tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245659512011-08-27T14:05:43.402-07:00Loose Drawings And Self-Indulgent Thoughts By Mark TeelMark Teelnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-53168026565419701402010-02-02T17:09:00.001-08:002010-02-02T18:13:15.509-08:00

It's been a good three months since I've visited this blog. No regrets, really. With my weekly comics and my busy schedule, I have no time to express written thoughts. That said, it's still nice to have this forum for projects such as this."Hourly Comic Day" is one-time-a-year event. It's literally that--a comic for each hour you're awake. Since I basically draw longer-form comic strips, I chose

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-2163707804223589692009-10-11T08:07:00.001-07:002009-10-11T08:34:17.926-07:00

Friday the 16th. Six more days to go.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-10740721450094778322009-10-07T14:41:00.001-07:002009-10-07T15:01:13.029-07:00

The fine people at Prepress Graphics told me that I was wasting my time cutting my own books. In the past, I had them print them off and then leave the cutting, stitching and folding to yours truly. After this last go-around (The Colorblind Art Teacher #2, which can be ordered right here) I decided that I was sick and tired of having to line up the copy myself, cut, and take the chance of not

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-84052741374351009022009-09-30T14:17:00.001-07:002009-10-01T05:30:37.431-07:00

As many of you realize, I'm currently in the process of getting my comic book career off the ground. This is evident through my new weekly comic site, mwteel.com. Please continue to check there every Monday, for the rest of your life, in order to see a glimpse of scenes from my past 36 years.  I don't want to give up this specific blog. There's really no reason to. I always figured that, once I

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-38969309790402261122009-08-17T10:01:00.000-07:002009-08-17T10:06:27.708-07:00

So this is the first official full school week for USD 500. I've been busy lately, attending boring meetings and filling out even more boring worksheets. If you're here to see this week's Colorblind Art Teacher strip, it can be found at mwteel.com. The site is still a work in progress, as I intend on adding more to it. But I wanted to get it up and running for now so that I have a home for the

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-71688709757617624582009-08-09T16:55:00.000-07:002009-08-09T16:58:01.715-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-50420348552161010102009-08-04T11:42:00.000-07:002009-08-04T11:46:55.902-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-53084272988980006812009-07-28T11:29:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:31:37.745-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-91469256633313732552009-07-21T19:50:00.000-07:002009-07-22T05:56:53.436-07:00

Recently, Matthew Brady at Warren Peace Sings the Blues gave The Colorblind Art Teacher #2 a pretty positive, back-handed kind of review. You can read the original post by clicking on the link in the first sentence (and scrolling down), or reposted here: I don't know if Mark Teel lives up to the title of his minicomic series, but if he's an art teacher, his work is pretty crude. I kid! As the

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-52572121510920306432009-07-13T16:16:00.001-07:002009-07-13T16:16:27.580-07:00

This web episode is taken from the print issue, number three, that will be made available soon. I had to trim a significant part of the story out due to length. The particular story arc was actually drawn the morning of Michael Jackson's death. Kind of eerie. To me, anyway.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-76240816608452527312009-07-09T14:59:00.001-07:002009-07-09T15:01:00.286-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-30955251673558729872009-07-06T16:29:00.001-07:002009-07-13T16:17:24.423-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-47236163509868143582009-06-24T14:28:00.000-07:002009-06-24T14:53:56.962-07:00

As my first month of summer break comes to a close...*sigh*I'll pause for a moment to take stock of what's going on in the world of mini-comic publishing. Well my world. I can't really speak for anybody else.The first two issues of The Colorblind Art Teacher are in their second printings and will be available this week. To anybody who placed an order who hasn't received theirs yet, I apologize

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-28456273117190499812009-06-22T10:32:00.000-07:002009-06-22T10:46:24.630-07:00

My friend, Lawrence, was cruising You Tube recently and sent me this clip. I had forgotten all about the TV pilot that was shot a few years back for a possible Colorblind Art Teacher television series. What's included here is only a 53 second clip from that one, stand alone episode. I seem to remember the pilot being rejected by the executives at FOX Television for being "too disturbing."

