What to Post About

I really like this picture of us!

So I'm going through another rut of not knowing what to post about.  Things are normal for us, but boring.  We are having some major changes taking place in our family...not the kind I really want...but still significant and very good.  Mr. N started his 3rd year of school today at the GCA in NYC.  It has been such an amazing experience for him to study in New York.  Its not an opportunity many get to take.  We are very grateful.

At the end of the last school year Neal was talking to some of his fellow students about Medical Illustration.  I think it's a topic that comes up here and there among the artists in conjunction with their plans for the future because Neal had mentioned it to me once before but we'd never taken it beyond a brief conversation.  Anyways, he was talking to some other students about it and mentioned it was something that intrigued him.  He went home and started researching it (Neal loves to research his decisions...I'm kind of a jump in and do it girl...he does his homework.  I'm convinced he'd never get anything done without me...and he's convinced I'd never get anything done right without him!  We work well together).  Anyways, the more he looked into the program the more he liked it.  I guess what stops most of the artists who look into that Master's is that if they do have a bachelor's degree it's usually in some art related field.  Medical Illustrators need a background in science and art, along with computer animation (though the later isn't a requirement for admissions, just a plus).  When Neal and I got married he was Pre-Dental.  He majored in Spanish with a minor in pre-dental. The whole time we were pursuing dentistry we felt like sure, it was a good path, but it was never a resounding YES and it was never a No.  It was hard and frustrating to not really feel sure about the path we were on.  It wasn't until he was interviewing at a school that he felt he wouldn't be happy as a dentist.  That was so hard because we'd put so much time and money into dentistry (and we're still paying that off...).  We went back to the drawing board though and discussed what Mr. N liked to do.  At that time he was working in sales and hated the job.  The entire family felt the effects of him not being happy...it was terrible.  With that perspective (having money, but him doing something he despised) we talked about what he liked to do and what he was happy doing.  Resoundingly the answer was art.  He was always an incredibly talented artist, and it was always something he pursued as a hobby and had never considered seriously as a career path.  We then made the decision to pursue art as a profession and put in application to an Art Atelier in NYC and in Florence.  We knew everyone would think we were out of our minds...pursuing art with one baby and another on the way.  Who does that!  That would be us....  But it was amazing that as soon as we made the decision things started falling into place.  With dentistry it was always a bloody battle uphill.  It was terrible.  All the sudden things were working out beautifully.  My parents offered us houseroom while Mr. N went to school.  Without their help it wouldn't have been possible.  Art Ateliers aren't accredited...no loans.  Mr. N was accepted into NYC and into the sculpture program in Florence.  We would have loved to live in Italy, but it made much more sense to go to NYC.  Later he was accepted into Florence's drawing/painting program, but by then we were already studying in NYC and not really interested in another big more.  I don't know exactly how we make it financially, but we've managed to not totally go under.  It seems like we're always taken to the point where our accounts will be wiped out, and then something happens.  I wish we were the ones that won big scholarships and have the windows of financial heaven opened, etc, but it doesn't seem to be our lot.  We have seen that the Lord has "rebuke[d] the devourer for our sakes" (Malachi 3:11) and has blessed us in other financial ways.  It has always been in a way though that has kept us mindful of the Lord's hand in all this. 

Anyways, a Medical Illustration Master's requires a background in science and art.  That's what stops most artists...the science background.  Neal has that.  Thanks to his time at the GCA, he also has an extremely strong art background.  Another really strong point he has is that he is a very gifted sculptor.  (See below!)

you can see more of his work at http://esplinfineprints.com/default.aspx

With the Medical Illustration program moving more and more into animation and computers, his ability to sculpt very accurately and beautifully is a major bonus.  There are 5 schools in North America that have accredited Medical Illustration Programs:  Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA, University of Texas in Dallas, Chicago (I don't remember the name of that school), and one in Toronto, Canada.  Toronto, Johns Hopkins and Georgia are the best schools and our favorite choices.  There are pluses and minuses to all the schools.  The only one we won't apply to is Chicago.  Our application is in for Texas and we're in the process of putting applications together for Baltimore, Georgia and Toronto.  Mr. N still has to take the GRE.  We're really excited to see where we get accepted.  We always figured with art school we'd to to NYC because it just makes more sense.  Now there are a wide range of possibilities, and that is a lot of fun.  We're just in the waiting period right now.  He may get accepted nowhere, and while I don't believe that will be the case, it is a possibility.  We would start school next fall...so that would mean less than one year left in NJ!