So we're back from Florida and are trying to get rested up before school begins in a couple of days! It was an amazing trip and we're all so very proud of Ashler and the work that he did.
( photos and details of the trip here )

I'm getting started on my raffle painting tonight, and hope to have progress pics available by this weekend.

We just got back from Florida, and I have to say that all of the prep for the raffle and the trip have sucked up my studio time. While I still have to do the same work for the second leg of the trip, I'm hoping I can really crank out some art in that time.

( For those who are interested, here's the trip update! )


( more about the intensive )

(Please repost this everywhere you think is appropriate - I can send html files in email if that would be easiest. I appreciate any help you can give us! Webpage built at http://studiotau.com/arts_raffle.html for non-LJ folk.)

Raffle is for a 20"x20" portrait on gallery wrapped canvas featuring a subject of your choosing. (I usually do people, but am open to doing pets as well)

Cost of raffle tickets is $10 per subject. In other words, if you want three subjects in the painting - your ticket is $30. Shipping is on the house. (that alone is a $75 savings!)

(Please make a note in your donation about how many subects you want and how many tickets you are buying. Winner will be announced on July 2nd by email and on my blog at studiotau.livejournal.com. If I cannot raise at least $600, I will refund all tickets)

Our Story

My son has been dancing for 7 years and loves ballet. He hopes to make this his career and dreams of dancing with a company when he graduates from high school.

Summer intensives are a huge part of gaining a depth of training, learning new techniques, and trying on different styles of ballet. Some consider them an essential part of becoming a professional ballet dancer. While many of his peers are going away to intensives, we have not been able to afford them without aid - and as he is on scholarship with his home studio, we cannot accept a position without also receiving a scholarship there as well.

Just a handful of days ago, we were contacted by an up and coming intensive in Florida, because they saw an audition video on YouTube that we made in 2007. They were interested in offering him a spot in their program. We corresponded and were offered a full tuition scholarship!

Unfortunately, with such late notice, we had no time to save up the costs necessary for traveling, room & board and required dance clothing. The program begins on July 6th.

In order to try and raise the funds to make this dream happen for my son, I am holding an raffle for a custom portrait. If you've read this far, I'm very grateful. It would mean the world if you would share this page with anyone you think would be interested.



More examples of my work:

On Friday, I was messaged through YouTube because of the audition video we had made for Walnut Hill in 2007. My son was 10 when it was made, and his skill level was vastly different. That said, they wanted to know if he was signed up for any programs, because there was still space in theirs!

So I checked them out on a message board that dissects different SI programs across the country, and while this one is relatively new - there seems to be good buzz about it.

From the program description:

"Featuring: Russian ballet technique directly from the Vaganova Ballet Academy (Kirov) given by teachers who come from the prestigious academy. All ballet teachers have been students of Vaganova, Tarazov, Plaht, among others, with a high quality expertise in Russian, American, European and Latin American ballet companies."

My son had *just* completed two summer workshops at his home studio, and they allowed us to videotape them. (his director is really strict about pictures, we've never been allowed to in 7 years) The timing was impeccable! So I spent the weekend capturing and editing the tape for YouTube.




3 other videos from the summer workshops here

So I've posted the videos and emailed the program with the links. The rest is about biting our nails and scrambling to see if we can come up with the money to get him down there and back.