Student Teaching

Yay!!!
I found out where I will be student teaching for Spring 2010 :)
Lakeside Middle School in an 8th grade art classroom.
I am nervous ... and I am excited.

written

I write. I love to write. But I don't share it. I'm not sure why. I suppose I am scared of people stealing it or judging me on it. I don't think I should care about either of these things. But I do. I am greedy and self-concious. Both are things that satan teaches us to be. Plus, I wonder if I actually wrote these things myself? Doesn't God know everything I do before it is done? So, in effect, did he already write these things, using me as a mere vessel to share it? In that case should't I share it? But the thing is - some of it, most of it, is kind-of depressing. Afterall I am most inspired when I am feeling down, alone, depressed ... aka under satan's thumb. So is it satan, then, that wants me to share these things - to relate hate and sadness? In that case I should not share. Or was it just me? Using a talent God gave me, influenced by the world, and writing what has/hasn't been thought of or written before? In that case I want to share it. But do I? I want people to read it. I want people to relate to me and me to them. But at the same time ... is this the message I want to convey? Shouldn't I want my writing to reflect the love of God and all things beautiful? I do. It's just not where my inspiration and desire to think or write comes from. I use pressure, I use pain, and I use loneliness as a launching point to create. When will that change? And ... should it?

play things

I think that everyone has desires and urges; that we are all tempted to do things we may know are wrong. I think that is what makes us human. If we were perfect, well ... we wouldn't be; human, that is. It is the choice, however, of giving into these wrong desires and temptations that makes us satan's play things.

knock knock

i love water slides ...

... but this guy is just crazy ...

It is very important to remember that this planet is our home and we should take good care of it. With that in mind, Gretha Oost invented 321 Water. It's a water bottle that you keep forever. It filters internally so there is no excuse for you to buy filthy plastic water bottles again. But there's a catch. Even though 321 Water won the people's choice on ABC's New Inventors, we need 10,000 people to pay for one before they can be manufactured.
If you fancy yourself as a good citizen of the planet, you should fork out the cash. It will help, and it is nice to be part of something from the start. Imagine how fun if we all did it today? How happy you'd make Gretha.

http://www.321-water.com/

Here I am waiting
For how long I don't know
It's a long way back from where I've been
But there's no where else to go
So I'll stand
With my face to the wind
And my back to the world
I'll follow you
And I'll go where you tell me to go
No I won't be afraid
No I won't be afraid
I feel your wind is moving
I'm not sure where it's going
But I'll let it carry me away
Cause I'm not staying in this place
And I won't turn around...

meet tucker

tucker is my nephew ... the most adorable 5 1/2 month old child on the planet. if you don't believe me take a gander ... you will :)

ting a ling

Wedding bells go ting a ling a ling
ring little bells

My step-brother Michael and his fiance Ann are getting married today in Coronado. Should be pretty! I had to put signs up today so everyone turns on the right streets and the weather is fine :)

Please pray that their marriage is to the glory of God and that they are happy together and live a Godly life.

a creative genius

MoMA - Tim Burton Exhibition
NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will host Tim Burton's exhibition November 22, 2009 to April 26, 2010. Tim Burton Tour Nights will include a one-hour VIP group tour of the exhibition, after the Museum closes to the public, and a reserved preferred seat at that night’s Tim Burton film screening. The exhibition Tim Burton will bring together over 700 examples of rarely or never-before-seen drawings, paintings, storyboards, moving-image works, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera, and includes an extensive film series spanning Burton’s 27-year career.

I WANNA GO!!!!!

i'm a cowgirl

I decided after my friends latest shindig that I would make a good cowgirl. Yeah, that's right, a cowgirl. True that I just invested in my first pair of boots (I want to live in them) but sometimes it only takes a day to find one's true calling. Really I just want to ride a horse all day and continue practicing my mad roping skills. I roped a cow ya'll ... of course it was a bale of hay with a plastic bull head stuck in it ... but you have to start somewhere. Plus, how awesome would it be to wake up early, feed the horses, sit and do devotions and read the bible while listening to the early morning aminals and then work on roping a cow and take a ride on a horse through the wild yonder ... pretty freakin awesome ... i decided.

fool for you - nichole nordeman

There are times when faith and common sense do not align,
when hardcore evidence of you is hard to find,
and I am silenced in the face of argumenative debate,
it's a long hill it's a lonley climb. Maybe it's true.

