And now, for something completely different... All this snow is making everyone feel stressed, anxious, and even depressed. No explanation needed, here! Today's post is dedicated to amazing artists who break down the barriers between art and dinner. Yes, even an almost vegetarian like me can appreciate the talent and vision of the following artists:
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Snowpants. I want snowpants. Not just any snowpants, either. I want the ones I keep having flashbacks of this week as I stand surrounded by mounds of snow and ice as tall as I am (which is quite tall.) My snowpants were navy blue with knit ankle cuffs. I remember being stuffed into them after being stuffed into longjohns, two pairs of socks, the obligatory Wonder Bread bags, and then tight boots. And that is only from the waist down. Mom, how you did this to four kids in order to send them out into the snow "to play" is beyond me. Maybe having a few peaceful hours was worth the effort? Playing could have been sledding down Parker's hill, or running around the multiple frozen pathways in the wetlands behind the house. Parents never came, we were on our own. I'm surprised we never got hurt rambling through sticks and trees, and other unidentifiable and frozen swampy things. We'd clear the snow with brooms and then pretend to skate in our boots, or the older kids would actually don their pretty white leather skates and give it a go. The patches of ice were interrupted every few feet by little grassy mopheads, which made navigation difficult, but we still had fun. We'd build snow mounds and forts. We'd get soaked to the skin despite my mother's preparations, and be back in the house for new mittens several times throughout the day. But not new snowpants. They stayed dry and warm. Maybe it is the amount of snow we currently have or maybe my aging brain has had a neurological hiccup and is releasing a last gasp of a childhood memory. Whatever the case, I've been remembering what it felt like to walk (or waddle) in my little blue snowpants, to feel and wriggle my feet in the smooth plastic bags inside my boots. To have wet, snow-clumped mittens on my fingers. To ride a wooden sled, belly down, as it careened over the recess at the end of Parker's hill, causing a bumpy vibration that made your teeth hurt. When all the mittens were soaked, the outdoor play was over. We'd warm up with hot cocoa made with heated milk and a big dollop of Fluff. Haven't thought of much of this in years and am amazed that the memories are still there. Isn't the brain weird? Back to the snowpants. I wish I had them now because then I surely would be fearless in standing in hip deep snow, scraping down my roof and dealing with the massive ice dam (damn!) that has formed along the birdroom window. I'd trudge out on my flat roof and remove the 30+" of snow piled up there. No problem. Alas, I do not have these treasured industrial snowpants anymore, and have too many reasons why I can not attack Mother Nature with the vengence I feel in my heart. I have to rely on others to rescue my poor little "house on the prairie" with such drastic weather events. Sigh. I can still have cocoa, though, but now it is the instant kind, and I have to pass on the fluff. Here's hoping everyone is dry and warm, and that their house doesn't turn in to a spongy puddle when all this starts to melt. Instead of digging in your snowpants, what will you make today? I settle into another snow day filled with shoveling and worry about the effects of three feet of snow (or more) on flat rooftops. It truly is unbelievable. We have never seen this much snow come our way in such a short time, and more is on deck for Thursday and Saturday. Cities are running out of places to put it and in a few cases will be dumping it into local waterways, salt and all. I have a speaking engagement in Western Mass on Sunday, so looks like that will be jeopardized as well. Snopocalypse continues. Despite all this aggravation, I saw a momentary view of beauty at 5 A.M. this morning. The street outside my art room window was empty and covered with a few inches of fine white and sparkly fluff. The sidewalk had been plowed several hours earlier, leaving five foot tall snowbanks on either side. Running the length of the sidewalk were delicate little footprints I've seen before: a fox had made his way out in search of food. Last year during I storm I'd watched a fox dance in the snow, oblivious to the horizontal fury. It dove into a deep mound and came up with a mouse in its mouth. How it knew the mouse was there, I don't know. Its fox GPS hunting device must be incredible! Seeing the clear path around my house (and to my now full and buried trash barrels) reminded me of how difficult it must be for these creatures to stay warm and fed with this amount of snow. I really should take all the veggies and food the parrots waste and leave it out for them. At least during the storm...but I think it, too, will be buried in no time. The small tracks in the snow were beautiful. Evidence of a mysterious creature whose travels we would not see were it not for the snow. His identity revealed and frozen in the ice. His invisibility taken away. Just seeing the tracks brings him to life and tells me a