Newbie

I've considered joining the blog bandwagon for quite some time. I've recently been struggling to showcase and sell my artwork and it came to me that perhaps if I started a blog I would create an outlet for my images (which I'll have to be better about taking!) and my musings, and hopefully along the way expose others to what I love to do. The nature of my blog will deal with not only the art side of my life but also my struggles with the job that I love and all that makes me human.

I was one of those folks who, in college, thought I absolutely knew what I was going to do upon entering the University. My master plan was to double-major in psychology while I became a great musician. It quickly became apparent that neither of those paths were likely to lead to a lucrative career that I could stand so I took a few side trips through architecture, interior design, interface design, landscape design, nutrition and finally ending up with art education because, hey, there's a lucrative career! But really, art has always had a place in my life from the Christmas I got my first sketchbook and fancy pencils at the ripe old age of 10. So while I meandered my way through my college experience the only thing that remained constant was my pursuit of art classes. I took drawing classes, just for the heck of it, leading up to the infamous and eye opening figure drawing class (oh the stories I could tell...) My passion was clear. My career path was not. So I spoke to the art department head and she told me about her experience working as an elementary art specialist in Connecticut. Her description sounded nothing less than perfectly romantic and I knew what I wanted to do. As it turned out, Idaho doesn't have art specialists at the elementary level so I focused on k-12 art. Before I knew it I was through my course requirements and off to student teaching and finally graduation. I was out of college 7 and a half months before getting the call for my first big interview with a new high school. Turns out it was my last interview as I got the job with a mere week until the start of school. I fully admit that when I walked into my new classroom the day after my big interview I broke down and cried with the terror of having no clue what to do now.

My first year as a teacher went by in a blur. I remember taking the low road-- the road that simply allows one to survive the chaos of their first year teaching in a school where I look like just another one of the students. The second and third year were supposed to be easier and now, more than halfway through my fourth, I've come to the conclusion that it never gets easier, you just get more ambitious. And that's a positive thing. If you're not seeking to grow as a teacher, to refine your craft and make it something you're proud to do, you should get out. There are way too many mediocre teachers letting students pass through without feeling like they were known by anyone, least of all their teacher. And of course I don't reach every student, but I've made a difference to a few and they make sure I know it. That's why I do this.

I'll get into what my artwork is about and I'll try to post images of my work (past and present) soon. In the meantime, thanks for checking in. Don't be a stranger!