CHORUS:
Cause they want proof,
They want proof of all these mysteries I claim,
Cause only fools would want to chant a dead man's name.
I would be a fool for you all because you asked me to.
A simpleton who's seeming naive,
I do believe You came and made Yourself a fool for me.

I admit that in my darkest hours I've asked what if,
What if we created some kind of man made faith like this,
Out of good intention or emotional invention,
and after life is through there will be no You.

Cause they want proof of all these miracles I claim,
Cause only fools believe that men can walk on waves.
Maybe it's true.

Unaware of popularity,
and unconcerned with dignity,
You made me free.
That's proof enough for me.

I would be a fool for You,
Only if You asked me to,
A simpletonwho's only think of,
The cause of love.

I will speak Jesus name,
and if that makes me crazy,
they can call me crazed,
I'm happy to be seemingly naive,
I do believe You came and
made Yourself a fool for me.

one-piece swimsuits

So, I have signed up for a women's retreat with The Rock church for August 7-9. I am really excited about it because it is something I definitely think I need ... and my sister is going with me!
Anyways, the itinerary allows for plenty of free time to relax, get to know other ladies, etc. Well, there are also hot springs and swimming pools and because it is a church function we are requested to wear one-piece swimsuits. That's fine except that I don't own one and don't really have the money to spend on a bathing suit I don't plan on wearing again, at least not any time soon. But I know my momma has some so I opt to try one of hers ... lol
Momma has 5 that she shows me, in addition to a dive skin (no). Three of them are black so I try those ... the other two, not so much. Do you know what trying on one-piece suits did to me ... made me realize a)I have a freakin long torso and b)one-pieces make people look flat chested ... I don't need help there, thank you. So needless to say, I will be looking for a tankini or a long one-piece, or wearing a shirt over my bikini.
the end.

confuzzled ...

Dear God
it's me again down here
don't wanna sound insincere

I'm lost
sometimes you're so unclear
what can I do
I'm feeling so far from you

frustrated, irritated
disconnected from it all

the weight of the world
has pushed me to the wall

follow up to "news"

I was on the news ... look for the "Alley Cat Summer Fest" under recent videos on the right side of the screen.

http://www.sandiego6.com/content/sandiegoliving/default.aspx?articleID=645791

news

So apparently I am supposed to be on the news tomorrow to talk about an art class I will be teaching at the Alley Cat Art Festival in downtown El Cajon through my work. You should all come out to the festival on Saturday, July 18 from 9am to 10pm ... there will be a job fair, battle of the bands, art walk and wine tasting, kid zones with rides, etc. free art classes, vendor booths, a classic car show, and tons more :)
My news spot will be on San Diego Living ... channel 6 Monday, July 13 sometime between 9am and 10am ... watch me trip over my words and try to get through my stage fright ... should at least be entertaining!

walls

the walls in my room are ugly ... boring old light brownish color with a huge area that needs to be textured and then painted because the closet was taken out. but i am lazy and these walls have been this way for about ... well, over a year. so instead of moving furniture i have decided just to plaster the walls with frames and art work ... it is working for now but it is very unplanned and chaotic ... but then again so is my life.

if i were not lazy and had money i would actually finish my room ... but something about finishing my room makes it seem permanent ... which i don't want ... since i live at home still. that's another reason i have procrastinated on my room i think ... the permanence.

contents of my wall:

1. abstract painting by susan warin (one of my students at smsc) - my mom thinks it looks creepy but i think happy when i see it.

2. my self-portrait painting from one of my classes at chapman - i still dont know how i feel about it.

3. one of my abstract paintings from my jr. show at chapman - depressing kinda.

4. my little doodle-painting of a teal giraffe - cute. i love giraffes.

