Arts & Enrichment Evening!

The Spanish teacher and I are putting together our 1st annual Arts and Enrichment evening, which will feature my end-of-year student exhibit, as well as crafts and a performance from his students. I can't wait! I'm working with Artome for the exhibit. This is the first time I've done a whole-school show, so it's been quite the undertaking. However, Artome makes it a lot easier than matting and framing everything myself. If not for them, I don't think I'd be doing this. I know there are art teachers who spend weeks (months??) preparing artwork and hanging, so I'm grateful for the help.

I had invitations printed through Vistaprint, and they'll be here Tuesday. (I've used this company for business cards before, and I used them for my creativity campaign posters earlier this year. Great quality, and I can't argue with the price for such professional products.)

Here's our invitation. If you're in South Florida on May 18, feel free to stop by!

IF: Return

Summer is a mere two months away, and I am anxious for its return!

The end of the school year is always a bit exciting (energies are HIGH), but it's also more than a bit packed with all that still remains to be completed. I'm planning two field trips and my end of year exhibit (for all 600 students!), plus evaluations are coming up, and, of course, the FCAT (Florida's two weeks of standardized testing). And now MAPP testing, as well...the students will be given a standardized test in the Enrichment subjects. I've never had to "teach to a test" (and I refuse to do so now), so this whole idea of testing my young artists on content (especially when I only see them once every five school days, if that) is a bit stressful. And so visions of lazy days filled with reading and painting are my fuel right now.

This illustration is how I imagine myself for the larger part Summer 2012. Apparently, I was thinking the same thing around this time last year, as I painted this last May. The girl in the painting is not me at all, by the way. She just kind of appeared in the midst of the flowers, and she did seem to kind of belong there, so I allowed her to stay. I apologize yet again for pulling a painting out of the archives. (See above for my excuse...)

So let's go, Summer. I'll be right here waiting, Kindle and paintbrush in hand.