Full Transcript for Creativity Isn’t Optional: Teaching Art, Life, and Problem-Solving

did you do any art work? 71 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:13.400 Yes? Yes, I loved art, painting, drawing. Yeah. I didn't 72 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:17.399 think that I would pursue a career in art. It's 73 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:23.079 not the most lucrative career usually, But once I was 74 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:25.600 at Ohio State, I had a roommate who was in 75 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:30.279 education and she would come home each day and talk 76 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:33.600 about stories from her students that she worked with, and 77 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.360 it just I just was falling in love with it. 78 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:39.759 And I had well, I grew up with three younger siblings, 79 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:44.319 I babysat all the time, and just loved teaching. I 80 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:46.680 mean my whole life. I just felt like it was 81 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.959 a part of who I was and what I did, 82 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:52.839 and I just happened to the side. Also loved doing 83 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:57.800 art and I hadn't thought about putting them together. I 84 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:00.480 think I was a couple of years into college before 85 00:05:00.519 --> 00:05:02.560 I finally committed to art education. 86 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:05.319 What was your first subject that you thought you'd be? 87 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:06.160 Marketing? 88 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:06.920 Really? 89 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:11.879 Yeah, going into something in business would be good, and ironically, 90 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:14.439 that's what my daughter is doing now. 91 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:18.639 Yeah, that's cool. When your siblings were younger, were they 92 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:19.439 much younger than you? 93 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.639 Not really. I'm the oldest of four and the youngest 94 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.720 was born before I even started kindergarten, so we're very 95 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:28.360 close to night. 96 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:30.360 Okay, so it's not like you were the teacher and 97 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:31.120 there were the classroom. 98 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:33.120 Well, I still felt like I was the teaser in 99 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:33.839 a lot of ways. 100 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:34.680 Yeah, that's funny. 101 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:35.439 Yeah. 102 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.519 So and Cleveland it's cold, yes it is. 103 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:41.399 I was just there this past weekend, but it was 104 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:43.240 colder here. It was colder here. 105 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:45.759 Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, that's what they keep telling me 106 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:49.439 from New York sometimes. Yes, it's crazy. Yeah, it was 107 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:52.839 down to the twenties, I think, Yeah, it's just crazy. 108 00:05:54.120 --> 00:05:56.959 You know. I remember when I was younger and I 109 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:00.639 took art courses online. Okay, it was a pretty bad artists, 110 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:03.879 though not as and I realized that was not as 111 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.720 good as I thought I was, and I decided that 112 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:07.279 wasn't for me. 113 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:09.759 What kind of online courses did you do? 114 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.600 You know, I forget the name of the course, but 115 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.959 they would send you a project every month and you'd 116 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.360 have to do that project sketching, painting, crylics, all that stuff. 117 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.600 You would send it back to would critique it for you, 118 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:25.120 and then they would send it back to you with 119 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.879 a new project and if you wanted to do that 120 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:32.680 same piece. It was an online thing. But but I'm 121 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:35.920 not that I'm not a good artist now. I'm a 122 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:39.199 bit creative, but not that guy. So when you're you know, 123 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.439 when you were creative and drawing and writing, was it 124 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:43.920 just did you choose a medium that you liked when 125 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:46.120 you were younger? Did that come later? 126 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:51.439 Probably later? And even still I like to experiment and 127 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:56.199 try lots of different things, always, I mean, always trying 128 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.800 something different. But it's interesting that you say that that 129 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:03.680 you are not creative or not an artist, like that's well, 130 00:07:04.040 --> 00:07:08.360 something that I really enjoy about teaching in Christian school. 131 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.600 You know, we could talk about our faith and you know, 132 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.279 I tell all my students or even the parents when 133 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.639 they come here for parents to night that. You know, 134 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.800 if God created the whole universe and everything in it, 135 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:26.240 and he created us in his image, well we're creative too, right. 136 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:31.199 I mean, it just just logical. So I feel like 137 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:34.879 that if we are not using our creativity, we're probably 138 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:38.160 not following the best path that God has for us. 139 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:41.480 It does not mean that you're going to be a painter, 140 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:46.240 the illustrator or potter. And I don't anticipate that from 141 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:50.399 my students. If they pursue that, fabulous, But I think 142 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:53.959 that we all are creative and we're going to use 143 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.920 our creativity in all kinds of different ways like this podcast. 144 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:00.399 Who would ever have heard of something like