story of winter. I know the tracks will end up in a work of art in the future...the little creature made his way through a storm with graceful steps and purpose. In a world full of too much noisy information and a lack of the unexpected, this little fella's journey is simple and inspiring. What will you create today? Goodbye world! It feels like a true apocalypse up north, at least in the Boston area. After surviving the wallop of two feet of snow last week, we are facing the same again over the next two days. It is hard to fathom this much snow -- where do we put it? Will the roof hold out? Will that little bit of ceiling moisture go full tilt into a leak? (Praying to God no on that one...) This is truly unbelievable and makes me remember how vulnerable we all are to the effects of nature. At least we can see it coming and understand what is happening. We have satellite maps galore along with dozens of meteorologists relaying their exciting news like play-by-play sportscasters. We can see storms weeks away in the distance, and follow them after they are gone as they travel to remote corners of the earth. We can predict snowfall amounts and somewhat prepare for the onslaught. It all makes sense. We might not like it, but it makes sense. It is Science. Flashback to a time without such intellectual amenities. Can you imagine? Every time it snowed you would not know whether it would stop in an hour or you'd get a pummeling like we are getting now? Imagine living in a cave and being completely subject to the whims of weather...talk about anxiety. Without the relaxation of modern conveniences such as snow shovels, snow blowers, a glass of wine or beer, or even a paxil-like substance. It is a wonder that we we survived at all. Out of this vulnerable culture came art. The first drawings came before the first written words. Early people found security in the act of marking up cave walls and carving little totems. Art was magic and gave people a sense of control over their physical world. Despite the knowledge provided by our amazingly rich technology, I think we need a sense of control, too! Would making a work of art to appease the snow gods actually help? Who knows. It would bring positive human energy and focus to the problem. With current research and studies in the field of epigenetics this days, anything might be possible. So, as we all hunker down and endure the storm in our wood and brick caves, consider making something to pass the time and keep the spirit warm. If it worked 25,000 years ago, it might still work. What are you going to make today? P.S. The photo above is from Lascaux Cave...please note the totem is a birdie. Maybe a parrot...! Art for Art's sake. What does that really mean? A recent meeting with fellow art teachers in my district brought this phrase back to me. The teacher I was speaking with talked about our ultimate goals as art teachers. Are we teaching art for art's sake, or art for life's sake? Defining each of these terms is challenging enough, and depending on the way the phrases are defined, they could actually be interchangeable. Symantics, maybe. Yesterday I received news that my super fantastic nephew earned a very esteemed position in the regional district student orchestra. He had the top score of all his peers, and it is a very high honor. He also has recently received a good part in his school's musical production. While the recognition is nice, it makes me happier to see how hard he works at making his instrumental playing better -- hours of practice and participation in multiple orchestras. He loves it, and it shows. He loves making things with his hands, too -- drawing, painting, and even fibers are things he enjoys doing. He is a truly good-natured person that, even at this young age, knows how to get immersed in the creative act -- be it music or physical objects. What a gift for an 8th grader to already possess! I wish this for all my students -- to bring them to a place where they love to create, and make things that reward their inner selves, not just meet the expectations and standards I put on a project rubric (or the report card, for that matter.) Students learn better in an atmosphere of love and support where they can take creative chances and know that they will be okay even if their efforts don't always work out the way they planned. Criticism is part of the process, from me, from peers, and from the student themselves, but it can be done in a way that fosters artistic strength, not a sense of failure and ineptitude. If students are encouraged to do their best for themselves, and truly love what they do, art happens. I can't say this always happens when kids are told what to do and how to do it, in a pass/fail or heavily graded situation. The current trend of standards-based assessment is a tough one for art teachers. Does an art teacher decide to evaluate first grade Johnny as an artist based on developmental stages such as whether he can overlap shapes yet? Or knowledge of specific concepts and vocabulary of whether he knows what line quality is? Whether he can identify primary colors? Maybe, sometimes. I see students in middle school who still have not grasped such concepts as elementary students. Have they failed for the previous five years? I also