Dear Uncle Scott,

I wonder if you get blog updates in Heaven. Anyways, I have some comments and questions in regards to this painting. I remember seeing this painting at our grandparents house, back when I was no older than 17. I thought it looked cool, but never really put much thought or analysis into it. I thought it was neat that I had an uncle who could create such a crazy painting, but aside from that it didn’t really do much for me. When I recently saw this painting at Aunt Carol and Uncle Gary’s house, it blew me away. Though you died when I was only 9 or 10, you were instantly back with the family on a mid-day Christmas party. I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of information you had to share with me. The confident brush marks really push your personality through. I appreciate the overlapping symbols and varied textures. What did this color palette mean to you? The colors and bush marks also have a coldness to them, is that by design? I wonder what your first and last brush gestures were. How did you know it was done? In retrospect, maybe you would want to do some further editing? Who knows, maybe you did even like the painting, but felt that it was better suited on a wall than in a closet.

This painting resonated with me last weekend because I realized that maybe your artistic gift was passed down (at some level) to me. Or maybe it is in my blood as it was in yours. It is both eerie and comforting to see the similarities in painting styles between you and me. Even the shapes, colors and brush marks seem to share similarities with my natural painting inclinations. I never knew you well as a child, but hopefully I can get to know you better as an adult. Thank you for leaving your mark behind. I am sure this reunion has only begun.

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to help my friend, Nick Valcourt photograph his hand-made and /or hand-refinished Spacebarn creations. His retro and uniquely modern furniture company, Spacebarn, specializes in finding all kinds of furniture and objects and making them beautiful again. Whether it be a dresser, or an old Dodge Caravan back seat, Spacebarn injects fun, pride and a lot of hard work into everything they “renew.” The photo above was taken in North Andover. What a great day and a great scene for this funky dresser.

Here is a shot from the actual “barn.” Nick made the “door table,” coffee can lights, and the director’s lamp all with an innovative combination of “found” objects. Very cool.

This event is a great time. I designed the posters and the tickets once again, and I am very excited about November 5th!

Check out the Facebook page for more details. And, if you want to go, connect with me and I will send you tickets!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Night-Out-For-Tio-Benefiting-The-V-Foundation-for-Cancer-Research/221213604473?ref=ts

Too much for to be called a "class."

This summer has been jam-packed with a variety of exciting things. I attended an important ePublishing workshop at BHS with some fellow Marshall Simonds teachers and teachers from several local communities. We learned how to publish eBooks and collaborate on our book using wikis. I hope to polish up the Pop Art eBook we created and post it on this blog. To learn more about what the workshop was all about, check out:  https://sites.google.com/site/bhsdigitalcoursebuilding/

Then, I worked under Bob Cunha and Jose DeSousa at Burlington High School and learned a lot about configuring computers, the Town’s network and how to deploy 1,110 iPads to BHS students. Exciting stuff!

After THAT, I was able to attend Advanced Graduate Painting at Salem State University. The class was a week and a half long and my classmates and I painted and critiqued from 8:30am to 4:30pm. It was rigorous, but very beneficial and fun. Here is a closer look of 2 of the 5 paintings I finished while in class:

Comments? Criticism?

And, I GOT A NEW JOB. I am the new Library Media Specialist at Marshall Simonds Middle School. This position is extremely exciting to me. I have been very fortunate to have worked under Dennis Villano over the past 3 years at the school and learn about running a library and countless other tasks. I will work hard to integrate various forms of educational technology (such as iPads) into the teaching practices at MSMS. It will be fun to use my creativity in helping teachers and students utilize all of the educational tools at their disposal.

Exciting stuff, huh?????

http://www.artsyshark.com/

Cool Logo, too!

The group! Shannon and Katie were absent the day this photo was taken. Maybe they just needed a break from these "energetic" personalities.

The project was kicked off by students selecting 1 or 2 sections to work on. We discussed the importance of sketching out the primary shapes within each section. The grid helps students see the composition as a series of lines that connect like a puzzle.

Our "blueprint."

Once students finished sketching out the essential shapes within their section, they were given a paint – mixing demonstration. We analyzed Starry Night and the many factors that make it such a wonderful painting. After some analysis and discussion, students understood that van Gogh used a vast color palette, consisting of hundreds of unique colors that van Gogh mixed himself. They also learned to appreciate his expressive, dry brush strokes. It was enjoyable to see each child’s interpretation of van Gogh’s painting technique and color palette.

Towards the end of the project we edited it as one cohesive piece.

Once the individual panels were “done” according to the students, we then assembled our Starry Night. Once assembled, we then looked at how the rectangles meshed with one another. We discussed the masterful unity that the original Starry Night possesses and talked about how our Starry Night could gain some of that same unity. We mixed new paint, keeping in mind that a painting is developed through a process of revising and layering .

Bad case of the giggles.

Stay tuned for more pictures and updates from PCSM’s spring Channel Surfing!

"In My Room" by Donna Howard

Donna Howard, a new artist friend of mine, has work worth checking out. I initially saw her show at Burlington Public Library. Her paintings are bursting with her unique vision of the world and the unique beings within it. Donna and I have emailed back and forth, sharing ideas about art, people and life. Check out her website and be sure to catch one of her upcoming shows!

http://www.donna-howard.com/Home.html

New PCSM clubs have started! I am teaching two new clubs: Acrylic Painting and Model Making. These clubs will definitely be fun and call upon my art education. In Acrylic Painting, we are creating a tiled-replica of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. Each student will focus on their own small sections of the painting. Stay tuned!

7th Grader Self-Portrait - This one is full of personality, wouldn't you say??

Back in November, veteran art teacher, Laura Phillips traveled to Calcutta, India on a photo-journalism project. She walked the streets, documenting the people and their surroundings through intimate and revealing photography. Here is a link to her “travel” page on her website:

http://laurajphillipsphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1

Her photographs from Calcutta have yet to be posted, but I think you will appreciate the people of Dominican Republic – also boldly captured by her unique ability to both capture a moment and frame a great image. Because of her absence, I was able to cover her art room for 2 weeks. I carried on her curriculum and had a lot of fun doing it.

Above, was a self-portrait drawing assignment. The students photographed each other in casual poses and then applied a grid on the photo, and then onto the drawing paper. Aside from concentrating on the importance staying accurate to the grid drawing, we also maintained the goals of having strong tonal-range, conveying line through tonal variation and using what we know about contours, textures and patterns. To see the complete set of samples from this great two weeks, go to:

http://andrewdexter.wordpress.com/student-sample/