that, you know, 145 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:04.319 twenty years ago, right, I mean you get created to 146 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.399 even I do things. 147 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.279 Like this, and I actually do the page layouts for 148 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:11.680 the magazine. So there's so you definitely are you a 149 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:16.959 good teacher? A good teacher? That's so funny, it's logical. Yes, so, 150 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:20.399 And and you know what I guess with young kids, 151 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:24.480 actually showing them to be able to do a creative 152 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:27.959 piece right and to solve how to get to what 153 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.319 they're doing right is problem solving also in a different way. 154 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:35.360 Retally, Absolutely, we talk about problem solving and critical thinking 155 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:41.080 a lot, because we could have plans and visions in 156 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.039 our head of how things are going to go. I mean, 157 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.120 this is life like how things are going to go. 158 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:48.240 You anticipate what it's going to be. And in the 159 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:50.960 art room, you know, they have a vision of what 160 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:56.000 their project is going to look like. But inevitably things 161 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:59.759 go awry. You know, you take a turn and they're 162 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:04.360 in life or in their seventh grade art class. You know, 163 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.480 when things go differently from what you plan, are you 164 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:10.200 going to think about it critically and figure out how 165 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:14.159 you could pivot and redo something? Because we're not throwing 166 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:17.480 it away and starting from scrats. We don't get those opportunities, No, 167 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:21.559 we don't. So that's just part of the creative process. 168 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:24.399 Well, yeah, experimenting because you might decide to use a 169 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:28.080 certain medium for an image and realize maybe you should 170 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.240 have used something else or a different paper or a 171 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:35.080 different canvas. Right, it's all about material, about texture, Yes, 172 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:36.279 it's all about that stuff. 173 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:39.240 Right, Yes, you could turn it into something different that 174 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:40.159 you didn't even know. 175 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:42.679 Right, I might take your different course down the wrong 176 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.759 wrong road or good road or perfect right right. 177 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:47.320 A different road. 178 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:49.919 Nonetheless, it's funny. I I have a writer that's helping 179 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:52.600 me here on this podcast, Matali, and we talked

about 180 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:56.120 writing assignments, whereas I might assign something, give it a 181 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:58.320 working title and say I think this is where it's going. 182 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:00.960 Comes back and she's done all the work, she's gone 183 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.639 down that path, and she says, really, I think this 184 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:06.360 is the title for this because it's a different story 185 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:09.559 than what we were thinking. Interesting, but I think Arn't 186 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.240 is like that too. Right. You start painting, you start 187 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.879 doing something, start drawing, and maybe you start realizing, maybe 188 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:18.879 I need to turn this curve with this line or 189 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.840 this pull of different right, and do you find do 190 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.360 you find that you discovered I know you've been doing 191 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.399 this for a while now, so but do you still 192 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:30.679 find surprises when you deal with middle school kids or 193 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:32.960 high school kids? And oh what they. 194 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:38.639 Do with the students surprises absolutely. And they I have 195 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:43.519 my students do these online portfolios, which is just a 196 00:10:43.559 --> 00:10:47.200 great tool to have. It's through Adobe Adobe Express, and 197 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:50.440 so they take pictures of their artwork and they write 198 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.879 reflections about it. And it's part of how I get 199 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:57.039 a better understanding of their process, because I think the 200 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:01.159 process is really important, you know, not just the final product, 201 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:06.080 but in the description of their process. You know, they 202 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:09.399 talk about ways that you know, this is what I planned, 203 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:12.600 and this is how I had to pivot and use 204 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:16.480 some critical thinking and alter or change some things. Well, 205 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:20.639 I have read some of these reflections and that's what 206 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:25.720 surprises me so many times. Yeah. So yeah, sometimes just 207 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.039 the thinking that went into it, and then I look 208 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:30.919 at it in a whole different way. You know, there's 209 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:34.080 there's a lot through the process. 210 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:37.879 Sometimes sometimes looking at a painting or a picture, you 211 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:40.240 think you know what it's about, but then you realize 212 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:43.240 the artist when they did it, maybe the mindset was 213 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:45.080 a whole different place, and now you've got a different 214 00:11:45.120

