samjowers

I am a graduate of the University of Houston. I have a Batchelor's of Fine Arts in painting. I did not get my degree until I was close to 40! I made better grades and learned more because I was more focused and cared more about what I was learning. My favorite classes were the art history classes. I am married to a man from Zimmapan Mexico. (Near Pachuca and just north of Mexico City). We have a son and homes in both Mexico and in the United States. Our home is a bi-lingual home. I am a high school painting teacher. I absolutely love my job! I basicallly get to be creative all day long! Sometimes, I dont even want to go home! I raise chickens and goats, and my husband has a large garden. (He has a very "green" thumb.) My part of the garden has 10 foot tall blue glass bottle trees. I have collected blue glass bottles, nailed them onto wooden poles and wired them on. I have about three large ones and 2 smaller ones. I have more planned. They look like giant blue bonnet flowers. they glow nicely in the morning sun and our neihbors keep asking us what that blue glow in the morning is! :D When I was growing up, My dad moved us around a lot. I have lived in Hong Kong, Thailand, Hawaii, Peru and a lot of the southern united states. I have visited Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Chile and been to London on layover. (went down the Thymes but fell asleep and used a postcard to do the subway.) good trip that one!

I love all kinds of music. I had one of my high school students fill my Ipod for me. He went "old school", mariachi, rap, etc. My students love my ipod. ...and sometimes I get to use it myself.

I like to read the books at the junior high level. More adventure, quick paced action, and I get to share the time with my son because we discuss the books after we have read them. we just finished "Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Gregor and the underworld series, we are working on the redwall series. I love JRR Tolkien, the Narnia Chronicles, and the Dragonriders of Pern series. for awhile, I was really into the reading about the Jewish experience during WWII but after a bit i had to quit because it was just too much to deal with. As far as movies are concerned...Johnny Depp, anything with him in it is my favorite.

right now, I am totally addicted to making ATC's, (I collect Mermaid ATC's). My first love is oil painting, i do a lot of work with Polyurethan and bottle caps. I live breath eat found objects because all of it ends up in my art. i am currently scouring the ground for any bits of colored trash to make rainbow bottle cap paintings with. If it will fit inside of a bottle cap... I wouldlove to have it! beads, little plastic barets, colored size markings from hangers, fuses I find in the parking lot. You name it, if it is colored, I would love to have it! I love collage, anything with altered images and combinations of materials. Color copies are my friend right now! I can paint and then reduce the image as many times as i need to!

I dont have much time for TV right now, but when i do... i love Two and a half men, ghost wisperer, all of the CSI shows. Anything on PBS is usually entertaining. i only catch something every now and then as my husband is caught up in the Mexican soap operas! (some are pretty good!!!!)

I collect rainbow colored pieces of junk, but it has to be able to fit inside of a bottlecap. I think I already said that but ... I LOVE colored junk! I love hand made christmas ornaments (I dont really like religious ones or anything with santa clause - I have never understood putting your child into the lap of a man wearing a disguise!!! What happened to "beware of strangers!"?). hand made ornaments are all I will put on my tree! I collect 12"x12" origional paintings. If I like an artist style or subject matter I will commission the artist to paint anything they like on a canvas that i provide for them. they all fit on one wall, floor to ceiling) I love artwork. It doesnt need to be of a special subject (I do like mermaids and paintings of women etc.) I love to see abstract, collage, techniques of all styles...as long as the art is good. I love stories about women, both historical and mythological. (everything starts with a small kernal of truth) If a woman gets mentioned in history, I figure she probably did something very extra special or something very horrible, either way....I still like to hear about it. I lead a very simple life. I don't even own a cell phone or have an answering machine! I like that very much!!!

Since I plan to participate in some christmas ornament exchanges I should tell you a little something about my CHRISTMAS TREE.

• I only put hand made/crafted ornaments on my tree.

• I love cranberry red, All greens (esp. sage, pea, and any odd off color greens like puke colors,) Gold, creams and off whites.

*No SANTA CLAUSES please. No actual candy (dont want bugs or vermin). Not fond of religious ornaments.

*I like winter folk, snowmen, gingerbread people, elves and winter fairies, fake candy, cakes (would love a knitted doughnut!). any thing christmas is good. I only put 5 pointed stars on my tree. (keeps me from buying too many!) Any thing creative and fun, even christmas monsters and mischief is good. My family also puts a new train ornament on the tree each year.

There isn't much that i dislike. The things that i do are people being dishonest, racism, sexism,injustice to any being. I am a child of God and He made all of us. and everything...so we all are part of the same and I strive to love everyone as He does. It's not always easy but I still have to try! :D