Online Artists' Village

I have a new web page that tells about my art work. It is the same information, but this time it has been added to the Columbia Art League's web site. It is called the Online Artists' Village.
http://cal.missouri.org/village/index.html
http://cal.missouri.org/village/coffman/index.html

I joined the Columbia Art League in Columbia, MO, in 2004.

MU Alumni Association calendar contest

Right now I am going through my pictures that I have taken this year on the Missouri University campus. This will be my third year in a row to enter the Mizzou Alumni Association calendar contest. The first year, I had one small runner-up picture in the calendar and in the 2008 calendar I have three pictures: April, October, and December. (The columms pictured below is the October picture.) I, also, had two pictures published in Missouri University Alumni Association Sesquicentennial Gala Program, September 2006.

Here are some of the pictures that I’m considering for the 2009 calendar. Which ones should I enter?

Jan grew up on a wheat farm

I grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas. The first camera I remember using is my mother’s black box camera. As I grew up, cameras were in essence the same--never enough film and days of waiting to see the results.

College (the first time) was interrupted with my dream of marriage and three children. College (the second time) was centered on a special education teaching degree to supply extra income to pay for college expenses for our children. My degree of Master of Education was in Information Science and Educational Technologies. I taught Learning Disabilities for over 25 years as well as teaching technology skills to teachers, parents, and students. Through these years, I was developing my art skills but only for my own enjoyment.

After retirement, my husband and I decided to remain in Missouri where we had lived the last 35 years. We moved to Columbia, Missouri, to be close to our children and grandchildren. Our lives now embrace fine art with Jim’s poetry writing and my photography.

Learning New Skills

I have always had a desire to learn new skills. Each year I make lists of items that I want to know more about and talents that I want to develop. Sometimes I am fascinated by my studies, and other times I just learn that that particular thing isn’t as interesting as I thought. (The summer that I decided to learn to repair antique watches is an example of something that wasn’t for me.)

Some of my favorite studies in the 80’s were the watercolor workshops I attended. Living in an area without a large library, I requested watercolor books through the lending libraries.

For several summers in the 90’s, Jim and I would travel to Denver University where he would take classes and I would sketch the buildings and flowers on the campus.

Developing technology skills is an area in which I have been interested for many years and will always be a major interest. Not only can I communicate, share, and learn with others around the world; but technology allows me to learn in ways that were not available a few years ago.

I used digital photography and web design in the classroom for years to develop activities and lessons. Working with learning disabled students, I felt a need to create new methods to help them learn--or, present old methods in a new way. Digital photography is one tool that was used often.

Fine art photography and technology go hand-in-hand. What a wonderful transition after all of these years of experience with low resolution digital photography and web design. New camera, high resolution pictures, and large format printer-- I am ready to go!

It is time to share...

There is so much that I want to share, and I hope this blog will give you some information about my feelings and my work.