Teaching Art

I agreed to fill an immediate need for an art teacher position opening at Winfield Middle School in Jan/Feb 2023. My life's journey is (and always has been) episodic. I've been an advertising man, a marketing leader and and an educator. Five years ago I completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Fontbonne University. I've been a Special Education teacher and I've worked with students from Middle School and High School. (My certification with the state includes cross/cat, elementary ed and art k-12.)  

So when Winfield Middle School needed an Art Teacher to fill an immediate need, I was thrilled to step in for a month or so at the beginning of 2023. I managed three classes back to back for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.  

The expectations were clear at the onset. Mr. Morgan believes everyone is an artist. The goal is for each and every one of my 60+ students to become a “better” artist. As with anything (sports, academics and art) it takes practice. 

The introduction to the class included a discussion of the GOAT. Mr. Morgan lead a discussion about who might be the Greatest of All Time in Art. He suggested it might be Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). 

Instruction included a series of short practice assignments:

Assignment 1 - Contour Line Drawing - without lifting your pencil from the paper do a contour line drawing of a still life set up in the classroom.

Assignment 2 - Source Image Drawing - using what you have learned about contour line drawing, draw a picture based on a magazine image provided. Add color limited to the tools provided (a limited number of colored pencils).

Assignment 3 - Present your work - Follow this presentation format: a. What was your challenge? b. What did you like about your piece? c. What will you do differently, given a similar challenge in the future?

Assignment 4 - Charcoal Drawing - using only charcoal, what you have learned about contour line drawing and composition/design/layout create a work of art based on still life set up in the classroom. You may also use a kneaded eraser to create highlights.

Assignment 5 - Value in Shades and Tints - shading and tinting in tempera paint. Using only one Hue (color) and black and white paints, work in small groups to create a value strip showing how your hue changes with careful application of black (to create shades) and white (to create tints).  

Assignment 6 - Monochromatic plan and execution - using the value skills you have practiced thus far and following a work plan developed in class create a monochromatic tempera painting on a primed square surface provided - a 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 square. 60+ works were on display in the hallway bulletin board for discussion about what worked and what might be changed in future efforts. (This public showing allowed students to see the merits of peers in all three classes).

Assignment 7 - Using only the color markers and tool provided (i.e. compas, ruler) and applying what we've reviewed in the text about geometric shapes create a composition and be prepared to discuss your results including color theory.

Assignment 8 - Cursive Dexterity - Students are challenged to copy the alphabet in script while carefully paying attention to the flow of lines and finding a steady way to hold and manipulate the writing tool (pencil, pen & ink or even ball point).

Assignment 9 - Gallery Walk. Students are invided to comment on samples on display on bulletin boards in the classroom and hallway.

Test - 10 questions - multiple choice, true/false and open ended short answers. (examples - What are the primary colors? Isaac Newton developed the Color Wheel: True or False? What is a composition that uses only one hue (color) and tints and shades: Is it a. abstract b. monochromatic c. cubism or d. none of the above? 

  

 

  

C

Charcoal still life by Picasso (avove). Students were invited to take a bit of inspiration from the GOAT.

Narcissus Garden

Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kasuma at Laumeier Sculpture Park

February 1, 2023 to  May 14, 2023

Yayoi Kusama, (born March 22, 1929, Matsumoto, Japan), Japanese artist who was a self-described “obsessional artist,” known for her extensive use of polka dots and for her infinity installations. She employed painting, sculpture, performance art, and installations of Pop and Minimalism. Family conflict and the desire to become an artist drove her to move in 1957 to the U.S, and settle in NYC. Her early work in New York City included what she called “infinity net” paintings that consisted of thousands of tiny marks obsessively repeated across large canvases without regard for the edges of the canvas. Such works explored the physical and psychological boundaries of painting, with the seemingly endless repetition of the marks creating an almost hypnotic sensation for both the viewer and the artist. Her paintings from that period anticipated the emerging Minimalist movement, but her work soon transitioned to Pop Art. She became a central figure in the New York avant-garde, and her work was exhibited alongside that of such artists as Donald Judd, Claus Oldenburg and Andy Warhol.

Note: Happy Birthday Kusama - 94 years March 22, 2023

Happy Birthday to the Matriarch

Happy Birthday to the Matriarch 2/14/2023

Aunt Lee recited a poem on your birthday, years ago;

She was holding back tears of love.

It was one of so many days of thanks, you know;

The gatherings forever blessed by G-d above,

 

Time rolls on and we wonder how;

In spite of those trials and tribulations;

We got to where we are now;

You have earned and deserve the joyful jubilation.

 

Always genuine and for real;

Time goes by and we cherish the memories we have found;

Among us: Sam, Randy, Lynn, Digger and the rowdies of Deel;

So lucky and so happy to have you around.