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-52688871930756602082009-06-17T09:55:00.001-07:002009-06-17T14:55:37.598-07:00

I will begin to upload mini web comics to this site. These are not regular issues of The Colorblind Art Teacher. Rather, they're exclusive to the internet and, for this reason, are not numbered. The first is titled "Bubble Gum Butt" and, as always, it's based on a true story. Use the buttons on the bottom (which will appear after placing your cursor there) to scroll through the "book." In order

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-6900556136196366522009-06-11T18:25:00.000-07:002009-06-12T06:07:56.644-07:00

I finally got around to sending some copies of The Colorblind Art Teacher #2 to some blogs for review. Here's the first one, courtesy of Sarah Morean at The Daily Crosshatch:. It doesn’t matter what your anxieties or weaknesses are when you’re a parent.  Because once you have kids, you’re the grown-up.  By default.The Colorblind Art Teacher #2 appears to be an autobiographical story about Mark

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-14849267755230505072009-06-05T07:59:00.001-07:002009-06-05T08:35:31.234-07:00

Today--Friday, June 5--marks the end of my first week of freedom. The 2008-2009 school year was a hectic one at Fairfax Campus, but I've finally gotten a chance to slow down and catch my breath. Several people have touched base with me, concerning the status of this blog. No, I haven't quit updating it. It's just been on temporary hiatus.Every summer with Audrey tends to get a little easier. As

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-14352838076185972622009-04-13T09:26:00.001-07:002009-04-13T09:34:42.961-07:00

Audrey has become proficient in drawing circles and lines and, as a result, faces. Cognitively, she's right where she should be. Normally at the age of three, a child will identify with the head and the "face." They'll focus on the primary features, being the eyes and mouth. It isn't until later that they notice the nose, the ears, etc.Also, right on schedule, is the representation of the "body,"

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-36705592501131068382009-03-26T17:37:00.000-07:002009-03-26T17:43:02.627-07:00

When I first heard about this, I thought it was a lousy idea. But now that I've seen the trailer, I can't contain my excitement. Spike Jonze seems a logical choice to head this up.Where the Wild Things Are was my book. It's a book I picked up regularly throughout my life. Even as an adult. It's the first book I bought Audrey before she was even born. If she was a boy, she was going to be named

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-7854225454879510512009-03-17T13:27:00.000-07:002009-03-17T13:46:22.685-07:00

Okay, issue two of The Colorblind Art Teacher is ready to go. Printin' ain't cheap, which means I have to sell them. But, hey, I'll be happy to break even as long as the book gets out there.If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the latest issue (or, for that matter, a copy of the first one), click on the nifty Paypal ("add to cart") link to the right. Let me know if there's any problems

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-23886718589042700392009-03-05T13:52:00.000-08:002009-03-05T15:06:07.401-08:00

Ike and I have been very busy lately, preparing for this summer's big construction project. Since we share a wall, he feels like it might be a good idea to put a hole--a hidden hole, of course--between our two classrooms. Why? There are multiple reasons for this. The first, and most obvious, is that he wouldn't have to walk through his door, around the corner, and into my room to get his coffee.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-85382740656655043602009-02-10T10:30:00.001-08:002009-02-10T11:00:08.900-08:00

For those of you who may be out of the loop, I happen to share a classroom wall with our middle school Science teacher, Christian "Ike" Eikerman.For the past year-and-a-half, I've endured the hijinx of my next door neighbor. He's a great guy, but a little off. As anybody who knows him can attest, he bounces down the hallway like a beach ball. When he teaches, he prowls around his room like a

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-90036954695939676122009-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:002009-01-28T18:10:41.217-08:00

I’m currently in my second year at Fairfax Campus. In the short time I’ve been there, I feel like I’ve accomplished quite a bit, having single-handedly built the Art and Design program from the ground-up. Well, I shouldn't say “single-handedly.” I had a lot of help from our Instructional Coordinator (I.C.), Dave Oland. To those who don’t know, an I.C. is an administrative job. It’s the job of the

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-79725986339571079362009-01-24T11:16:00.000-08:002009-01-24T18:13:04.058-08:00

1. I can’t drive a stick shift. I lack the focus and patience. Please don’t ever put me in a situation where I have to tell you this.2. Every time I see a bare foot, I count the number of toes to make sure that all are spoken for. Unless I’ve seen your bare foot more than once, then I don’t bother because I already know.3. I refuse to look at any photograph of myself that was taken between 1985

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-26794318764809623452009-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:002009-01-12T19:06:46.433-08:00

Rules1. Put your iPod on shuffle.2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!4. Analyze it's accuracy.5. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you stole it from.IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?Let Me Watch—Viktor Vaughn ft. Apani BPassively-aggressively avoiding the

