"Dear Diary..."

my article in the Fairfield newsletter

the online newsletter for the museum came out today, so I thought I would share my article:

Latest News & Views from the Fairfield Staff:

Dear Friends,
Since starting this adventure as summer docent, I've been asked by many just exactly what a docent is, or does. In my "vintage" dictionary, the ones with all the pages that have been sacrificed for my collage pieces, the definition of "docent" is "teacher, lecturer." In more modern versions, I know it usually includes references to one who works in a museum, educating visitors about, in this case, the artwork they will see. But I'm discovering that my job goes beyond waiting for the door to open, and an opportunity to explain about the current and upcoming exhibits.

One of the most enjoyable experiences I've had during this first month is working with our youngest visitors as they explore the artwork in completion of their "Find It!" scavenger-hunt list for the monthly gift certificate drawing. It has been fun to give them hints, watch their faces light up when they know they have found another one and observe the interaction with their parents and grandparents as they talk about the colors, the textures and what they see when they look at the art. One grandmother recently told me she thought this was a delightful way to get children to "stand still for a minute and really look at something." I agree, and hope we will have more young detectives visiting in July and August. (I give really good hints, too!)

Another aspect of this job is that of travel guide. Because many of our visitors are from out of town/state/country, I am often asked directions to specific places, or if I could suggest a good place to have lunch or dinner or to shop for specific items. Since moving to Door County eight years ago, my husband and I have done a lot of exploring, and now I am pleased to be able to share those discoveries with those who ask. And there's always something new happening, or opening. I have an even better excuse now to go out for dinner; I'm doing reconnaissance for my summer job!

The remainder of my time is spent at any number of assorted tasks, pretty much whatever needs to be done at the moment. And there is always a lot to be done. I've set up chairs and tables and made coffee for special events, put labels on postcards, painted walls in the new Henry Moore Gallery, spackled, patched, dusted, sorted, proofread, stacked and counted. And the best part: I've met some wonderful people, all connected in some way with "art."

I look forward to meeting you this summer. If I'm not sitting at that little desk in the main gallery, I'll be right back. And if you, too, would like to be a docent, or volunteer in some other capacity, we need you. Just let us know, and we'll get your adventure started.

Best wishes,

Patty O'Rourke
Summer Docent

Artwork: Patricia O'Rourke, Docent Diary (work in progress)

now, I have to get to work.
later,
Patty

etsy sale continues

because our last art show was virtually rained-out, I've started putting some of my artwork, the smaller pieces, in my etsy shop.
SALE PRICES.
everything must go, so that I can purchase some canvases, and make new pieces.
I'm quite excited by the new ideas that are swirling around in my head, and can't wait to get started on them!
that always happens when I've been to a show, and get an opportunity to talk to other artists, look at different art, get inspired.
I just haven't been doing any shows.
maybe this coming year we'll apply to a few more...
will try to get the rest of the work listed tonight & tomorrow, as it will be a hectic week at the art museum.
two shows come down, and two shows go up.
better take my vitamins.
later,
Patty

"there's no place like home..."

let me first tell you that last Thursday's gallery night at Weathered Goods was so much fun!
I had a chance to catch up with Teresa, the owner, and a couple of other people that I've not seen in a long time.
everyone was very nice, and I sold the piece I was doing my demo with - and it wasn't even finished!
gotta love that, as they say.

Friday we headed to Indiana, a very long nine-hour trip (road construction around Chicago was hateful!), and went directly to the art show site, to set up.
no problems.
but it was not to be a good show.
for two days, more on than off, it stormed & rained & hailed & the wind blew, and we would hunker down & hang on.
Saturday night I had dreams that reminded me of Dorothy swirling around, headed toward Oz!
when the sun was shining, we had great crowds, and customers.
but it just didn't last long enough, and after figuring in our gas (gulp), the show fee, meals, etc., (not to mention time away from work) we lost money on this one.
but we spent some quality time with my in-laws, hadn't seen them in almost a year, so that was good.
and I always get inspired by something when I do a show, more on that later.
AND, I always seem to make another connection that could prove beneficial - again, more on that later.
right now, I have to get ready for work.
I told them I would come in early today, make up some time, so it will be a very long day.
but afterwards, I get to come home, and as Dorothy reminded me, "there's no place like home..."
later,
Patty

Mr. Toad's wild ride

well, although everything I make is crap (I say this annually, right before this show, but I get past it, don't worry), I'm feeling pretty good about the packing progress I've made.
usually, I'm up half the night before we leave, making price tags and packing up all the little odds & ends you need when you do a show, and basically live in your tent for two days.
instead, I was up half the night LAST night, doing that.
but it's done, a day ahead of my usual time, gold star for me.
and Patrick packed the car yesterday with all the tent stuff, panels, poles, weights, etc.
today will be kind of a mad dash to the finish line with everything else.
Patrick has a dental appt. in Green Bay this afternoon, and from there we go directly to Weathered Goods, for the gallery night event.
I better go finish packing, and double-check my list.
later,
Patty

what are you doing Thursday night?

