Black Box: Superflex...Super fantastic at the Hirshhorn

I went to the Hirshhorn Museum the other weekend and found myself memorized by this fantastic film by the Danish art collective based in Copenhagen and Rio de Janeiro whose members are Jakob Fenger (b. Roskilde, 1968), Rasmus Nielsen (b. Hjørring, 1969), and Bjørnstjerne Reuter Christiansen (b. Copenhagen, 1969), titled Superflex. They has staged unconventional artworks that use social intervention as a means of calling attention to such issues as democratization, environmentalism, and consumerism. I was even blessed by having an added kid laughing quite hard through the entire film. Get down there as you rush to see the end of the Ives Klein show that closes on the 16th. of September.

"Would of, Should of, Could of"

Tomorrow is our Professional Development Day for Baltimore County Teachers , in which all us art teachers get to get together , this one day of the year. We get the whole run down of important new information, the introduction of the newbies and then a variety of teachers present workshops that teachers sign up for in advance…And yours truly gets to present my unit : "The Art of Making Evidence...A journal problem that asks how do you prove that you exist? An experiment in brain storming and thought provoking through the exploration of contemporary Art". Using the Art 21 series I've created a unit, or I like the word progressive series, for my students to learn about what is going on in art today. To find some new artist mentors that are contemporary artist. Asking Essential Questions as the catalyst to creative thought! As well as showing artist that use film, video, installation, photography and performance to make impressive statements! The more I show my students contemporary art, the more receptive they are to it. Point Blank, it is what we see when we go on our field trips and then its so amazing to see this instant click of open mindedness to the work that use to be very different before I started to teach my students abut contemporary art! Not to also mention that we are dealing with post-modern themes and content...and we are teaching and raising post modern children. Here is a little preview from one for the artist I'm highlighting for discussing the subject of romance and regret! Laurie Simmons has been one of my up most favorites for such a long time and this short segment of her work is so beautiful!

Watch the full episode. See more ART:21.

Yves Klein...a little response to this show

I went to see the Yves Klein show, the Void the Powers this past weekend at the Hirshhorn and had a variety of thoughts and responses to it... that went a little bit like this...1) thank god for the women's lib movement, 2) amazing, beautiful blue, 3) " I am a painter of space...let's be honest, to paint space, I must be in the position , I must be space"4) "now paint your breast" 5) if he wasn't wearing the expensive suit, I may have taken him more seriously, and 6) really Yves Klein, you were the only inventor of the fire and water fountain!

Nuf said, watch and enjoy. Love the expressions of the man watching as well as the narrator that brings back huge memories in itself.

And then there was summer camp!

After I taught my painting class at MICA I moved on to Baltimore County's Summer Enrichment Camp to the Drawing portfolio class that was also high school kids...in this case for more than half the class...kids going on to Carver that will be in the 9th. grade this coming school year. So we're talking 12 high school kids drawing every day from 9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon! Could you do that? Lunch got a little longer everyday. But I have to tell you. this group was amazing too! We would do drawing from observation in the morning. GO to lunch. Watch an Art 21 segment on a contemporary Artist. Then start another drawing assignment that had more thinking..creative thought involve. Again my mission these days is to get my students to THINK! So we ended up building paper forts! What a great idea! The entire room turned into one huge installation. Jelling the group together and making some pretty good darn drawings. Here is our installation! If you go onto the Baltimore County Public School site you can catch a video about the whole school. I make a very brief showing!

Summer in Review

I've been meaning to post these pics for some time now. I have to say this...this painting class that I taught this summer at MICA was amazing! Not only did they simply rule in the risk taking department they were the best little critique group I have ever had...well...maybe second to my AP class of 2009...What am I saying all of my classes rule! Well, here are most...some had to leave erly and I didn't get their pics.

Donna Wilson's Lovely Knitable Furnishings

Saw Donna Wilson's work as part of a poppytalk post form the NYC gift show. Very much loving this pillows! Check out more of her work here.

First Full Feature FIlm by Art 21: William Kentridge

Since my last post, I have been to NYC and back and completed my unit on "Proof of Evidence" which features a number of artists from the Art21 series. It's another attempt to get my students to think as well as my fellow art teachers to NOT BE AFRAID OF CONTEMPORARY ART!!!! I present it next Wednesday to Baltimore County High School Art teachers. And I just noticed that I have the largest group...so I better be good and know what I'm talking about! First of all, I have to say I LOVE THIS SERIES! And it keeps giving and it keeps on licking! This fall, a film on my favorite and lately, most influential artist, William Kentridge will be out.Check details here. This will be there first full feature on an artist and it will be on PBS...hopefully it will play here! October 21 at 10PM. So get your tevo's ready!

"William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible" Teaser #2 | Art21 from Art21 on Vimeo.

Bill Brand's Masstransiscope Subway Animation

My buddy Laura and I are going back to New York this weekend for one last hurrah for the summer ends. We needed to go back to get our cocktails on the roof garden of the Met and see the Starn Twin Installation. Maybe we'll have to take a subway ride on the Q train from Brooklyn to Manhattan. I love hearing the remarks from the people riding the train!

New Birdy Bird Wallet Clutches

I'm back from the beach with a new jennyjen product! Wallet clutches perfect for your cash, credit cards, business cards or even for your classic nano! Felt applique birdies...machine washable...lined with a surprise! Check them out at my shop here. This week is the last week for free shipping! Any purchase earns you a free iron on patch and note card!!

