I've been in art school a long time... so depending where you want to start, I applied to school for the first time in 1989 for Baldwin Arts and Academics Magnet School, where I attended eighth and ninth grades. Mr. Gunter, the teacher I had before Baldwin opened my first year attending, had also been my seventh grade art teacher. He was amazing, a skilled technician, and versed in teaching visual concepts I would go on to use my entire career. I moved to Birmingham and lived dorm life at The Alabama School of Fine Arts for the remainder of my high school years. Jim Neel and Dan McCurdy taught me to take personal responsibility for my work and deadlines. Gone were the days of projects, as I had entered a world full of stretching canvases and creating bodies of work. Ultimately, I graduated from The Atlanta College of Art in 1999 with a BFA in Graphic Design. Pursuing an artistic career with a fruitful income seemed like a dream come true. Working for CNN upon graduation and Landor Associates shortly after, I was successful in design, but was beginning to question this as a lifelong endeavor. Looking for a more fulfilling design position, I moved to a non-profit back in my hometown of Montgomery. After getting to design some amazing educational materials, but still spending hours at the computer doing things that just did not make me feel warm and fuzzy, it was clear I needed a change.
During that time, I had rented a studio space. I was creating my own work and showing with other local artists. I was also teaching art lessons for the first time. On lunch break from the daily computer routine one day I visited a special person who had altered my life, Mr. Gunter, my junior high school art teacher. During the visit he shared he thought I would make a great art teacher AND that he would be retiring soon. With no teaching certification and no education courses, I jumped into the deep end and applied for only one teaching position, the magnet teaching slot at the middle school I attended! The bumpy and fantastic journey that followed included; emergency certification, education course work, becoming familiar with the language of teachers, flying high on success, falling flat on my face, and finding the exact things that make me smile at the end of each work day.
Seven years after the start of my teaching career, with a two and four year old in tow and now a single mother, I took off to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a three year MFA Studio Art graduate program. Talk about a bumpy road! The experience at The University of Alabama was simultaneously the best and worst of my artistic career. Being challenged was exactly what I needed to grow my studio practice, teaching abilities, and personally. That said, coming out of a challenging personal situation and being pushed on a full-time graduate schedule in an academic environment that is not situated to accommodate single mothers was one of the most frustrating and exhausting experiences. I ultimately feel I survived more than thrived.
So, what brings me to today, and starting this blog? The woven path I have now is a rich tapestry of stories that interlock in a manner that is worthy of sharing. I am in a place in my career, parenting, and personal practice to now see how these things stand alone and merge in interesting and relevant ways. I know that all three of the topics I am discussing can be both rewarding and challenging, and I want to be honest in that experience. I have taken many chances in life, and sharing my story with you is another leap of faith that I am willing to take, because I know the effort I put in will be returned in my own personal growth from your feedback.
The writing and photography on Lady Color Bones is by me, Kelly Parvin. The stories and artistic recipies stem from events that occur in my classroom, home, personal studio, and sometimes moments when all those things collide. The amazing cast of characters are all special people, friends, family, students, and colleagues. Without all these wonderful inspirations, Lady Color Bones would not be possible.
During that time, I had rented a studio space. I was creating my own work and showing with other local artists. I was also teaching art lessons for the first time. On lunch break from the daily computer routine one day I visited a special person who had altered my life, Mr. Gunter, my junior high school art teacher. During the visit he shared he thought I would make a great art teacher AND that he would be retiring soon. With no teaching certification and no education courses, I jumped into the deep end and applied for only one teaching position, the magnet teaching slot at the middle school I attended! The bumpy and fantastic journey that followed included; emergency certification, education course work, becoming familiar with the language of teachers, flying high on success, falling flat on my face, and finding the exact things that make me smile at the end of each work day.
Seven years after the start of my teaching career, with a two and four year old in tow and now a single mother, I took off to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a three year MFA Studio Art graduate program. Talk about a bumpy road! The experience at The University of Alabama was simultaneously the best and worst of my artistic career. Being challenged was exactly what I needed to grow my studio practice, teaching abilities, and personally. That said, coming out of a challenging personal situation and being pushed on a full-time graduate schedule in an academic environment that is not situated to accommodate single mothers was one of the most frustrating and exhausting experiences. I ultimately feel I survived more than thrived.
So, what brings me to today, and starting this blog? The woven path I have now is a rich tapestry of stories that interlock in a manner that is worthy of sharing. I am in a place in my career, parenting, and personal practice to now see how these things stand alone and merge in interesting and relevant ways. I know that all three of the topics I am discussing can be both rewarding and challenging, and I want to be honest in that experience. I have taken many chances in life, and sharing my story with you is another leap of faith that I am willing to take, because I know the effort I put in will be returned in my own personal growth from your feedback.
The writing and photography on Lady Color Bones is by me, Kelly Parvin. The stories and artistic recipies stem from events that occur in my classroom, home, personal studio, and sometimes moments when all those things collide. The amazing cast of characters are all special people, friends, family, students, and colleagues. Without all these wonderful inspirations, Lady Color Bones would not be possible.