Each year across Texas the state UIL (University Interscholastic League ) VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) is hosted in regions. With thousands of art students with their teachers bused to the area competition. Panels of judges are waiting in rooms to interview each student as they talk about their art. The students are judged in their ability to articulate the experiences and thought processes in implementing the techniques in the completion of their art.

Here is one of five presentations of students’ work in the competition. On this particular year, I judged and was not a participating teacher. The many years that I did involve my students, nothing compared to the look on their faces after they successfully completed the interview with the judge as well as scoring high for technical expertise in their art. One of my favorite years was the first year that electronic media was a category and eleven of my  eleven students scored the highest score possible.            

Another memorable moment was when the judges ask why a computer was sitting in the room with the hundreds of finalist’s art work in the room. It was because each of my students had submitted their electronic Senior portfolios and not one of the judges knew how to access the presentations. I am not faulting the judges, the only reason I knew was because I taught it (and I was self taught). They ask me to sit quietly and run each portfolio presentation. It was a great pleasure to hear the “oohs and ahhhs” over my shoulder when the portfolios were viewed. One portfolio contained 44 exemplary pieces of work in assorted media. Vu submitted the first electronic portfolio ever submitted and it won state recognition.

That’s the good news, the bad news is that nobody ever saw it, while other traditional art state finalists were on exhibit, his portfolio was ahead of it’s time and sat inside a computer-yelling,” "Hey I am in here, don’t you guys want to see me?” It was one of those peak experiences in my teaching career.Eventually,all of those portfolios will be posted on this site for viewing when the membership site is finally launched. Be patient and hang in there! It has taken me almost five years to figure out how to get this far, and over a week to learn how to put this movie and the newsletter on this site.

Art work in these video includes; self portraits, prints,design and color exercises,  collage, watercolor and acrylic paintings,oil pastels, mixed media, and varied experiments. For more examples and lesson ideas visit my other sister site and virtual art room online at: Art Work on the Web.