5. bulletin board i repainted because the color of cork is ugly - with my self-made calendar attached to it ... i love you shutterfly.

6. my mixed-media collage from a teaching arts class at chapman - kinda cool, i like it anyways.

7. my giant picture bulletin board from niki - happy graduation to me.

8. a big frame i repainted and stuck random photos in - really, the photos are random.

9. a drawing by jen lord (one of my students at smsc) - freakin sweet.

10. a drawing by leona melton (one of my students at smsc) - also super cool.

11. four watercolor sketches i did while helping students learn watercolor at work - gotta love my job.

12. a photo of a little girl dressed as an angel and praying - i love this photo. i have no idea where it came from.

13. an abstract painting by beth navarro (one of my students from smsc) - no words describe.

14. a print by rudy salgado (former co-worker at smsc) - a gift from an amazing artist. link on side bar ->

15. three hexagons from a series by justin ostiz (friend and artist) - a lovesick little series.

16. recycled wood angel sculpture by sara palmer (one of my students at smsc) - couldn't live without it.

17. five drawings by various students of mine (at smsc) - the first additions to my walls.

other artwork:

1. nine ceramic birds on my bookshelf by justin ostiz (friend and artist) - i hunted for the best ones in the series.

2. two of my ceramic bowls - just fun to make, not wheel thrown.

3. set of three ceramic boxes i made in australia - those were fun to transport.

4 various picture frames - because you gotta see the love.

5. lots of knick-knacks and stuff - because i like them.

there was a point to this bog but i really don't remember it ... and since i just did all of this typing i'm not erasing it.

Dear Daddy

Happy Father's Day! You are the bestest daddy in the whole world and I am blessed to have you as mine :)

Happy Father's Day all you dads out there. I hope you always remember the importance of just one more story, ten more minutes of play time, one more "I love you," another hug and kiss, an "I'm proud of you," and all the silly things you do and say just to get one smile. Know that you mean the world to someone and have a blessed day!

FREE

I got free movie tickets from my work today ... freakin sweet!

my sister needs me to go to Virginia/Washington DC with her for her husbands OCS graduation ... the plane and hotel are paid for ... amazing

SDSU credential program ... I wish

going to Mt. Helix and loving the view ... inspiring

gotta love free

How sweet is

this life?!

Close your eyes and feel the sun as it kisses your skin. Feel the wind as it blows through your hair and tickles the back of your neck. Open your eyes and look at the sky, how vast, how blue. Watch as the trees dance in the breeze and the ocean spills onto the shore. Watch the birds glide, the dogs play, the fish swim. Experience the range of human emotion in yourself and through others.

There is so much to ponder. There is so much to love. There is so much to be thankful for. It is amazing this life that God has created.

Smile and let it soak in that He loves you.

My Band Name

Asanda Sishuba "Alone in the World"

CREATE YOUR BAND NAME & ALBUM COVER:

To Do This

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”

or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"

or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”

or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together, or don't.

You should do this too and post it to me so I can see it! Yay for being bored.

Guess what?!?

I started to write a song. Right now it is a chorus ... so I need some verses ... and possibly some inspiration. Oh, and I need to actually write it down ... at the moment it is a recording of me singing into my phone ... weird.

I have also decided that I am going to start compiling my writing into a nice little collection. I need to figure out a way to organize it or something though because the ultimate goal is to create a book ... who knows maybe It'll get published one day ... maybe?

And my journaling has taken a hit ... I have been an artist neglecting her journal ... no more I say ... but I need inspiration for that too ... meh

Oh, and did I mention I started a prayer journal ... you should too ... it is amazing what prayer can do for one's mind and soul ... Go Jesus, you ROCK!

Only Love.

I am

Found.
"Sometimes God will take everything away from you just to make you surrender to him." Thank you for that Chris.
It is so amazing what God can do when you believe and you trust in Him.

I am

lost.

We will miss you friend

Our friend Rudy is moving :( and will no longer be working with us at Sophie's. We are sad, it is a great loss we must endure.

So here's three cheers for Rudy ...
Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

I wish him the best of luck!

