Get a driving desire to create.
Gather materials and tools.
ACT : Apply Creation Techniques
ART : Action Rewards Truth
<3
Raine Dawn
Category: Wine and Painting Party
Categories
Synchronicity
I love when the universe speaks clearly and sends signs of affirmation.
<3
A lot has happened in the past month, so much I haven’t had time to keep up with writing about it all!
I taught two faculty paint nights as team building workshops! Both went extremely well and everyone left feeling like an artist! First we painted a lighthouse, because Ridgely is a Baltimore County Lighthouse School, we each hung our paintings up in our classrooms. The second party we painted cherry blossom trees, which were more for our houses.
I also taught a dream catcher workshop at my friends yoga studio Life in Balance. There were 12 people in attendance and each created their own unique dream catcher!
There was also a birthday painting party! Lots of middle school girls painting circle designs, or any designs they desired! Each piece turned out awesome, and the girls had a blast!
There has been lots of painting going on!
<3
The last learn to paint session I held was on circle designs. Participants learned about mandalas and techniques to create their own one of a kind sacred circle. This session was a bit different than my other learn to paint parties. Each guest was able to choose from an array of supplies to complete their art. There were even multiple resources artists could look through for inspiration! It was truly a unique and amazing experience.
The word “mandala” Sanskrit translated to mean “circle.” It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself. Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.
I prefer to call it a Sacred Circle, one that was created with purpose by the artist and has meaning to the viewer.
If you want to begin your journey creating your own mandalas, all you have to do is start by setting your intentions.
What do you hold sacred, what resonates with you?
Once you have a few things listed, create symbols to represent those things. The symbols do not have to be recognizable and do not need to be understood by anyone other than yourself. The viewer will make their own interpretation of what they feel it means for them.
My only suggestions for materials are paper, a compass, ruler, pencil and eraser. Go from there and create something beautiful, adding colors how you wish, with whatever materials resonate with you.
Another added layer could be to research the meanings of certain colors words, and symbols that represent the energy and intent you have for your creation. For example: if you wish create a mandala to show love, you might us the color green, as the heart chakra color is green.
<3 Love and light
2015 was a year of progress, it felt as though I sprinted to the end! Everything moved forward and fast.
I like to write down all of the amazing things I’ve done in an ending year as a reminder to be grateful for what I have and to be excited for what’s to come in the new year.
As I sit here and make a list in my head, I realize I did a lot in 2015.
Such beautiful art!
I taught amazing adults how to let their creative self out and go with the flow. Meeting so many new people and making some really close friends.
The networking I did at events opened up doors and gave me new inspiration. My creativity really exploded into making new pieces of art and selling a lot of it.
I’ve learned that I really enjoy making grow with me chalkboards, and personalized art. Looking to make more art in 2016 and really market my work as well as my abilities as an artist and an instructor.
I see many opportunities to share what I know with people everywhere and amplify the creative energy in the world! In April I will be teaching a continuing education dreamcatcher class at Catonsville Community College, and have been asked to do a dreamcatcher workshop at a friends yoga studio. In July I will be teaching two classes during summer camp at the community college as well.
Brass Performance Hall
There were a few unexpected professional development travels. In March I went to the National Art Education Association Convention, and learned all about new art supplies and networked with new friends from twitter. The 2016 NAEA convention will be held in Chicago on Saint Patrick’s day weekend…and I will be there! I have already registered for the artisan gallery where art educators set up and sell their personal work! I visited Fort Worth Texas in June for the Balfour Advisor Workshop and Malibu California in July to attend the Balfour Ignite Journalism Workshop. I am also looking to take some students to Malibu this year for the workshop!
This year I had the privilege to become a new board member for Historic Hampton Inc.. So far this experience has been one of the best, working with amazing people to represent art and education at a national historic site! We’ve teamed up with our first artist in residence, wrote an arts integrated lesson plan to use with the site as well as held our first artist educator workshop! There is so much to look forward to in 2016…another artist educator workshop before spring, and a painting day with our artist in residence.
2015 started with a great softball season as my first year coaching my middle school’s girls softball team and in August I began my 7th year teaching at Ridgely Middle School, with a new principal and a whole new way of doing things. Learner centered environments are the way to go, and digital technology really does enhance learning. I am really enjoying the kids having devices available. The Seesaw app is really turning out to be a great way to keep portfolios! I can not wait to do more projects with my students and see how they use the C.E.E.Q.E.R. model to find solutions to the curriculum! Soon I will have completed my department chair training and I will be applying for the pool of candidates. Perhaps there is something new waiting for me at the end of 2016.
