Citizens of Earth....

I propose a universal vote to extend the weekend!!! Too bad it's already Monday in China...

Tomorrow, I start student teaching in a new school. I have nerves like it's the first day all over again. In a way, I guess it is. I wonder if I'll feel the same way year after year, no matter how long I have been teaching?

Last Day at the Elementary School

Coming into my elementary placement, I was scared out of my mind. Who was afraid of the 1st grader? Obviously me. I felt unprepared and overwhelmed. I didn't admit to my teacher that I had never taught in elementary school until I had a successful lesson, two weeks into my experience. Oh my pride. I didn't add my elementary certification until junior year because I was certain that it was something that I did not want. God had other plans....His plans are always better than our own. I left this past Thursday with mixed feelings of sadness and joy. I cannot believe how much I loved my time there. I fell in love with my students. Children have a joy and innocence that is contagious. Many of them love freely and without question. If you believe in them, they blossom and accomplish much more than you could ever imagine.
I have been particularly burdened for one of my 6th grade students this school year. He has a very rough past, and you can see it simply though viewing the way he carries himself. The innocence of his youth has been ripped away from him by a cruel world. Just this week, I witnessed a miracle. He has been struggling with a project for countless days, and he just could not comprehend it. By the Grace of God, I was honored to see the light turn on in this boy's head. Whatever was blocking his comprehension was lifted! I cannot begin to tell you what joy it brought to my heart to see him succeed. In this same class, two of my other students who were struggling made the same break through. Words cannot express how proud I was. It brought tears to my eyes to see the accomplishment in their faces. My supervising teacher was gone the day that these boys accomplished so much. She came back and asked me how I accomplished a miracle. It was not me, but God....I did nothing out of the ordinary with them. God provided the exact direction I needed to help these students. It was so hard for me to leave them after seeing this progress. Yet, I know my teacher is wonderful and fully loves these children. However, I still want to be there for them. I want to see them succeed and witness their shoulders lift...their heads raise. Yet, I am thankful because as I reflect, I recognize that seeing these students succeed was His gift to me. Through this, God showed me that He is working through me. He was showing that my work made a difference and an impact.
So many more amazing things happened this week, and I am beyond blessed. My favorite class (I'll admit it...I am prejudiced) made me cards this week and brought them to me. This too almost made me cry. I'll have to post pictures of these cards; they are hilarious. I particularly love when children don't know how to spell, so they write one work when really they mean to write something that means the exact opposite. Just wait until I share....you'll love it.
I am blessed beyond measure for this I am grateful!

Cave Paintings

After school I help with bus duty. Some of the kindergartners line up next to the building to wait for their bus. I normally go and talk to them while they wait. Friday, one of the boys was simply being a five year old. He was practicing his balance by lifting one leg off of the ground and freezing....then he would put the leg down. Next he would lift the other leg and freeze. In combination with this, he would also contort his arms as well and freeze. I think you get the picture. Anyway, the following is his one sided conversation with me.

Student: "Miss Felix, you know what?"

Me: "What?"

Student: "If there was a tiger in front of me right now...he wouldn't be able to see me."

Me: "Yes?!?" (I was thinking his response would relate to his ability to "freeze")

Student: "Because I look just like a cave painting. The tiger would think my body was painted
on the wall"

Me: ".....(no response)"

I have no idea where a five year old would learn about cave paintings.....

My Beloved Apartment

I live in one of the oldest apartments on campus. I love it...and have stated that I like it because it is much more "real world". I was right.

The bathroom sink fell off the wall today.

Soon to come....

Hair Cutting, Cave Paintings, and children born in the form of a lion????

What do these have in common? Elementary school children....

JOB OPPORTUNITY!!!!

This event occurred a few weeks ago. I have to share it with you before I forget the exact details. One day after school one of my fourth grade students dropped by my classroom with his mother. He was so excited for me to meet her. I was equally delighted that he thought enough of me for this introduction. His mother and I began talking, and soon got into a discussion about my future. She asked me about where I wanted to work, where I wanted to live....etc. My student had very carefully been listening to our discussion and suddenly added his two cents.

