The wonders of snail-mail or the romanticism of a handwritten letter

I have a friend who recently shipped out for Marine Basic Training. I recently received a letter from him. I got immediately to reading in spite of all other "things-to-do" I had pending. He is doing well, and managing at staying out of the radar of bad things in training. He's a good Marine. I felt more connected and a greater sense of urgency and importance from that handwritten letter than I recall feeling from reading e-mails when I was over seas. A handwritten letter is far more substantial, literally, than a digital e-mail. He commented on how letters help "soothe the soul-burn" and to a degree being in the military does burn the soul. At least in Basic Training, it does. It makes you a harder person, and you are able to deal with more. I look forward to writing more letters to my friend. I am sure he will be happy to feel a little more connected to the world outside the garrison.

A Tall Order... and a cool idea

I have been working on focusing my students in learning a little bit about Veteran's Day instead of doing the tired turkey curriculum most elementary art teachers usually push for November. I will state I am not criticizing elementary school teachers for teaching Thanksgiving in November, it is the dominant holiday. My students learned about several different veterans, and my shortcomings fall in how much they learned about each veteran. The stars of the class are Paul Reickhoff, founder of IAVA; and Salvatore Giunta, the first living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor since Vietnam War. Other veterans include Tammy Duckworth, Dustin Hunter, Matthew Bogdanos, Pat Tillman, and Bryan Anderson. The Assistant Principal at the school where I teach thought it would be a great idea if I were to get in touch with the living veterans, or family members of the deceased veterans to send them copies of the drawings the students are making. I was a little bit stunned when she made this recommendation. I think my students are progressing splendidly in in their drawings. It is a challenge to draw a portrait with little or no drawing experience. However, I do ask my students to try their best. I will push them, sometime to the point where they get angry at me, but the push is worthwhile. But I digress. The idea of getting in touch with all these people, and sending them a series of images to several veterans who have had some manner of media coverage at some point in their lives... makes me a little uncomfortable. It would not be the probable rejection that scares me, but the idea that one or more of them take interest and decide they want to visit my class. I find this prospect highly improbable, but regardless of the improbability, intimidatingly daunting. Art

Glenn Beck can have free reign on criticizing veterans groups when I see his DD214

I found out that just earlier today Glenn Beck made a certain criticism of Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America when a listener of his radio show stated they received funding from the political action group MoveOn.Org. Glenn Beck stated that IAVA a nonprofit, nonpartisan veterans group is secretly a front for a socialist agenda. While I do not believe that veterans groups are above reproach or criticism, I do believe in the criticism being founded on something more substantial than a phone call, or that the group receives funding from a political action group. I am certain that there are many veterans nonprofit organizations that receive funding from groups with opposing ideals. But that a IAVA is secretly a socialist/communist front group? SERIOUSLY? It is veterans who allow for Beck to make these cowardly, panic induced, deluded accusations. I suppose that Beck achieves his goal of getting more media attention by saying such baseless appalling and grotesque accusations that a veterans group basically started on the grounds of picking up the slack where the government was not doing what it could as a "socialist" front. When he completes a tour of duty with the marines or the army, gets deployed overseas for Operation New Dawn, or Operation Enduring Freedom, and has an honorable discharge... I might let him slide for saying something like that.
And like Rachel Maddow stated in her show this evening. the saddest part is now thousands of listeners will now believe that IAVA is a socialist group.

This is important

I have been following the story for a while now, and have made this a topic of discussion for my students. SSG Salvatore Giunta will be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award one can earn, ever. They had an interview with him and some of his platoon members on 60 Minutes. I think what SSG Giunta did is beyond admirable. It is beyond words. He charged through and into enemy fire to prevent a friend and fellow soldier from being taken by enemy forces. There is a moment near the end of the interview where he learns a little more about the details of the night where he gets emotional. At that point in time I got emotional. While I am by no means anything worthy of consideration for any medal, having served, gone overseas and come back, I too feel uncomfortable when people thank me for my service. I don't want to diminish their gratitude, and know that there are many people far more talented and worthy of gratitude than me (Like SSG Giunta). I am struck by his humility. I think it is a rare and often un-admired virtue. This will not stop me from treating him to lunch if I ever run into Sal somewhere/anywhere in the world.

A little bit of inspiration... back to the drawing board

A few weeks ago there was a particularly spectacular looking sunset on the way home from work. This prompted me to get home and paint almost immediately. Now because of my frenetic studio practices, actually making the painting took a little bit of time. Ultimately I ended up creating a fairly cool image on a 9" x 12" canvas. When I finished the painting, I took a step back and decided that I need a significantly bigger canvas, and should probably consider using stencil for some elements.

Gallery Opening & Show

This past Friday, I had a gallery opening in Crystal Lake at the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park. Veterans Views: Stories & Images, opened at the Dole Gallery at historic Dole Mansion. The opening went beyond any expectation I had fathomed.

I have lagged behind on posting my reaction to this event because I was a little tired, and also I had to take some time to just process. There is a span of artwork that spans technical skill and content. The older artists have more traditional representational, and far more skilled naturalistic artwork. The more contemporary works emerged from the artists who started working a little more recently. At least that is my observation. But it is all cool.

I would love the opportunity to possibly curate this show annually as a series. I think it definitely has some potential.

I also think that I really need to step up my studio production.