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-70012096457607004272009-01-10T14:17:00.000-08:002009-01-10T14:28:53.878-08:00

I find myself turning my attention away from my blog these days, and toward the activities of FaceBook. I promise that I'll try to be a bit more fair in dividing my time during 2009.In the meantime, I've come across a couple of old sketchbooks, from between 1995 and 1997, that contain drawings that I had dubbed the "Keepin' Busy' studies. Here is one of them.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-13439421429886983482008-12-29T11:57:00.001-08:002008-12-29T12:01:05.684-08:00

Today celebrates the third anniversary of the birth of Audrey Elizabeth Teel. With a month full of birthdays--and birthday parties--Audrey has been keeping her eyes on the prize in the form of a birthday cake.When Lisa reminded her last night that she was going to be three, Audrey responded by saying "I don't want to be three...I want to be five."Yikes.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-16571033815755511502008-12-19T07:48:00.000-08:002008-12-19T07:54:38.647-08:00

Photomontage of my classroom...Sketchbooks!Brandon and me...

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-67724718292802027642008-12-09T18:30:00.000-08:002008-12-09T18:34:08.563-08:00

From the sketchbook.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-59079529765395682112008-11-17T12:39:00.001-08:002008-11-17T12:40:56.191-08:00

Portraits of some of my students. From my sketchbook.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-76402500434144752802008-11-12T05:49:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:18:15.510-08:00

This past October 31, Audrey's dreams of candy and superhero glory were shattered upon our arrival at the house of Renee and Jim. We had a decent-sized  night ahead of us: Renee and Jim's, then to various friends' houses, before hitting the mall, where we were to meet Mom and Dad. After having walked through the front door, Audrey immediately vomited all over the floor. We should have seen it

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-61723685412047968782008-11-05T11:25:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:26:36.490-08:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-5140028960475851172008-10-26T13:29:00.000-07:002008-10-26T13:30:30.862-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-509874387134260432008-10-16T16:35:00.000-07:002008-10-17T18:49:15.654-07:00

At last, things have slowed down enough for me to put the final touches on the first issue of The Colorblind Art Teacher. This will be an ongoing printed comic book that, I hope, to put out three or four times a year. The debut issue, I will be giving away for free. So hit me up if you'd like a copy dropped in the mail for you.Naturally, I'll need your address at that time. Duh.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-44938150468266219302008-10-13T14:35:00.000-07:002008-10-13T18:23:36.592-07:00

Like I mentioned earlier, Brandon and I found ourselves in Chicago and had caught wind that underground hip hop artist, Count Bass D, would be performing at a little hole-in-the-wall known as The Hideout. It was on the particular Sunday that we arrived. We found our hotel, checked in, and then went to look for a place to eat.It should be noted here that I had just purchased a brand new pair of

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-48615645738550020812008-10-02T17:06:00.000-07:002008-11-22T14:58:19.617-08:00

Last Sunday, Brandon and I ventured east--again. This time, it was to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at the Riviera Theater in Chicago. We took the Amtrak--a first for both of us. It was a landmark trip in that the stopping points were all cities within the Teel family history--Marceline, MO, Fort Madison, IA, and Galesburg, IL. It occurred to me that our family's association with these particular

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-79759021445471915602008-09-26T14:32:00.000-07:002008-09-26T15:46:31.128-07:00

I've found a very suitable tribute to Grandma over at my sister-in-law, Kathy's, blog, No Disclaimers:I am sorry for the slacking; I have had every intention of posting more often, but the next post simply had to be this one, and to write it properly I needed a bit of time--which, as usual, has been hard to come by.On September 10, my husband's grandmother, Betty Hood, died at the age of 89. You

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-16046817575402112662008-09-24T16:27:00.000-07:002008-09-24T16:34:07.109-07:00

Two weeks ago, today, my Grandmother, Betty Hood, passed away at the age of 89. We all love and miss her.That's all I've got to say right now.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-25573474326232939312008-09-02T17:44:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:53:28.487-07:00

I would love to show you some drawings I have done, but my scanner is still out of order, thanks to my "successful" upgrade to Leopard via KCK Schools. I'd like to say the same for issue one of my comic book--which is, literally, waiting to be finished with only one page left to polish off--but my Adobe software should be installed "any day now."In the meantime, here's a bunch of Audrey stuff.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-81564236292524372022008-08-15T17:00:00.001-07:002008-08-15T17:25:08.159-07:00