Student: "Miss Felix, there's this really great smoothie place...next to Burger King."

Me: "Uh huh..."

Student: "And they are really good...(he continued to praise this fine establishment)

Me: "Yes...(holding back laughter, as he was so caring)

Student: "And I know they were hiring, I bet they would hire you"

Me: "Really"

Student: "Yes, you know what? I'll see if I can get you an application!"

Me: "Well, thank you."


I'm still waiting for my Culver's Application.....

A cat has nine lives and so does my student..

I have a very interesting collaboration of students. The one that I want to tell you about is on the extreme end of the spectrum. He moved to this town simply because this is where James Dean is from....need I say anymore.

Student: "What's your name again?"

Me: "Miss Felix"

Student pauses for a couple of minutes....

Student: "Miss Felix, you are beautiful."

I will admit I felt pretty good about myself for a couple of minutes...then his conversation continues with another student. This time not about my timeless beauty, but about his colored pencils. He was explaining to the other boy that some colored pencils blow up because they have bombs in them.

Me: "When did you see this happen?"

Student: "Oh, in my past life...."

Me: " What?"

Student: " Oh, you know reincarnation....I remember it"

Keep in mind this is a 4th grader (meaning 9-10 years old). He went on and on about reincarnation until I kindly interrupted and stated...

Me: "I want you to focus on your coloring in your present life"

Hair Removal

As I am procrastinating writing lesson plans, allow me to tell you another story from last week. Some of my third grade students had finished their project, so I allowed them to participate in fun day. Fun Day basically gives students a chance to let their imaginations run wild. Each student is allowed to use one whole piece of colored paper and as many scraps as they want to create whatever their heart desires. One boy was creating a very colorful mask. The mask was entirely purple except for one piece that was lime green. This piece fit directly over his nose and covered part of his forehead. I assumed that I was a part of his mask until I heard a.....RIPPING noise, followed by a rather loud OOWWW! I quickly turned around to discover that the lime green piece of paper had not been glued to the mask, but my student's forehead.

Me---"Why did you do that?"

Student---" I wanted to try it. I see people remove hair from their backs like this all the time on TV"

I kid you not. Those were his words. I could do nothing else but laugh and walk away. What does one even say to a response like that?

Friday's Quote of the Day

I have to say that I think that second grade is my favorite age group that I work with....let me tell you about one conversation I recently had.

Me---"Are any of your classmates missing today?"

Sidney-- "We aren't classmates, Miss Felix."

Me--" Really, what are you then?"

Sidney--"Miss Felix...we are a FAMILY"

----- LATER....

Sidney--" I know how art is made, Miss Felix, Art is made from the heart and the hand"

Rather insightful if I say so myself....

Not to be outdone another student pipes up....

Bryce " But Miss Felix, art is also made from the head"

This is also a student who got flustered the other day because he thought that I was boasting that left handed artists are better than right handed....who knows where that one came from...

This is for you, Prof C...

A certain roommate of mine told me that you frequently check our blogs. So I have decided that it is about time that I post. I have decided that I am going to start writing about some of my teaching experiences. Some funny things have occurred since I have started teaching...including almost falling off of the air conditioner and having a student being concerned about my future employment. These stories and many more are soon to come. Perhaps I'll post some of my projects...

Final Critique Pieces

I couldn't decide which six were my best, so I posted eight. A couple of them are part of series so I felt as if they both needed to be included.

Mail Art

Here is an image of the postcard that I sent to Corinn.

Further Development

I took the tree/root idea a little further. The new word is Change. Do with it what you will. I tried painting on tracing paper and watercolor paper this time. One of my trials with watercolor was much more spontaneous that the rest. I painted directly without any pen lines to guide my paintbrush. I really should change the composition soon.

