and we lived beneath the waves

One of the KAC camp subjects this week is underwater explorers. Today they made a big submarine out of cardboard boxes. They ate lunch in it and then painted it. They painted it plaid. If I can, I'll post pictures of it tomorrow.

e

E as in Eddie Izzard, who I saw last night at Radio City. Knee-slapping. He spent a good 10 minutes using his iPhone to look up soup on Wikipedia. For a geek like me, it doesn't get much better than that.

cake or death

I see London

My favorite student interaction of the week...a conversation between me, an 8 year old girl (L) and a 7 year old girl (H), after I had bent over:

L: I saw you're underwear. It was light blue.
me: Yes it was, it still is.
H: Mine is white and green and yellow and stripes.
L: Mine is white and it has Beauty and the Beast on it.
me: (as L starts to lift up her dress) No, you don't have to show me. I don't have Beauty and the Beast on mine.
L: No, yours is light blue and it has curly stuff on the edge. My mom has the same underwear. Except it's a different color and it's a bra.

zee

There is a reason, I swear.

ming

My friend James, who just finished first grade, suggested today's block - the Chinese character for tomorrow. He even drew it for me, so I'd know what to carve.

talavera sol

...de México

spinning lizard

...inspired by Aboriginal dot paintings.

tianlong

KAC's summer camp subject this week is world explorers, so the kids are doing projects from around the world. Monday was America (since that's where we are!), today was Africa, tomorrow is China. So...I'm doing blocks somehow related to those places, but I'm doing them a day early. Keep watching to see where we go on Thursday and Friday.

dwennimmen

Adinkra ram's horn symbol - humility + strength.

bear fetish

this is the edge of insanity

And on a seemingly unrelated (but it is actually related) note, happy birthday to Ray Davies.

age of machinery

Je, le robot

I, robot

son of beep

It's robot week at KAC's summer camp. Here's a glimpse of the (very serious) robot army invasion.

beep

TQK

This block is from a sketch I did in a life drawing class this morning. Quite a challenge, carving bodies.

pictures at an exhibition

Today was the opening of Katonah Art Center's 11th annual student exhibition - several hundred works by students age 2ish up through grown ups who don't tell us their ages. Here's a sampling...









[the painting I would buy if I had enough money]


[my new shoes]


My favorite moment of the day... One of my little 5 year old students (pictured below) was standing next to me vigorously rubbing my leg with both hands. A moment later I heard her mother saying, "I know you like the way the nylons feel, but it's not appropriate." I love my students.

eek

Just as I was thinking I better hurry up and carve something, I came across a little mouse in the basement. I took him outside and sent him on his way.

plan 9

he'd like to come and meet us

but he thinks he'd blow our minds

take your protein pills and put your helmet on

can't judge a book by lookin' at the cover

Coming soon - Mixed-Media Self-Portraits: Inspiration & Technique, from Interweave Press and Cate Coulacos Prato. It'll be in stores September 1st, but is available now for pre-order at amazon.com and will shortly be on quiltingarts.com. Yes, that main cover image is me - an Andy Warholed version of my self portrait photo, taken with my laptop camera in the middle of the night, printed onto fabric, collaged and swirly-whirly stitched, being watched by a painted crow.

[the product description]
Featuring artwork from a wide range of contributors, this resource explores creative self-portraits through fun and easy exercises and essays that instruct and inspire artists working in all media. Examples of collage, fiber arts, and mixed media artwork offer visual inspiration while essays throughout the book act as a guide to personal and artistic self-discovery. Step-by-step techniques and creative prompts are used to direct artists through different approaches to creating self-portraits while exercises utilizing collage, drawing, photography, and stitching will jumpstart the creative process and get ideas flowing on paper and fabric, encouraging artists to express themselves in new ways.

Bo Diddley says...
You can't judge a fish by lookin' in the pond
You can't judge right from looking at the wrong

ole ole, ole ole

feelin' hot hot hot

one

The number one for the first day of summer camp at the Katonah Art Center.

daxiongmao

ooh, foxey lady

accidents will happen

Today's block is a bicycle gear. Here's why...my son Lex was hit by a car today while riding his bicycle. He's okay, just banged up and bandaged. We'd like to thank Bob Stoddard and the crew from the Lewisboro Ambulance Corps, Drew Marchiano (Lewisboro NY Chief of Police) and Scott Orlando, the good Samaritan who stayed with Lex until he was taken to the hospital. We're eternally grateful to you all.

moo

I'm going to be somewhat random for a little while - I'm taking requests from my students.

IF ... baby

oh 8

During (and I do mean during) Barack Obama's keynote address in 2004, I went online and bought bumper stickers and buttons that said Obama '08. Did I mention that was 2004? Four years ago. So now here we are in 2008 and my bumper sticker is faded with age, but it's still on my bumper. Just before Obama's speech last night, I got an email from him, asking me to watch him speak. I get many emails from him. They're always addressed to Elin and signed Barack. I decided long ago that I was going to believe that they were really addressed to me and that Barack and I were on a first name basis. Yeah. Maybe I need to get out more. In any case, I'm happy about the current political situation.

esqueleto volador. part 2

Alrighty, so obviously I've moved on from the mythological/legendary/cryptozoological creatures. I reserve the right to revisit that theme (I didn't even do the Minotaur - one of my favorite weird, sordid tales). Thanks to Joseph for suggesting the theme, and to everyone who suggested specific creatures.

The last few blocks have been skeletal, partly in honor of Noah's big skull-a-day finale, and partly because I just like skeletons.



peace out

esqueleto volador

skull-a-day

A Mexican skull in honor of my friend Noah's skull-a-day project. Noah has created and posted a skull of some sort every day for nearly a year now. He's almost done - check it!