2 days... 2 new pairs of shoes.

Yesterday Mr. Dietz was helping a student to mix plaster to make a mold so that she could do a subtractive sculpture. They had 14 gallons of plaster in a big garbage can and had just finished mixing all the plaster in when the student noticed a small leak coming out of the side. Mr. Dietz quickly put his finger over the spot and then tried to place duct tape over the leak.

Well that didn't quite work... When you're dealing with plaster it tends to harden pretty quickly within a half hour of mixing it so usually any leaks that one might have would seal themselves off eventually. Apparently this plastic garbage can had never heard of such a thing because it soon sprouted a larger leak. Then it formed a 12 inch crack which leaked out almost everything in the barrel onto Mr. Dietz's shoes and the floor.

It took us a while to clean up... a couple hours that is (it was 14 gallons worth), but eventually the floor was back to normal again.

Well, today Mr. Dietz and I are mixing clay in the basement area of the school, and so we took all of the barrels of watered down clay down there. Each barrel probably weighs about 500-600 lbs. a piece, but they are on wheels so it is not as hard to maneuver around.

Well we took all four barrels from the top floor and down the elevator to the basement level. We pushed them all the way to the maintenance garage area without any incident...

Until...

...we had the barrels all the way into the room. There is a large rug on the floor by the entrance to the room. When Mr. Dietz was bringing his first 500 lb. barrel in he was pushing it in front of him. The barrel got caught on the rug at some point thus toppling it over in the forward direction. Mr. Dietz seeing that it was falling and trying to stop it from falling ended up landing his feet in the large puddle of clay that came out of the barrel.

Not only did Mr. Dietz get plaster and clay on two different pairs of shoes, but they also splattered all over 2 different pairs of pants.

I can already tell that being an art teacher is going to be expensive when it comes to replacing things in my wardrobe that have been ruined by my tendency to be a clutz.

You're never too old

I've decided that you're never too old to read children's stories, which is why I have begun to read all of the Roald Dahl books that I can get my hands on. I am currently reading...
The wonderful story of Henry Sugar & 6 more. I am also going to read "The BFG" along with numerous others. The stories that he tells are entertaining and simple. I just can't get enough.

I would suggest to you, that you should take a week off from whatever you're reading and slip some short stories into that reading list of yours.

By the by...

Happy 5th Anniversary BEN and KATE!!!

I look forward to seeing you and the boys this coming weekend. (Yes, I stole this pic off of your website... you can thank me later... when I see you... this weekend)

to blog or not to blog...

I haven't had this blog for very long, but I often find myself struggling for something to write about. It's almost like those cellular phone commercials where they are trying to decide if someone is minute worthy. I have a tough time deciding if something is blog-worthy.

Now it looks as though I have taken away the advantage of being able to write about not knowing what to write, so who knows when the next time something truly blogworthy will cross my doorstep.

beautiful things

I only want to look at beautiful things from now on and forget all those other things that make me depressed. I want to get this new part of my life started and look back on now as the past. I want to be finished with the relational situation I have gotten myself into. I want to forget that I need to think about this, about everything. I wish that I was better at ignoring the problem, and that the only problem I had was seeing too many beautiful things.

It's a girl!

that's right, i'm going to have a niece and she's due July 3rd. If you would like to see the first picture of her that's ever been taken then you should check out my brother ben's fotolog at his photo website.

there are also some awesome ones of my nephews that are already out of the womb...

Life is in the details

I'm am studying up on the work of Norman Rockwell to see about possibly creating a new and interesting assignment for my advanced painters. I want my students to paint a picture that tells a story and who better for them to model their work after than Norman Rockwell. His paintings and depictions tell stories so well. He puts so much thought into the details that tell each story. He has done so many works that focus on societal issues as well as those that simply depict a utopian piece of life found in the mid 1900's. I would encourage any of you out there in the worldwide net to look at and enjoy norman rockwells work. This one is my favorite:

There is just so much to look at and so many details... It is from one of the April Fools additions of "Saturday Evening Post".

likeable? I think so...

I found out this last weekend that one of my intro to art students doesn't like me. I don't know which student it is, because I found out secondhand. I didn't think that it would bother me as much as it has. I haven't really made my intro students do anything, nor have I disciplined any of them in any way... what's not to like? I don't think I would mind so much if I had given the students a reason not to like me, but I haven't. I've been nothing but nice and easy on them, because they haven't made me be anything else. Is it because I wear glasses? (I don't have to wear them I could take them off) Does my height freak them out? (Not much I could change there, bad posture will give me a humpback and I know that's not very hip nowadays) Do I wear funny clothing? (I'm not opposed to being on a "What not to wear" type of show) Do I not bleed the same red blood, and clot at approximately the same rate for that matter? (thank goodness the hypercoagulation gene was inherited on the male side of my family) I even gave them the easiest sketchbook assignment in the world. Fill an entire page with doodles. What could possibly be easier short of having no assignment. So once again I must pose the question, when it comes to me, so far, as a teacher... What's not to like?

MAM

Yesterday my cooperating teacher and I took a group of ten students to the Milwaukee Art Museum. At the museum we were supposed to see slides and pieces of art that would inspire the students as they make art that suits requirements for an art competition that they are all entering. We were assigned a docen to guide us through the art museum and talk to us about the art work.

Our docen was under the impression that we were Martin Luther King High School as opposed to what we are which is Martin Luther. She was a little surprised to find a group of mainly caucasian Lutherans as opposed to a group in which african-americans would have been of the majority. Needless to say she had prepared a 'slightly' different tour than one that may have been the most appropriate for my students. It made for an interesting afternoon, that is for sure.

book, movies, and musicians...

from time to time i will ask friends to make me a list of books, movies or musicians that i need to read, watch, or listen to, to be a more complete and interesting person. i try to get my hands on all of the things that i can off of the lists, its sort of a self-improvement/experiential thing.

i just figure what better way to get a list than from all of you out there in the net-dustry. so i would appreciate it if you would leave for me a list or a few suggestions of must-sees. there are a number of classics that i may have missed along the way, so any suggestion is acceptable.

as far as books are concerned i prefer things that i can find in the local library, but i am not opposed to sitting in borders to read a book because i am too cheap to buy it.