New York Library Digital Drawings

I was following some of my favorite blogs today when I discovered this on the Brass Goggles blog: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?1157694

I can spend countless hours pouring over ancient artifacts. I often wonder if I would have been a better anthropologist than artist. This collection is wonderful for anyone interested in the art of science. There are many images including astronomy, musculature, cartography. Check it out.





Have Fun!

Another Day, Another Task

Okay, so I got up early intending to get ALOT of stuff accomplished around the homestead. Not so. I've spent most of the morning and now part of the afternoon playing around on facebook. Yep. I've taken the plunge. Not that it was a hard dive.

I have mostly avoided it because of an already full schedule. I mean, it will seriously eat into my gaming time...er I mean my work time. Today has been fun.

I'm still exploring the interface. I will eventually add my some of my artwork and get it all up and running properly (if such a state exists). Until then - I must get some paperwork finished for school and tackle a couple of boring chores around here.

And then...there are mutants/zombies/ghouls to fight. So when you awaken to a ghoul-free land, you'll know it twas I (and a few of my friends-you know who you are)ridding the world of nasty creatures one game at a time.

Dreaming of Summer Baseball

Andrew's High School Baseball Cap

The following observation is from a game Hubby and I attended last summer. We love going to baseball games. My oldest son played high school baseball for four years. It remains one of my favorite sports. There is something so American about baseball. When we get the chance, we go and as you can tell from the following, not all the action I watch is on the diamond. Dreaming of warm days and baseball...

Last night my hubby and I went to a baseball game. We had been trying all summer to juggle this into our hectic schedules. Well finally, the last home game of the season, and we have tickets in hand. Then the rains began. Wow. All summer we've been in a drought where the rain has measured in scant fractions. All it was waiting for was us to get tickets.

The game did go on. Our seats were field level near home plate on the third base side. But as much as I tried to get into the game I was much more thrilled with the action in the row in front of us; and later the rows behind us. Seated directly in front of us were three of the most adorable tow-headed boys I've seen since my three sons were tow-heads.

These three ranged in ages from...ummm oh about...2.5 to five. And they were boys. Cute, round-eyed, sun-kissed, rowdy boys. Sigh. The sight of them prompted fond memories of all the games and events I sat through with my expressive sons. It also gave me great pleasure not to be in their parents' seats. I was loving it.

Let me stop here and say to all you parents of young sons, if you see women of a certain age smiling wistfully yet bemused at you, we are not weird, we've just been there. And it's lovely to remember and even lovelier to be a spectator in the wild tribal happenings that are sons.

These three were bouncing, prodding, slurping, sticking their tongues out at one another, doing the he-looked-at-me-make-him-stop thing and watching everything but the game. The smallest had the most angelic smile and kept looking back not only at us, but at the other little boys with their dads behind us.

Angelic boy bounced around from seat to seat between his mom and dad for a while until Brother Two (I'm going by size here) started poking at him. This prompted Angelic Boy to poke back and the games began. I must applaud the parents. They never lost their cool. They would lovingly separate the two causing the commotion and then go back to attempting to watch the game for a few moments. I do mean moments.

Then Curly-Locks Brother, who appeared to be the older, would begin the twenty questions Angelic Brother scrambled around from mom to dad, then back again. Finally, Angelic Boy crawled onto his mom's lap and she did what every mother on every continent has done since children have been born, she lightly rubbed his head with her fingertips. He sat motionless for a long time. Until Brother Two knocked his seat bottom into her arm for the second time. Ah...the pleasure of watching from afar.



Elsewhere there were more boys, more girls, more parents. You could look around and see older men and women, childless on this evening, smiling those wry wistful knowing smiles as children begged for more sugary treats, bounced over seats, and caught imaginary fly balls; happily watching the action - all the action!

Friends and Followers Lend Me Your Eyes!

Ahh- the exhilaration of having an entire week stretched out in front of you. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do. Chores I've put off too long, books begging to be read, paintings I've promised for months to finish (start in some cases), drawings in my head that claw desperately to get out, fingerless gloves (I have tried, started, ripped-out and knitted, crocheted, and cast aside a dozen patterns and ideas)to be made, recipes to try.

Sigh. The kitchen needs painting, the recycling needs attention before it takes over the basement completely, and we won't even discuss the gardens. I have several lovely bolts of drapery silks screaming to be made into very dreamy draperies, but here I sit, hungrily catching up on all the blogs, websites, reading rooms, twittering, etc that I've ignored for the last 8 months.

So how've y'all been? What new ideas, technologies or dreams have you been chasing? What keeps you sane? What makes you deliciously insane?

Insanity CAN be delicious, yes? Those moments of peaceful internalization where you finish every chore, paint every masterpiece, design every wonderful object to perfection. You understand I'm not talking about true psychosis here, just a little fantasy to get you through the long winter days.

I have discovered Following! Late, yes, better than never though. I have begun my reader's list of blogs that I follow more or less with consistency. I've also added a Following widget to my blog. Please become a follower. I would love to know my blog occasionally gives you some enjoyment (boredom, peace, humor, out-and-out laughter at my horrible attempts at blogging... did I say that aloud?)

Read on my lovely friends.

Magical Winter Wishes!

Life's Been Busy!

Needless to say being a new teacher is very intense. I really love it even though I'm busier than ever keeping up with all the stuff that goes along with daily teaching. It will get easier and then I'll be able to once again blog and create artwork for me.

We are going into my favorite season of Autumn. I love the way you can see and smell the changes in the air. I especially love the early mornings. The wee bit of crisp in the air is heaven. The turning leaves (which may be soon) are breathtaking on my street. I'm sure I will enjoy numerous mornings walking to work through their loveliness.

My garden has all but expired due to drought and inattention these past few weeks. Ah well, there is always next year. The above chestnut photo was taken last year in my front yard. I would like to tell you we've enjoyed a few of these great nuts, but we haven't been able to harvest any nuts before our squirrel population does. And who could blame them? We have, in addition to the chestnut tree, pecan, walnut and hickory nut trees. These are mixed in with several very old white oaks. Squirrel heaven around here.

I wanted to touch base with everyone. I am still here. Still creating, although currently, for a different purpose. Life is good.

Until later - Happy Mornings to All of You!

New Career Move!

I've been challenged with re-designing the Fulton Falcon look. Fulton has changed to the Academy format, so a new look would help. This is just one idea. This will most likely become a class project. Any Fulton grads are welcome to offer ideas.

Egads! It has been way too long since my last post. But the good news is it has all been for a good reason. I am now a teacher at my old alma mater, Fulton High School. I will be teaching Graphic Design. I am very excited about this new venture. I have always loved teaching and love what I do as an artist, so why not both? Although lately I've been too busy to be very creative and am starting to feel the itch to get something new started.

Summer is a bad time for me to try to get very many indoor projects accomplished or to focus on much more than just working in the yard, gardening and basic chores. I seem to overextend on a regular basis and should never attempt anything else this time of year.

Autumn is my season. I seem to come alive as the leaves begin to change. I love the call of the cicadas. I love the change in the air. The bright blueness of the sky. I have a murder of crows living in a tall pine in my front yard and they caw more in autumn...love it!

I even love going back to school! Which this year I will be walking the halls of my former high school and striving to make a difference. I hope my students will be as excited about art, design, illustration and all that goes with those disciplines as I am.

So bear with me while I get my footing in my newest challenge. This will be the only post about my teaching position. I will (at some point) have a teacher web page on the official school site. So I won't be posting anything concerned with the school except there.

Yay! Go Falcons!