the owl house

an old friend of mine, brian van etten, is the head chef for a new restaurant opened by two other friends, jeff ching and andrea parros. its called THE OWL HOUSE. (you can check out their website or find them on facebook)

they opened with full hours and service yesterday, and you should all check it out. they are at 75 marshall street, 14607... the site of the old rochester fave THE ATOMIC EGGPLANT.

they serve a rotating menu of 'new american cuisine' (same main menu daily, but with different dinner and dessert menu each night), along with over 30 craft beers, artisan wines, and unique cocktails. they also cater to the dietary needs of vegan and gluten-free folks, with a large assortment of dishes for each.

the food is delicious (my personal favorite is 'the cherub' sandwich) and the ambiance is stellar. so, if you're looking for a great place to dine, you should check them out! see a review from city newspaper here.

my friend rob antonucci's great new artwork is hanging on the walls currently, with an opening reception on august 17th from 7-10pm. also, i was lucky enough to be asked to design their menu (and will be hanging my artwork there in the fall as well). here is the main menu, as of august 4th, 2010 (there are also special menus for vegan, gluten-free, dinner, dessert, and kids):

thoughts on summer...

summers over half gone... i am half sad and half excited.

this week has brought me some glimpses of what my AP students have been working on for their summer work, and im starting to feel that pull again.

i cant wait to start working intensely with the new AP class... although before that it means saying goodbye to my 2009-10 crew.

this process is part of what makes this job exciting, energizing, and fresh each september.
2010-11... i cant wait to see you!

FINALLY! studio in art videos, v.2010

this is the second year that my (primarily 9th grade) studio in art students have created, produced, and filmed stop motion animation films as their final project.
this year we were a bit cramped for time - but their creativity and artistic skills showed through in the final products.
(students, sorry it has taken me so long to get these posted... they were on the school network, and i did not have access to them)
enjoy!

this is a video 4 of my awesome ap art students made for our last day of school... based on the MTV series 'true life, i'm addicted to...'.
its pretty hilarious. if you have a bit of time, i suggest a viewing.
...i have the best job ever.

new painting :: thelonious monk.

friday wisdom.

from THE FOUR AGREEMENTS, by don miguel ruiz

senior ball!

we were bombarded upon arriving at eagle vale by 20 high school seniors who wanted to have their picture taken together as an ap art class. i was feelin the love.
as always, the class of 2010 was classy and sassy.

friday wisdom.

from THE FOUR AGREEMENTS, by don miguel ruiz

friday wisdom

from THE FOUR AGREEMENTS, by don miguel ruiz

artist of the week :: jane maxwell

we are all products of our consumer culture.





we talked in drawing 2 last week about this a good amount during our contemporary artist presentation. i thought this artist further represented the ideas we talked about regarding body image and consumer culture.


this is jane maxwell's artist statement, taken from her website:

Feminine silhouettes are central icons in this work examining contemporary women and body image.

From movies and television, to magazines and billboards, we are inundated with representations of the perfect figure. This art deconstructs the ideal, by depicting women who have been stripped of fashion and airbrushing--and are shaped instead from a layering of vintage produce crate labels, Hollywood posters, and related ephemera.

This work often depicts women in conversation, comparison or repetition, underscoring the role female camaraderie and competition play in the ideal body quest, and making a statement about our culture's insistence on uniformity.

Each canvas is the result of many hours of labor--layering, sanding, building up and scraping back. Layers are created using a special technique with hot melted beeswax. The most recent work is finished with layers of high-gloss resin.

summer art programs in the ROC

bored over the summer?
looking to get away from call of duty for a week or two?
if so, there are a number of great local art programs over the summer to get involved in...

RIT PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAM
taught by WSHS AP art teacher bill stephens, and MCC professor karen sardisco
july 6-10, 12-16 :: 9am-5pm
$900 (scholarships are available on a needs-basis)
this program is for incoming high school seniors who are planning on attending an art school/program post-high school.
it is centered around the process of preparing a college entry art portfolio with emphasis on in-depth investigation of media, concept development, and critical analysis. you will draw from life (still life and figure), participate in critiques, and conduct visual resarch.
contact zerbe sodervick :: zjsfaa@rit.edu for an application/more information.

RIT KIDS ON CAMPUS
this program sounds like a really fun investigation of the place where art, science, math, and technology overlap.
there are 2 two-week sessions in july, which cost around $700
you can find out more information here.