Here is his amazing artwork:
http://www.rodolfosalgadojr.com/

I am about ...

... to make the most delicious dinner tomorrow night :P

The menu includes:
italian marinated chicken
homemade macaroni and cheese
steamed broccoli
garlic toasted baguette

... sooooo yummy :) i'm excited!

It's friday .... YAY ... except for the fact that I have to work all day tomorrow ... bitter. I can think of about a million other things I need/want to get done, including sitting on my butt on the couch and doing nothing for about 3 hours.
So tonight I am going out to Hooley's with a friend to see the hottest bar tender whom I love dearly :) Yes, that's right I get to be the girl that leans across the bar and gets a kiss!
Anywho ...
I want to go to the zoo. I also want to read Harry Potter ... I need to start the marathon before the movie comes out in June ... oh, how I can't wait!
Okay, I'm done.

Hoppy Easter (o:B <--those are bunny ears

Happy Easter everyone! I hope all of you were visited by the Easter Bunny and got some yummy candies and goodies!
My day so far has been excellent ... I woke up this morning to a good song on my ipod and got ready to go to church with Kyle and his family in Fallbrook. I met Poppy(grandpa) and Fern(Poppy's friend), two of the sweetest people! Poppy is so cute :) he sang in the choir and afterwards was all grins from ear to ear. It was also really good to see Taylor and Carlos (Kyles sister and bro-in-law) who are expecting little Isabella in late June ... YAY! After church Kyle and I went to lunch at Gordon Biersch and are now back at his house watching golf ... can't miss the masters ... lol!
Anyways, Hoppy Easter with love :)

this life of mine ...

... simply fabulous.

chicka chicka

boom boom! will there be enough room ... I loved that book ... I also loved "math curse" and "harold and the purple crayon". I don't know why I am sharing this information or why it suddenly popped into my head ... but ther it is.

Oh, I added more friends and links to my blog on the side bar --> if you are bored, or even if you are not, you should check them out.

And another thing ... there will be a feature on channel 6 tomorrow, Thurs. 4/2, about my work and one of the projects we are working on ... my friend/coworker and the gallery director will be talking about the gallery and giving a demo ... one of the paint can birdhouse examples is the one that I painted at work today ... YAY! (it's the beach one ... I call it 'A Bird's Escape to Paradise' ... I just made that up ... not very creative ...)

Smiles and High Fives!

So, finally ...

I started my artist journal. And it's about damn time too! I was inspired once again when looking through some of my art books and instead of putting them down and promising myself I would start tomorrow (a promise for procrastinators) I plopped down on my floor and started to cut, paste, paint, draw, and write ... and voila, I haven't been able to stop since. Journaling has become somewhat of a priority this past week ... I even packed a little journaling pouch (an old makeup bag) with the essentials; watercolor wheel, acrylics, paint brushes, a myriad of pens and sharpies, scissors, and glue. I also found my old day planner cover and shoved some fun papers and pictures and stuff in there along with my journal. So my excuse for carrying around a duffle bag sized purse is that I am an artist and an artist has to journal.

I would like to announce ...

that I am one extremely happy person as of late :)

Not only is the most amazing man in the world my boyfriend, but my nephew was born last Thursday, March 12.

Life is sunshine and butterflies.

ummm ... yes please

lighting the world one bulb at a time ...
http://community.livejournal.com/laceandflora/1256438.html

say hi to grandpa Da Vinci :) this damaged oil-on-panel portrait was discovered by Nicola Barbatelli, a medieval historian, while he was researching the archive and picture collection of an aristocratic family at Acerenza (population 3,000), an ancient village perched on a rock above the river Bradano near Potenza in the southern Italian region of Basilicata.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00491/Leov_491346a.jpg

MoMA tskes over Brooklyn subway station ... and gets a little edit from Poster Boy
http://www.artinfo.com/news/photos/1484/15110/
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/02/poster_boy.html

Can I live here ... at least people won't think I'm weird when I lick the walls ...
http://www.dinosaursandrobots.com/2009/02/empire-sugarland-supreme.html

