Monday, April 13, 2009

Papers, papers, papers -- the art of marking



Me with the back view of my
assistant, Fiona the cat

I can't say much tonight, because I am up to my
ears in essays, and have marked almost 100,000
words today, and will have marked 117,000 by
the time I'm done. Every part of my painting
arm hurts, but I feel delighted with what I'm
reading. What do you know -- I've done
what I hoped to do, and I'm turning a whole
bunch of people out into the world, happier,
more confident, and more competent. So
despite my fatigue, I have to say it's been a
wonderful semester.

I'm sorry, but there isn't any art today. I did say
my blog would be about the life of an artist --
today that life centers almost 100% around my
teaching life. More art tomorrow.

Have an all-of-life-is-art day.

4 comments:

Melinda said...

You are so dedicated that seeing your precious countenance is art enough for this fan.

I'll bet your students are going to miss you and wish they could take another class from you!

Best wishes for a more restful week.

laura said...

Good job, Barbara.
I admire you: back when I graded blue books full of essays I was tempted to toss them all down the stairs and assign them a grade based on which stair they landed on!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

Thanks so much. I am really going to
miss my students, and I'm sure they will miss the class too. But all of
them together are what makes the experience great -- not me. Next
week will be more restful. This one
is packed, but in a good way.

xoxoxoBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Laura,

Of course the stairway method is a classic teacher's joke. The reality is not quite so funny. Or maybe it is. Maybe choosing to do this for part of a living has a certain humorous side to it. I know that all of my fellow teachers need to laugh a lot at this time of year. And we do. Thank goodness.

So you used to do this, and stopped?
I think the world is full of people like us. Teachers who paint. Painters who teach.

Take care,

Barbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!