I am pursuing a Master of Arts in Art Education with a Teaching Licensure program at the University of New Mexico. I have taken some time off from my teaching and lecturing, where I have taught with the Senior Arts program in New Mexico, University and Museum programs throughout the United States, after-school programs, and other schools throughout New Mexico and Colorado.
I was accepted into the Graduate program at UNM this summer and I took my first class in Pueblo Pottery, taught by professor Clarence Cruz from San Juan Pueblo, also known as Ohkay Owingeh. I truly enjoyed the class! We mined our clay from the Penasco mountains in northern New Mexico, cleaned and prepared our clay, and made our pottery out of the most beautiful red micaceous clay. The summer class was very quick as it was offered for only two months and we did a lot within those two months. I made three major pieces of pottery along with small pinch pots. I will post my pottery I made on the blog.
I am working on my first full-time semester at UNM in my Graduate program and I am loving my coursework, although it is a very difficult semester. I haven't taken full-time coursework since the 1980's and it is completely overwhelming, but I love it. This is my passion and I have always wanted to get my Masters in Art but I was waiting for my son's (who are all in college) to finish their degrees. They will be finishing soon and also continuing onto Graduate school, too.
The classes I am taking this semester are:
Art Criticism and Aesthetics for Teachers
Studio Art in Schools: Clay
Studio Art in Schools: Digital Arts
Studio Art in Schools: Drawing, Painting, Collage
These are all Art Education classes and I truly enjoy every class I am taking whole-heartedly.
These pictures are the pottery I made this summer in the Pueblo Pottery class. They were all made with red micaceous clay and painted with traditional pigments.