I also started blogging more. I made it a point to at least write once a month; I will be making it a goal in 2016 to write once a week. Using instagram to share our students awesomeness, along with what’s happening in the school, was a huge success. I also started tweeting more, and building my #PLN (professional learning network.) #k12artchat has been my favorite thing to do on Thursday nights, and has even inspired me to create a chat of my own (keep an eye out for more details coming.)
I spent a lot of time with my two amazing children this year, watching them grow and learn. They have really been a light and joy. We made a lot of crafts and went on many new adventures. I am so excited to see what we do in 2016!
I feel like I might be leaving things out, but man was that a lot!
A poinsettia is more than just a beautiful red petaled Christmas plant!
Did you know that it is indigenous to Mexico and Central America!
The Aztecs used the petals to produce a red dye and the white sap from the steam is an antipyretic medication… which means its a FEVER reducer! The Aztecs call the plant is called Cuetlaxochitl, meaning “flower that grows in residues.”
Today it is known in Mexico and Guatemala as Flor de Noche Buena, meaning Christmas Eve Flower. In Spain it is known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Easter flower. In Chile and Peru, the plant became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is called Atatürk’s flower because Atatürk, the founder of the Republic, liked this flower and made a significant contribution to its cultivation in Turkey.
The plant’s association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus.
I find it so interesting that the plant comes from a specific place in Mexico, and had medicinal purposes, yet when I grew up learning about it I was told that the white sap was toxic and I could get sick from it. Before doing a little exploring and questioning, I did not see it for anymore more than just a decorative plant! Now reflecting on this fact…I know that all plants from this earth have a purpose that benefits the human race in one way or another. This is an important thing to be conscious of when realizing the amazing power we have to be self-sufficient.
All of this research came about because of my learn to paint poinsettia class! It was a nice party, and we created some beautiful paintings! Thank you ladies for coming!!
Ive decided to go at the paint nights from a little different angle. Instead of covering up our mistakes with wine, we will learn to paint and then create our own masterpiece using the techniques! My most recent endeavor is “Learn to paint: Tree edition”. I created multiple examples of how we can blend colors to create different skies, and use dark values to create silhouettes in the foreground.
The next Learn to Paint session is on October 11th, 2015 from 2-5 at The Stone Mill 1792. We will be exploring blending colors, and making trees. I hope those attending will bring ideas for their piece so I can assist them in creating something they’ve always wanted.
Categories
9… 8…
Yesterday was 8/8….and if you add 2+0+1+5 you get 8.
What an awesome date! 8/8/8
It was also a busy day as well… I hosted a maryland flag and crab painting party at The Stone Mill. It was a wonderful evening meeting new people, making new connections and creating new things!
So yesterday I did not have time to post my list of 9 things for my countdown…Which means you’ll get two lists today,
9 things I’ve enjoyed about summer vacation:
- Spending time with my family
- Teaching adults how to paint
- Seeing their faces light up when they finish their painting and realize they CAN do it.
- Meeting many new and amazing people who I can call friends
- Traveling to Texas and networking with yearbook advisors
- Hanging out with my friend Amber in Fort Worth
- Traveling to California
- Visiting the Getty Villa in Malibu
- Exploring life with my family
8 things I want to do in the next 8 days
- Finish reading “The Traveler’s Gift”
- Go hiking on the Appalachian Trail with my family
- Paint more expressively (as opposed to paint night paintings)
- Plan a few things for the first week of school
- Go camping with my family
- Spend time with my new friends
- Start a painting for the Teacher as Artist Exhibit
- Work on Yearbook spread layouts
I think I can handle doing at least one of those things a day, if not two or more!
Happy Summer!! <3 <3
We had another great paint night at The Stone Mill… painting grapes and a wine glass. Thank you ladies for coming out! It was such an enjoyable evening, making two new friends.
Example Painting
Still life set up
Brandy and I before the party
Artist Brandy hard at work
Artist Chelly creating a master piece!
Artist Denise making those grapes pop!
Such beautiful art!
Wonderful meeting you ladies!
Final painting from paint night
Last night a few of us got together for a paint night at The Stone Mill. We painted palm trees and a sunset! It was a really nice calming evening with the sound of rain off the old mills roof. It poured so hard you could hear the little creek next to the mill roar.
Below is last palm tree painting I did,
I decided I wanted to change it up a bit… So I did a whole new Palm tree painting with new techniques!
The results are below! I really love the process on reflecting on my paintings and seeing how I can use the brush to create different techniques on the canvas. The second painting has more steps but they are the same for each area; a shadow, midtone and high light. The first painting was a simple blended sky with black silhouettes of Palm trees. With our new techniques the second painting has more depth and looks more alive!
Everyone’s paintings turned out amazing! And each had their own flare to it!
Thanks for coming out and being creative with me!
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