Please excuse my absence. The past couple of weeks have been extremely hectic within the Teel-Erlinger household.Last weekend, Curt and Lauren finally tied the knot in Springfield. Fortunately, and thanks to Mom and Dad's coincidental trip out to Mt. Vernon for Sabra's birthday, I was able to leave on Thursday afternoon--a day early--in order to attend the bachelor party. As luck would have it,

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-33261405749593115712008-07-31T12:53:00.001-07:002008-07-31T13:27:09.074-07:00

With all the recent hype surrounding the Marvel Comics Universe, as well as reboots of popular franchises that have failed--or run out of steam in the past (The Incredible Hulk, Superman, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc.)--I have been very adamant on my lobbying of a possible Howard the Duck update. Unfortunately, the majority's one and only exposure to this character was the disastrous

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-7774117854499271012008-07-29T18:45:00.000-07:002008-07-30T06:10:43.203-07:00

A memory from my childhood, as well as another sneak peek of The Colorblind Art Teacher.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-81176582949746152782008-07-24T12:39:00.001-07:002008-07-24T12:57:33.866-07:00

I'm still hard-at-work on my life story, which will simply be titled The Colorblind Art Teacher. As I explained before, I had set out to do a graphic novel, but have instead opted to release it as a series of homemade minicomics. The first issue, titled "Any Given Wednesday" is currently being inked and I hope to have copies printed up within the next few weeks.I've chosen a sporadic narrative,

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-20730589425157610492008-07-20T08:31:00.000-07:002008-07-20T08:46:31.255-07:00

The other night, Lisa brought some literature home from work, which is not an unusual thing. Many times, she happens to have with her something that would normally be handed out free to her clients at the health department.This Family Circus illustration was on a postcard, which was attached to whatever it was she had brought home. I happened to take notice and it struck me as very funny. Lisa

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-77791822449364379822008-07-17T08:09:00.001-07:002008-07-17T08:34:02.719-07:00

For the past few months, Audrey has been showing signs of having a lazy eye. Of course, there's a history of this in our families. Jeff had a lazy eye and was forced to be "Captain Jeff" for a couple of years growing up. Complete with a black eye patch. The Erlinger side has had their fair share of pirates in their own right. The three Erlinger brothers, apparently, were forced into the pirate

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-18524648978175917152008-07-08T13:18:00.000-07:002008-07-08T13:28:10.591-07:00

While visiting with Matt over July 4th weekend, I told him about my current project, a graphic novel titled The Incredibly True Adventures Of A Colorblind Art Teacher: A Work In Progress. Yes, I'm still hard-at-work on That Baby, but this comic is something that I've been working on, when not up to my neck in crayoned baby drawings.These six panels make up the first page of the book. For those of

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-51172385803407012132008-06-27T18:34:00.000-07:002008-06-28T11:52:18.949-07:00

Yesterday, Brandon and I hit the open road, heading east to St. Louis to witness the spectacle that is Tom Waits. Jimmy Erlinger was kind enough to supply us with room and board during our 24 hour duration. Beforehand, we three--and his friends, Mike and Curren [sic, I'm quite sure]--stopped by Blueberry Hill for the single worst cheeseburger I've ever had. They were then kind enough to drop us

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-42711253404845844572008-06-23T10:33:00.000-07:002008-06-23T10:51:14.241-07:00

I woke up this morning to the news of George Carlin's passing. I'm not necessarily the type of person to follow stand-up comedy, but Carlin was different. To me, he elevated the art form and, over the past half-century, looked at the world with a twisted sort of philosophy. I remember in college, offending more than a few people in my Philosophy class, after having played a sound bite of Carlin's

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-62000550953722676362008-06-22T13:34:00.000-07:002008-06-22T13:39:18.756-07:00

The illustration, shown here, is not a dog but, rather, an elephant.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-18715229528097996422008-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:002008-06-20T07:26:11.486-07:00

As many of you know, my seasonal allergies have been taking a toll, so I've been stranded indoors for the better part of my vacation time. The upside to this is that I've been hard-at-work, revising That Baby. I was at the point where merely opening the front door to fetch the mail had my eyes welling up. Lisa finally convinced me to visit an allergist and begin the process of weekly shots. Only

