My day job is still spinning like a top, keeping me busy and happy and overwhelmed with details but since it also includes watching a ton of kids make a ton of art, I can't say I mind. I'm just losing track of what day it is and which way is up. The teachers and teachers assistants and volunteers are all amazingly good with the kids, creative, and able to solve problems quickly but somehow the last week of summer is always, always the LOUDEST, the boldest, quite possibly the funnest...not only because we have a 9 and 5 quarters year old visitor.
In the art camp this week and in her pajamas in my studio right now is our talented red-headed neice, Nora. Who says, "well, my week has been wonderful and I'm looking forward for the rest of the week and next time I come." (and we didn't pay her to say that - and now she's giggling!) She is visiting for a week and so we are constantly learning new things, playing, laughing, enjoying kid-hood vicariously through her.


Above is one of the two of my designs which were just approved for the Stop! Look! Art! project in my neighborhood in Rochester. That means I will be painting two traffic signal boxes, both of which are on my route to work and both of which are currently covered with wheatpasted ads and graffiti. More about that as it unfolds, I tell ya. I'm excited.
take care,
Rachael

It is near impossible not to be constantly distracted at the public market on a beautiful sunny day and my sketchcrawl drawings (unedited and below) show that I had some trouble concentrating. I had some good friends join and draw and I think the next time a sketchcrawl comes around, I will advertise it a bit more to see if we can gather some new people. But, regardless, it rocked to draw in public with a couple of others and celebrate International Sketchcrawl day...













And then everyone who was sitting with me left, I finished my coffee, sat alone and took a short break. Picked up my pen and did my favorite drawings with more confidence, calm and concentration.

take care,
Rachael

I wish I were in Washington on a Tuesday to enjoy this at the Luce center.
I keep getting lots of questions about the scetchcrawl and the truth is that I don't know much more than what I've found here and here but I really like the idea. Drawing alone would be fine but I do hope some folks join me.

I'm reading Self Help slowly so I can make it last longer. Here how to become a writer (failure and drive, awkward drive to create, real life!) by Lorrie Moore is read outloud. Enjoy it outloud or squirrel away in a corner and read it. Either way, be inspired. I was. I am.

goodnight
Rachael

Well, Mark told me about this comic about venice and that had me looking up Enrico Casarosa's blog and then I realized that this Saturday is a sketchcrawl. Anyone in Rochester want to meet at Java's in the public market to sketchcrawl on Saturday? 8:30 to noonish (or later) I'm thinking. Let me know!
Rachael

I know nothing about golf but had a chance to spend the day with two of my favorite people at a golf tournament. Beautiful sunny day, not too hot, and all around me were people standing and waiting, watching and walking. Page after page of over-par drawings (too many strokes, too little captured) I finally got a birdie.


take care,
Rachael