New Direction

Originally, I created this design for a journal cover. I'm involved in a group called Bound for Freedom at Exit 59. The journal entry on this website, just briefly describes what this organization is about.

Yesterday, I pulled out the design that I created a couple months ago and brought it to life. The two pieces that I posted show the connection between a tree and its roots. The hidden roots provide life to the huge organism above ground. Without roots the tree would be non-existent (or dead). Even in the winter when the tree appears to be lifeless, the roots provide life. The roots are a promise of the hope of spring and the life of tomorrow.

I took pictures of my process; three different steps helped me to arrive at my final piece. The first piece was created on cardboard; the second was completed on a paper journal cover.

Restoration

Initially, when I was asked to write what my art is about, I didn't know how to answer. I still don't know that I thoroughly know how to reply, but I can share what is currently on my mind. As is alluded to by the title, my work is about restoration. It is about bringing healing and showing others their creative potential. Art has brought healing to my own life, and thus I desire to share it with others.

I ran from art for a long time. I lived under the shadow of not being good enough...and feared others judging me and thinking that my work was not good enough. I told myself that I could pursue something that was financially secure and practical, and then be "creative" on the side. But I never had time to create...and became more miserable by the semester. This went on for a year and a half. I was so lost, frustrated, and confused that I almost transferred. In fact, I had my entire schedule worked out so that all my courses would transfer at the end of the year. I prayed and seemed to hear nothing. Christmas break was mental struggle....but then something (someone) stopped me. I realized that I knew God had something for me at IWU the day I initially stepped onto campus during my senior year of high school. It just didn't seem like God...for me to walk away in defeat. By taking all of the courses which would transfer, I was closing every last door to IWU. I couldn't do it. So by the grace of God, I finally stopped running. I finally listened to those that had encouraged me to at least try--to those who had believed in my potential when I only saw imperfection. Two art courses miraculously opened my first week back in January. Within two weeks, I finally knew that I was where I was supposed to be. Slowly, oh so slowly, I started to realize that perfection should not be my only pursuit. But humility...and the desire to grow. I have learned more and struggled more.....and have become more alive than I ever have in my life. I am beginning to recognize who I truly was created to be and it is beautiful.
I want to help others experience the same thing. I can illustrate this in two ways.

1) To begin with, my thoughts quickly return to my nephew. He experiences true delight and freedom when he paints with me. I still cannot believe the transforming powers that a cheap set of watercolors have for him, even on a bad day for him as a result of his chemo. (He is doing a lot better by the way...he is probably in best shape he has been in since he was diagnosed...his hair is coming back :) ). Anyway, my point is.... there is power in creativity.... I have witnessed it again and again. There is healing in creation.

2) Art is so beautiful because it speaks in another language. When I think about teaching, I think about the students with which I will interact. Some children struggle in every academic area, yet when they reach art they excel. They get it.... and they know it. This is so powerful. I want to instill self-confidence in these students. I want them to see their potential... who knows if anyway else will point it out to them. In my practicum last semester, my supervising teacher explained the art show that she has at the end of the year showcasing outstanding student work. She told me that time and time again...other teachers and parents would come to her and comment on how surprised they were to see what they saw. These individuals could not believe that certain students were so talented...when they had originally appeared to be well maybe a bit "hopeless" in other areas.

I don't know if I am expressing exactly what I want to say....I just desire to use art as a tool. A tool for restoration...for hope, for healing, for re-defining who am I am...and for changing how I see the world.

Meet Grace

This is my niece, Grace. I hadn't seen her since January....man, has she grown.

Painting with my Love

Here he is...my favorite painter!

I love it when watercolor flows into itself

Collaborative painting (number 1)


Isaac loves to paint so much that sometimes he says "paint" instead of my name when he first sees me.

Collaborative Fun#2---This may be my favorite

Yes, we are using prang...not tube paints. However, Chuck Close didn't have his first set of tube paints until 5...so I'm giving Isaac a little time to warm up.

