5 month progress timelapse of his work:
Photo album of the process
"I've got my eye set on Tokyo next, in Japanese characters"
More awesome work from Mark A. Webber here at his website. read more

To start, my name is Jeff Sant,  I graduated from FHS in 2010. Now I live in Chicago and I'm about to go into my final semester at American Academy Of Art. I'm majoring in illustration, which I love passionately, but when I started school I wanted to study oil painting, and focus on fine art.
I was unedumucated about what illustration was and could be, and so it seemed like a lesser of the arts to me.

However I have come to find out all the images I grew up loving are illustrations. I'm happy with my decision in majors because I really enjoy the process of solving visual problems that a client would be coming to me to solve, and of course I love to draw and paint.

Also, I felt that I was not ready to become a fine artist, I feel young and naive. I didn't want to be producing work that had no purpose. Later in my career I plan on doing more personal fine art type work, but not until I have something in particular that I really want to say.

I currently work in both oil and watercolor, depending on the project. I guess if I had to sum up my work it would bad corky humor with a stylization of the figure. Within the next year I should have a completely new portfolio, so i'm really excited and I'll post some progress with ya'll as I go. 

Next post will be on portrait club as Ro requested. 

Woot woot! 

jeffsant.com

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Amanda Warren, a 01’ FHS alum studied education in college at the University of Michigan- Dearborn and shortly after graduating, accepted a teaching position in South Carolina.  Ms. Warren has been teaching 5^th grade gifted and talented students for many years, was awarded the prestigious “Teacher of the Year” title for the 2011/2012 school year and has dedicated countless hours outside of school to help her students excel not only educationally, but personally as well.  You see, Ms. Warren as well as these students live in a very small, low income community in the rural town of Manning, SC. This particular community has been deemed “high poverty” and although these gifted young 5^th graders can’t control the environment in which they are forced to live, WE can help them obtain the resourses needed to succeed in the classroom.  

For as many years as I can count Ms. Warren has been part of an online educator’s community called DonorsChoose.org, this website enables teachers to request certain supplies to provide for their students in the upcoming school year. For the 2013/2014 school year Ms. Warren will be implementing a project called “Interactive Notebooking: a Student-made textbook” to encourage organization, responsibly and reflection for these young minds. 

In her words, Ms. Warren describes the main focus of her project: “Let’s face it; textbooks are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Students' class work and notes are replacing them, but my students are struggling to keep it all organized!! My students need colored pencils, Post-It notes, resealable bags, index cards, book rings, tape, and bins to complete their interactive notebooks for math and science. With our resources to create interactive notebooks, my students will be able to create a personalized textbook for them to demonstrate their knowledge gained from classroom instruction and activities. They will use creative ways to show their thinking and record clear notes that I supply them with. The students will also develop their organizational skills through maintaining the order of the notebook, as well as plan study strategies, document learning, and track their success. This in turn will also be utilized by the parent. They will be able to see what is being taught in the classroom and how their student is comprehending concecpts.”

With our help, the students of Manning will be given a chance to succeed in a community where that option isn’t always available. Please help my best friend bring these resources to the very bright and inspiring young people of Manning, SC. I urge you to visit the link below and remember that every dollar counts! Don’t forget to enter the code “INSPIRE” at checkout so that your contribution can be matched. Together, we can help the youth of this community and create a better future for these wonderful students.

Donor's Choose.org Ms. Warren

Ms. Warren's 5th grade classroom

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A fellow photographer, Lauren Piippo, and I started a 365 day diptych blog almost a year ago. It's finally coming to an end!

Rose Retinas

Our plans are to make this into a book once we finish. I'll post a link where you can go to view/buy the book when the project is complete! Also, don't hesitate to follow us :) 

www.laurenpiippo.com

ambermariephotography.tumblr.com

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This fb post was on my newsfeed.  what questions do you have?  Want to know more?  I bet a post could help!

I went to Jeff's facebook and just picked one real quick this morning.  A blog post about this piece/

Then maybe describe "Portrait Club" or why he "Gets to go back"

Short simple..past or present.