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-73524374942828423822008-06-11T13:41:00.000-07:002008-06-23T12:32:07.985-07:00

SPOILER ALERT! If you have yet to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and intend on doing so, you may want to come back to this particular entry later on.I wasn't quite sure what to make of the prospect of a fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series. The "trilogy" concluded in 1989 and when Indy, his father (Henry, Sr.) and two sidekicks (Marcus Brody and Sallah) road off

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-36419762483610953762008-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:002008-06-02T17:17:00.097-07:00

So far, summer with Audrey has been fantastic. Aside from our daily errands, art projects and taking advantage of Blockbuster.com by familiarizing myself with TV shows on DVD (Freaks and Geeks, anyone?), we often times get to squeeze-in a round or two of her favorite new game: Hide N' Seek.Hide N' Seek--also known in some circles as "Hide and-go seek"--is a popular variant of the game tag, in

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-25479941298762071842008-05-28T06:37:00.000-07:002008-05-28T14:36:25.382-07:00

It's only appropriate that Audrey's newest YouTube obsession--a series of homemade videos, Manga-inspired animation, and creepy kid shows from overseas, all based on variations of the song "Where is Thumpkin?"--is what we've been sitting and watching together since my three month hiatus from Fairfax Campus last Wednesday. Between then, and spending the holiday weekend, amidst rain, out at the

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-4990628027503011482008-05-09T14:58:00.000-07:002008-05-09T15:02:41.584-07:00

Old Tom, take two...

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-58384170650163645882008-05-05T19:30:00.000-07:002008-05-05T19:51:47.467-07:00

I realize it's been a long, long time since I've posted here. The reason for this is due to the fact that, all of a sudden, I'm unable to view any blogs while at work, which also means I can't post on this one. Since starting at USD 500, I would post on my blog from the comfort of my classroom at Fairfax. While at home at night, I'm not on my computer as much since I use it all day long while at

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-59868628188497048712008-04-14T08:39:00.001-07:002008-04-14T09:21:21.444-07:00

It's 10:45, in the morning, on Monday right now and I'm sitting here at home. I've decided to post some pics of Audrey simply because I haven't posted anything in a while. And, let's face it--you people come here to see pics of her anyway. So here they are.I woke up Friday morning with a heavy head and a sore throat. Matt and the kids were to be in town later on in the day and I was looking

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-56817423042136887372008-03-28T08:48:00.001-07:002008-03-28T08:56:17.972-07:00

For the month of April, the West Wyandotte Library will be exhibiting the work of the Art instructors of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. I'll only have two pieces on display. Both are paintings that were in my previous shows from two years ago. I've done other work since then, but I haven't had any of it framed.The reception, as you can see, is from 4:00 to 5:00 on a Thursday. Obviously not a

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-47569408077909535992008-03-25T11:30:00.001-07:002008-03-25T11:33:10.569-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-5525523624683348642008-03-18T08:03:00.000-07:002008-03-18T08:11:59.370-07:00

This week, Audrey and I are home for spring break. Today--Tuesday--I may bite the bullet and head out of the house, despite the rain. I've been able to get a bit of work done around here as well. Mostly some catch-up that I haven't been able to accomplish while in the classroom. Revising some "lesson plans," calling the Union Station about a possible field trip, stuff like that. The other day, I

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-43238984678921348182008-03-04T10:04:00.001-08:002008-03-04T10:08:22.782-08:00

I've been too exhausted to draw in my sketchbook over the past semester-and-a-half. This was the last image I had scrawled, some months ago. I've drawn more since having found this though.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-89799299840565004782008-02-29T16:46:00.001-08:002008-02-29T16:52:57.155-08:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-72307217901192303652008-02-27T12:44:00.001-08:002008-02-27T12:46:53.829-08:00

Audrey's artistic "vision" is starting to come together. The painting to the left, I simply refer to as "Bird." But is it a bird? Was that her intention? Or was she aiming for something more abstract? Does it matter?

