Scholastic Art Awards

The Boston Globe Scholastic Art And Writing Awards is an important event for art students and teachers all across the country.  In the Boston area alone, 9500 pieces of art work were entered by 1350 art teachers .  I am happy that we recieved 5 awards which is 2 more than last year.

Shirley printed 3 of these plexiglas drypoints and added watercolor.

Amy used color pencil on brown paper to create this Fauve style self portrait.

Rico excelled at composing this white pencil chiaroscuro self portrait.

Siobhan painted a striking cultural portrait of Ann using Indian motifs.

Chelsea won a Silver Key Award for her self portrait, "Countenance".

Posies

I painted this over Christmas.  There is something meditative about painting flowers: There is nothing to think about, just the joy of mixing up the right color and playing with illusion.

Restoration of My Public Art Project in Cleveland




The Corduroy Roads, one of six windscreen - benches at Settlers Landing

Sandblasted glass panel before paint application, (A. Winton & his wood body automobile in Cleveland, 1897.)



When the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority contacted me to repair some broken glass panels, I was delighted.  I was told that my public art project is very popular.  The bench - windscreens explore the history of transportation in the Cuyahoga Valley from prehistoric times to the present.  The line drawings I produced were originally photo sandblasted into 1/2" safety glass by Jerry Keller.  I sent the films, which I have in storage, back to Cleveland and Jerry sand blasted the three replacement panels. 

I used black enamel paint which was applied with a brush and squeegee.  The paint filled the sand blasted lines.  After drying overnight the glass panels were scraped with razor blades to remove the surface paint.  This process of inking and wiping is very similar to how an intaglio etching plate is prepared for printing.  

  Jerry has a gallery and studio, Keller Art Glass, in Cleveland's Little Italy.  The workshop has facilities for lots art production of experimentation.  His new idea for decorative glass guitars has been well recieved in galleries around the country.

 
  The finished panels were cleaned and then installed at the Settlers Landing Station in downtown Cleveland.  There are a few more panels to be restored.  I hope to be able to return to my home town this summer to complete the repairs.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

These watercolors were painted from photographs I shot while in Finnish Lapland. 

 I really loved using my new camera.  See my photo blog, http://portraitinfinland.blogspot.com/

Teaching and Remembering

 
I am lucky to be teaching at one of the best high schools. According to the Washing Post, High School Challenge 2011, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is the 7 th. best in MA! According to Newsweek, MVRCS is the 4 th. best in MA and in the top 10% in the USA. The art room in Massachusetts actually reminds me of my old high school's art room back in Ohio. We used to refer to our art teacher as Mr. Roy G.B.I.V. Houston. The photo above is of me sculpting a coiled ceramic piece, 1969. The man in the background is Mr. Houston.

"Wanderlust"

A globe supports a woman who entices a man to leave his realm.
A plastic travel mug depicts the space shuttle.The sunflower's petals fall.

"Dahlia"

I recently reworked this painting, changing the size of the small flowers to diminish and recede back into the space.