--> 00:11:49.679 perspective exactly. Yeah, so knowing that is is important. 215 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:51.039 Yeah, I think it's fascinating. 216 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:55.039 Have you had any students that have come back to you, Yeah. 217 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.600 Like after they graduate? Yes, I love that it doesn't 218 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:02.120 happen as often. And since I've been teaching middle school, 219 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.000 you know, when you're kind of the last one in 220 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:07.960 line and you get them before they graduate, you know, 221 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:12.919 you're who they remember, right, so they'll come back to 222 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:16.919 you and seeing them even as high school or sometimes 223 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.200 they change so much, you know, from middle school to 224 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.240 high school. But when they come back and walk in 225 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.360 my classroom and visit, it's so fulfilling just hearing what 226 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:33.320 they're doing now. But having had two daughters who graduated 227 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:37.279 from here, also, I kept in touch with so many students, 228 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.960 you know, especially from their ages, so I love to hear, 229 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.600 you know, how they've grown and changed. A fun, fun 230 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:49.600 story was we were at our Christmas alumni party it's 231 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.200 I love that we do that, and saw a couple 232 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:57.120 old students who happened to be married to each other 233 00:12:57.240 --> 00:13:00.879 now and the only high school class they had together 234 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:05.559 was my class with me, So like, I love that 235 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.000 that happened in my class that it's too, like Wesleyan 236 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:13.919 Merger so sweet. Yes, they just got married last spring. 237 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:17.799 Oh wow, so that is cool. Yeah, surprising, I mean, 238 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:23.360 just a cool thing. When when the class leaves, the 239 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:27.240 last students out the door, do you do things? Oh gosh, yeah, 240 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:29.799 pick up the brush or do something? Definitely, what do 241 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:30.080 you do? 242 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.799 Yes, I'll work on paintings, I'll do sculptures, I'll do 243 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:38.519 things that are examples for them. Is sometimes I get 244 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.320 very carried away in these examples, and I'm like, Okay, 245 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.399 don't make it as big as I made it, or 246 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:46.840 don't you know. I just get very into it. But 247 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.720 currently the stuff that I'm doing as they walk out 248 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:54.799 the room is matting a lot of artwork and putting 249 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:58.600 their name tags on it because next Thursday night we're 250 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:04.720 having an art show opening here. So every spring it's 251 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:07.360 all of the middle school and high school students who 252 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:11.000 have taken art this year. We'll have something on display 253 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:14.679 throughout the building. We do a big opening reception. It's 254 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:18.879 like we have live music, we have food. It's a 255 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:23.320 big open house. But there's also formal ceremony to honor 256 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:28.080 our Fine Arts Circle of Honor award recipients. So these 257 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.080 are alumni who've been nominated and yeah, and we'll be 258 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:34.879 honored in front of the whole community. We'll have a 259 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:38.240 few hundred people come through the doors that night, so 260 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:41.080 they get to see all the artwork hanging up and 261 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:44.279 it stays up for about a month, so it's actually 262 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:48.919 going on still while the artists market is happening. 263 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:53.159 Oh that is cool. Do you when you see these 264 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:55.720 kids and they're doing there all work. You know, when 265 00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:58.879 I have three kids in they're all older now, but 266 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:02.440 you know, visit sometimes as classroom and stuff. You'd see 267 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:05.399 them working with their friends doing their artwork and stuff, 268 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.039 collaboration a little bit even. 269 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.399 Oh yeah, do you see that? Oh yeah, we do 270 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:16.200 some group projects. A favorite and favorite here is every 271 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:22.039 November we make really big gingerbread houses and they work 272 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:25.200 together as a group and we end up donating those 273 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:28.879 houses to different charitable organizations all over the city. So 274 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:33.440 it becomes a community wide event because different families will 275 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:37.879 volunteer to deliver them. So that's always the favorite. 276 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:39.960 It's amazing how many things Wesleyan does. 277 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:45.639 I know. I think we don't even know what each 278 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.159 other does. You know, there's so many different things. That's why, 279 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:51.440 like as a parent as well, you know, I got 280 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.279 to learn so many other aspects of what goes on here. 281 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:57.799 Do you guys going to go on field trips at all? 282 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.960 Yes, As a matter of fact, I've had a few 283 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:04.600 students out the past couple

