The semester, it is finally over. I feel as if weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This past semester was probably one of my busiest semesters I have had in a very long time. I am very happy that it is over because now I will have my time to recuperate. I am very sad as well because I had some really great courses this semester and I hate to say goodbye to them!
My favorite class of the semester was definitely Painting II instructed by Steven Alexander. I really enjoyed how the course was laid back and I felt as if the time spent in class was not really a class, I felt I was home working. At first, I was not sure how I was going to feel about the course because I was not really into painting as much as other mediums. However, that changed. I truly fell in love with painting. It is something that makes me very happy and at peace. I simply get lost in what I am painting and I love every moment of it! I noticed this especially when we transitioned into abstract painting. At first, I was very excited because I always wanted to experiment with abstraction but once I was face to face with my blank canvas, I thought to myself what am I going to do!!! I started by adding color to the canvas just to see where it would take me. My first few paintings really did not please me, I knew I could do more or something different at least. I knew I had something in me to create some sort of abstract piece that would push the boundaries I was originally working in. Within the last few weeks or so, I definitely reached that satisfaction. I really pushed myself, I tried a few different approaches and mediums as well in my paintings. Overall, I was beyond thankful for the course. I walked away with pieces that I absolutely adore and could not be any happier!
Ceramics I with Eva Polizzi was another favorite of mine! I would say the motto of that class this semester was “quality not quantity”. I really took this to heart because my goal of the semester was to create quality pieces that I would be very happy with and to enhance my skills. For a majority of the semester, I worked with hand building techniques such as coils, slabs, and pinching. I enjoy the slow and thought-out process each technique requires. Overall, I was very satisfied with this class and very satisfied with myself because I made some really fabulous pieces that I am very proud of! I also had the opportunity to bring my pieces from basic ceramics that never got the chance to be fired or glazed fired. I took advantage of those pieces especially when it came to glazing. I experimented with different glazes, I tried some I never used before and mixed a few glazes to see what would happen because that was something I never tried before!
Another favorite of mine was Children’s Literature with Cheryl Kashuba. I was very fortunate because over the past summer, I got to work with her during Marywood’s Creative Writing Camp even though I did not know she was going to be my professor for the upcoming semester! Overall, her class was fabulous, I enjoyed the books she assigned and I especially enjoyed the books she read aloud to the class. It was definitely a nice change compared to how a college course is usually set up. The books also really inspired me for possible projects I can do in my future classroom. I loved every moment of the class!
Overall, I enjoyed and appreciated every course I had this semester. I learned a great deal and improved quite a bit. Each and every semester I am definitely discovering more about myself as an artist, educator, and person in general and that is what makes me happy and feel successful!