meet middle school students who say they "hate art," "fail at art," and "can't do art." Really? At 12 years old they know this to be true? Heartbreaking. How is a student going to develop a life-long love of learning about art and creating this way? I just don't see it. If it is helpful in developing him as a happy creator, I provide such mini-evaluations about student knowledge, but it does not end up on a report card. I propose art teaching standards such as "Does the child see value in what they are creating?" "Does the child come to class with a positive attitude and good effort?" "Does the child find an art medium or an appreciation of art history that they will take with them after they leave my classroom?" These are important standards I'd like to meet. Learning about art is a lifelong process tied into physical development (ever try teaching linear perspective to a third grader? Most likely not going to happen. Some 6th graders are still there!), the self-esteem, and the mental outlook and personal needs of the child involved. It is not about rather arbitrary standards that I develop for my projects and and even those set forth in Important Documents by Important People in the field of Art Education. Let art be art, everyone, in school and at home, and let accomplishments, personal and public, arise out of true love and passion for the subject. Learning comes out of a love and respect for the subject matter, which is fostered in a caring, supportive, and creative environment by people who see beyond ever changing external "standards." I'll get off my soap box now, and hopefully will be doing a little art myself today. What will you make today, too? Hapi said it best this morning..."Cold." Wind chills placing temps in the below zero space, and snow is predicted for just about the next five days. Nature's "shock and awe" performance! There is a sense of despair and disgust in the air as well -- there just isn't anywhere to put this stuff. Now it is frozen and hard as rocks, hard to move, and people are tired to the bone of it. Any perceptions of pretty white drifts is long gone. Worry sets in...will we make it to work? To medical appointments? To get dog food? Will the roof hold all that snow? Will the snow plow come and undo shoveling, again?
Time feels altered when snowcopolypse occurs. It is measured in increments of inches and hours rather than days. Instead of routine, we are all thrown into a new and highly variable schedule of waiting, watching, and whether we like it or not, worrying. At least a little bit. Our busy, uber-scheduled lives need to change and sometimes there is no choice (can you say "statewide ban on road travel?" Massachusetts did!) For the busy, fast moving, control freaks in the Boston area, this can be tough. Creating Time is an interesting book I return to every now and then to re-examine my own perceptions of time. Author Marney K. Makridakis presents alternate ways to look at the time of our lives, and how to use a creative approach to make the most of it. It is fun to think about getting rid of hours or days in favor of a different pattern of activity and being. What if the day was broken up on a different set of choices than just the clock? This is not a heavy academic book, but is informative and a fun read filled with personal anecdotes and food for thought. So as the snow falls, make the tea and curl up with your kindle for a while...no matter how you look at time, the next few days, and nights, are sure to be long ones! What will you make during this snowstorm? Today, more snow showers. Saturday, more snow. Then another whopper from Sunday night through Tuesday morning. This is truly unbelievable. With temps too low to allow for much melting, it is all staying put. While everyone is tired and broken down from the excessive white stuff, I am trying to peacefully coexist. Yesterday I took the dogs for a long walk in my sneakers. It was great! The sun was out, everything was plowed down, and I could tell my maltese in particular was thrilled to stretch his little legs. I was too. The silver lining to all this is forced hibernation with art supplies. Not a bad thing at all! This means chores get done, and art gets made. Birds get out of their cages, and have more fun. We can't change the weather, but we can change how we see it...and with 40+" in a weeks time, we have to try!! Today I will try to post some of my favorite artists' art today -- my students. A few choice pics to brighten the day. Let's hope the class momentum doesn't swing down the hatchet on this fine goal! It'd hard to believe, but even taking a few pictures can be hard to manage when there are twenty-plus kids to manage in a 45 minute time block! Put your boots back on, Boston, it's going to be another long week. Can art make it a happier one? What will you make today? Wednesday already! And it is an early-release day at school, too, so kids should be our early playing in the snow. Or playing video games. Today I am not going to write much. Instead, I want to take snaps of the fantastic art that is happening in my classroom to prove that art, especially kids' art, has the power to boost energies and make people happy. Sharing the joy that I get to see everyday. Stay tuned!! Later that day...
