It's official. I've been published!

I received my free copy of 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs. My Jill Plays Jack brooch is featured as a large image. Yay!

Cha-Ching!

It's been a year since we left for Italy. We miss it!

Some really great news...my library gig is now art teacher slash librarian! I am so excited my brain won't stop churning up ideas. I dug out all my art from the old days: ceramic pieces, drawings, paintings...I kept almost everything!

Caroline Mecklin retired and I was offered the position in addition to library. She collected tons of materials for the kids to use on projects. I am inheriting a maxed out art room and kiln! The students loved when I brought in my rubber stuff for a art and science demonstration. I'm stoked to share all the other art techniques with the students. We are going to study color theory and use it for op art, sand painting, printmaking, bookmaking, mobiles, still life, and all sorts of ceramics. I'd love to do some metalworking with them, but this will take some planning and prep. I am thinking about terracotta warriors, greek vessel painting, Cristo transformations, flip books, Seussish paintings, fibonacci op art, linoleum prints, .....

A City onto its Own

The Vatican Museums, Etruscan Gold Wreaths, Bramante's Spiral, Swiss Guards, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain made 2 pooped ladies. We had some great pasta and pizza at a sidestreet trattoria. Mom saw Colin Firth (who lives in Italy). We convinced a father and daughter to try the food at our trattoria. We snail walked to the Metro and back to the hotel to plan our last day.

Farewell

Judy VanValer passed away this year after battling cancer. Judy was compassionate, generous, and understanding. She wasn't my first or my last art instructor, but definitely my favorite. She appreciated my quirks and understood how to challenge my talent.

You will be missed and remembered fondly.

Love,
Jennifer