Labor Day- Back to school somewhere in time

Labor Day is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September.

In 1894 is when it became a federal holiday.

So when did it become about sales and barbecues?  Im not sure.

But it reminds me more about going back to school.

It is the great depression for some kids who are not so thrilled about summer's end and getting up so early in the morning.

 I did and do love to learn something new every day, but I was most definitely, one of those kids who did not like to get up to go school so very in the early morning.

Sweet Dreams baby seals no school or shopping deals for you. 

So this was me, in my pretend world, talking to the new Teacher:" "Hey, hi there, how you doing today?"  Oh by the way- happy to be here and you know, this kid just love's to learn. But, lets start this learning stuff oh, I don't know-let's say, around noon? Yea, that would work for me. And by the way, I don't mind staying a little late, if you want cuz, just so you know, I'm a bit of a night owl, so, yeah, glad we had this little talk."  Could you imagine saying that to your parents or teacher?

I can hear that nice grown up response now. "NO! What are you crazy?  Teacher:  "Now you can go- sit yourself in the little night owl corner of your mind and  let this, " I will get up at six am, for the rest of my life", sink in your little head." Me now at the blackboards spelling "LET" a hundred times. Aww, but how I did love the sweet smell of lead pencils and having that brand new plastic baby blue pencil case. (I had to rebel ,where ever I could.  There would be no pink for this banana curls drop-out, strait hair loving girl.)

                                             



                     Still school was exciting at least for the first day anyway.

The day began with glue for breakfast... or was it oatmeal?

It stuck to my ribs and I could have used it for papier-mâché 

An ah ha moment! 

It must of been glue.



Lunch and the baloney sandwich on sticky, soggy, white bread, wasn't much better except for my Batman lunch box that made me secretly smile.

I stood out for being the only girl in second grade to ever have a Batman lunch box.

 BAM - BOOM-My very neat-o Batman lunch box

Barbie was over rated as far as I was concerned. 

That was just my very 8 year old unpopular opinion. 

Yes, I was brave for insisting on a Batman lunch box over Barbie.

Because I could hear Batman side kick 

Robin saying in a Holy cow sort of way,

 " Let's make her a bat girl she is so brave!"

That was one of my many daydreams that would have me saying;

"What?"

to the teacher when she ask a question,that I wasn't paying attention to; then writing some new phrase or word that I have now block out of my mind forever.  

Except for the word let that one will go down in my black and white history notebook.

Then I wipe it all away as I cleaned the holy blackboards, Batman, again!

My Mother had warned me what would happen and owe boy was she right that time.

(And only that time, but please don't tell her I said that.) 

You are never too old to get schooled by your Mama.

It was the artist in me that wanted to come out, be independent on Labor Day

 and draw all over and inside my black and white notebook.

When I look back in time, it was not all black and white but shades of grey and my memory has lost its color for all the wrong reasons. I have cleaned most of it up and I can laugh and draw in my book now without being reprimanded.

Eye trees anyone?
 A Drawing
5"x 7"
JoAnne Helfert Sullam

                                           
One day not so long ago.

I started for no particular reason to draw eyes and decided that I should honor my old school notebook by picking one up a new one that had no lines and then to fill it with funny, crazy eye drawings.

I Stack
Drawing
5"x 7"
JoAnne Helfert Sullam

Hmm..One became a book bag and I wondered if anyone but someone like me would use it?
Strange and cool and someone on Society6 did and I never met did.

I stack book bookbag

     For real, there are other eye crazy drawing lovers out there.

Yes, back to school brings me down memory lane and I wonder as I sleep in and wake well after the fist school bell rings this week, if the home school kids wake up early too and what do they do with their book bags and lunch box.

Happy Labor Day and please don't work so hard and if you do, do it with some barbecue you got on sale, as you sharpen your #2 pencil.

xo

JoAnne

                                                         CretacolorBasic Drawing Sets

                                       Love this big kid pencil set from Blick art materials

 

 DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the work I do and allows us to continue to make post like this. Thank you for the support!

painting a wild polo pony

Many hours up and all night. I think I had the most fun with the lion.