of days who are on 284 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:09.240 our tsa field trip that's like a technology group. They're 285 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:14.159 in Athens in a competition. And then this doesn't affect 286 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:17.360 my class, but we have banned and choir students at 287 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:21.399 Disney World right now. But for my class, I take 288 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:26.080 the Advanced art students to the High Museum almost every year. 289 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:29.080 Really yeah, cool, A lot of great exhibits out there. 290 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:32.000 Yeah. Yeah, So they study the artists before they even 291 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:35.159 get there. They will have practiced working in that artist 292 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.360 style before they even see it. Yes. So then when 293 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.600 we go and they recognize it, it's so much fun. Yes, 294 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:44.399 and compare their art work to we like, there's Monet, 295 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:47.200 I know Renee as soon as they see Yeah, So 296 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:47.799 that's fun. 297 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:51.399 Cool. So when as an art teacher and artwork and 298 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:55.519 doing the stuff you do when school's over, maybe it's 299 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:59.320 spring break, maybe it's summer, Where do you go? Where 300 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:02.320 do you findance? O? Where do you do you find it? 301 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.880 On vacation? Sometimes when you go on vacations do you go? 302 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.920 Honey that you asked that. This past summer I was awarded, 303 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:13.640 together with one of the middle school English teachers, a 304 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:17.319 summer sabbatical grant, So we got to go to Greece 305 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:22.559 for on ten days. Yes, we were in Athens, Mikonos, 306 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:28.519 and Santorini. Lots of inspiration. I have probably a thousand 307 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:33.440 pictures literally, and I just loved taking pictures of these 308 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.279 things and then working from the pictures later. So that was, Yeah, 309 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:39.720 that was pretty awesome. Did you to do that? 310 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:41.839 Did you go to the I forget the name of 311 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:43.799 the museum in Athens. 312 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:48.799 The Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, Yes, we did that. 313 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.119 Do you find yourself going to museums to odd exhibits, 314 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:53.319 the galleries. 315 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:56.480 And stuff here and there, here and there. I was 316 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:01.279 just in Boston actually with that same teacher over spring 317 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:03.640 break and we stopped in a couple of art galleries 318 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.640 there and I love to look, you know, up close, 319 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:09.839 and see what other people are doing. And I always 320 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:12.759 take pictures, and yeah. 321 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.079 That's cool, cool to find inspiratialize it is. So going 322 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:16.880 back to Greece for a minute, because I love Greece 323 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:19.839 and I went Athens making nose and centtaaoh you did 324 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:24.759 years ago, years ago, beautiful islands, just Centeraina was a 325 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:27.119 great place me even Mikinos was great. I mean I 326 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:31.319 had that blue white or the buildings and stuff. Athens 327 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:33.400 was interesting. This was in September, so it was an 328 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.279 off time, okay for stuff. Do you find What did 329 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:39.799 you find there that you know that you're going to 330 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:40.720 be doing at some point? 331 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:45.559 Well, gosh, I hope that I could be doing the 332 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:50.160 color of the water was like to capture that. I 333 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:53.960 don't know, that was amazing to me, you know, taking 334 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.680 the ferries between and just looking at the water and 335 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.319 even I mean this might sound kind of strained, even 336 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:03.319 looking at the way the water would turn up, you know, 337 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:06.480 from behind the ferry. I mean, it was so cool 338 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:09.519 and I thought, you know that, yeah, that would be 339 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.119 a really cool you know, it would look like an 340 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:15.559 abstract painting. But the colors I think would be. 341 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:18.920 People don't Yeah, people don't think about that. I mean 342 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:23.039 I saw a series of photos online just racistly and 343 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:24.960 people I look at it and say, it's just people. 344 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.440 But when you look at it and you see the 345 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:31.160 crowd and you see the lines of people moving and stuff, right, 346 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:33.440 it says lines of water, lines of people. It's all 347 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.240 about movements. Yeah, you know art work, right, So if 348 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:39.440 you don't have that movement, what does that even tell you? 349 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:40.359 About that? 350 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:44.480 Or talk about that with the students a lot and 351 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:47.039 another thing just even in the you know, it's one 352 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:51.480 thing seeing the whole landscape or seascape, but again like 353 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.839 zooming in a little closer and seeing just some of 354 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:59.119 the it's almost like a palette that God's created, do 355 00:19:59.240 -->

