Being here I return in my mind to Indian Ocean memories: breathtaking ocean breezes, hypnotizing sun, the rebuilding of the devastated earth, Katrina and the tsunami persisting into the present. In both places, I experience the pleasure of color mixing with the children (and their parents at times too) for the first time. The beauty of perceptual painting in which the student draws from their surroundings (or “environment”, as one student volunteered today) is that in each a unique setting is depicted, in ink, charcoal, watercolor.
We decided on day two of our teaching to divide into three smaller groups. It was fascinating to work with the youngest ones, and to see how they approached drawing from observation. To see them focus in ways they’d seemingly never embraced before- that of making their hand and drawing tool follow their eyes- was rewarding. “Look what I did! I made the fence”! How their usage of color compares to that of children from other countries has yet to be determined. It is exhilarating to be here, keeping the mind in the present a necessity.
Pamela
3 comments:
It sounds like things are going really well. I really like the descriptions of life and work, the way your posts meld your voices to give us a sense of the whole. I can't wait to see the art. Would it be interesting to have some of the students/participants add their voices to the blog--occasional comments on how their days go?
abrazos,
Mark
Yes! As it interesting to have our teachers add their voices! Mr. Mark, your encouragement to participate in this experience is far-reaching, the immediate metaphor I am choosing is the Live Oak, far reaching, branch twisting storytelling trees, living the dream. And speaking of dreams, Sekou was in my dream last night somewhere in the distance, humming with the moon. And now the sun is coming up slowly, a low lying mist is rising into the atmosphere. This Sol (stice) gives us another opportunity to invite a greater range of voices, yours too! and so you are here.
-youme
June 20, 2008 3:31 AM (4:31 local time)
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