JoAnne Helfert Sullam art

Jaguar Fierce!

 Love seeing some of my work on a new line at shopvida.
Here my painting on a top Jaguar fierce!

Fierce!

 Fierce!
can be added to your art collection at or see more at: 
 http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/products/fierce

Thy Brother by JoAnne Helfert Sullam

   Fun stuff!

A work of Art Pet Portraits

A work of Art Pet Portraits


In recent years animal art has increased in value and popularity. Dog art in particular has fetched record amounts at auctions and is still gaining in its’ status.
 Owning a portrait of your pet can be rewarding by providing an everlasting memory of your beloved family member. While at the same time enhancing your home’s personality.
Here is some food for thought when considering a portrait of your pet. 

   

CoCo Graphite pencil JoAnne Helfert Sullam

Think of your pet portrait not only as a beautiful rendition of a truly beloved and pampered pet, but also as a work of art to cherish for all time.
Remember you are getting an original work of art and in this world of mass-production it is nice to have a one of a kind just like you’re favorite furry friend.
Whether it is a painting, sculpture or a simple sketch.
Do you have a particular place for the portrait in mind?
Where you display the artwork will help you decide what kind of medium you might prefer, also consider the size of the portrait. It can make a difference in how your pet is represented and where best to place it in the home.      

The size of a portrait can be a matter of taste, but consider the size of your pet as opposed to the size of the portrait of your pet, a very large painting of a Chihuahua will make quite a different impression than a life size portrait, but the contrary can be said of a large dog such as a Great Dane which can work quite well as a small painting.
Also take into account the wall space that you have available. If you have more windows than wall space in your home or an open floor plan you might want to consider a sculpture instead of wall art. There is also a new trend towards minis; some artists are offering miniature bronze sculptures that can be quite charming as an accent piece.
If you do decide on wall art, knowing in advance where you will hang the work can be valuable information. Especially hanging works on paper, such as a watercolor, drawings and pastels, which direct sunlight, can cause fading. Measuring the space will help determine what the dimensions of work should be and the medium you select. 
Altogether this information can guide you through the decision making process.



                                                             

Howie acrylic on canvas by JoAnne Helfert Sullam

Different mediums

 Paintings: the surfaces can vary from canvas, board, paper and even wood and can be in oil, acrylic
watercolor,pastels, colored pencils, graphite drawings and pen and ink are typically done on paper and are usually matted and need to be under glass.
 Graphite drawings and pen and ink are black and white although pen and ink can
 be done in brown sepia.
 Sculptures can come in a variety of metals and fired clay's and or finished in bronze. 

Jessy Sits bronze by JoAnne Helfert Sullam

 
  And there is also photography.

 Baby Jessy photo by JoAnne Helfert Sullam

You want the art to fit in with the décor of your home and be a noteworthy depiction of your pet.

And don’t forget about the garden it can be the perfect place for a sculpture of your pet. A bronze is a beautiful addition to the garden if you have the budget for it.
Having a portrait of your pet can be exciting, and an artist can create a wonderful work of art with your help in understanding what you know so well about your pet.

 So before speaking to the artist, consider this, what is unique to your pet’s personality?
 What do you love about them? 
How do you want to remember them?
 Is it a certain expression or a simple gesture that you would like to capture? 

You can then share this with the artist, insuring that your pet will be well represented and you have a work of art that will be a family treasure. 
And this is my latest pet portrait, dog with tie.

Dog with tie 

        https://www.etsy.com/listing/269799107/pet-dog-portrait

 

puppy mystery book

Only $18.95

I can Personalize this book and will be offering illustration from the caricature in the book.

I did this video as part of a program and book reading for a school we took Hammie the hamster and showed the video before I did a reading of the little puppy book I wrote.I thought it would be fun to have a video and meet Hammie as part of reading and the kids loved it!