00:20:01.440 you know with the I mean not almost it is, 356 00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:03.759 I mean with the blue of the water and some 357 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.200 of the foliage and the dirt and the flowers, and 358 00:20:07.400 --> 00:20:08.240 it's I mean the. 359 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:15.319 Palette intelligent design absolutely and everything looks like that does 360 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.880 a pattern to everything. Yeah, it's just have to find 361 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.440 that pattern, right. I noticed is that one of your's 362 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:25.720 wolf camera it is winter. What do you like doing 363 00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:30.839 objects more than people or what is it that you 364 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:31.319 like best? 365 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:35.119 I love flowers. I love doing flowers. These are these 366 00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:38.279 are some things that I'll have in the artist market. 367 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:43.279 But I don't know. I love flowers and I love faces. 368 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:48.440 I love doing portraits. I don't do as many, especially 369 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:51.680 for something like the artist market. I just don't think 370 00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:55.839 it would be as well received. I don't know. I 371 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:59.039 enjoyed doing it and there, And that's the thing about 372 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:02.960 an artist market. It you know, you're there to you know, 373 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:06.160 to sell your word, I mean your bottom line. You're 374 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:09.680 there to sell your work, so you want you want 375 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:13.440 to show things that might work well in people's homes. 376 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:17.119 Yeah, I mean it'd be different if it was I 377 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:21.799 guess a street scene maybe right of a street and 378 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.559 a side street in Greece or something. 379 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:27.240 Yes, Yeah, and it's kind of like know your audience 380 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:29.400 a little bit, and you know here at. 381 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:32.640 A so you do tailers, so you detail of some 382 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:36.039 of the artwork that you do toward's an audience, Yes, 383 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:37.920 but then you have the fun stuff you do. 384 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:40.200 The fun stuff I do is just I mean, I 385 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:43.039 love doing portraits and I love just kind of playing 386 00:21:43.079 --> 00:21:46.839 with it and seeing what could happen with different things. 387 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.160 Do you have a studio at home? 388 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:52.160 I do, strangely enough that I mean, I have this 389 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:54.920 great room in the back of my house and I 390 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.839 made sure the flooring was good, like you know, to 391 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:00.960 clean up spills and things. And I have lots of 392 00:22:02.240 -->

00:22:05.839 you know, storage for all of my materials and supplies 393 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:08.440 and everything. But what do I do. I paint right 394 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:12.359 in the middle of the kitchen, like I wrote, I do. 395 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.119 I don't. I'd like to be in the middle of 396 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:17.839 everything happening, you know. I don't know why I don't 397 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:20.200 want to be back in a room Like I've talked 398 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.920 to artists at the artist market who say, I go 399 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:25.240 down to my basement and I'm there all day every day, 400 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:27.519 and I'm like, oh my gosh, I would I would 401 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.160 feel trapped. I'm like I'm going to be in the 402 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:31.400 middle and you know, and I'll do that here in 403 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.039 the middle of the classroom too. 404 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.559 Yeah, that's something to be said about that. You know, 405 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:37.400 you want to be right with it. 406 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:39.720 I don't want to miss out on anything, right. 407 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:48.839 Electa. Yeah, my youngest does shipbuilding and models and he 408 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:51.079 likes doing it. That stays in the dining room and 409 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:53.400 why my wife says, do you have to be here? 410 00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:55.759 Can't you do it upstairs? And he's like, no, no 411 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.400 for that. This way I can go to dad and 412 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:00.720 ball them in his office, which is right next door. 413 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:04.240 It's a look see what I did? Look really small 414 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:09.880 tiny pieces. Yeah, so he loves doing that when uh 415 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:12.839 so having a studio, but doing it in the kitchen, 416 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:13.720 I must pay something. 417 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.359 Do you use food I have? 418 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:17.079 I have? 419 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:21.720 Oh you mean like use food in the artwork. I've 420 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:27.359 done it of food, but I haven't used food in it. 421 00:23:27.960 --> 00:23:30.559 I know. I was actually cutting something up the other 422 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:34.119 day and it created this like beautiful blue color and 423 00:23:34.119 --> 00:23:36.839 I'm like, I should make some eat with that. Yeah, 424 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:39.960 I mean not that I haven't thought about it, I 425 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:41.000 just haven't done that. 426 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:44.119 So inspiration comes out of many places. Yeah, where do 427 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.759 you find your inspiration. 