And so it begins...

So here it goes! After diving head first into teaching art classes this Summer, I'm also taking the plunge and blogging about the experience too. Yikes!

Here is how it all started... 

No, it didn't snow in July in Oklahoma.

Winter came, and an idea started brewing in me. Breastfeeding and Pinterest apparently went hand and hand in allowing time for this idea to bubble inside of me and take root. 

After teaching school for 5 years, I quit after giving birth to our first child in the Spring of 2012. I have loved molding & nurturing this little blessing. 

The idea that festered in me though was that I had always loved doing art with my students and missed seeing the joy on their faces as they created. Don't get me wrong I adore my son, have cherished each milestone and thank my husband daily that I did not have to go back to work with a baby that woke up every two hours for the first 8 months.....Had that happened I'm sure the office would have received phone calls like this: 

"Suzy told me that Mrs. Manning fell asleep during Reading today."

"Bobby's teacher taught him that 

9-3=12!"

"My kid is sunburnt from having recess all day for the past week."

"I requested Mrs. Manning for our little Jenny but we want to request that our Johnny have ANY of the other 2nd grade teachers besides Manning next year."

Spring came. I decided that I had enough "Pinspiration" and would only need easels, good paintbrushes (real artists would shudder at the economy school brushes I had kept) and willing participants. After posting on Facebook, my little Summer Art Academy filled up in 3 days! Woohoo! 

Summer came. I'm now in the middle of my 2nd of 3 groups. We paint every Tuesday at Aromas Coffee Shop (aka the best place to eat/drink/be merry in this small town). This has worked out great because grandma gets a couple uninterrupted hours with baby boy, I get a couple hours to sling paint with kids. Everybody wins! 

I'll be posting our magnificent projects soon.

I hope to give other teachers, crafty parents, or lovers of all things artsy, inspiration to create, connect, do something bold, and maybe get a laugh or two.

Let's see where this journey leads!!