(click on image to view larger version)

time flies...

I don't know where the time goes, it seems as if it was just Mothers' Day, and now it's Fathers' Day!
in addition to the new job, and getting caught up on yard work, digging in the dirt, etc., I'm getting ready to go to the Covington Art show in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
on Monday, June 23rd, I'll be teaching my "going postal" class at Artlink, in Ft. Wayne, and there are still openings - if you're in that area of the country, please register asap.
another event that I'm very excited about: this Thursday evening, from 5 to 8 pm, I will be the featured artist at Weathered Goods in Green Bay.
stop by for some wine & goodies, and, of course, ART!
it should be a lot of fun, and if you've never been to Weathered Goods, you must see it.
better get back to work,
later,
Patty

summer job

I recently applied for what was advertised as an intern position at The Fairfield contemporary art museum in Sturgeon Bay.
had my interview on Monday, (I was a wreck! I hate interviews, hate talking about myself) and it went very well.
and yesterday I got a message from them that they were offering the "docent" position to me!
had to rename it, I guess I'm too old to be considered an intern!
it will be about 30 hours per week, a mix of duties, helping with projects, displays, tourists, etc. as needed, Memorial Day through Labor Day, which is perfect.
I can sub another two weeks, and then be done before school starts in the fall.
I'm nervous about it, but I figure if I can handle subbing at the high school, I can do this.
but part of me feels as if I've already abandoned my art.
I will have to make a real effort to block out time to create in my new schedule.
that, and digging in the dirt!
Patrick & I walked around the yard today, plotting and planning for some new plantings, transplantings, etc.
can't wait to get the herb garden going.
it just feels so good to be outside again, it was such a long, hard winter.
perhaps we'll stop at The Flying Pig today, for some inspiration, inside and out.
later,
Patty

no excuses

I have been absent from this blog for awhile, and although I have excuses, there are not any that I really care to share in detail.
let's just say, it's been a tough few weeks.
and on top of all the crap going on, I've had a bad cold/allergies/flu/something that kept me down for over a week, and coughing and dragged out for over another.
still very tired, and I have so very much to do.
there have been some good things that have also happened, and I will elaborate on those later.
just wanted those few of you that check in regularly to know that I'm alive, not completely well, but working on it.

next art event in my life:
I will be the featured artist at Weathered Goods in Green Bay for the Main Street summer Gallery Night, Thursday, June 19th, 5-8 pm.
if you're in the area, please stop by for some wine, snacks, and a visit.

later,
Patty

p.s. happy Mothers' Day!

separation

ok, ok, I know I said I would post the IL theme for the week, and start my "going postal" project.
and we will - we are - I just haven't finished my piece yet!
sorry!
real life got in the way the last couple of days.
but everything's ok, I just have to juggle some things in my schedule, it's going to be a very busy week.
so, here's the theme:
primitive
I will finish my mail art/entry this afternoon, and post it tonight.
and although many of you have e-mailed and commented nice stuff on my posts regarding my new adventures in substitute teaching, I've created a separate blog for that stuff, so that those of you looking specifically for art stuff will not be confused/disappointed/dismayed/dare-I-say-crabby.
here's the new blog, and I hope you'll read it from time to time.
actually, I was quite surprised by the number of you that confessed you had previous lives as teachers and substitutes.
pretty cool.
gotta go, remember to e-mail me when your IL mail art entry is ready to be mailed to me, and I'll send the address.
later,
Patty