The year of the Horse… Of Course!

The Dream Painting  was a 10 years journey  to complete

Although I was born in the year of the dog, I am feeling the year of the horse...

This year for me is a return to horses and has taken me on a new journey and a lesson of a different kind of horse.

Me with my Zebra Polo Pony

It began this year with A Polo pony I painted, that is forever frozen in a pose with the stripes of a zebra... 

 In the Chinese culture there is a zodiac calendar system, which began with the Han’s dynasty (206-220BC), It is a 12-year cycle that names each year after an animal.

I love that idea and I have always found the horse to be an intriguing creature and although I am not Chinese I am very aware that it is the year of the horse.

Built Ford tough statue on display at he Augusta Airport

                           http://www.augustaregionalairport.com/ArtistsExhibitions

 I started out painting horses because that was the only way I could have one.

I couldn’t afford a real horse or even a picture of one

 (that’s what I would call a painting before I went to art school) so I made my own.

This new year of the horse is where I came back to these beautiful creatures with the help of one the galleries(Chisholm Gallery) that represent my work, three polo pony statues commissioned, and now an up coming Equine Art show, that I will be a part of and the hunter jumper, Horses in the sun show back in my town; I find myself literally in a year with horses and I didn’t know how much I missed being around them and painting and sculpting them.

 

Leap of Faith  my first bronze

I didn’t have any real knowledge of horses, what I knew about them I learned from books, movies and from the horses I would pet in passing when I was in NYC near central park.

 That is, until I rented an old carriage house and fell in love with a horse that slept below me.

I owned only his heart and he owned mine, with my deep love that I had for him.

I learned so much about horses during that time and loved being able to ride or groom him and I didn’t even mind mucking out the stalls, I would do anything to spend as much time as I could with him and the other horses.

I spent time at the racetrack and then watched them jump over hurdles, and pull carriages and twist and turn on a dime, chasing a ball in a field playing polo.

When I left that part of my life behind I spent more time with wildlife and although this took away from painting and sculpting horses they are always on my mind and in my heart.

What more could I learn?

Two People born in the year of the horse such as Teddy Roosevelt and Sir Isaac Newton, both had a great curiosity about nature and is something I can relate to.

But what they learned I would never. What I know they couldn’t and if I am confusing you now well maybe it will cause you to question and think.

What life becomes and where life takes you should cause you to pause. Just like the horse-even a thought can take you anywhere. It has taken me to places and allowed me to become someone that I never really thought I would be. 

To think of where the horse has taken us as culture and what do they receive in return?

 Our love and admiration- sometimes and sometimes less then nothing and they still give us all they have to give.

one of the 3 polo ponies I painted

To share some of the qualities of the horse, can bring out the best in us and honor this year of the horse, whether you were born in the year of the horse or you simply love horses.

 What’s not to love?

 To have more of their traits, such as… patience, enthusiasm for life and pride in doing a good job; is some of what I learned and it is something to think about, as I paint all the pretty horses. 

                                   See you at the show!

  

Mothers Day Flash back 80s

Happy Mothers Day!

Flash back 80s style
 For spring and Mother's Day gift.

I am offering this original silkscreen print.

Untitled 22"w x 28 "h
 2 in pink

Created in the 80s
This original silkscreen that I have kept in my private collection is now for sale.
I have 4 of 10 signed 22”w x 28”h (that I am willing to part with) for $200.00 per print.Each one is unique and the colors vary, also will fit in a poster size frame and is sighed yours truly.


I studied at the same place as Andy Warhol- SVA in NYC and used the same printing studio to produce these original silkscreen prints, which were  inspired for a love of spring.
 Happy Mother Day

Untitled 22"w x 28 "h
 2 in Blue

Email me or call me if you are interested.

joanne@joannesullam.com

Live Long and strong...

                                      Some New links on  www.wildmother.org