Yummy Art Night!

My pal Kyle scored two tickets to Art Night Austin because he is a chef at Fete, a yummyful catering place. 

He shared a ticket with me, and I was happy schnappy!

Art Night is a chauffeured tour to several Austin galleries, each featuring catering from a local restaurant, wine from Twin Liquors, and beer from North by Northwest. I learned that pacing myself on the boos at an event like this was key- and had quite the time listening to the ummmm older people there get more and more drunk as the evening went on. 

He also got tickets to the after party at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop....pretty awesome... with some really amazing scallops, more beer and wine, and disgusting Vodka Iced-tea cocktails.... Not for me. 

Scallops, definitely for me. Thank you Bess Bistro and The Belmont. 

My highlights from the food was braised ribs served over magical polenta from NoRTH.

Oh, and the art was fantastic too. 

Thanks to Kyle for what would have been a $100 buckeroo night.... I had a grand-ole time... even if the wine caused me to stay in bed most of the next day. :)

On a side note, my friend Matt is driving his Shadow motorbike across the country to San Diego....I made him a good luck charm bracelet...  Drive Safe, Kiddo!!

PIe-Who??

Ummm, why have I never tried Paella?

Why am I blogging past my bedtime?

I'll tell you why. 

Johnny evil-doer Flapper treated me to belated birthday boos. 

Seeing as all teachers are basically blooming alcoholics (kidding, mom.... kind of..) I couldn't turn him down. 

I have to make distractions in my life, right?

Yesterday I was treated to some Brazilian food at Sampaio's with quite the fooodie. I listended to Seu Jorge on my way to the restaurant (settin' the mood), we ate disgustingly good brie, and I topped it off with Paella, a dish I have never had in my lil' life. 

I've decided I need more of this. 

Much, much more. 

Sorry about the crappy photo... 

And sorry about the lack of description. 

All you need to know is go there. Eat, Eat, Eat.....The food is deeeelish. 

The only other Brazilian food I've ever had was Sao Paulo's, which is also deeelish. 

So eat, drink and be merry. 

And hopefully you don't have to wake up at 6am and teach a bunch of Kindergartners how to make coil bowls. 

Cheers. 

First Week

Sometimes kiddos really do say and do the darndest things. 

Sometimes I think to myself, "Maybe someday I'll have one of my own after-all."

Sometimes. 

From my first week of school being a full time student teacher... 

Note to self:

Do NOT wear Banana Republic wool sweaters to class on painting days. Little boys will walk their painting in to your arm. And when you look at them and say "Did you get paint on my elbow?" They will stare at you wide-eyed and shake their head 'NO'. 

A second grade girl who speaks very little english kept calling me "Mister."

I said, "Hunny, I'm a girl."

She looked at me and smiled. I'm pretty sure she didn't uderstand me. 

Two teachers meet me and my cooperating teacher in the art room every day for lunch. It is advised NOT to eat in the teacher's lounge- where all the whining teachers sit and complain about kids and this and that. Today one of the awesome teachers who has been  teaching over 30 years told us this story about her first year teaching:

A boy in her class said, "F%^k  you  Ni$%er" (she is black, and big, and full of soul, sass, and awesomeness)

She walked up to the boy, picked him up off the ground by his shoulders and started shaking him. 

She shook him until he peed his pants, and then dropped him. 

She then walked to the office and said, "I resign, I'm not putting up with this!" or something of the sorts.... and the people in the office all cheered her on for putting the boy in his place. 

I don't think I could get away with that. 

I don't think I could lift a boy- don't have the muscle. 

Birch Trees the 3-5th graders are making now. 

A poem written by Zack S. in crayons, posted on the wall. 

Art

Perfect beginning

Terrible in the Middle

Then the pain is gone soon

The art heals all of the wounds

the beginning comes again. 

I'm tired, but happy. 

It's a wonder I can think at all...

Tomorrow I begin my semester of student teaching. 

Jordan Elementary and Canyon Vista Middle school here I come. 

I'm scared. 

Not sure if I'm scared because our every move around these students is going to be watched, scrutinized, and graded.... Or maybe I'm just scared of having such a responsible, real world routine that I am going to be thrown in to. Waking up at 6. Getting to school at 730 and staying until 3-4 every day of the week. Packing lunches. Brewing coffee. Not getting paid. Having a night seminar class and assignments to do on top of it. 

Evelyn and I are also going to be leading two or three "English Corners" as part of some tutoring experience we need for Peace Corps. This means I will be meeting with 4-5 ESL students from UT two-three times every week and leading them in activities- helping with their english. 

Did I mention I am still trying to do yoga everyday? (I missed three days recently from sickness. But I am determined to keep challenging myself)

I also have to make 50,000 doctors appointments to complete my medical portion of the PC application that I just received in the mail..... yarg. 

I won't be busy at all...... Here's to my sanity. 

Albany, How I love thee.

The wind blew...Literally... And killed Shaela's carefully (at one time beautifully) decorated tree in front of the courthouse.

So I finally got to visit my longtime pal Shaela, and see her new home and town- Albany, Texas. Population a few thousand-ish. Yee-haw!

She recently got a "real" job at this awesome museum (with quite the little collection) as the education outreach something-or-other and will be living there a couple of years before grad school. 

Albany- pretty much the best small town after Marfa, Texas I've ever visited. We started off our visit with what else? A trip to the famous Beehive steak house of course!

I had one of the best chicken fried steaks I've ever eaten. Shaela go the Prime Rib- which she cut with a BUTTER KNIFE. It was soooooo good. 

Perfectly tender and fried. Not too much breading. Gravy on side. Yes, yes, yes!