428 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:50.920 Then, you know. I think inspiration is found everywhere. I mean, 429 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.799 there's not any place you could go where you can't 430 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:57.640 be inspired. But I think it's being in a kind 431 00:23:57.640 --> 00:24:01.960 of state of being where you're open to it, you know. 432 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:05.079 And I think when we get too busy or worked 433 00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:08.319 up and you know, have too much on our minds, 434 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:13.559 that we're probably not as open to what that inspiration. 435 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:17.880 Is when you I take lots of pictures sometimes, especially 436 00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:20.559 when we go on vacation and stuff, and every once 437 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:23.079 in a while. I had one with my daughter, beautiful 438 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:26.160 shock cathedral for the back. She's in the middle of 439 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.039 the aisle and she's a tall girl. It just worked 440 00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:31.279 for that picture, but I had to shoot a hundred 441 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:36.119 pictures to get to that picture. Or painting artwork, you 442 00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:38.279 got to plan it out a little bit right exactly. 443 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.880 So do you have a way that you do that. 444 00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:41.640 Do you sketch out of time? Yeah? 445 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:45.279 What do you Yes, I'll do sketches, add some color, 446 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:49.519 you know, do different things. I really encourage it a 447 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:52.759 lot with my students, and I'll check their plans and 448 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:57.200 we'll talk about the planning. I'm not as good about 449 00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:00.440 the planning as I know I should these. I teach 450 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:02.119 them the right thing to do, you know, do as 451 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:04.720 I say, not as I do. I don't do as 452 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:07.319 much of the planning as I should. I just kind 453 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:12.559 of jump right in there. And sometimes yes, I'll be disappointed, 454 00:25:12.680 --> 00:25:14.480 and but I'll change things. 455 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:17.880 I'll just you know, do you ever toss it out 456 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:18.960 or do you just. 457 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:23.640 I just redo it, like I have. These flowers are 458 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:27.559 hanging up on the wall over there, and that's probably 459 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.279 the third iteration of that same thing. These I mean, 460 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:33.599 these have been just hanging on the wall this year 461 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:35.960 during school, and I'll look and go, you know, the 462 00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:40.559 background needs to change. I have literally taken a paint 463 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:45.200 brush while it's hanging on the wall and change it. Yes, yes, 464 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:48.000 I mean it's hard to call something finished. For me. 465 00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:51.640 It's hard to say, yes, that is it that has done. 466 00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:55.920 Maybe this could be

a little bit different. 467 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:58.920 So I've worked I've worked with editors that are like 468 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:01.640 that a little bit right. They'll be like, there's an 469 00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:05.359 editor I do some work for a different publication, and 470 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.039 there's this editor that tells me, do I have time? 471 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:09.960 Can I go over it one more time? Look at 472 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:12.759 the articles. I'm like, I gotta get this depressed by 473 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:15.960 five o'clock. You got literally seven minutes, and I know 474 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:18.240 when to pull the plug because you want to go 475 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:21.680 back and keep adjusting and stuff. You know, it's like 476 00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:25.680 artwork in a way. I mean it represents you, right, 477 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.319 I mean people look at it and you want to 478 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:30.839 feel proud of it. Yes, you want to feel like 479 00:26:31.319 --> 00:26:32.680 I need to put another stroke on that. 480 00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:35.119 I know, so as much time as I have, I'll 481 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.559 peep working until you know that buzzer rings. 482 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:41.559 So when people buy your paintings or buy your work, 483 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:44.000 it's not like you could go to the house and say, 484 00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:45.720 you know what, there was something I need to fix 485 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:48.799 it on that. How do you feel when you sell 486 00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:51.319 a piece? I mean these are one offs, these are unique. 487 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:54.319 I mean how do you feel about that well being 488 00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:57.960 that it's a one off and unique? I take photographs 489 00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:00.799 of all of my work, and I don't know, there's 490 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:06.160 some that I have not loved letting go and I 491 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:10.920 literally reprinted something on a canvas that I've sold before, 492 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.279 thinking I wanted that, you know, why did I sell that? 493 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:17.440 I should have kept it? I printed. It's like printing 494 00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:20.400 a photo on a you know, you could send away 495 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:23.599 for them to print a photo like all the photos 496 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:26.160 of your take photos from your vacation. You can get 497 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:30.000 it if you want to print a print. Yeah, and 498 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.200 I don't even like it. It's because it doesn't have 499 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:36.839 the breaststroke. It doesn't have anything. I thought that, Oh, 500 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:38.720 I'll have my own not the same. 501 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:40.559 No, you don't see that. 502 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:43.319 And then it was almost like fine, It's like okay, 503 00:27:43.920

