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02/16/2005: "Working from home again"

Yesterday I had my first class with the Early Scholars, 30 Alaska Native honors high school students. It's a great program and part of it includes 10 weeks of taking classes out at the University; 6 weeks taught by me and although these kids are really motivated, there are a lot of them.

I also teach LS110 right afterwards, so I didn't have time for lunch and was feeling pretty cranky by 5:30. Jen invited me out for pizza where I lamented the whole problem of not having a model and she offered to pose for me (no nudity) so I can adjust the lighting to get the dramatic effects I want.

Jen is also loaning me some of her favorite bluegrass music to listen to for inspiration while I paint. I'm going to pick out titles for the pieces by using the names of classic bluegrass and folk songs. I also want to start using some more unusual instruments, I have an entire book on how to make folk instruments and some of their shapes are gorgeous.

This morning I'm working on UAS stuff, I have to do two weeks worth of instructional CD-ROMs and get them in the mail, hopefully by tomorrow morning...but I'm feeling very optimistic about this upcoming weekend, I have a feeling I'll make a lot of progress on this show.

Below is a shot taken out by the wetlands. I think I'd like to use it as the backdrop for a painting, I like the way the trees look, and the striation (is that a word?) of the colors in the foreground.