NAZARETH COLLEGE SUMMER ART FOR TEENS PROGRAM
taught by nazareth art faculty mitch messina (ceramics/sculpture) and ron netsky (drawing/painting)
july 6-23 :: 9am-2:30pm
$675
for students ages 13-18 who are interested and talented in the visual arts. you will work on a variety of mediums in a fun and productive environment.
june 1 registration deadline
you can find out more information here.

friday wisdom

from THE FOUR AGREEMENTS, by don miguel ruiz

the "didda-guy".

its been too long since i posted some new pics... for those of you not connected via facebook.
here he is, in all his almost-2-year-old glory.
if you want to see more family pics, check out our photo album. (which is currently a bit out of date.)

finally, my son begins to look like me...

...but he's arguably cuter.

community arts day 2010.

last saturday, webster hosted the 33rd annual community arts day at webster schroeder high school.
...thats right, community arts day will always be older than me.

as always, the artwork on display 1st-12th grade was amazing. it is great to see the progression that our webster students follow during their years with us. i am proud of my students, and look forward to my son's progression during these years as well...

so, here's some pictures of my students' work from saturday. enjoy!

tag, you're it.

ive spent an hour or so adding more detailed tags to each post - so if theres a topic you like, click the turquoise label under the post and it will bring you to a page with all of the posts that share that tag.
fun!

chuck close interview.

thanks to jean stephens for sending this to bill, who sent it to me.
if you love painting... love art... watch this. its interesting AND inspiring.

thoughts on teaching...

so my student teacher carrie bell's last day was today... we will all really miss her.

talking to carrie extensively in the past 6 weeks has made me really reflect on what i do and how i do it.
i feel so blessed to be able to work with young people who care so deeply about not only making great art, but being really good people... and who are dedicated to growth and to each other.
i feel lucky every day.

if you are reading this, chances are you are part of the reason i feel this way.
so, thanks.

**********
we got to draw outside today in ap art, and before the end of class, took some great group pics of everyone together, holding up their big pastel self-portraits.

friday wisdom :: best of luck miss bell!

up-and-coming artist :: jordan tiberio

many times, students come to the high school with natural abilities as artists and designers. their 8 years of art training by our awesome art staff gives them all the tools to see the world in their own unique way. its then our job to take those raw materials and help form and guide them into artists' whose voices are unique and personal (lots of times we're just along for the ride).

jordan tiberio is one of many students who display this personal vision.
jordan is currently a junior who spends many many hours outside of school working on developing her eye as a photographer (she also spends many hours during school here honing her drawing skills).

she has recently won 4 regional gold keys (3 photo, 1 drawing) from the scholastic art & writing awards, along with 1 national gold key (photo)!
i am amazed by her vision as an artist already, and am excited to see where all this work and thought takes her from here!

if you want to see more of her work, visit her flikr.

friday wisdom.

artist of the week :: best ever

best ever, yes thats his name.
as you can see from the first picture, all his work is created with spray paint - both on walls and on canvases.
you can find out more here.
((thanks to amy bonner for sending him my way))

studio in art :: self-portraits

here are a few videos regarding the artists we are using as reference for our self-portraits. take some time and check them out!

vincent van gogh


henri matisse


roy lichtenstein


shepard fairey

(watch an even BETTER video here)

friday wisdom.

'70 million' by hold your horses

thanks to krysta, claire, and jean for sending this my way.
what a great utilization of art history...
who ever said music video was not art?

see how many paintings you can name...

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

doodle for google 2010!

google is having a contest again this year to design a 'google' logo for their homepage. it is constantly changing to recognize different holidays and events, and you have your chance to design one of them!
this year's theme is 'IF I COULD DO ANYTHING, I WOULD...'
you have access to a drawing tablet to draw in photoshop whenever you want - all of our computers have them installed, along with the laptop cart that is in my room.
this is an AMAZING opportunity - and the deadline is march 31!
let me know if you want to enter.

find out more information here
check out info on dennis hwang, the original google doodler here
download the google template here


What prizes are awarded to Doodle 4 Google winners and finalists this year?

:: The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of their choice, a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it. Google will also award the winner's school a $25,000 grant towards the establishment/improvement of a computer lab. The winning doodle will be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010.
:: Each of the other 3 National Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
:: Each of the 40 Regional Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010 and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
:: Each of the 400 State Finalists will receive a "Doodle 4 Google" certificate and be featured on the Doodle 4 Google web site.

friday wisdom.

mark lanegan imix.

i published my first imix last night on itunes. its a collection of songs that mark lanegan sings on.
if you dont know who he is, you should check this playlist out - he has the kind of rich voice that you dont find often, something like a mix between johnny cash, tom waits, and kurt cobain.

aaron bueg :: society of illustrators

aaron bueg is one of my former students... and one of his pieces is part of a group of works that won scholarship from the society of illustrators! i'm really proud of him.
you should check out the page with all of the work on it, theres a ton of really great stuff.

video on creativity.

thanks to katie epner for the heads up on this great video on the creative process. forget that its an ad for a college i've never heard of. great message and creative innovative approach.
watch and enjoy!