"Dear Diary..."

etsy sale continues

because our last art show was virtually rained-out, I've started putting some of my artwork, the smaller pieces, in my etsy shop.
SALE PRICES.
everything must go, so that I can purchase some canvases, and make new pieces.
I'm quite excited by the new ideas that are swirling around in my head, and can't wait to get started on them!
that always happens when I've been to a show, and get an opportunity to talk to other artists, look at different art, get inspired.
I just haven't been doing any shows.
maybe this coming year we'll apply to a few more...
will try to get the rest of the work listed tonight & tomorrow, as it will be a hectic week at the art museum.
two shows come down, and two shows go up.
better take my vitamins.
later,
Patty

"there's no place like home..."

let me first tell you that last Thursday's gallery night at Weathered Goods was so much fun!
I had a chance to catch up with Teresa, the owner, and a couple of other people that I've not seen in a long time.
everyone was very nice, and I sold the piece I was doing my demo with - and it wasn't even finished!
gotta love that, as they say.

Friday we headed to Indiana, a very long nine-hour trip (road construction around Chicago was hateful!), and went directly to the art show site, to set up.
no problems.
but it was not to be a good show.
for two days, more on than off, it stormed & rained & hailed & the wind blew, and we would hunker down & hang on.
Saturday night I had dreams that reminded me of Dorothy swirling around, headed toward Oz!
when the sun was shining, we had great crowds, and customers.
but it just didn't last long enough, and after figuring in our gas (gulp), the show fee, meals, etc., (not to mention time away from work) we lost money on this one.
but we spent some quality time with my in-laws, hadn't seen them in almost a year, so that was good.
and I always get inspired by something when I do a show, more on that later.
AND, I always seem to make another connection that could prove beneficial - again, more on that later.
right now, I have to get ready for work.
I told them I would come in early today, make up some time, so it will be a very long day.
but afterwards, I get to come home, and as Dorothy reminded me, "there's no place like home..."
later,
Patty

Mr. Toad's wild ride

well, although everything I make is crap (I say this annually, right before this show, but I get past it, don't worry), I'm feeling pretty good about the packing progress I've made.
usually, I'm up half the night before we leave, making price tags and packing up all the little odds & ends you need when you do a show, and basically live in your tent for two days.
instead, I was up half the night LAST night, doing that.
but it's done, a day ahead of my usual time, gold star for me.
and Patrick packed the car yesterday with all the tent stuff, panels, poles, weights, etc.
today will be kind of a mad dash to the finish line with everything else.
Patrick has a dental appt. in Green Bay this afternoon, and from there we go directly to Weathered Goods, for the gallery night event.
I better go finish packing, and double-check my list.
later,
Patty

what are you doing Thursday night?

(click on image to view larger version)

time flies...

I don't know where the time goes, it seems as if it was just Mothers' Day, and now it's Fathers' Day!
in addition to the new job, and getting caught up on yard work, digging in the dirt, etc., I'm getting ready to go to the Covington Art show in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
on Monday, June 23rd, I'll be teaching my "going postal" class at Artlink, in Ft. Wayne, and there are still openings - if you're in that area of the country, please register asap.
another event that I'm very excited about: this Thursday evening, from 5 to 8 pm, I will be the featured artist at Weathered Goods in Green Bay.
stop by for some wine & goodies, and, of course, ART!
it should be a lot of fun, and if you've never been to Weathered Goods, you must see it.
better get back to work,
later,
Patty

last day

I was rather surprised when they called me Friday afternoon, asking if I was available on Monday.
as it turns out, Monday is my day off from my summer job, which I just started this week, so I said yes.
I was really looking forward to the time off, but I couldn't really turn down the opportunity to make some money, and it was for a different 6th grade teacher.
now I know that the last three days of school are bound to be a bit...different.
but I don't remember kids being so wound up and wild!
the morning was taken up by an incentive auction, where they could spend the good behavior bucks they had earned this year for, well, junk, in my opinion.
little stuffed animals, plastic figures, coupons for pizza, etc.
I felt bad for the kids with little money to bid, and thought they should have had some stuff at the end that they could buy, so everyone would get something.
I've been to real auctions when we didn't have two nickels to rub together, and then find something that would have been "perfect for..."
after the auction, most of them went on a little trip to the local youth center, to play basketball, volleyball, goof off for two hours.
I, unfortunately, had to stay behind with the nine students who had forfeited this trip by having too many infractions, negative points, whatever.
longest two hours of my day!
with only two days left of school, these kids certainly feel no need to "work," had "nothing" to do, and were not interested in reading quietly, as instructed.
Mr. Regularteacher had left some weekly readers and worksheets, and I did entice a few into doing the one with the big crossword puzzle, and I helped them find answers in various ways.
but it was a struggle, and by 11:00 I was so tired of hearing how everything was someone else's fault, I could have screamed.
when the rest returned, I was able to get them settled down a bit, and had them tell me what activities they enjoyed on their little adventure.
lunch, at last.
dry chicken pattie sandwiches and salty seasoned tries.
but there was fruit and milk, and I was glad to escape for a half hour.
the majority of the afternoon was spent outside, on the playground, doing various activities in a substitution of the Jump Rope for Heart they had done last year.
they set up four stations, divided all the 3rd through 6th graders into groups, and rotated them with a whistle every 20 minutes through basketball, football, kickball and rope jumping.
by 2:30, most of them were pretty tired, and I wondered what I would do with them for the remainder of the day.
I was saved by the gym teacher, who had remembered she had not collected gym locks from my class, so we lined up and marched to the gym.
when they got back to the classroom, I had come up with a few questions that I asked them to answer, and yes, they had to put their name on it, and yes, they had to turn it in.
I basically asked them to think about this past school year, tell me what they improved on the most, what they would need to work on more in 7th grade, what was their favorite project, etc.
ten questions, ten minutes, and then they were gone.
fairly certain that this would be my last day of the year, I sought out the principal and the secretary, and thanked them both for all their help, wished them a good summer, and made sure they knew I was looking forward to next fall.
and I am.
later,
Mrs. O'R