The day flew by with shortened classes and I didn't have time to even pause and enjoy the kids art myself! I did, however, have time to put polish on the website I built for my 7th graders for their upcoming unit on the Renaissance. They buzzed through the first few pages in 20 minutes flat, and summarized the importance of learning about the Renaissance in pretty decent paragraphs, too. These kids are "wicked smahht!" Here's the site -- I am counting it as my art of the day today! Yea, a bit of a cop out, but perfection IS overrated! Truly incredible, historic snowfall. It just kept going last night and today is another day off from school. I got a lot done around the house with yesterday's snow day, so today is hereby named an Official Art Day! Even hired an enterprising teenager to shovel me out so my hands are not ruined for the day. Today I am starting to play with a mixed media idea that has percolated in the back of my mind for literally years. I want to make a fabric book -- full of embellishment and collage. I began by going through my very thick file of old encyclopedia pages I've saved for years...it is time to use them!! The way I encountered knowledge and information as a child is so different now. Information was fragmented and disorganized. Yes, I was a kid who read encyclopedias for fun. The world was sorted alphabetically. Intriguing juxtapositions ensued. Reading twenty different entries on a page was fun and surprising. A collage of sorts. Today kids encounter information based on linked internet resources, according to topic. It makes sense. It is very organized. The volume of information is greatly increased, but it can be sorted in a logical way. I scanned the pages onto eleven sheets of fabric to use as a starting point. As I work on this book I am hoping that more insight comes...stay tuned! Books are yummy. What are you going to make today? Happy to have a snow day, again! February is a difficult month -- snowy, dark, wet, cold. Another flaw is February 14th. Just as those of us who mentally retreat in the winter reach the depths, a little holiday comes along that reminds many of us that we are romantically alone, which certainly doesn't help! Valentine's Day. The recent trend of making or sharing anti-Valentines is funny, but really is putting lipstick on a pig in terms of keeping positive energy flowing. As the world delves into celebrating their partnerships, many of us avoid it. Sure, it is a nice day to celebrate friendships and family bonds, too -- but there is just something missing when one is unwillingly unpartnered. While being single is better than being in a bad relationship, it really is not easy to be alone. Life is hard, and to carry all of life's struggles alone without the security and love of an intimate relationship can get tiring. Especially in February! Luckily I have friends in the same single boat that agree, which is helpful, but is also sad in terms of our overall culture. Recently, too, statistics have shown that single households are more prevalent than ever before. Read about this trend here. Years ago, before I was married (and divorced, unfortunately) I was deep in the trenches of learning about art and spent time with Vincent Van Gogh's powerful book of letters to his brother called "Dear Theo." That book is one of the most powerful books an artist can read, and is a comfort to the soul. It is filled with the creative spirit. Van Gogh discovered his artistic passion later in life, and after his failed attempts to be a preacher. In about ten short years he produced an astounding body of work that bubbles over with passion, and love, for painting, and for life. His reputation is that of a crazed painter, irrational, seized with fits of mental illness. During his moments of clarity, however, he was able to capture with words his experience of artistic ecstasy. His sense of love for life, for painting, for friendship is clearly communicated in his writing, as is his perpetual loneliness. An excellent summary of his writings about love -- not just the romantic kind -- can be found here in an excellent article on brainpickings.org. Totally worth the read! Am looking forward to a busy few hours doing housework that I didn't get to yesterday, and then will get involved with a brand new idea that is percolating in my creative mind. It is knocking at the door and wants to come out! |
AuthorAmy Ropple is an artist and art educator who believes engaging in visual art can make life happier and more meaningful. This blog is a daily journal of creative habits and interests, as well as reflections on living with chronic autoimmune disease. Archives
January 2017
CategoriesDisclaimer: Yes, there may be parrots on this site. I live with five of them and they tend to work their way into everything I do!
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