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-13262171801103511172008-02-22T07:39:00.001-08:002008-02-22T07:50:58.549-08:00

I always take pride in my CD cover designs but, for my money, Brandon's concept for his Best of 2007 stole the show. I don't know if it's his use of font placement or the duotone he used on the image, but it has me laying awake at night with envy.The story behind Brandon's apprehending of this particular photograph is interesting as well. If I can get all the details (the fellow in the picture's

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-81417513886644587832008-02-14T15:49:00.000-08:002008-02-14T15:51:27.825-08:00

Whether you like it or not.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-78395574180076611462008-02-05T06:42:00.001-08:002008-02-05T06:50:34.767-08:00

01. Paper Planes--M.I.A.02. Your Arms Around Me--Jens Lekman03. Caliope!--The Veils04. Adventures In Solitude--The New Pornographers05. Somebody Changed--The Clientele06. Depth Charge Ethel--Grinderman07. Mistaken For Strangers--The National08. None Shall Pass-- Aesop Rock09. Head In The Clouds (Remix)--MF Grimm10. Jigsaw Falling Into Place--Radiohead

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-67758691064024450222008-01-28T13:18:00.001-08:002008-01-28T13:21:11.801-08:00

From earlier on in the year. The Old Man requested "some more of those ones done with charcoal."

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-73722019389269226822008-01-24T09:50:00.001-08:002008-01-24T10:00:22.248-08:00

Andrew, a seventh-grader with the worst case of ADHD I've ever seen in my life, drew this portrait of me while I was working at my desk. He actually went so far as to study me as a subject and, as I say to the students, "draw what (they) see." Seems like he spent about ten minutes on the ears until he got them as-close-to-perfect as he could, and then quickly added the rest. And that's fine.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-64785241535009997282008-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:002008-01-17T06:19:27.567-08:00

Wow. Got this in an email this morning. It's a clip containing, not one, but three of my all-time favorites performing in front of the judges on American Idol--Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Sandwiched between Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen is The Stranglers. During Nick Cave's performance, watch the black judge's face when he strikes that first cord on the steel guitar. It's priceless.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-81394810451301059212008-01-15T09:58:00.000-08:002008-01-15T10:36:58.710-08:00

Having lost the digital copy of my book, I've decided to take this as an opportunity to change the "look" of the Baby. Lisa always said that the original one looked like an old man. Maybe it's from looking at the illustrations so much in the past few months, but I must admit that I could stand to make the baby look more-babyish, and less alien-from-another-planet-ish.Audrey has made it a habit of

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-52098474224232688392008-01-14T06:19:00.000-08:002008-01-14T06:38:33.583-08:00

Over the weekend, I received an announcement for an upcoming art exhibit at Avila University. I was surprised to see that it's showcasing a regional artist by the name of Nora Othic and titled "One Hundred Famous Views Of Marceline." The "surprise" here, for anybody unfamiliar with Marceline who may be reading this, is that the tiny town is relatively unknown by most. Within my family, Marceline

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-80396292066224351292007-12-30T13:39:00.000-08:002008-01-02T12:59:04.486-08:00

01. The National / BoxerBoxer is one of those rare albums that has your attention from the beginning of the first track, and keeps your interested until the very end. Previously, my only exposure to The National was a song that Brandon had put on a previous mix (from 2005's excellent The Alligator). But Boxer is definitely one album that has caused me to sit up and take notice of this band.02.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-76663402224500312892007-12-23T14:05:00.001-08:002007-12-23T14:55:11.881-08:00

In case you haven't heard, an "Amber Alert" of sorts has been issued for the contents of one unpublished children's book by the name of "That Baby." On Tuesday, 11 December, I was home from work on a snow day. While in the process of moving the contents of the G4 Mac to the MacBook, I created a file and labeled it "trash." These were documents that had been saved up over the past few years, that

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-26771759678417113032007-12-22T20:02:00.000-08:002007-12-22T20:07:00.068-08:00

The Crew, clockwise from top: Thomas, Audrey, Anden, Liam and Baby Eavie. Word.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-74601324762607384632007-12-20T12:40:00.000-08:002007-12-23T08:10:26.773-08:00

Last Friday evening, we were treated to a surprise visit from Matt, Kathy, Abby, Sabra and David. In honor of my birthday (yesterday, 19 December), Abby made me a card. I've made it a habit of displaying both nieces' artwork here in the past. Abby seems to have really grown even more recently, as one might tell from her sense of depth, one-point perspective and hand-drawn font. Sabra's

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-17771727089902458682007-12-14T11:08:00.001-08:002007-12-14T11:32:48.510-08:00

A couple of sketchbook drawings.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-76547456122248434262007-12-12T08:29:00.000-08:002007-12-12T08:34:23.324-08:00

