The End is in Sight

As the end of the school year draws nearer...

I am grateful for a productive and inspiring year with my students.  I felt like I improved as a teacher this year, which made me feel good about teaching my students. 

I am looking ahead to a summer filled with productive nap times.  I am ever thankful for the long naps that my toddler continues to take.  Without these naps I would sadly be unable to produce art on my own time.  I would however be able to continue doodling on random objects like my ever growing rock art collection.  This has become almost an obsession. 

I have been working in my garden, which is one of my all time favorite passions... probably right next to painting and just below being a mom.  No joke being a mom was always on the top of my list.  Back to the garden... I am anxiously awaiting the 100 some bulbs I planted this spring to bloom.  Just this last week, two Irises bloomed.  These iris are very special to me since I planted them last summer on the day that my grandmother passed.  I am planning a painting that includes these iris as a tribute to my grandmother.  Funny how just now I am recalling a painting that hung in my grandparent's home for years.  It was a little watercolor of an iris by a local artist named Anne... something. Perhaps I will remember later.  The painting will be a bit of therapy for me... I still really miss my Grams. 

One activity I am looking forward to doing on a more regular basis with my toddler is art time.  The toddler in my life loves to paint.  Smearing it all over the paper and grabbing gobs of paint, moving it to different locations, and mixing different combinations of colors.  The toddler will also paint with just about any liquid including milk, juice, and my personal favorite yogurt.  Our kitchen table is a constant work of art as our toddler continues to learn manners.  It's a joy of my heart to know that our toddler enjoys creating art even if it's ON the kitchen table.

Projects that I am working on for patrons and special events are winding down, which leaves me time to finish the painting that I started in early April.  It will be extremely satisfying to finally finish my Cherubs painting.  That will leave me with a summer filled with blank canvases. I will hopefully be fill those canvases with the fragrant blooms of summer grown in my garden and those of my family and friends. 

Here's to a productive and free summer.