I won the fellowship!

I just found out on Thursday during lunch, that I won one of the Maine Arts Teachers Fellowships! This fellowship is awarded to only 8 arts (visual art, music, dance, theatre) teachers in Maine per year. I started the application way back in November when my very good friend and artist Shanna Wheelock told me I should apply for it. She teaches art in Lubec and won one of the fellowships in 2007. The whole point of the fellowship (which is awarded through the Maine Alliance for Arts Education) is help arts teachers take their own personal art to the next level, thereby giving them a boost of creative energy so they will become more effective teachers in the classroom. Makes sense doesn't it? I have always believed that art teachers must be artists first and teachers second.

I have been itching to try encaustics (the art of applying molten wax paints onto surfaces) for years, but have lacked the instruction to do it safely and the funds to start up. Let's just say that it can cost over $1000 just to buy the heating supplies and basic paint colors for this medium. I asked for almost $3900 ($4000 was the limit) to pay for a workshop on encaustics at Maine College of Art, a mentorship with artist Kim Bernard, encaustics supplies and paints, travel expenses to Kim's studio, and childcare! They are paying for childcare! How awesome is this?! I plan on using the new knowledge I will gain through the workshop and the mentorship with Kim Bernard, to make a series of clay sculptures this summer. I'm actually going to have enough money for once to buy all the supplies I need without feeling guilty. Plus, I've asked for a total of 17 days of childcare spread out over May and the whole summer. So freakin' exciting!

In other news, my square plates came out....interesting. Only one came out good (actually outstanding) and it already sold! The other two had disappointing side effects. One of them sagged in the firing and touched the kiln shelf, resulting in some kiln wash stuck to it. I can grind it off, but it will have a blemish on the bottom. The other one sagged too, but when I picked it up, it actually snapped off one of the corners. Trash can! But, I am not too upset as this is a learning experience for me. I may have to try some supports in the firing process. I must think think think.... I must not be mad because of my good news mentioned above. Here are some photos showing my really nice 8" plate that came out. The third photo shows the blemish on the bottom of the plate, blah!