She's been gone so long...so long...

Has it really been since August 22 that I last published?  I told you all that I would be away studying for a licensing exam and that I was.  Every last waking moment has been spoken for.  I started up my fall semester of teaching as an adjunct.  I started a new job and got the girls started up in school.  In the moments left between all that (I think those moments were meant for sleeping but what ever...) I studied my proverbial butt off.  Only somehow it didn't get smaller- if anything it got larger.  So much for the exercising I did in the months of May, June, July and August.

The exam?  Brutal.  I was told it was like nothing else I had ever done and that was correct.  Two days- one of multiple choice exams that lasted three and a half hours each.  The next day was practicum.  That was two four hour sessions that were so crammed with mind boggling drafting exercises that challenged all my skills and knowledge so much that I dare not even harbor the thought of taking a break to go potty.  How did I do?  Well, I'm pretty sure that I did not pass all sections.  There were several people in the room taking it for the second and one taking it for the third.  I feel it is pretty likely that my poor time management on the first exercise led to mistakes on the following exercises that I will not recover from.  By the end of that day I was shaking with nerves and exhaustion.  But it was done and in 8 to 12 weeks I'll let you know the outcome!

So back to art.

Here is the war bride who actually did get a little attention from me over the last month and a half.  Why is she green?  I had added color to some clay that I watered down into a slip for the Matriarch.  Never one to let anything go to waste I used it on war bride.

 Both hands are done.  I fleshed her out a bit more in many places and I no longer feel that she has man hands.  Her head seems huge but some hair will help that out a bit.

 Her dress is crafted from a stash of white dress gloves.  I've been wanting to do something with them and she is just the perfect application.  Each pair of gloves are tattered and stained but have some redeeming detail that I plan to take advantage of.  I'm trying really hard to keep the style of dress realistic to the 1930's/1940's period.

She has a name and a story which I will share with you a little later.  She just gave me the full details over coffee this morning and its a long story so it will wait for now.

Mostly, I wanted to touch base with my blogger friends.  I've popped in to visit your sites from time to time.  You have all been busy and creative but mainly busy.  

Ok, I'm off to catch up on a bit of grading.  My students will expect it done and a plan of action for this week as well.  If only they knew how anti- action I am feeling at this moment!