Well I am knee-deep in painting and writing and all things that have to do with graduating in less than four months with my MFA!  The actual show will be in April and I am busy painting as the due date is fast approaching.  But here is some of my in-progress work.  My goal of sorts is to work and work and work and then edit what makes it into the show later.  I will wait and see who plays good together.  I work better that way.

Oh, and I’m really excited for this Sunday, which is the First Sunday event in downtown Riverside where I’ll be at the Sweeney Art Gallery leading the Totes Yo! workshop where we will be stamping and screening cool little stamps and designs onto canvas tote bags.  I’m bringing some blank t-shirts just because I can’t resist.  If you’re in the area though, it’s free for all ages!  Doesn’t get any better than that.  One tote bag per person.

My good friend and fellow artist Christine is teaching some classes coming up at OTIS extension and if anyone lives in the LA area, check them out!  They are sure to unleash the artist residing inside you.  Ok I’ve been watching those Paranormal shows all day long since I am sick with a dizzy head cold, and I was relegated to the couch with my felt sewing and now I’m all about ghosts.  How does this tie into the art classes, you ask?  Creativity is a lot like the spirit world, and parts of our imagination might be trying to communicate to us, and it is up to you to learn how to open up and direct this more elusive, immaterial state of being we all call: IMAGINATION.  And art can do that!

I’m excited to announce my Drawing for Tots classes at the Huntington Beach Art Center are coming back after the holiday hiatus, starting three eight week sessions Wednesday, January 13th. Class sizes are limited to 15 and they are filling up quickly!  Go here to register, or call the HBAC at 714.374.1650.  See everyone next week!

Things are busy ’round these parts…I don’t even know where to begin!  My new round of Children’s art classes started at the HBAC and I am getting more and more signs up every session!  It’s amazing.  It’s amazing to work with kids too.  My job hazards include kids falling out of their chairs (art can be really exciting), and the occasional cry because we miss mom (an hour is really long sometimes).  I’ve never heard my name called so many times in a single hour (this is the only time in life it’s ok to have 17 kids). All these things are the things I absolutely love about working with kids. All the comedians in the world should study children.

All week I’ve been getting things together for a group show at South Pasadena Arts Center that opens November 14, and tomorrow I am going to drop off some work at the Riverside Art Museum’s annual fundraiser “Off the Wall”.  Then at night is our annual Haunted House house where we get to scare the lights out of anyone who dare wants candy.  

Then, this Sunday is the Sweeney Art Gallery’s First Sunday workshop event that I and fellow Grad student Ashley Landrum will conduct.  This weekend we are going to make Endangered Animal Masks and its free and open to all ages if any families live in the area!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

Finally this week, the Gluck Summer Camp has started and is in full swing!   We have 28 students that we are taking on field trips, sometimes unconventional places, and making art at these locations, or getting ideas and making art back in the classroom.  This particular camp is about exploring art in different ways, and interacting with the environment in the process.  We have a blog up, if you want to know more about what we’re doing.  We even got T-shirts made with the logo I designed!  This particular photo, we are at the Badlands Landfill in Moreno Valley.  It was a hot one!