Apple Slices V

I want to give my artist friend Nelvia a shout out... and... a big thank you. 
She invited me to participate in a Facebook challenge to post a paining every day for a week.  
If I'm being completely honest, I did not want to do that!  
I always put my art out in the world for strangers, but I rarely do for the people I know.  What if they don't like it? What if they are annoyed that I'm posting every day? What if they unfriend me? 
How's that for pitiful art self confidence!
Well, of course, none of that happened. It was pretty much the opposite.
People made such nice comments, and friends I hadn't heard from in years  decades reached out!
One of those friends was Dayna.  She lived down the hall from me when I was a freshman in college.  Besides a  wedding a few years ago, we hadn't had a conversation in 34 years!  Through a few Facebook conversations, we discovered that we now live in the same area, both retired recently, and both wanted to do art with friend.  It has been so good to reconnect.
I've used this little apple several times.  It's a good little first-time-to-paint picture. 
So... thank you so much Nelvia. And... guess what... This isn't the only fantastic thing to come from your challenge... Stay tuned!!  

Original Oil Painting on 5"x 7" Wrapped Canvas.
Click "Apple Slices V" if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

Apple Slices IV

These two beautiful young ladies used to be my students as fourth graders,  but soon they'll be off to middle school where I know they'll thrive.

I thought when I said goodbye to them on the last day of school we'd had our last lessons together, but no!  We spent an afternoon having an art lesson and each ended the day with a finished painting to be proud of. 

Love these girls so!  

And aren't their first paintings gorgeous!

Original Oil Painting on 5"x 7" Wrapped Canvas.

[SOLD]

Apple Slices II

How often do you say, "We should get together sometime to... (fill in the blank) ?

I've painted this little still life a couple of times before, but I never had as much fun doing it as I did this time.  So often we've said, "We should get together and paint sometime,"  so I decided to just set a date.  

We were excited for two weeks!  "After the next faculty meeting! I can't wait!"  We laughed and we painted and we talked and we ate a little pizza and the time flew by.  Most importantly, we set a day for our next paint party... just two faculty meeting days away... 

I loved the spirit of 

 helping, 

asking,

celebrating,
lifting up...

But, we actually did face our canvases and concentrate... (a little).

And EVERYBODY left with a finished masterpiece

That's me, Julie, Holley, and Jolene.
Fourth grade teacher, third grade teacher, art teacher, and tech teacher by day...
Artists for an evening!

[SOLD]

Yellow Apples

Why do students give apples to their teachers?

I've been a teacher for 28 years and have certainly received my share of apples... apple mugs, apple ornaments, apple paper weights, apple note pads... I think my favorite though is when a little kid brings me a real apple, especially on the first day of school.  They usually have that sweet, sort of embarrassed kind of nervous little face like their mom has said, "Take this to your teacher and smile at her when you meet her."  I love that.  

I googled it and found a couple of possible reasons for the tradition.
     * During the pioneer days, teachers were paid with a room to stay in and food brought in by the students from their family farms.  Apples were harvested about the time the school year began.
     * Even before that, Eve gave Adam a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.  (People usually imagine that fruit to be an apple.) Teachers represent knowledge... Apples represent knowledge... so... that tradition began a really long time ago, right?

When I went to my very first painting lesson on February 22, 2007, I painted a Tree, and I was so proud of it!  I couldn't believe I'd painted something that actually looked like what it was supposed to be!

On that evening, I felt kind of nervous like a little kid on the first day of school.  And, guess what... yep... I took an apple to my teacher!  I did!  I think it surprised her, but it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

About a year ago, she and her husband retired and moved to their farm in Oklahoma.  In June we got to visit them.  I'll always be thankful for our Monday nights of painting together. :)

To see her beautiful artwork, visit Dancing Brush.

[SOLD] And I love knowing my friend Laura has these yellow apples hanging in her office. :)