Friday, January 8, 2016

Celebrating Art Assistants for the New Year



The first week of the New Year has already gone by. How did that happen? Today I'm celebrating the fact that I have art assistants for my weekly art class. But first, kudos to the sponsors of this blog hop: Lexa Cain @ Lexa Cain , L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge , and Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog  You can go to any of these sites to get all the links and add your name to the links. 

On to Art Club: For those of you who haven't read earlier blogs about it, I volunteer teach an after school art club to students ages 7 through 14. It used to be only 8-to-12-year-olds, but younger siblings have squeezed in and returning students are always welcome. And this year, for some reason two 6-year-olds got in. Amazing 6-year-olds. This class is an hour and a half, and they stay deeply immersed and focused the entire time. So of course, I kept them!
(You can see more about the class and student work in an earlier post I did HERE . )

What I'm celebrating: Just before the holidays a young girl stopped by while I was cleaning up and started asking questions about the class. I thought she wanted to sign up for it. Instead, she wanted to become my assistant. She's had three years of art herself, but now she is into music. She has good art background, though, and yesterday she showed up for our first art class of the new year. She was a wonderful help, guiding students in applying the lesson, sharpening colored pencils, collecting supplies at the end of class. Not only that, two of her friends want to be assistants, too! What a blessing that will be: Next week we work in paints, which means putting paint in palette trays, and, later, washing those trays and brushes, not to mention bringing clean water when the first cup of water gets murky, etc. Painting days are usually my late days for getting home, since there is so much clean up to do. I am so looking forward to having more assistants.
Colored pencils on
pastel paper

Colored pencils on
pastel paper
Meanwhile, here are some new samples of student work: One lesson was about how to paint skies & clouds; a second lesson was on drawing baby animals. Enjoy.
Colored pencils on
pastel paper
Acrylic on canvas
Acrylic on canvas

Acrylic on canvas


How about you? Have you ever had unexpected help just show up out of the blue and ease your workload?

16 comments:

Suzanne Furness said...

Some great artwork. Glad to hear you have found some wonderful assistants to help with your classes.

Unknown said...

What a fabulous stroke of luck! It will be so nice for you to have help. I love the baby animal artworks - so cute! Have a great weekend! :)

SENCO Cat Herder said...

Yes from experience I know just how hard tidying up after art class can be so excellent news that you have some help on that score. Lovely to see the youngsters art work too :) Have a super weekend! Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Suzanne, thanks for the comment about the students' art. They really keep me so enthused because of work like this, and their wonderful attitudes.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Lexa. Yes, I'm looking forward to that extra help. Usually a couple of students help me pass out supplies, etc., but that takes away from their art time, so this is a bonus for the class as well as for me.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, "Cat Herder," I enjoyed visiting your blog and learning about your clever cat. I'm glad you like the students' work. Have a great week-end.

Tonja Drecker said...

How wonderful to get helpers like that! Sounds like your class is blooming and thriving.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, T! "Blooming and thriving". A great way to describe them. And they are helping me to bloom and thrive as well. Happy New Year.

Sandra Cox said...

Oh, Elizabeth, that is wonderful. And the student's art work is terrific.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Sandra. I love their art. They are so into it!

cleemckenzie said...

Unexpected help is the best kind! Loved the drawings.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Lee. I agree. Pleasant surprises are always the best surprises. Other years I've had parent helpers, but this year that didn't happened. I was expecting to do a lot of scampering around the room every Thursday. :-)

Chrys Fey said...

I was in ano art club in high school. I loved it but we didn't do much, unfortunately.

How great that she wanted to be an assistant and her friends do too.

That chipmunk is adorable!

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Hi, Chrys, I took art in high school, but we didn't have an art club. I notice now that in most elementary schools the art classes (and music) have been dropped. That's one reason I like doing this after school program. Art is such an important exposure for young people. It really opens up insights and worlds.

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne said...

Very nice you have a new assistant. The pictures are so cute. Have a great weekend.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Thanks, Deanie!