Sealed with a monster
http://www.uglydoggy.com/2009/02/monster-idea.html

why is there a girl straddling that train?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/yacomink/not-where-trains-should-go-v

Maywa Denki ... possibly cool ... at least interesting ... maybe a little baby einstein ... or something like that
http://hifructose.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=299

forget 15 minutes of fame ... why not go for 60 minutes?! one whole hour of monumental grandeur, alone on top of the empty granite plinth in the corner of Trafalgar Square.The application process opens today for 2,400 members of the public to devote one hour of their lives to becoming part of a unique work of contemporary art that will occupy the fourth plinth in the heart of London 24 hours a day, for 100 days from 6 July. To register you interest for the project visit here: http://www.oneandother.co.uk/

this could be you -----------------^

uh oh oreos are the best ...

... which has nothing to do with this blog but i just thought you should know.

download -> print -> cut -> fold ... and now you have a toy :)
http://www.cubeecraft.com/

i need a vacation ... can i stay on your oil rig?
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/02/waterworld_dreams_realized_oil_rigs_become_luxury_hotels.php

oh won't you be my knight in shining armor?!
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/02/medieval-suits-of-armor.html

yeah, that's it ...

did you know

that you can type any text and have it converted into a musical composition? Now you do ...
http://p22.com/musicfont/

the ny poster boy was arrested? here is some of what he does
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21iVQ0iXs00&NR=1

there is a bullshit generator. no really, there is.
http://www.ruderal.com/bullshit/bullshit.htm

in Kibera, Kenya there are giant eyes on people's rooftops ...
http://www.woostercollective.com/2009/02/jr_finishes_his_most_ambitious_project_y.html

if you were looking for information and images of things from Dunhuang and archaeological sites of the Eastern Silk Road, then you found them
http://idp.bl.uk/

if you are a geek and you want a cake that portrays this, then you should go here:
http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2009/02/geek-cakes.html

when you work in a museum and you take your breaks in the staff room you get to create art ... at least you do here:
http://kpolloi.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/cups-runneth/

a giant spider attacked Liverpool
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/la_princesse_in_liverpool.html

the next time I make a phone call I would like to be in a fishy-fiiled phone booth, please
http://theworldsbestever.com/2009/02/06/phone-booth-art

apparently the sand sculptures I see at the beach have some competition
http://www.pinktentacle.com/2009/02/snow-sculptures-at-sapporo-snow-festival-2009/

there is a method to create virtual vandalism? yes, please.
http://www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=5358

if you graduated with an art degree and still feel like you could fail art history(guilty), there is something for you:
http://smarthistory.org/

I want to be able to fly ... more than anything in the world ... almost ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/4592004/Walking-In-The-Air-the-amazing-art-of-Li-Wei.html?image=9

so you know

History of the hockey mask
http://www.prohockeyfr.com/PhotosMasques/photosgardiens.htm

Santa with Butt Plug ... ?
http://www.artinfo.com/news/photos/1346/13970/

Strange statues around the world ... includes man throwing babies and a big thumbs up
http://haha.nu/funny/strange-statues-around-the-world/

Stop Motion Animation ... Her Morning Elegance ... amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY&eurl=http://blakewhitman.tumblr.com/post/72940478/someone-with-a-beautiful-imagination-made-this

Martha Graham: choreographer
http://vimeo.com/2397895?pg=embed&sec=2397895

A little bit of ART LA
http://www.artinfo.com/news/photos/1443/14783/

Cones Domes and Huts ...
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/28/arts/design/20090128-moma-slideshow_index.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Antony Gormley's filter installation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jan/28/gallery-manchester-art-gallery-hangs-new-anthony-gormley-sculpture-filter?picture=342374396

An opera short
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/video/2009/jan/28/sam-taylor-wood-vesti-la-gubbia

Type as Image
http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Type-as-image/142738

da vinci's iphone
http://i.gizmodo.com/5141137/the-iphone-as-designed-by-leonardo-da-vinci