Audrey has been obsessed with the camera feature on my new MacBook.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-55146989924971871762007-12-07T06:45:00.000-08:002007-12-07T07:04:07.078-08:00

I know I swore off retirement, but in the grand tradition of artists who promise to go away and end up reappearing (Prince, Jay-Z, Babs, etc.), I thought I would come back every so often to post a project I've been working on. This week, I have my students working on Mixed Media Collages, which is a medium that I've loved since high school, but don't get much of a chance to practice anymore. It

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-83448019181775387232007-11-03T17:54:00.000-07:002007-11-03T17:55:12.098-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-64328162353749122142007-10-22T14:29:00.000-07:002007-10-22T19:23:17.009-07:00

No, it's not a reference to pirates. "Down with the ship" is what I say when I have a particular interest that is deemed lame by those around me. Or by society in general. Some may call them "guilty pleasures," but the difference is that the five items listed here, I take great pride in loving. This list comes on the heels of Cousin Pete's recent blog entry, in which he listed his own Top Five

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-29166160636805301302007-10-15T16:52:00.000-07:002007-10-15T17:26:54.291-07:00

This past Saturday night was a special one. I finally got a chance to catch Jim Tharp's band, Buck Rogers. Jim, who is the boyfriend of Renee Fish (my oldest friend, to those of you who may be unfamiliar), has been an avid supporter of this very blog since it's conception a little over a year ago. Buck Rogers--Jim's high school band--reformed around that same time. Lisa and I had been wanting to

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-46730130351363338442007-10-10T07:15:00.001-07:002007-10-10T07:34:47.314-07:00

My apologies for being M.I.A. for the past few weeks. One of my biggest frustrations is when I follow a blog on a regular basis, only to have the writer not be where they should be when I feel the need to play catchup. When I started this a little over a year ago, I promised myself I wouldn't be one of these people. How easy it is to make a promise like this when there's so much free time in your

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-73331428291400907922007-09-26T14:19:00.000-07:002007-09-26T19:12:23.102-07:00

This past weekend, the Secret Mixed Tape Society met at Jeff's house for one last night of grilling out before the warm season comes to a close. It was also time to swap our latest compilations. It should be noted that Songs I Dig By Bands I Don't would be our last musical venture of the year. SIDBBID was another serious undertaking. Not to be confused with a comp of ten guilty pleasures, which

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-14280072502777046592007-09-21T14:05:00.000-07:002007-09-21T14:10:55.974-07:00

Laura sent us a couple of photos taken of Audrey and Thomas this morning. Apparently, she had given them some shaving cream in order to "finger-paint." Audrey was reluctant at first, but she really seemed to get into it.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-52263715923943416962007-09-13T17:55:00.000-07:002007-09-13T18:43:12.069-07:00

My Art room at Fairfax once served as an Occupational Studies class. That is, it was a mandatory course for the students that consists of learning the basics of careers. When I first started setting the room up, I found boxes and boxes of textbooks, magazines and pamphlets that focused on this. These texts are more or less written specifically for at-risk youth. As I peruse through their contents

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-67087471289543395912007-09-10T12:26:00.000-07:002007-09-10T20:28:09.691-07:00

In December of 2004, the Secret Mixed Tape Society embarked on their second assignment. This was known as Timeline and the idea was to find ten songs and/or bands who would map out each individuals musical journey throughout their life up to that point. This was hard to do, but with a goal of only ten entries, the selections would have to be important and very landmark. Here's the list:Hello It's

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-60114122411714322012007-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:002007-09-05T17:39:30.892-07:00

This duet between Elmo and opera vocalist, Andrea Bocelli, is Audrey's current favorite video on YouTube. It's a parody of a song called "Time To Say Goodbye." I have no idea where it originates from, but it certainly isn't Phantom Of The Opera.I've always gotten a kick out of seeing real actors (or, in this case, a musician), interacting with one of Jim Henson's Muppets. Something about seeing

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-4270362359019923252007-09-03T10:24:00.000-07:002007-09-03T10:44:29.778-07:00

Yes, it's been way too long since I've written here on the blog. It's not so much the pressures of my all-too time-consuming job. It actually has more to do with the fact that there are simply too many things to write about. When I started this a year ago, things in my life had just shifted from neutral to first gear. Stuff was happening, but it was at a rate where I could stand back and take

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-36930743303524722582007-08-21T18:58:00.000-07:002007-08-21T19:19:42.250-07:00