--> 00:27:45.799 be done with that and I'll move on to the 504 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:46.359 next thing. 505 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.720 Yeah, have we there's something I want to share with 506 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:52.400 us that we haven't touched the punk. 507 00:27:53.319 --> 00:27:57.000 I don't know. I might think of something later. 508 00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:58.079 To edit it. 509 00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:00.119 I know, I know. 510 00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:05.240 Do you can you name? Like you said, we find 511 00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:08.759 inspiration everything, right? Is there a favorite movie. 512 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:12.640 The right movie? Oh, my goodness, I have. I have 513 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:18.839 lots of favorite movies, but some are silly. No, I 514 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:23.279 mean like I mean my daughters make fun of me, 515 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:27.799 like Talladega Nights. I love tailor like silly, silly cool. 516 00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:30.240 That's cool, but. 517 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.000 We need that time for a brain to relax. You 518 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:34.240 can't watch anything. 519 00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:36.160 Too deep, That's right, I could laugh. 520 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:40.799 What about what about books? Well, audibles? 521 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:44.640 Yes, I listen to Audible a lot, you know, depending 522 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:50.640 on I do book clubs. I'm very involved in lots 523 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:53.839 of other things outside of school, from you know, book club, 524 00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:58.559 I play Mashong, I play bridge, I. 525 00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.720 Keep your mind going. 526 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:01.519 Yeah, I'm always doing something. 527 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:04.440 They have a favorite food, well top. 528 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:08.480 I actually went to culinary school. That's another So I 529 00:29:08.519 --> 00:29:13.279 love to cook. But I just live by myself at 530 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:15.599 home now and I don't have people to cook for, 531 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:18.319 so I don't eat as well as I should. 532 00:29:18.599 --> 00:29:24.400 But I like Italian food a lot. But I have 533 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:27.279 lots of favorite that's funny. I like color, I like food, 534 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:31.960 and me and my wife almost opened the place. But 535 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:33.720 you know, it's a lifestyle. 536 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:34.599 It is. 537 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:36.640 I'll be there holidays and weekends. 538 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:40.400 I know. I worked in the restaurant business for a 539 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:45.880 while going through college and shortly thereafter. Yes, I have 540 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:48.599 good friends in the restaurant business. 541 00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:54.079 Well, we've been having some time with Christiao Narrato that's Italian. 542 00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:58.160 So this is going to be the Weslian Artist Market 543 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.880 April twenty fourth and twenty fifth. I hope you all 544 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:04.119 can join show up. There's a lot of artwork to 545 00:30:04.200 --> 00:30:06.799 be sold to be bought of a variety. If they're 546 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:13.400 such as paintings, they've pottery, jewelry, jewelry, right, photography maybe 547 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:17.720 I think photography. Yeah. And the out of the student stuff, 548 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:22.559 there's food, foods and art, yes, so plenty of stuff 549 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:26.240 to look at to buy. Check them out Google Wesleyan 550 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:27.680 Autist Market you'll find them. 551 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:32.480 Even to start Wesleyan website. Yeah, so there's a separate lane. 552 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:38.839 Is it Wesleyans School dot? I remember that. Yes, Wesleyan 553 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:41.720 is a great supporter of ours. I appreciate them being 554 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:45.279 with us, and it's always great to find. Man, we 555 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:47.480 just did I just did a podcast with two student 556 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:51.359 artists and and it's amazing. You know, they're smart kids. 557 00:30:51.400 --> 00:30:53.400 They're doing this stuff. They want to do their business 558 00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:56.240 to make your money on the side doing artwork. 559 00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:58.319 And they did really well. 560 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:03.839 Yees apparently, and maybe they'll do it on the side 561 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:07.319 later as they get older too, or get right into it. 562 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:10.279 It's been great. I appreciate you give me some time. No, 563 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:12.759 thank you, and thank you guys for listening. If you 564 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:15.440 have any comments, leave them in the comments section. If 565 00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:18.960 you're listening to the audible podcast on Apple or Google 566 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:21.839 Play or any of the other places, do leave a 567 00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:25.640 review Spotify. Leave that review, share it with your friends, 568 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:29.359 and check out Living in Peastreecorners dot com any more 569 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:32.279 stuff on Peatree Corners, things going on in this city. 570 00:31:32.599 --> 00:31:34.440 Appreciate you, thanks for being with. 571 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:43.440 Us, Thanks for listening to Peachtree Corner's Life with Rico Figliolini. 572 00:31:43.720 --> 00:31:46.400 You can listen to the show wherever podcasts are found, 573 00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:51.279 like iHeartRadio, Spotify and Apple Podcast. Leave us a review too, 574 00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:54.519 It helps others find the show as well. 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