stuff i've made this summer

When I went to the Golden Gate Fiber Institute at the end of July I took two classes: Spinning with Judith MacKenzie McCuin and Felting with Loyce Ericson. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot. It really got my creative juices flowing. When I came home I ripped everything having to do with fiber art out of the closets and organized it. I have a lot of stuff. When that was done I kind of didn't know how to proceed. In the past, I always wanted to draw or paint, and sometimes I'd get on a roll and turn out some acceptable work. But I'm just not patient enough to practice those skills very much and I felt frustrated. So here I was wondering what I would do with all of the tools but none of the direction I needed to start DOING. I don't know what happened, but I began (the 8 foot long folding work table I bought at Costco helped). Now I can't stop. I'm so happy. This is what I have always wanted to do. I've done a lot of dyeing, spinning, knitting, and felting. Julie came over one day and I taught her to felt. She's got the touch. I want to make some more felted scarves, finish knitting the 4 projects I started, and finish spinning the pound of wool I dyed to make a sweater.

The end of summer

I just got the email that let me know that the art education branch in still intact and that my boss is still Luiz. I'm glad to hear it because he's been my boss since I started teaching art and he's a good guy. The superintendent is very supportive of our branch and believes in the integration of the arts in a balanced K-12 curriculum. I was a little worried that my job would end and that I would go back to regular classroom teaching. I would do it if I had to, but I think I'm a better art teacher than a reading or math teacher. Although I really do like teaching science and social studies.