College - Beckwith Thompson's Digital Photography! Tues and Thurs in Odessa, very interesting, and she teaches Photoshop basics too, so this is perfect for me. MY show will be in March 2010, and graduation in May!! Wow, how did this happen??

Busy busy, maybe I can keep up with things better now that I'm sorta settled in!

Oh Yeah!! My 'Eye to Eye' Went to the Midland Art Association's Spring Show!!!

Another first for me, acceptance into an international show(or at least a show with international entries!!) And what a gorgeous place to have a show - in the lovely Museum of the Southwest in Midland, TX. A gorgeous old restored home in downtown Midland, and there is a planetarium, a children's museum and plans for other things too. I feel honored to have hung a piece on these walls. It looks at home among the other entries.

This piece has gotten plenty of exposure this year and last - I have unfinished work, lots of unfinished work!!! And for most shows, they want work that's completed - start to finish - in 2 years!! Hmmmmm, so there is a shelf life for a work!! Anyone else have this problem???

Speaking of unfinished work...I may have my graduate exhibit in October '09 or May of '10, so I need to get VERY busy! I'm hoping to graduate in May '10, but if they move me this summer, to the 'out building', then I won't take summer school, so that puts me graduating from SulRoss State University with my Masters in Art and Art Education, in Dec. '10, which is fine, but it would be nice to finish in May...

State Visual Art Scholastic Event

We leave for Houston at 6:30AM on Friday April 17th. Which means we leave Andrews at 4:30AM!!! I hate this part!! We'll be staying at Clear LAke, instead of our beloved Galveston this year. Our very favorite hotel, with the most amazing view(and reasonable prices!!) wasn't opened back up yet. We will be spending all day Sunday at the beach, but our hotel choices were limited since the hurricane. Can't wait to see the place for myself, to see how it is faring 8 months later. There will be 4 students going this year, and one for her THIRD time!!

This event is state wide and approx. 2000 artworks from high schools all over the state will be there. What an opportunity for our students to travel to the event, to have their art exhibited and to see the exceptional art of their peers. Every year my students get back to Andrews excited, inspired and ready to get to work for next year.

My Son John's Wedding

John married Lisa on the 17th of January!! Lovely ceremony, they are going to live in Andrews, and we are so happy to have them close by!!

Prom 2009

Prom 2009 - Twilight in Paris
A turquoise-y blue, black, white and silver. Very pretty!! Happened on April 4th, and went beautifully, no glitches!! Yeah!! Only 358 days until the next one!!

Michael David Bohne

My little brother Mike died on Friday March 27. He was 47 years old. A sweet very funny man who'd do anything for anyone. You could never find a kinder, gentler, but crazy, man. We was a GREAT Dad, and a wonderful husband - he adored his family and his church. A photographer, computer geek - teacher and repairman, and he will be missed by everyone. As his minister said, he was the man behind the scenes, the guy who got things done, and went on to the next thing. I always felt so welcome and comfortable in his and Debbie's home, always filled with laughter,good conversation,and lots of love. A gentle giant, my brother, my friend, I miss you Mike.

(He didn't like pictures...he's on the far left, and with that wonderful smile, I should have taken more pictures, he would have let ME, I'm the big sister. This picture was taken 2 years ago, after my Mom's funeral. Don't funerals end up as family reunions? We haven't all been together in 30 years, but we managed for the her funeral - she would have loved it when she was living. why do we wait?)

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity!

Watch this, especially the last half. It is an amazing talk from a wonderful contemporary writer. You will love it!!

Still Working on Prom, Visual Art Scholastic Event, and artwork for my college class...

No wonder I am tired. Three nights a week we stay until 7 or 8 pm working on the Prom. This week the students with projects for VASE stayed too, and last night I think I saw what it would be like to have an AP class - 7 students, all working or helping each other. Art was spoken there, and we 'danced' - it was pure joy to work with these kids who care so much and worked so hard. This was teaching and learning at it's very best!

What a beginning!!

First boo boo of the New Year!!

I was thinking about Charleen, and had gone back through her blog, and WISHED for a doll, and that I hadn't let this or that get away from me, and how long it had been since I heard from her and I had also been looking through Leslie's things and wondering how she's doing and why I hadn't bought one of those cute pillows for my daughter - and well these two lovely people sorta melded together and when I wrote my post, I said Charleen's lovely blog had the blog follower gadget, when in fact it was Leslie FunkyArtQueen (I just relearned how to put the name not the URL!!!) who had it on her blog! So thanks Leslie!! Happy New Year!!!!

New Year's Resolutions!!

2009!!! Where does the time go???
I'm making a resolution to be more 'art-full' and keep up with my blog journaling. Sadly, it may be the only record of ever having lived, since I can't seem to get into the handwritten journaling or even letter writing!
But another 2009 resolution is to be GUILT-FREE!! Be HAPPY!!
Do the best I can, be honest about the time I DO have, and quit WHINING about what I don't have time for!!!
And of course....loose 30 lbs, exercise, and stop procrastinating....same as the last 20 years!! I am at least consistent!!

I saw this cool little 'followers' gadget on dear Charleen's blog http://atime4art.blogspot.com and I've seen this several times since. What a neat little gadget! So I'm adding it to mine! Here's the link with instructions!!
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=104225

Best wishes to all, have a glorious New Year, love and health to you and your families, and keep in touch!! Deb