learning as I go

got my second call to sub yesterday.
second graders!
remembering how tired I was after a day in first grade, I was a bit nervous.
but I had been assured that this was a lovely group of kids, and that their teacher is very organized.
well, he was certainly correct, on both counts.
I had three pages of typed, detailed instructions, a stack of "if you have time or would rather..." stuff, the day was not interrupted by any special events, and so I was able to follow the schedule without incident.
we pledged to the flag, changed all the calendar information (including day, date, days left in the school year, and local weather conditions), and had a sharing time, where I asked them what their favorite part was of this past week's lesson on the planets.
they all had something to share, and begged to sing their planet song for me.
how could I refuse?
pretty cute, just a little tune so they now know the order of the planets.
then I was to check their work folders for parent signatures, and they dutifully lined up for inspection.
a signature for today's date would indicate that they did their assigned homelink page (what happened to homework?) and had read for at least 15 minutes.
almost all had done so, but a couple out of my new bunch of 14 little ducks had not completed their work, nor had the necessary signature.
their teacher had already warned me in her notes that anyone not completing their work would have to stay behind while the rest went to the computer room, and although they both tried to convince me that was not really the way they did things, I stuck to what I had been told (and what my other little ducks were telling me - kids really want everyone to follow the rules, and they are quick to rat on anyone who is not doing so!).
after computer time, it was, of course, bathroom break time.
and recess.
I had recess duty, and had to borrow a whistle from the second grade teacher next door.
it was terribly cold, and I wasn't really prepared for it (no one told me Fridays are casual, and I could have worn jeans!), but the 20 minutes went quickly, only had to break up one little scuffle and remind a couple of indignant young ladies - eleven going on sixteen, you know? - that if they stopped yelling at me and stood in line, they would surely get their turn on the tire swing and if by some odd chance they didn't, they would still live to old age, drive cars, etc.
oh, and I was hugged repeatedly by the sweet little first graders I had subbed for on my last visit.
("Mrs. O'R, Mrs. O'R, you came back!")
after recess, I had to administer their Friday spelling test.
(nice to see a few things that haven't changed in the three hundred years since I was in grade school.)
they giggled at the sentences I made up for each word, then jumped into action as soon as I repeated the last one on the list - it was time to move into their "tribes" for shared reading.
each tribe, a group of 4 or 5, would take turns reading together a section from their Scholastic newsletter (I remembered those, too!), and today's topic happened to be recycling!
I was in heaven - I could actually contribute something to our limited conversation.
I would have loved to have had more time to talk with them about recycling, Earth Day, etc., but the schedule demanded that we move on to the reading resource room to pick out their RIF books.
the school had received a grant from Reading is Fundamental, and they could now select a free book.
pretty cool.
while they looked, I spoke briefly with the reading teacher, and told her about the recycling discussion, and asked her if they ever recycled books, or had book swaps.
they had not, but her face lit up, and perhaps something will come of the suggestion.
we waddled back downstairs, time for another bathroom break, hand washing and lunch.
hamburgers, baked beans, tater tots, and canned peaches.
got to remember to pack my own lunch next time.
and bring a cup for coffee.
sure could have used one about 11:40, as I had to go back out into the cold for the lunch recess duty.
there were several other teachers out there, though, and we chatted a bit.
after lunch, things seemed to go very quickly - the Phonics teacher paid a visit, and drilled them with flashcards on all the various vowel-sound letter combinations, and whether or not syllables were "open" or "closed" - I was impressed!
as soon as she made her exit, we lined up for the walk upstairs to the library, then music (yes, they had to sing their planet song again for the music teacher), and after music they went to gym.
I used the half hour to go over the math lesson I was supposed to teach when they got back, and discovered the note from yesterday's sub that they had not gotten to yesterday's assignment.
quick adjustment in plan, but we managed.
the kids were great, working with their "3 o'clock buddy" to complete yesterday's worksheets, while we had snack time, and we got a good start on the day's assignment.
I would have preferred to keep working on it with them - I can't believe they now do fractions in second grade! - but promptly at 2:20 the second grade class next door piled in for the movie.
I don't know if it was just because it was Friday, but it was just an animated story, something about an Indian and his horse, not particularly educational, but I decided I could correct their spelling tests, and make sure their math journals (what, no workbooks, have they eliminated the word "work" from grade school vocabulary??) were complete, and that they understood my instructions for that last lesson.
I worry that I will explain something in a way that's not kosher, and scar them for life, but so far, so good.
the movie ended at 3, they stowed their stuff, turned their chairs up on their desks, and lined up.
little ducks, all in a row.
I was to receive one of the three H's before they could leave - a handshake, a high-five, or a hug.
and I was surprised by how many chose to hug me.
including the identical twins (who had worn identical t-shirts) that I confused all day, and finally just started calling "twins," and they would answer in an eerie sort-of unison.
they clear out fast on Friday, and I was home by 3:30, tired, in need of a cup of coffee, but pleased with how the day had gone.
and I've already gotten another call for a day in May - 5th grade, hear we come!
later,
Patty