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"Just take your shoes off, put on a face mask and enter the pool, wade around and get to touch the sculptures under the styrofoam beads." very cool. read more

Hello, all.  First, I want to say thank you to Mr. Ro for inviting me (and probably most if not all of us at this point) to this blog.  It seems like it's going to be a great community.  Fun for all, no?

So this is going to have very little to do with art, but it's something that I've been struggling with since I graduated.  I think I may be finally starting to figure it out, so I just wanted to share it.  Here goes!

My name is Zach and I'm an illustrator.  At least, that's what my degree says.  I say that because I recently stepped out of the student world and landed square on the doorstep of full adult-hood.  It's exciting, it's scary, it's nerve-wracking as hell, but mostly it's pretty darn awesome.  Haha, I'm not a student any more!  When was the last time I could say that?  Certainly before I was old enough to really know what the difference was.  I mean, I'm not a student!

It means I can do stuff like this all the time!

So... What does that mean?  Yeah, I've graduated.  I have that little piece of paper in a fancy leather-bound folder that says I did something and that I now know something about stuff.  I don't have to wake up every morning and drive to school just to listen to someone who's been around the block tell me how things are.  Heck, now some people think I'm that person who's been around the block and can tell them how things are... I'm not quite sure I can agree with them on that.

You see, even though so much has changed, I feel like everything is the same.  I still stare amazed at the creations of my favorite artists, trying to figure out how in god's green earth they got so damn good.  I routinely find myself in a rut with pretty much every piece I start, struggling to figure out what works best.  I still send out numerous emails to art directors, most of which go unanswered, a few being send back with a pleasant 'We'll keep you in mind'.  Hell, I even find myself getting bored with drawing and painting every once in a while, which is probably one of the scariest feelings I have ever experienced.  So what's so different?

For all intents and purposes, I feel the exact same now as I did a year ago, or even years ago.  I'm not some master who churns out gold every time I click the Photoshop icon on my task bar.  Color and composition are both still buggers who never seem to settle down and find a happy existence in my head.  What did I miss?

Then I remember what school is really about.  School was never intended to take its students to the end.  College is never going to deposit graduates into the real-world with every skill they will ever need fully honed and refined despite the fact that every institution claims that they will.  No, it could never do that and it's not meant to.  All school is meant to do is break those built-in conventions about what is right and what is wrong.  It's a block that allows one to more easily stand up and begin climbing out of the sea of confusion and on to a more solid ground.

Only then can something be built.  You won't be fully prepared.  Some of the tools needed may still be lost, only to be found later in some spark revelation or through brute repetition.  Mass failure.  Doing something over and over again, only to fall down each and every time.  Only to stand back up, dust yourself off, and give it another go.  Until, finally, with enough blood, sweat, and tears, something is left that is not a failure.  Something to be proud of and that reminds of just how much fun life is.

This is one of those moments for me.

That is what school is for.  It gives those couple more tools and a map with no destination.  Maybe it has some notes and places of interest, but for the most part it's all up to me now.  Life's final stage has only just begun and where it will end is uncertain but school imparts the ability to at least know where to start and how to look.  That is what is different. read more

Today's visitors included Dakota Bruce and Katelyn Babcock.   Day 4 of  The Jar.

As we were chirping away, mostly me and Dakota complaining, well me, a visitor was brought to my room.  In came a flatbed dolly with boxes on it through my classroom door. ( Jeff the eternal hall monitor pushed it in). An older woman was seen behind it, standing in the hallway, looking intently into the class. As I approached, she came inside the doorway and started to speak to me.

"I have some art supplies I think you may be able to use...."

"Oh that's great" I said.  She started say "They are from my......." and she stopped.

She said "I'm going to start to cry...."  I stood bewildered.  She continued, "They are from my brother who was one of the first graduating class of the school." 50 years ago.

"He was an artist."   

 She broke down a bit.  She said he loved art. Was really good, "won contests and awards".

 I couldn't ask her any questions with her in the state she was.  You could see it must have happened very recent. They must have been going through his possessions.

