Well worth it.-Artsy Fartsy

I told my 9th grade Introduction to Art class goodbye for the last time today. There were many who said " we will come see you next week during exams", "we want to take your art class every year!" and the sweetest " I wouldn't mind failing 9th grade because then I could take Intro to Art again"...that came from a sweet 9th grade boy who just recently lost his dad. He and I have become best buds since then, art has become his therapy, his safe place, his support system. Our critiques have become his outlet and his class has become his biggest fans.....I might add that he is one of two sweet young men in my class who have lost their fathers this year.

I had another student, one who who will wrap herself around me in a hug, have long hard conversations with me about God, family, love....one who will say out loud "love you" as she leaves art class, one who cried and cried over losing some of her art work that she had poured her soul into. She wouldn't leave before the bell rang...she wanted to soak up every last bit of art that she could...and that meant staying so that she could be the last one in my room, telling me "love you" one more time and reminding me to come watch her play powder puff football after school on Monday.

And yet, still another student who wrote me this poem...

I could sit and thank you for teaching me to draw.
Or for your guidance, you have saved me from my flaws.
And while those things are good they just aren't quite right.
What I really should thank you for is giving me my sight.
It started with the first project, we worked with wheel and clay.
To make a piece about our walk we take with God each day.
Now we are using plaster to hide,  the deepest secrets we keep inside.
And basically I'm trying to say, that even through art God shows us his way.
So thank you for a year full of expression.
My relationship with God has made a progression.
Thank you for teaching me how to worship in a way I didn't see.
We can worship God through art, as all creation should be.


Now tell me who has a more awesome job?....It's pretty rewarding when you have students like mine...students who love the Creator and who love to create.

It makes all the hard work of this year worth it...it makes it easier to say "bring it on" as I look forward to next years fine art calendar and all of the events it boasts.

It makes the 13 school art competition that I personally hosted and organized worth it. There were times when I wanted to run away screaming during this process, but putting a medal on your students neck and whispering " you deserve this" as they grin from ear to ear will make you want to host 13 more competitions.

Just some of the Mixed Media category from ACSI

Some of the many parents who came out to view the show.

Set up finished the night before. It took many students and volunteers to turn this gym into an art gallery!

It makes spending two days on Gallery Night look like a cake walk. When you get to crown two students with your teachers choice award and look their parents in their tear filled eyes and say "you are doing an amazing job. Your child is respectful, creative, loving, encouraging, a hard worker and a pleasure to teach", ...that is worth handwriting 300 labels, matting 300 pieces of artwork, hanging 300 pieces of artwork, etc. When your student who has entered every competition she could and has never won almost pees her pants over getting 2nd place at Gallery Night and hugs you so tight that you feel her heart beating wildly, that is worth it. When you hear your peers talk about "how talented these students are and how honored the Lord is in their work"...that is totally worth it.

9th grader who won 2nd place for her depiction of the Creation Story using paint and glass.

This is Dewy. He is only in 10th grade and has already taken Ceramics 1 and II. He basically advanced out of Intro to Art as a 9th grader. He is WICKED talented in 3D art and his big sister was the same way in 2D art. We love this whole family and I can't wait to see what he accomplishes in Ceramics 3 next year. He made a table setting for Ronald Reagan..everything you see plus the wooden placemat!

Getting the gym ready for 6th-12th artwork.

Dinner Party to display the ceramic students table settings for famous people throughout history.

Silkscreen of a heart.

Ceramic plus sculpture piece.

Linoleum 2 color print..beautiful, loving and very talented student (the one who wrote me the poem)

7th grade banners, perspective drawings, watercolors, mosaics, wire sculptures, figure drawings and embossed metal

This student is seriously talented..she spent about 2 months on this piece at home, sending me pictures and bringing it to school to get help and advice. She has a heart like none other and besides 1st place took home my Merit award for the whole year as well.

My sweet Kathleen who I spoke of before (the one who stayed until the very last second on Friday :))...best hugger, sweetest attitude, searching after God's will, in love with art, goes 10x above the requirements for every project. She earned my Teachers Award for all of high school. LOVE HER!!!

Look at the detail in those ceramic hands!

One of my 11th grade printmaking students who took home 1st place for her Mixed Media piece. First we etched into plexiglass, then added on a watercolor background and font. This sweet girl also won my Spirit of Art award for all of high school this year. She breathes, eats and oozes art!!!

7th grader who has serious talent as well. Embossed metal lionthat she carried out onto the mat.

1st place from same assignment

This sweet 7th grader took home 1st place for her watercolor bird and printed branch. Her bird reminds of her spirit..delicate, humble, sweet and gentle.

In conclusion, even though I am counting down the days, mainly 1/2 days now until Summer, I still pushed back tears on Friday and had a lump in my throat for the entire last period of the day. It's hard to watch your students grow up and leave you....we are a community at CCA and just like my own kids I want to keep them in my room, as one group, each class as a little family, supporting, loving and nurturing one another...pushing and spurring each other onto good works!