More fun (he was so excited to paint...he blended all the colors together in the paint box because he didn't have paper yet)

Love him

I enjoy how the paint mixed into itself in these last two paintings.

I went home for a day this weekend and spent some much needed time with my family. These photos are of a painting session, I had with my nephew, Isaac. Ever since he started painting in August, he's been obsessed. Sometimes, I wonder if he is so excited to see me because he knows that I hold the brushes. Anyway, I feel like these are pretty good for a 2 1/2 year old...watch out world.

Ahhh...Paint

I love how wet watercolor mixes. I think it's stunning....

Painting Emotion

I did a couple of quick sketches/watercolors for Storyboarding. The goal was to track an emotion though a series of eight quick pieces. Here's a few of them. I am not very pleased with these pieces, but they are definitely more free than most of what I do.

Mail Art

Here is the awesome mail art piece I received from Corinn. I love her use of repetitive line mixed with the uncontrolled nature of splatter. Also it is so interesting to see how the bright orange postage lines effect the piece. I will post a picture of the back side of the postcard soon. I just haven't had a chance to cover the addresses in photoshop.

Collaborative Piece

I did a collaborative piece with Justin during the studio hours today. I used the same technique as I did in the previous piece. Then he added a wash, my lunch (chili), and a torrent of creativity.

Reverse Process

Today, I simply played with paint. Instead of mixing it, I simply placed fully concentrated dots and lines of pigment on the paper. Next, I added and splattered water throughout the piece. Then I just let the water to paint interactions happen. I really enjoyed this process. I definitely need to do it again.

Magic Thread....

So...what did do with my weekend? I painting....and painted....and painted some more. As you can see from the pictures, I painted 25 "quick" color compositions for my storyboarding class. Every painting is completed in watercolor and ink. Each one was composed in my brain and on paper. I really learned a lot about watercolor through this experience. I have a couple more paintings to finish, but I feel that I accomplished quite a bit. I have included a few close ups. Some of the color is a bit distorted and faded, so I will try to post some new pictures soon.

Sunshine

A warm sunny day makes a world of difference. Today I took advantage of our studio time and went outside and painted. I think we should have studio time more often (hint,hint). Anyway, I decided to paint something simple like a tree branch. It has nice line and creates abstract shapes. I did a series of three paintings. One in full detail. The next focuses on the background to create the dominate shape. The third focuses on the abstract line created by the tree branch. This was good for me. It was so nice to sit in quiet and simply focus on painting. Once again, I was reminded of the beauty of silence and peace. Our culture is so busy and consuming. It is vital to refocus and take a little time every day.

Descriptive Words

What words describe my art this semester? I am not entirely sure. I could say people or inspiration. Perhaps experimentation or discovery. Problem solving and end result could also describe my focus. I am not pleased with these words. I feel that in the midst of the semester, I lost my focus. I desire to delve into discovery--- to experiment more and discover freedom through my work. So what's holding me back? Time perhaps...or it could simply be the motivation to begin or to know where to begin. In saying this, I come to the question of what words do I want to truly describe my artwork.

Vision

Healing

Creativity

Passion

New Inspiration

Hope...and perhaps a prayer

The work that is best is inspired by God and through Relationship....I want more of that. Creation without meaning is empty.

Perspective...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a brilliant, artistically designed film. This painting is a scene I illustrated for Storyboarding as well. It was a lot of fun to create.

Dancing Chair

This is a painting I created for a previous project in storyboarding. It is a dancing chair...designed in my brain with the help of some highly inspirational music. Also, it is my first acrylic painting.

Playing with Paint

This is an experimental piece. A nice stress-relieving, paint dripping, abstract concoction. I like it.

Inner Canyon View

As the sun was quickly setting, I completed this sketch in about 5 minutes. It is just a different view of the Canyon. I tried a different technique while completing this painting.