 She was letting go.   We were there to see it.  Thank you whoever you were.   Let's use them! 

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It was last Saturday night, after the Tigers  game.  I was John Hicks guest and after the game we walked from his house by this Downtown Ferndale shop.  I saw the Haring graphic images from a distance.  The iconic designs were easy to spot.  I'm not sure if I said anything as I snapped the pics or if Hicks even saw them.  I can't remember.

My mouth was dropped in awe at what I was seeing. Was I back in 1987?  My steps were rushed, like in an art gallery. How, how could a whole row of SHOES be spot-lighted in a shop window?  How could this be?  Who has the guts to sell these in Ferndale? Wait.  There's Keith Haring shoes?! 

http://m.complex.com/art-design/2013/04/reebok-classics-hosts-exhibition-of-original-keith-haring-works-accompanying-new-shoe-line

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/keith%20haring%20shoes

I've been showing a Keith Haring Documentary in my class for about 3 years.  I have to fast forward through the "penis" series he did.  One of his best too.

Pretty good one here for Kultur Video's which usually made the worst (but only) art videos on planet.  I've suffered so many worse.
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I thought I'd talk a little about my experiences after college. It's been a hard adjustment having to deal with the "real" world and trying to figure out where my degree (BFA in Photography) fits into all of this. I've been a college grad for 2 years now and it hasn't been easy. I went to CCS and I really loved college, which I think is what made it harder for me to figure things out after I left.

I've always loved photographing people. In college I realized that was the direction I wanted to focus towards. My senior thesis was based on contemporary lifestyle portraits/fashion. Since graduating I've realized that although I may not be shooting models on a weekly basis but I can try to apply the same methods to photographing families, weddings, ect. And I think it's been working. Each year since I started photographing families and events my client based has doubled. I give a lot of credit to Facebook which has pretty much helped me obtain 90% of my clients, that and word of mouth.

I NEVER thought I'd be shooting weddings AND liking it. I always kind of thought photographing weddings was for amateurs but I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only is it a great money maker, it's actually a lot of fun to document. When shooting weddings I try to add my own style. I stick to what I like and what I know. I enjoy natural light, film-esk looks and interesting compositions. Just because it's a wedding doesn't mean it needs to be cliche.

Anyways, I guess to sum up my first post on this thing I want to say I'm happy now with where I'm at photography wise as a post grad. All I can do is keep pushing out work and have fun while doing it. As long as I'm photographing people and making them happy, that's what matters most! read more

Advanced Art Techniques Assignment February 2010

These were carpet rolls that were cut and piled in a box that another teacher had offered up at a professional development meeting I remember.

I had the box for quite a while, always in my eye site in the room, until I came up with the assignment.  I had been drawing on one at my desk and ventured towards an environment, and there she went.  

Here's a secret:  I call "landscapes" environments because an environment can be anywhere and I feel students can be more creative with that instead of always being on the planet earth or just outdoors on land.

I remember they were strong pieces in art show that year, placed on a centered round table of the show.  They are seen in the 2010 Franklin Art Show movies.

I did not photograph the pieces.  I remember asking a student do so, and get multiple angles.  Was it Mary, Rachel or Jeff?  The pictures were very balanced and similar so I thought  they looked good as a moving slideshow movie. read more

So I've known Ro for a few years. I came to observe his classroom when I was getting my teaching certification from EMU. This guy has posters on the ceiling! He hangs quotes from the ceiling! When he needs to get your attention (students), his voice will shake the tiles on the ceiling! Ok, not really, but I was intrigued by his methods, and when I accepted a job out here in northern Nevada, I used a few of his techniques my first year, and they worked! I am now finishing my fourth year of teaching and teach upper classman in the oldest high school in Nevada! Not in Las Vegas. I am six hours north of there, in a rural location. Cowboys come here in January and share stories and art. It's a mining town, too. But I am still using things I learned from Michigan and Mr. Ro and others, applying them to my own methods and getting these kids out here to know and understand art in a high desert community.

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