No More WorkHorse...for now

I have not stop working since I got out of school on June 18th. Its been a crazy busy summer and I have to say not a bad summer at all. Taught two amazing classes which I know i need to post some pics on the amazing art work my students produced this year. Artscape was a blast even with its horrid heat but I did get interview on channel 11 and made some new friends and got re-acquainted with old friends too! Wrote curriculum which is gonna kick some art teacher ass into the 21st. century and got me excited for my next year of teaching. Tomorrow is my last craft show till crafty bastards in October. Need a break to make some more designs, work on some art and start illustrating a children's book in the works. I've been watching the movie Beautiful Losers, which I've just discovered you can watch the entire movie on you tube...and I suggest you do, if you haven't seen it yet. Which brings me to this video I posted that was directed by Harmony Korine for wil Oldam..two of my favorites artists. Going to go for the beach for a week and actually take a vacation! Leaving right after Hamilton Fest tomorrow night. So its peace out for a bit! I'll be back in a week and then another weekend to NYC!

New Pillows !!!

A new pillow for my bird party series....otis's buddies on the clothesline!....will be on sale tomorrow at Hamilton Fest. Along with Otis himself in yellow and another bird on the wire pillow in dark gray with white lines.

Updating and re-making

Been crazy sewing these past days. Need to make some money for my week at the beach. So here are pics of the bags I've been making that will be available at Hamilton Fest. I'll have new pillows too. Will post them later today after they are complete with more Fest info.

Hamilton Fest this Saturday!!!

Hamilton Fest is this Saturday!!This will be my last summer gig! If you haven't seen the new and hip Hamilton you need to show up to see how hip Hamilton has become! Two of the best restaurants and hang out joints are there: Clementine and Hamilton Tavern. You'll people from all parts of your past! I love living so close to this area. So come on out. Its form 11-8 on Harford Road just north of Ecodale.Good food, craft vendors, cars, beer and music. And the weather looks like its gonna be in the 80's!!!! I'll be sharing a booth with my BEST buddy Danamarie from greenstarstudio.

Cheryl Dunn

I feel like an idiot that I just discovered her. Seriously...I am so in need of embedding myself completely into the art world of NOW! Am doing my best this past two week of getting Baltimore County into the 21st. century. Today was our last day of curriculum writing for the summer . I love this group that I get to write with, and brainstorm with, for this little portion of the summer! And we are so on track for making us move into what is happening now!!! Anyway, watch this little snippet on Cheryl Dunn and then research her work more. She is featured on the movie Beautiful Losers that I need to watch again and again to see how I can bring this into my teaching this year. Loving the statement "haters are people who don't make things" . Love it!

Color Cuts by Heather Moore

I love paper cut outs. I need to get these into my curriculum! Love the idea of them being on paint samples too. Check out more of Heather Moore's work on her blog skinny laminx

Kitties show off Beautiful Decor

Taking a little breather from the sweatshop to find inspiration ( or really just giving in to my short attention span today) and I found this great post on design sponge in her sneak peeks called best of cats. I love how these photos work so well with showing off the cats environment. Here are some of my favorites. Check out the whole post here.

diy is soooo punk rock!

I went to see Jenny Hart speak at the Summit of Awesome last year in Washington DC and she had this wonderful connection of punk rock to the diy movement and I had this great aha moment! I knew I liked aspects of this movement for a reason. Being a punk rocker myself from the early 80's I felt that I was an intricate part of the movement here in Baltimore. Not that I played but I truly supported the scene. Helped Strazz with sound, watch fear of god practiced , picked up Danny and took him to reptile House practice, let the girls from Scab try to pick me up, hid Ethan in Jules loft from the police, Made the kiddies come into the show before the "yo boys" came to get um, rode the infamous bus trip to NYC to CBGB's , made tons of flyers for van Gogh's ear and Gray march, and saw just about every punk rock show in the Baltimore DC area from 1982 to 1987, and then some. What I loved about the movement, was the fact that we had to do it ourselves. We had no one to rely on that we could trust. We wanted to see this "forbidden" music of the time and we wanted to see it our way...and we did! And this diy craft movement has elements of that that I really love. Course now its getting over saturated and now even art institutions are beginning graduated studies in this movement....which I think will ruin the whole thing! But I guess like all things, it must progress.
This video is London May. The first drummer of Reptile House. He moved on, but kept on playing, and progressing! I'm quite proud of him. I think he is saying much about where we came from and where we're going ....another little connection to this life I lead.

Artscape starts today!!!!

Ahhh, the weather is doings its usually Artscape weekend routine with majorly hot hot weather. Tomorrow we may have some sprinkles to cool us down but also make us feel like we're living in jungle weather! That means's lots of cool dresses and seeing some body parts we really shouldn't have to see! All my items are packed and ready to be loaded in the truck and I could have slept another hour but my body is excited for the weekend and has me up. Woke up to discover I slept through my first earthquake!!!!3.6, outside of Rockville. Love finding out news by reading facebook and twitter statuses. Anyway, I get to set up for Artscape then have to go back to my last day of camp and then back to the festival for the rest of the day and night. This summer has been non-stop. I need a vacation from my vacation! The camera bags above are my newest creations for this weekend. Hope to see them all disappear this weekend into the hands of excited customers!