 

Amid the countless celebration and salutations;

Broken in times of sadness;

You temper with calibrations;

You remind us all to embrace the happiness.

 

With a tenderness anyone can feel;

We can’t thank you enough for what you mean in our lives;

Although stoic at times, your affection is so very real;

We cannot thank you enough, no matter how many tries.

 

The benevolent Matriarch with hearts and smiles;

You have done so much to enrich all of our lives;

Thank you for being on this journey for so many miles.

We cannot thank you enough, no matter how many tries!

 

January Janie (part 4)

January Janie

Well, my affection for Janie continues to grow. We went to our senior prom almost almost half a century ago. Through an incredible series of circumstances we have re-connected. I think it was our 45^th high school reunion when she told me that she was divorced from her husband, the doctor. (They had four children, three boys and a girl, and now have five granddaughters). I was married too, until my wife died peacefully in her sleep last year. (Lynn and I had a girl and a boy, both married with boys of their own born in 2016).   

So the senior prom pair, lived lives taking us down separate paths. We agree that neither of us have regrets. (Aside from the obvious sadness and the inexplicable turns our individual lives have taken. We concur that life has been more good than sad, we have had more joy than bad, and we count ourselves among the blessed overall.)

Janie stayed close to home and thrived as a nurse for more than forty years. I chased career avenues in advertising, marketing and more recently teaching/education in NY, LA, North Carolina, Miami and Saint Louis. Now we find ourselves curiously and cautiously available to each other once again, albeit in Cleveland and Saint Louis, our respective midwestern home cities. If you are keeping score at home: 5/20 = 106, 8/20 = 198, 10/28 = 267 and 1/19/2023 = 351. (The dates and number of days since Lynn’s untimely passing on February 3, 2022). It's a long distance relationship that relies on texting, snail mail and periodic live togetherness. (5/20 My birthday in Cleveland, 8/20 Cleveland again for Rock and Roll and Art, 10/28 for Art and Sketch Comedy in Columbus, Ohio and 1/19 for a weekend that starts at Caffeine and Angelo’s in Lakewood and includes The Cleveland Cavaliers).

My life has always been kind of episodic and this chapter is no exception. As I pack my bag for three nights at the Winton Place (arranged for by my brother Dan) and confirm my Southwest Airlines Reservation I am pondering an offer to be a Middle School Art Teacher.

Ironically, each encounter with Janie is remarkable, comfortable and completely “in the moment”. We’ve enjoyed each other’s company and as text messages and snail mails unfold we get reacquainted as we each recall what it is that brought us together in the first place. It’s a beautiful thing, really.

New Year’s Eve Reflection 12/31/2022 (stream of consciousness texts sent on Saturday – the last day of the year). 

I love rainy day Janie as much as the one that smiles at the sunshine and the one who says "damn it" when she feels less than100% as well as the one who’s gotta workout when the world isn’t right or just…or the one who continues to protest the omniscient Amazon in spite of relying on the billionaire’s business model being unavoidable this time of year…And the one who wishes she was a cat because then she would be warmer when the power has been out most of the day…Or the one that only admits to a tear in her eye after the fact a month or more later.

Or the one who insists Steve Martin is not funny in the 1979 movie The Jerk only to laugh when challenged to describe an example of a “not funny” part of the film. (She doesn't recall this ever happening but suggests it could be "selective memory".)

Or the one who agrees to drive to Columbus Museum of Art and spend the day (and night) with me.

Or the one who says things like  “divine intervention…sometimes that works”

Or the one who agreed to go on a movie date to see “Deep Throat” when she and her date (me) were just in high school…

Or the Janie to whom, at one of our reunions, I said “You still make me weak in the knees” 

Or the Janie who almost like magic pulls out a gift certificate to the very restaurant, Pier W, where we met 48 years after our Senior Prom in 1974 (on my birthday no less…).

Or the Janie who told me about a tattoo and teases me with “a woman doesn’t tell where…you’ll have to find out for yourself”…

Or the Janie who will not be convinced of the value in abstract expressionist Mark Rothko color field painting.

Or the Janie who (after my brother Dan checked on her at the candy store) said: I love the Morgans, especially wam.

Or the Janie who responded to text in May when I said something like: “I am so looking forward to seeing you” with “ditto”

Or the Janie who described me as… not all men are rascals…some are cool and lovable…

I really hope we can stay connected  in 2023…whatever that might mean…que the soundtrack “wise men say only fools rush in”

JANIE: Wow overwhelmed with all the texts. So sweet though. Happy New Year and hopefully 2023 will bring memories and adventures. I can’t take all the praises you give. I don’t know what to say but thank you. Again you make me smile and bluish.

WAM: You can blush…just don’t turn bluish…ha.

