Hope for a New School Year: 9.2.2015

Hope: Clearly immersed in a rainbow by Wayne Stratz. Purchase on ETSY

Hope was being put on a test run. How would it go to make a panel using our newly favored font? How would clear class work? I like it and learned about the process. I can go deeper into my understanding of making a word design because I examined this one.

Today marks my continuing life as a teacher that began on a winter morning in January 1987. Like everything else, my improvements over the years have depended upon someone examining my classroom (students, supervisors, myself). I have to examine the good and the bad and see my role in both.

Two years ago I sat through one of the better inservice moments of my life. It taught me about the Collins writing program, which I have utilized in my classroom. But I want to use it in a deeper way this year. That is my hope for improvement. I see conversations in writing with my students, which begin with a simple prompt to begin a class but leads  to all of us developing our writing skills and into a deeper understanding of science. We will see.

As always I hope to create a joyful classroom where both I and the students want to hangout. I hope to lead students into great discussions on science and to guide them into the creation of our gardens.


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old words in a new font: Jazz, welcome, and breathe in Chelsea Studio

Breathe in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

Jazz in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

Welcome in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

Poetic feet selfie 4 ~~> For This Thanks a poem by Sam Abrams

 

Day four. Searching the words at my feet brought me a title. The entire poem had been read that day in Rochester.

 

For This Thanks **This poem are carved into a granite band.**

heaven on our earth
hopscotch chalked on the sidewalk
dance! dear goddess hop! skip!

By Sam Abrams

 

A week of poetic feet selfies #2 --- what we can't know by James LaVilla-Havelin

what we can’t know

the number of the dead
the stretch of an hour
a bird’s heart
how our embrace feels to the embraced
the moment of a flower’s opening
dirt’s weight
outermost ripples of friendship and love
peace
what our hands do while we sleep
a lie’s uncurling
the depth of loss
an insect’s view
silence
morning brushing against treetops
how we are remembered

James LaVilla-Havelin, "what we can't know" from Counting. Copyright © 2010 by James LaVilla-Havelin. Used with the permission of the author.

As seen on the Poet Walk at the Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester NY

 

 

 

A shirt for many occasions ~ belief plus doubt equals sanity

Margaret spotted this when we were in the midst of this and knew it had my name all over it, even though I do not own a piece of red clothing.

I am a man of hope and uncertainty. I don't know how it will turn out, but I believe it will, some how some way. I see this as a perfect shirt for a few occasions. The red and the message make it perfect for the first two.

1. Pentecost Sunday ~ my very first thought when I read it. I believe God has transformed my life but doubt God's existence on a regular basis. Being 100% certain either way is likely a state m mind will avoid.
2. A Philadelphia Phillies game ~ even in the best years I do believe they can win, but I doubt if they will win all their games. Only sane approach to being fan.
3. And maybe I will break it out when I celebrate my birthday. I believe I will have many more to celebrate but doubt they will go on for ever and can only hope to make it to the next one.
4. Where else? Suggestions...

 

Visiting Belief + Doubt ~ Barbara Kruger at the Hirshhorn

Our second stop in DC was the round Smthsonian, home of modern art. Taking the trip into the Hishhorn's basement exhibit was quite the escalator ride.

I loved how POWER hovered above Whose bodies? Whose beliefs?

But first I was taken by this quote by Malcolm X. How true is this ~

Margaret than stood between Faith and Doubt. A place I often stand every day.

Now watch how they installed this and watch how people resond when they get into this space.

 

Where did Wisdom emerge from?

Do you know that Nutmeg Designs has a blog, a collaboration between Mosaic Woman and myself. That is where the story of Wisdom was told.

 

K is for Kindness ~ the a to z of one word messages

Border by friend and client and artist Suzanne Halstead
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

Kindness is one of those words we need to reflect upon as our day comes to an end. It is a message to seek out moments when we met the call to be kind to both friend, stranger, and nemesis. And then go deeper and see when missed the call, and failed to respond with kindness. And then hope for a better response to the world when we awake to a new day.

Kindness. 

May we seek out opportunities to provide some to a person in need. May we see all as those who are in need.

the crew of us celebrating
the completion of the
Fruits of the Spirit

I is of Imagine ~ The A to Z of one word messages

Imagine by Nutmeg Designs
lettering by Wayne Stratz
background by Margaret Almon

Imagine is word we chose to make.  For me it is a powerful reminder of times spent at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville.  Ignatius was big on using imagination in prayer.  Read scripture and place yourself into the story.  Be a bystander, be a main character ~ no matter, just place your self into the story and see where it takes you.

Of course this can be applied to real life as well.  Imagine a friend's misery before saying I can't imagine.  I think we say we can't imagine because it is painful to place ourselves into those shoes.  But if we do we can then respond to the needs of our friends.  Doing it for the stranger for the enemy is just as valuable and even more difficult.  Imagine.