Wooden Vespa
http://www.carpintariacarlosalberto.com/vespa_daniela.htm

a little bit of interesting

yarnfiti ... that is, grafiti with yarn
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4305406/Knitters-turn-to-graffiti-artists-with-yarnbombing.html

art from the middle east
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/4347102/Unveiled-New-art-from-the-Middle-East-at-the-Saatchi-Gallery.html

your house ... i may have already included this in a previous post but its still cool
http://www.spaceinvading.com/entry.php?project_id=Laser-cut_art_book200901061231290535

zombies?
http://nofearofthefuture.blogspot.com/2009/01/keep-austin-zombie-free.html

HOPE
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jdVzCRkO7f6e2MHJoSuhy0BDIasQD95NLRT80

nano landscapes
http://michaeloliveri.com/wp/?page_id=44&g2_itemId=5469

Vik Muniz
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/vik_muniz_makes_art_with_wire_sugar.html

WOULD YOU PAY $3,000 FOR A PAINTING BY A TODDLER? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CHARGING IN MELBOURNE
Germaine Greer
Monday 26 January 2009
Melbourne gallery director Mark Jamieson was putting together a group show featuring work by two photographers, Nikka Kalashnikova and Julia Palenov, last October, when Kalashnikova suggested another artist called Aelita Andre for inclusion. She showed Jamieson Andre's work, and he readily agreed. The works were vivid abstracts, full of life, movement and dazzling colour. It was only when Jamieson was putting together his press pack to promote the show, which has just opened at Melbourne's Brunswick Street gallery, that he discovered that Aelita was Kalashnikova's baby daughter - then only 22 months old.
He had accepted the work as worth hanging, so there was nothing for it but to go ahead, and headline the paintings as by the youngest artist ever to show work in a commercial gallery. The strategy paid off. Seven of the 15 works, priced between $300 and 10 times that, were sold before the show opened. Newspapers ran pictures of the toddler at work, with paint in her hair, her eyebrows and all over her clothes. Strangely, the daubs with which the child was covered were all bright, clean colours. You could have rolled her across a canvas and come up with pretty decent paintings.
The newspapers brayed in chorus: "Is this the story of a child prodigy or a joke at the expense of the art world?" It was neither. In art, what you see is what you get. What buyers of the toddler's work got was a prettily painted canvas of a convenient size. The prepared canvas had been painted with a solid colour and laid on the floor. The child had then had her hand dipped in a pot of acrylic colour and been invited to make marks on the canvas, which she was only too happy to do. Acrylic dries fast. Kalashnikova must have moved in before the child could smear her work, and cleaned off her hand before dipping it into another pot of a different colour. Aelita may have been allowed to select her colour, but it makes no odds. If she had been simply presented with opened pots of every imaginable colour and invited to make her own selections, all the colours would have been smeared together in the pots and on the canvas and on Aelita - to produce the muddy, neutral tint that is the hallmark of unsupervised finger-painting. It would have been one of her parents who decided when the work was finished and removed the canvas to a safe place.
Aelita's parents were not averse to talking up the notion that their child was a prodigy. Her father, Michael Andre, said that as soon as she began drawing in her Montessori playgroup, he could see that her production was different from the other children's: "It immediately leapt out as a defined representation of something in an abstract form." He appeared not to notice that he had defined her work as a contradiction in terms. Aelita's mother said that she wanted Aelita's work to be shown so that it could be judged "on its merits". "I wanted to get it out there and get a separate opinion. Of course, every mother is proud of their child."
Robert Nelson, art critic for Melbourne newspaper The Age, first described the work as "credible abstractions". Once informed of the truth about the "artist", he chose to hedge: "If it is a child's work, it's not a child alone. We're happy to credit the child, but it begins with a parental concept." Parental concept in this case equals parental project. Parents buy the canvas; parents lay in the ground colour; parents supply the acrylics; parents supply the child; the child does what children do. What the child did was probably better than anything either of her parents could do, simply because she was a child.
There is no reason to believe that Aelita's hand-eye coordination was better than that of other children of her age, or that she had a vision of the finished work. Her painting succeeds because the marks she places on the canvas are beyond her control. A cross mother declared in an angry blog that Aelita's parents were interfering so much in their daughter's work that they were likely to stunt the development of her creativity. They were in fact using her as a randomly programmed automatic paintbrush.
These days all our children draw and paint; nearly all of them will draw and paint progressively worse as they grow up, because they lose their excitement and become anxious, mostly about representation but also about neatness and composition. As someone who taught art to schoolchildren, I am well aware that, to get the best work out of them, I had to snatch the work away while it still carried the energy of the initial idea, before over-working had squeezed the life out of it. In a famous film of Picasso at work, we can watch him carrying out a wonderful brush drawing on the other side of a sheet of transparent perspex set up in front of the camera. In a very few minutes, the drawing is as good as a drawing can be, but the master keeps on working for as long again, until the drawing is ruined. The more prodigious the talent, the more childlike it is - and the more it needs the facilitator.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2009/1/26/1232961778956/A-painting-by-the-artist--001.jpg