Cindy Verdea Hyland texted me as I was headed to the airport calling my attention to an article in the Lakewood Observer (page 10 article by Tim Rowell). The last paragraph kinda captures that feeling I get back in my boyhood hometown.

"As I pass our old neighborhood again today, I noticed things do change. Most things are the same....Lakewood Park's more diverse group of daily visitors no longer find a skating rink at the Oldest Stone House Field in winter, but do find the park's new Solstice Steps to applaud a spectacular Lake Erie Sunset. The old gives way to the new. The good remains and some of the good gets better. And that's reassuring." 

 

 

 

 

Holidays in Old North

The Holidays in Old North at North 14th at Montgomery featured a Tiny Desk concert hosted at U.S. International Foods offices owned by Dave and Linda Shogren. The line up from 11am to 4pm was 11am Walter Greiner with Paul Niehaus IV, 12:15 Benbow City Shiuffle (blues), 1:30 Noddin' Dave's OMG (fold and country) and 2:24 Barefoot Jones (folk rock). After stopping in to see my friend Marie Oberkirsch at Central Print I parked myself there for the duration, It was just wat the doctor ordered as I was in a reflective mood, The following poem (sort of poem) was written from some of my notes designed to help me recall some feelings and lyrics that I found uplifting, inspiring and even a poetic.

Tiny Desk Collage Poem

I should be at an all time low, but instead I’m full of hope.

The blues ain’t nothing but a botheration on your mind;

Truth in the words at a tiny desk I find.

Saturday reflection helps me unwind.

 

Junk food to the Chinese;

Listening to music as we please.

Drum from Tanzania (rhymes with Lasagna);

Big Foot Boogie and good on ya.

 

Betwixt the Stars and the Moon I dream she loves me too;

If you go down to Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoes.

Sidewalk sale, two for a dollar on the tag.

Chasing rewards in the wind. Fighting a way out of a paper bag

Thought she was loving me but she was leaving all the time.

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery/Make me a poster of an old rodeo/ Just give me one thing that I can hold on to/To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go

It's a wonderful life and teacher says

Whenever a bell rings an angel gets her wings.

 

 

  

Christmas with James 2022

 

The last week in December is full of anniversaries/births, not the least of which is the sixth birthday of the amazing James (December 16) and His mom, Allison (12/18), his uncle Perry (12/30), and the baby Jesus (12/25). My parents were married on December 19 in 1942 (80 years ago). So it was with pleasure that I accepted the invitation to camp out for the week in Ocean, New Jersey.

The week included an amazing dinner, on Christmas Eve (Saturday), hosted by Allison that included Grandmother Toby (The Matriarch); Aunt Randy (you can’t bee too rich or too thin); Cousin Perry and wife Autumn and kids Samson and Marlow and her mom Virginia and husband Greg; and Allison’s mom Jean and brother Ryan. That’s 14 if you’re counting. I could be missing someone who joined us during all or part of the festivities.

James and his dad were good enough to greet me at the Newark airport the morning of Christmas Eve. The short walk to Ben’s BMW nearly froze James’ digits but in spite record low temperatures below freezing, my flight only suffered ground delays related to de-icing and managing the gates.

Christmas Morning (12/25) James was careful to locate gifts under two trees: The real one has the family inventory. The other, had gifts for and from a variety of friends and relatives. Monday (12/26) was largely designed to recover in the comfort of building a race track, pretending to be making and delivering pizza, watching Spidey and Friends for Kids and making sure James focused on intermittent mealtime occasions.

Tuesday (12/27) meant a trip to Philly to drop Ryan off at the airport. An ideal opportunity for Papa Wes to wedge in a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. James was not interested in lingering in gallery after gallery of amazing art by the likes of Picasso, Cezanne, Van Gogh or even the early sixteenth century man and horse armor in the gallery space just past the golden Diana atop the staircase by Augustus Saint Gaudens (1848-1907). Diana once lived on top of the original Madison Square Garden in NYC and now she's in Philly.

Wednesday (12/28) the temperatures finally warmed enough to make a trip to Shark River Park to enjoy a chilly but sunny swing set and open field games of catch with Ben and Perry and kids James, Samson and Marlow. Ben was good enough to indulge me in a visit to Lynn’s grave in Neptune. (Lynn’s final resting place continues to be adorned with colored rocks, paper flowers and now holiday garland.) I’m not gonna lie, seeing her grave next to Papa Sam and in this setting causes me to well up with emotion. Ben was the perfect person to be there for me at that very point in time, just 309 days after her passing peacefully in her sleep in Saint Louis. 

The Matriarch hosted a diner out with her helper Izzy at a local restaurant (were I enjoyed the amazing fish entrée along with a dirty martini). Allison helped Toby calculate the appropriate tip and James earned considerable praise for his good behavior during the meal for seven of us (Toby, Izzy, Jean, Ben, James, Allison, Papa Wes).