H is for Hope ~ the A to Z of one word messages

a friend's desire for Hope, a commission
design and made by Wayne Stratz

Hope in the Desert
lettering and bottom by Wayne Stratz
Top background by Margaret Almon

Lettering and large background design by Wayne Stratz
small pieces and swirl by Margaret Almon

Rainbow of Hope
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Rainbow by Margaret Almon

Hope ~ the missing Fruit of the Spirit
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Blues by Margaret Almon

Stained Glass Hope
designed and created by Wayne Stratz

F is for Faithfulness ~ The A to Z of One Word Messages

Mirror Image of the beginning
of our Fruits of the Spirit Project

I am humbled by the faith that occurs when a client contacts us to create a piece of art. If it is their one word message, they have asked us to create something intimate. What about nine one word messages?  What if they were inspired to celebrate the fruits of the spirit. 

No matter the size of a project, before we can begin, colors must be chosen. When our friends commissioned the fruits of the spirit, we had them over for pizza. Then we headed into our studios. Orange was good. Green was less favored. Then they left, but trusting us to take their hope for beautiful words, the colors they dig, and the faith that humbles us ~

The Fruits of the Spirit
words by Wayne Stratz
Backgrounds by Maragret Almon
Borders by Suzanne Halstead

The A to Z of one word messages ~ C is for Call my name

My Name
MyStudio

Mosaic Woman tried a variety of art forms on her way to mosaics and this sign came to be when she made ceramic art tiles. 

Wayne. What captures our attention more than hearing the one word message of our name? In high school there was only one other Wayne. In 26 years of teaching there has only been one student named Wayne.  99% of the times I hear it, I am being called.

More recently we were asked to celebrate the birth of a child named Parker. Here is a video showing the mosaic coming into being.

Twice I have been asked to honor the life of a loved one in glass.

Designed and created by
Wayne Stratz

Designed and created by
Wayne Stratz

Wayne means, "one who makes wagons."  I have not lived up to that yet.  Anyone need a stained glass wagon?

Being the straight man in this endeavor

My last post I celebrated being able to explore color in the letters of GARDEN, so here I was cutting out white glass today. Mosaic Woman wanted to do a new word inspired by how learning the Alexander Technique has helped her to feel less body pain in and out of the studio. I had an idea.

Rough drafts got smoothed out as we consulted and finally all that was left was color choice. I said, "White." No client wanting white, and yet after the joy of cutting out GARDEN in oranges, I wanted to do it in white.

I was seeing myself as the straight man in a comedic team. I was setting up the situation knowing what beauty can and will emerge when I walk it into her studio. And on this day when so many of my friends are hoping for a bit more equality to emerge into this country, I couldn't resist being the straight man who is hoping right along with them.

Celebrating Colorful Letters: a garden sign commission emerges

Margaret and I must be doing something right because house number and word signs commissions have been steady business for Nutmeg Designs. Today I cut out what will be our 8th house number of the year. I don't tend to complain, but hey, I am the dude who love to create things like this:




... And nearly every commission features white or off-white or black or dull pink glass for the lettering/numbering. Then Margaret gets to play with colors in the background. Well a while back we made a welcome sign with some splendid orange glass. A new client dug it. I redesigned GARDEN, and then with a pile of scraps I went to work. Placing the pattern pieces down here and there to capture all that glass had to give.

Robin's Word ~ serenity in glass

Clearly she got it wrong, because if I had done it my way, it would have been a mosaic.  When I first imagined a word out of glass, I made them to have the sun flow through the word, but then came collaborations with Mosaic Woman.  

Oh what a joy.  No background pieces, no foiling, no soldering, no glueing into a frame (not to mention all the hope that it will fit in the frame), no attaching chain to the frame.  Just glue down the word and hand it to Mosaic Woman, who I trusted to create a splendid background.

Like I said, clearly Robin commissioned the wrong thing.  I need to stop listening to friends, who keep insisting I push my talents.

Thanks.

Believe, a commission of celebration

Collaboration Mosaic
Margaret Almon and Wayne Stratz

Updates sounded better.

then Months

The opposite of hope is despair.  

Saturday evening as the band paused between songs, 

I leaned toward the young woman.

"How are you?"

Healing,

Fueled by positive medical reports,

Stronger.

We celebrated with her in-laws

 this piece.

Tears of joy.

searching for 21 words...

thanks to all 20+ of you who responded we have plenty of ideas for future mosaics, and if you want to know what is coming next, well we have decided on "bloom."  Tis the Season!


 click on it to see it enlarged

21 words , 21 mosaics

Hope in the Dessert
Wayne Stratz and Margaret Almon

There is something emerging in the two studio one bedroom row of Nutmeg Designs.  Margaret and I are planning a big project and you can help us by letting us know what words you would like us to create out of glass...


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