If you ever wanted to see ...

A Flooded McDonalds:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/4227474/Flooding-McDonalds.html

3D ABC book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnZr0wiG1Hg

just how much pink little girls own and blue for boys ... eww.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/4239262/The-Pink-and-Blue-Project.html

some things that need a redesign
http://designobserver.com/archives/doentry38869.html

Different ways to see a webpage load
http://www.prettyloaded.com/

A book titled "The Recently Deflowered Girl" ... with illustrations
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2009/01/10/the-recently-deflowered-girl-1965-illustrated-by-edward-gorey/

The impossible project ... restart production of the polaroid by 2010
http://www.the-impossible-project.com/

paper art
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/5120/paper-art-by-peter-callesen.html

the microscopic obama family
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01242/willard_1242719c.jpg

underwater portraits ... aka people that look dead
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/4290438/Underwater-Portraits.html

the most disgusting thing ever ... make a pet hair sweater
http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/01/14/sustainable-cat-hair-sweaters/

beauty, beheld
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/23/arts/20090123_PHOTO_SLIDESHOW_index.html

$5000 home meade from recycled paper
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/22/5000-dollar-recycled-paper-house-by/

or perhaps a sliding house
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/01/19/sliding-house-by-drmm-2/

In case you were bored and wondering ...

WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF THE ARTS? The transition team of President-elect Barack Obama is keeping a firm hand on any appointment news, but the buzz in art-and-politics precincts has the new administration seriously considering the idea of an official White House Office of the Arts, overseeing all things having to do with the arts and arts education. The new arts czar wouldn't be a cabinet-level position -- too complicated and too limiting, say insiders -- but rather a liaison with the president with real access to funds and power. Who might fill the post, which would be a CEO kind of job? One possible candidate could be Agnes Gund, former president of the Museum of Modern Art and founder of Studio in a School. The idea of such a position has been floating around for some time. In its 2008 "10-Point Plan," for instance, the U.S. Conference of Mayors suggested the establishment of a cabinet level secretary of culture and tourism. And though the Obama campaign didn't specifically mention such a post, it was the first to have an in-depth arts platform (developed in consultation with Americans for the Arts), which actively painted the candidates as "champions of arts and culture," urging the creation of an "artist corps" trained to work in low-income schools, among other projects. Stay tuned. _artnet
NOTE TO OBAMA: HOW ABOUT A SECRETARY OF THE ARTS? Last November, music producer and songwriter Quincy Jones mentioned to John Schaefer during an interview on the New York radio program "Soundcheck" that he thought President-elect Barack Obama should create a Cabinet-level position of secretary of the Arts. "One of the next conversations I have with President Obama is to beg for a secretary of the Arts," he told the WNYC talk-show host. Jaime Austria heard about Jones' comments and thought that was a great idea. So Austria launched an online petition <http://tinyurl.com/55jl4l>. So far, more than 63,000 people have signed, with "spread the word" e-mails recently making the rounds on the Left Coast._LATimes

For those that would prefer to have pictures included when looking things up in the dictionary:
http://www.thephotographicdictionary.org/home.html

Fat Cars ... in case all the obese people weren't enough:
http://www.geekologie.com/2009/01/bigger_the_better_artist_makes.php

