New kitty

Good Good Cougar Holland Postema: Gigi

The garden of healing

A new collage on display at Jameson hospital's art of healing show.

All I want to do is stay at home and make pirate dolls.  This little beauty has recycled sari ribbon hair, cargo pants head and body, felted sweater arms and a flour sack dress.

I start my new/old job this week.  I'll be teaching middle school art, mornings only, so I'll have a few hours everyday to create (well and get the rest of my work done, before the kids come home.)  I'm not happy about summer ending, but I'm looking forward to my new adventure.

the speed of life

things are moving fast these days. go go go crash crash crash
I am officially the new middle school art teacher.
I am dreaming about summer and slowing back down.
oh, and I'm featured in the spring issue of Somerset Apprentice.

New Adventure: The End of House Wifery

Poor 2012, it is February and you still do not have a new journal. Well, cry no more Twenty Twelve. I have made you a journal. This new journal will record my adventures as a middle school art teacher (almost official) and a wife/momma. All the joys, ideas, hurts and angry rants will be contained on your pages. Let the adventure begin!

New Year

I started this new year with a new adventure. I'm back in a middle school - teaching art. It is not a for sure, permanent thing, yet. I cried the night before I started. We moved here so I could be home with my babies. I felt like I was giving up my 6 year full time mommy career. But sometimes, it is just time. Ellie is thrilled to go to her babysitter's house after preschool. Lately, she has needed me less and less which in some ways made me feel smaller and smaller. And being alone in the house no longer felt like a luxury, but like yellow wall papered room, just right for going crazy inside. It is good to work. It is a privilege to get to do what you do best. Who knows what will happen this year, but it is definitely new.

hope

hope for the world....
I've been making wreaths from recycled sari fabric, vintage map paper and old church sign letters. They are selling quickly, but I just brought some to 29 Logan Street gallery in New Wilmington.

it is o.k, I'm not dead

You know me, I've been busy painting pictures of birds and underwear, celebrating Ellie Blue's 5th birthday and building robots in my kitchen. I'm sure things will calm down now that the holidays are here. :)

SnaiL Cats: the nice and the fierce

A while ago Noah and Ellie spent the weekend playing SnailCats - part snail, part cat, all superhero. Perfect for Halloween.

Mushroom Branch

Ellie Blue loves mushrooms. So with a stick, some fabric and some IKEA mushroom ornaments I made a her a hangie room thingie. I'm hoping it won't cause strange dreams.

Noah's Maggie

Maggie has been there for Noah through hospital stays, ambulance rides, long trips, countless adventures and now, chicken pox. He (Maggie became a boy when Noah was 4) is a very good dog.

I'm back......

new gallery wall in the kitchen

Little Red, in brother-in-law made frame, and spelling words on post its

Ellie Blue's studio

New hats, only the tiny baby one is still available, good craft fair last week

my favorite hat model

Little Bird

Fiona, the cashmere bunny

Last week I had no computer. Seriously, over a week of checking email on my I pod. My poor lap top crashed and could not be fixed without erasing everything. Thankfully, my hubby is a computer wiz and was able to save my lap top.

Anyway, I 've been working on the house a bit, making hat and critters and this week I am teaching at the college. College students can be so quiet, it's creepy. Here are the pictures, well not of the college students, that would be really creepy, pictures of the other stuff.

web site

I'm still working on it, but here is my web site so far.

http://www.wix.com/jpostema/originals#!

sad day

she was so little when we got her. she thought she was another kid. when the kids played out side she was always with them. she loved to snuggle on my lap and lick my sweater. she thought I was her momma. we found her dead in the road this morning. we miss her. Goodbye, Ruby dinosaur wonderpants.

new pet

We have a new pet. Her name is Flutterbye. She is, of course, a monarch butterfly. You see, I come from one of those science families, the kind where my mother brought home things (cats, pigs, cow eye balls, ect.) to dissect on the kitchen table. So, when we found a monarch caterpillar on some milk weed we brought it home. We let it live on its milk weed on the kitchen table, don't worry I put a tray under it to catch the tiny little poo balls, besides we outside during the summer. Anyway, the thing made its chrysalis and we were very excited when the chrysalis turned black, meaning the butterfly would soon come out. But then something went wrong. We came home on Saturday to find a butterfly with its chrysalis still attached to its butt. Joel performed surgery, he is a doctor, but Flutterbye never fully recovered. Her wings and legs do not function properly. So we are feeding her sugar water and trying not to step on her, she usually lands on the floor when she tries to fly.

smarty pants

Sometimes my children are so much smarter than me. Ellie made this painting the other day, when I asked her to sign it she figured out an easier way to write her name, LE. Maybe Joel and I should have spelled it that way, it makes more sense.

Noah ordered some Legos from Lego.com. When I explained the price of shipping and how long it would take, he said, "they should use and air plane, it would be much faster than a ship."

We adults make things so confusing. :)

here's what I've been up to...

One of my projects for this year is banner making. I was hired by the college Chapel to work with students and make banners, 20 total. Here are the first three.

I'm sorry the pictures aren't the best, my camera has been grumpy.

we survived

The Bingo Queen is another bird wearing a hat.
Noah is home now. We both survived. It was a very long day. I spent the day running errands and playing Lego Harry Potter with Ellie. I am not especially fond of playing Lego Harry Potter which made me miss Noah more. He rode the bus home for the first time today. He said, "it was like a big car, but louder." So, I suppose we are going to continue with a formal education and count the days until next summer.

Boooo school

Tomorrow summer is officially over and I am NOT happy about it. Noah starts 2nd grade tomorrow. The school day should be shorter, condensed, tell them what they really need to know and send them home. Lets cut out art, music, sports... I can do all that at home. I vote for no more fun in school, just program their brains and send them home to have fun.

I guess what I really hate is the rush, the schedule, the fast paced mornings. I don't like mornings to begin with.

Bottom line, they take my boy tomorrow, and I am very sad. Oh, and I am making a series of birds wearing hats. This one is a nerdy viking.

ART Classes

Art Classes

The Walnut Lodge, New Wilmington,

taught by Jill Postema

Art Zoo

Art Zoo is an art and creative movement experience for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids, ages 2-5, will listen to stories, move, play, pretend and express themselves through art while learning about animals.

· Wednesdays, 10:15am-11:00am

· Starting September 14, 2011

· $100.00 for 10 weeks of class

Passport to Art

Passport to Art is a creative opportunity for kids, ages 6-12, to be inspired, create in their own way and express themselves while experiencing art from around the globe.

Kids will make clay sculptures similar to those found in Egyptian tombs, try printmaking inspired by art from Japan, paint like Aboriginal artists from Australia and experience more art adventures from around the globe.

· Wednesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm

· Starting September 14, 2011

· $110.00 for 10 weeks of class

Jill Postema is a professional artist and actor with ten years teaching experience, PA teaching certification and state clearances.

The Walnut Lodge is located at 115 E. Neshannock Ave. New Wilmington, PA 16142

For more information: walnutstlodge.com, (724) 346-4746 or contact Jill Postema at jpostema@hotmail.com