"Crooked" with color

Added a little color to my last post.

Illustration Friday "crooked"

This is the first stage of my post for Illustration Friday's "crooked" prompt. I'm going to add some color over the valued wash that I put down on the colored pencil drawing. I was inspired by a nursery rhyme about a crooked man who walked a crooked mile. This I guess is his crooked wife.

"Burst"

It was probably not a good idea to put Hedgehog in charge of the balloons for the party!

It's a beautiful fall-like day here with nice cool temperatures in the low 70's. I just took a long walk around town, and noticed mums, pumpkins, and corn stalks springing up on local porches and front walks all over. The calendar still says summer for a few more days, but the signs are all there that it's coming to a close.

IF "Imagination"

This week's theme reminded me of the breadth of children's' imaginations, and how fun it was to play at being whatever one wished.

Illustration Friday "Identical"

For this week's IF word, "identical", I was thinking about the mother-daughter identical outfits that I believe were more popular back in my childhood than today. I did find a few photos of myself and my younger sister wearing our identical dresses that my grandmother had made. It appears that at my birthday parties, for several years, she and I had matching outfits. At this one, I am 5 and she is two. 

Illustration Friday "tall"

You've got to be very hungry when you order the "tall" stack of pancakes!

Today's my official last day of summer vacation, and then I'm back to work tomorrow for the teachers' day, with students coming in on Wednesday. It has been a lovely summer here with few rainy days. I spent yesterday with a friend who lives near the seacoast, and we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant with a water view. There was not a cloud in the sky all day, and the temperature was in the low 80s. It was a perfect way to wrap up my summer break.

Illustration Friday "teacher"

Summer break is almost over, and next week I'll be back in the classroom again. I can't believe I've been an art teacher for about 30 years, and on top of that, I've literally been in some type of classroom every year since I was five and in kindergarten. Of course I always loved my art teachers, and I don't regret that I followed that path for a career. Every new year brings its challenges, but it also brings the rewards of working with students and helping them discover their own unique creative voices. This may sound sappy, but every once in a while when I observe our students really engaged in the process of creating their works, I think---- this is the best job ever.