Snowflakes under a microscope:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/gallery/2009/jan/07/1?picture=341408044

Catch of the Day ... trash collected from the beach and packaged like food ...
http://shapeandcolour.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/surfrider-foundation-catch-of-the-day/

I think someone forgot to use the instructions to put that chair together:
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/01/08/cozy-furniture-by-hannes-grebin/

bored? got jury duty? create art!
http://jurylaw.typepad.com/photos/juror_art/index.html

from books to sculpture ... a good way to recycle those old math, science, and history books:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/4209077/Book-sculptures-by-photographer-Cara-Barer.html

house plan cut out:
http://curbed.com/archives/2009/01/07/olafur_eliasson_wrote_the_book_on_crazy_floorplan_porn.php

Billboards, those ugly things that canvas the roads ... at least these make you do a double take:
http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/05/clever-and-creative-billboard-advertising/

An old art and culture magazine from the 90s makes a comeback via the internet:
http://www.indexmagazine.com/

Typing, working, typing, reading, reserching, typing, working more ... apparently it creates hostility towards the computer:
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t335/ubermnd/seehowhardIwork-1.gif

acrobats of the urban circus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1vDPcXTRIs

mathematical roots of architecture anyone?
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/greg_lynn_on_organic_design.html

Polo(d)roid your digital photos ... coolest thing ever:
http://poladroid.net/index.php

Why do I have barely any time to do art and some people can make models of a city out of jell-o?
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/stunning-models-of-san

please don't take art away

WHERE'S A BAILOUT FOR THE ARTS? By Michael Kaiser

While government bailouts are being offered or considered for financial institutions, the auto industry, homeowners and so many other needy and worthy sectors, one group is quickly and rather quietly falling apart: our nation's arts organizations. In the last few months, dozens of opera companies, theater companies, dance organizations, museums and symphonies have either ceased operating or suffered major cash crises.As someone who has made a career out of fixing troubled organizations, I know that the problems faced by arts groups are often related to poor management and governance. I also know that the difficulty in improving productivity in the arts is central to our financial challenges: It takes as much time to play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony today as it did when the piece was composed, and the same number of actors are required for "Hamlet" as when Shakespeare wrote it. Unlike other industries, the arts cannot cover the cost of inflation by improving worker productivity.This is why subsidies -- in the form of government grants or private contributions -- have long been required to help arts organizations balance their budgets. Well-managed groups have typically been able to find the money required to operate if they create interesting programs, market them aggressively and build strong donor bases.But these times are different.Many organizations that spent years building large endowments to provide more stable sources of support have seen them decimated. A number of our most loyal donors have watched their own investment portfolios be depleted and cannot provide their traditional funding. Our audience members cannot buy as many tickets as they have in the past.This perfect storm has already weakened our nation's arts ecology. Over the last several months, the Baltimore Opera Company, the Santa Clarita Symphony, Opera Pacific, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and others have called it quits or come close to it. There probably will be a torrent of additional closures, cancellations and crises in the coming months.We are losing the entertainment and inspiration we need more than ever during this terribly scary time. As we try to rebuild America's image abroad, we are losing our most potent goodwill ambassadors. As we reshape our economy, we are losing the organizations that teach our children to think creatively. And as we celebrate the diversity of our nation, we are losing the voices that have traditionally helped change society's thinking.The arts have historically received short shrift from our political leaders. But the arts in the United States provide 5.7 million jobs and account for $166 billion in economic activity annually. This sector is at serious risk. Because the arts are so fragmented, no single organization's demise threatens the greater economy and claims headlines. But thousands of organizations, and the state of America's arts ecology, are in danger.We need an emergency grant for arts organizations in America, and we need legislation that allows unusual access to endowments. Washington must encourage foundations to increase their spending rates during this crisis, and we need immediate tax breaks for corporate giving.As President John F. Kennedy said, "I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we too will be remembered not for our victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." As we print billions of dollars in bailout money, isn't it time to ensure that we are saving our soul as well as our economy?_LATimes