I had forgotten just how challenging this particular population can be. Today, alone, I broke up one fight and sent three kids to the recovery room for behavior problems. These are not unusual events in a school like Fairfax. That said, the new Art program that I'm building seems to be popular among the students. Several times throughout any given day, I'm met at my door by a student who has

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-9408063029838766362007-08-14T18:17:00.000-07:002007-08-14T18:19:55.136-07:00

I swear we didn't set this up.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-90331693364244643022007-08-12T12:50:00.000-07:002007-08-12T12:59:02.777-07:00

It's been a while since I posted anything here. Since my last writing, I have been swept up in the world of education. Specifically the world of a pre-school year educator. It's been hectic, to say the least. Nevertheless, I report for duty tomorrow morning for the first day of the 2007-2008 school year in the Kansas City, Kansas School District.In the meantime, I've decided to dig up an old

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-8802729263521961842007-08-02T15:56:00.000-07:002007-08-06T05:04:18.762-07:00

Well, here I am. Back home after a full week in St. Louis with Lisa's family. Good times were had, yet I can't help but feel like it wasn't so much a "vacation" as it was a "trip." What's the difference? As a child, I remember "getting away from it all" with the family. We'd pack up the car and drive to the Ozarks for a nice, relaxing week with the hillbillies. By the time we arrived home, I was

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-25187402276882922532007-07-25T11:32:00.001-07:002007-07-25T12:34:28.305-07:00

After having recorded, and traded, ten comps in just less than three years, we decided that it would only be appropriate to revisit the idea of a Top Five. And why wouldn't we? All being self proclaimed music enthusiasts, the well was certainly full of at least five more bands who've sparked our interests enough to base another two song anthology around. I already had at least two bands that I

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-1150791225609726592007-07-23T18:27:00.001-07:002007-07-23T20:03:13.436-07:00

This October marks the third anniversary of the very first meeting of the Secret Mixed Tape Society. The origin of our group stems from a challenge. One day, Brandon emailed me a list of his Top Five Bands Of All Time, and dared me to follow suit. I won't post his here (as usual, I invite him to do so on his own), but the ones I came up with were: Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Primus, the Beastie Boys

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-23503292003233731772007-07-18T12:01:00.001-07:002007-07-18T12:15:52.734-07:00

Sometimes, when I find that I haven't written anything in this blog for a while, I look through my current sketchbook to find a drawing that might spark a story. The illustration to the left was drawn a couple of Sunday mornings ago at the Broadway Cafe. The hipster was sitting across from a friend, but the friend was much too hairy, so I opted to leave his image out for the sole reason that my

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-40402965936727230872007-07-13T05:49:00.000-07:002007-07-13T06:00:36.759-07:00

I rarely post links to other artists' work, but this just floored me. For his graduation project, Israeli design student Gal Shkedi created an animated music video for "Starving in the Belly of a Whale" by Old Tom and, his wife and collaborator, Kathleen Brennan. If you have a chance, you might even peruse the rest of his website. Seeing work like this, both, depresses and inspires me.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-25984393261069964682007-07-10T20:12:00.000-07:002007-07-10T20:13:29.035-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-16612186958267003032007-07-08T19:41:00.000-07:002007-07-08T20:03:30.321-07:00

I was recently contacted by my adviser from KCK Schools regarding the mascot for my middle school. As it happens, in the time that Fairfax has been open, they've been known as the "Falcons," but in name only. I told Dave that I would be more than happy to design something for them.This exchange actually came on the heels of my second interview, but before I was officially offered the position.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-71176640144442917122007-07-05T10:20:00.001-07:002007-07-05T10:47:55.486-07:00

Many people will be happy to know that I finally found a teaching job. This fall, I will be the brand new (and only) Art teacher at Fairfax Middle School in Kansas City, Kansas. You may be familiar with the Fairfax name only by reputation, as it's a middle school/high school for kids with criminal records. I know what you're thinking--I got tired of looking and finally settled for this. Well, not

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-58951008941140119802007-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:002007-07-01T10:13:54.799-07:00

To those of you who have read "That Baby," there's been one particular illustration that has always bothered me. I recently corrected it, giving the child more hair on the back of her head, thus allowing her to resemble Audrey even more.

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24565951.post-78314033111562425702007-06-26T19:07:00.000-07:002007-06-26T19:08:14.999-07:00

Mark Teelnoreply@blogger.com0