Thursday (12/29) found us at the Asbury Park Boardwalk and an afternoon fun meal at the Robinson Ale House in Red Bank, New Jersey (the home of Jay and Silent Bob) and the YESTER-arcade where James was able to sample the throw-back arcade game experience as if the Pinball Wizard never happened.   

Friday Arrived with a tentative plan for Papa Wes to scope out two Rothko paintings in gallery 919 at the Met before being shuttled to Newark Airport. The projected behavior patterns of the six year old and Allison’s ability to open the discussion to options resulted in a new plan that allowed Jean to cover James while Wes, Ben and Allison cruised via ferry boat ride from Atlantic Highlands, NJ to midtown Manhatton. We passed the Statue of Liberty and moved under the Brooklyn Bridge. After exiting the ferry, we power-walked with views of the Empire State Building, The Chysler Building and “Skyscraper National Park” to 18^th Street eatery Friend of a Farmer (across the street from one of my old haunts, Pete’s Tavern). Papa Wes’ art junky craving was more than satisfied as we made our way to the Whitney Museum of American Art overlooking the West Side. The Whitney Museum of American Art collection was a treat that included a Calder Mobile, Louis Nevelson, Jasper Johns, Marsden Hartley and Early Twentieth Century Modernism. We were running out of time but as we were about to depart the famous Dempsey vs. Firpo painting by George Wesley Bellows looking at us squarely and adjacent to a Thomas Hart Benton (as if to represent for me both Ohio and Missouri).   

My travel experience from Pennsylvania Station to Newark Airport and subsequent gate changes and holiday chaos was a perfect way to end the New Jersey excursion. So much fun.

  

 

 

Images: Marcel Duchamp's Nude Decending a Staircase at Philadelphia Museum of Art. James with Cups, Man and Horse Armor from 1507 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Allison and Ben with James at YESTER-arcade in Red Bank, NJ, Painting of Firpo vs Dempsey by George Wesley Bellows at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Picasso's Three Musicians at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben's "Life doesn not have to be Perfect" canvas from his home office. Below: Jasper Johns Flags at Whitney Museum of Amerian Art.

Old North and Dave's Tiny Desk

 

One of my friends named Dave owns and operates a business exporting foods internationally. His wife Linda is celebrating her birthday in a most understated way as the Old North neighborhood is celebrating the holiday season. Santa is having his picture taken with kids and the beginning of Winter in Saint Louis is upon us. (Before I forget again --- I want to say Happy Birthday to Linda.)

Dave has orchestrated a Tiny Desk series of musical performances in his office space on 14^th Street, just a few blocks from Crown Candy and across the street from Central Print.

Marie Oberkirsch at Central Print was kind enough to run a press proof of my granfather’s book plate from an 80 years old letter press plate I had hangin on a wall in my apartment. The plate will be a Christmas gift for my son who shares my grandfather’s name – John Benjamin Morgan.   (John Benjamin Morgan,1887-1943 was born in Kinmundy, Illinois and went to medical school at Saint Louis University and was a doctor in Cleveland.)

The Tiny Desk Concert line up includes an opening act of Walter Greiner with Paul Niehaus IV. Greiner is a fan of Mark Twain and Civil War era. He himself has the appearance of being from a time in American before my grandfather was born. Paul Niehaus IV has a Leon Redbone vibe with a musical diversity moving from instrument to instrument. The balance of the day features Blues from Benbow City Shuffle, Noddin’ Dave’s OMG (Original Music Group) and Barefoot Jones (another ensemble of Dave’s bandmates).

The 5+ hours of music and periodic visits from visitors to Old North added up to a beautiful day. It was a day full of private emotion for me. Inexplicable except for maybe a few lines that come to me partially plagiarized and partially heartfelt on this chilly December 17, 2022.

I should be at an all time low, but instead I’m full of hope.

The blues ain’t nothing but a botheration on your mind;

Truth in the words at a tiny desk I find.

Saturday reflection helps me unwind.

Junk food to the Chinese;

Listening to music as we please.

Drum from Tanzania (rhymes with Lasagna);

Big Foot Boogie and good on ya.

Betwixt the Stars and the Moon I dream she loves me too;

If you go down to Deep Ellum, you better put your money in your shoes.

Sidewalk sale, two for a dollar on the tag.

Chasing rewards in the wind. Fighting a way out of a paper bag

Thought she was loving me but she was leaving all the time.

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo. Just give me one thing that I can hold on to

To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go

It's a wonderful life and teacher says:Whenever a bell rings an angel gets her wings.

I am grateful and hopeful for joy and times ahead. Thank you. 

Rise up and wipe the cobwebs from your eyes.