Complete with hidden garlic. Soooooo good, even if was practically mooing. 

After our meal, a rancher at the table next to us asked me how my steak was. (He had overheard me asking the waitress about the battering process). After giving it two thumbs up we went on to chat a bit more and at some point the following description of his day was given to Shaela and mes. 

((Read with most hickdified accent possible))

"Yeah, I wake up and drink 5 cups of coffee.

Not all at once or anything, I wake up bout 4am and drink them til sun up. 

Then I go out and do my chores.. feed the cows. 

I come in and eat some cheese and crackers. 

And those hold me over the rest the day. 

At dinner, ask my wife, we just eat us some beef."

He also made statements such as:

"You'll wake up so hungry in the morning because that B12 in that beef."

"You'll never gain weight eating this meat"

Shae, am I forgetting anything? 

It was awesome! I wish I had a recorder. 

The local sheriff told me to "Put a rock in my pocket so I don't blow away."

I love small town charm... Even if one has to sacrifice things like grocery store hours (the oneAlbany store closes at 9), and restaurant (or men) selections- ha! 

Albany is most definitely a ranching community. I was constantly reminded this and the small town aspect by the store called "Lynch Line", and the men in CHAPS in the convenience store! (Pretty much every man in town wore cowboy hats)

So these were the highlights of my Albany trip. I did buy Shaela grass perfume and a bacon chocolate bar for her birthday/Christmas. The chocolate was amazing!!! I would recomment it to anyone. 

Inspecting the porky in her chocolate

Shaela gave me these awesome Sporkems! I'm a  collector, ya know. 

Thanks Shae! You sounded to perty practicing yer solo in the Messiah... Like a lil' angel!! Any wealthy Albany rancher would be lucky to have you! 

three.....more.....days....

I spent over 6 hours yesterday starting and working on this guy.

5x6 foot

But wound up painting these guys.

5x5 inch

Eve and I had an exemplar party last night. My apartment is resembling a warzone. There is construction paper bits EVERYWHERE, even in my bathroom. I think I have paint behind my ears and in my belly button.


It's hump day. But I still have 75% of my work to do.
I need to add at least 6 hours to every day to finish everything.
I need an IV to pump coffee in to me.



Side note:
I have my Peace Corps interview next Wednesday.
I get fingerprinted at the ole police station today.
I told my dad that I had applied and had an interview, and I'm pretty sure he hates the idea. He gave me all of my student loan information, which until this time I've been pretty oblivious about. It sent me into a stake of anxiety, shock, and depression- which I am trying to push away and forget that I ever saw the amounts. I am, afterall, going to marry a 75 year-old multi-billionaire.

Sweet Street Beats

Friday:  Indian food at Swad and a trip to the Indian grocery next door. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING.... I will be returning. Swad has never let me down, and is definitely my favorite Indian food restaurant in town. I'm not sure if it is on the menu, but the servers carried out crepes folded into a tube shape that were over 3 feet long! Wowsuh!

Saturday: Got a ticket while parked in the C-lot on campus. Had to go do a paper at the PCL and there was NO parking. Boo. Being a good student cost me $25.00.

Volunteered at Art from the Streets. I was shocked at the amount of work there. And the amount of art I wanted to purchase. I limited myself to $100. 

Debbie Vargas

Jeremiah- I had to get some food related art. 

I talked to several of the artists, my favorite was Mr. Sauvage, AKA Ms. Sauvage, Mr. Wild, and Ms. Wild. "Drummer, Artist and Fashion Diva."

He didn't actually talk, so we had a conversation with she/he writing on a piece of paper. I asked if I could take a picture of the work with him in front- he kindly agreed and made sure to carefully adjust his bosoms before I snapped the photo. 

Art I bought by Mr. Wild-It has "Wrestling, WWE, Jackie, and 2004 written on it. 

Don't think I'll be able to  hang it in my classroom.

Another artist and I had a long conversation about Mexico and salsa dancing. And another, who actually is pretty well off and has shows every now and then around town (he charged over $500 for his work) talked about art at the University and how hard it is to 'make it' as an artist.

 Sergio Rodriguez

I'd really like to volunteer at Arch. And was mildly amused as I walked to my car at all of the overt harassment I received from the men in line to get into the shelter for the night. 

I haven't eaten all day. I think I'm going to eat some Phở, yo. 

Art from the Streets

I will be volunteering at this most of Saturday. Come check it out, there is a lot of amazing work by some pretty extraordinary people.

The 16th Annual Art from the Streets Show and Sale

November 15 & 16

12 to 5pm
ARCH
500 E 7th St (7th & Neches)
Austin, TX 78701

Arts and Farts

I had a dream I made homemade tequila, went to a party with friends in NYC, got hit on by a photography grad student from UT, and then returned to a fabric store where all of my friends were staying the night and studying for an exam. 

Then my alarm went off. Time to go be a student. 

Sometimes I don't feel like a student. Especially not an art student. 

For about 200+ hours this semester, I paint. Or sit in the studio at least. 

I have two blisters on my finger from stretching canvas yesterday that are telling me, "You pansy artist, you!" But at least I finally feel like a bit of an artist. 

And I've produced some work this semester worth showing. 

  

So here you are. 

None of these are completely finished. 

These are my friends and scenes from west Texas, home sweet home. 

 

Jess

Grant and his booking agent, Rosa

Gabe

Grant

I am about to go to class, and then San Antonio for the weened to attend TAEA art teacher conference. Hoorah. On Saturday night, I'll be going to Wurstfest with my brother Bean. So excited!!! Will definitely be photos to share. 

Have a cool, creative, artsy fartsy day!!