Thursday we worked on landscapes in Art Club. These were more or less "pre" landscapes, in that I took the students step by step in a demo, mixing shades of blue in the sky, instead of using solid
blue from the bottle; making texture in clouds and treetops, instead of round blobs of solid white or green,, and creating highlights and shadows on on treetops and fields by streaking in blue and yellow to let the eye mix the color green. This was in preparation for next week's lesson, when we will use landscapes by the Impressionists for inspiration. These kids always run with the lesson, as you can see. Students are normally 8-to 12, but this year I have a returning student who is 16 and a newcomer who is 7. The 7-year-old did the lower right hand picture in the second set.
No matter how tired I may be toward the end of the week, these students always make me feel like celebrating at the end of the lesson. they seem to give me that extra boost of energy.
Celebrate the Small Things is a blog hop co-hosted by Lexa Cain at: Lexa Cain, L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge , and Tonja Drecker @ Tidbits Blog. (You can go to any of these sites to add your name to the links, if you want to participate.)
How about you? Do young people inspire you? Do you get rejuvenated by contact with young people? What are you celebrating this week?
How about you? Do young people inspire you? Do you get rejuvenated by contact with young people? What are you celebrating this week? 
18 comments:
It's good of you to teach these kids to paint. It sounds like you're teaching them well.
Thanks, Richard. I do it because in so many schools, now, the art programs have been eliminated. The 16-year-old keeps coming back because at his school, he only gets one trimester during the school year. But like all things one does to help others, it ends up giving my own heart a boost.
Those are gorgeous! How lucky you are to work with kids like that :)
Hi, Tonja, I do feel lucky indeed. They are a real joy.
This is wonderful, Elizabeth. I can teach painting, but I do teach writing workshops to young writers. Their imaginations really do inspire me.
Hi, Lee. I used to teach 6th graders art (along with other subjects) in my last school assignment before I retired. For me, Art Club is both a nice return to teaching and a nice break-away from writing. How great that you are teaching writing workshops to young writers, though. That's the kind of thing that will motivate closet scribblers to take their love of writing seriously.
I can't believe I missed this post. These are adorable landscapes and I think you are an exceptional person to share your talent with these fortunate young people. Your 7 year old is showing real talent. I'm most impressed. And I'm grateful for someone like you who will take time to share your knowledge, too.
These are very kind words, B & E. Thank you.
Didn't they do a wonderful job? And kudos to you for volunteering your time.
Sandra, I just love this class. They give back more than I give!
It's always nice seeing different interpretations of the same subject. They did a good job. It would be interesting if they wrote a quick story to go with their pieces. A few sentences at least. I wonder what they would come up with.
If I were still teaching full time, that would be such a great follow-up exercise, Kimberly. But I just volunteer teach this art class one day a week at a community center. It runs an hour and fifteen minutes, so there's no time for a language arts aspect, alas. I agree with you how that they have their own take on what they see. What's lovely about art is how it helps them to connect with their own inner vision.
Since this is the last day of 2017, I want to personally wish you a safe, healthy, and joyous New Year and a creative 2018.
Thanks so much, and the same for you. Happy New Year. My this year bring peace and hope for all.
Wishing you the best in 2018!
Thanks, Was. Best wishes to you as well. Hope your new year is off to a good start.
Elizabeth, you might want to contact George Dehner at Wichita State University at http://www.wichita.edu/
I searched the History Department: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=history&p=/faculty/
and found his e-mail address is:
george.dehner@wichita.edu
Here is his bio:
George Dehner: george.dehner@wichita.edu 978-7734
Associate Professor: World, Environmental
Ph. D., Northeastern University, 2005
Professor Dehner is a world environmental historian who examines the intersection of humans and disease in the modern era. His first book Influenza: A Century of Science and Public Health was published in April 2012 by the University of Pittsburgh Press. His second book Global Flu and You: A History of Influenza was published in December 2012 by Reaktion Press. His article “WHO Knows Best? National and International Responses to Pandemic Threats and the ‘Lessons’ of 1976” published in the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences received the 2011 Margaret T. Lane/Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award by the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable. He is currently beginning a research project on Legionnaires’ Disease.
If you decide to call him, the area code is 316. I hope that helps you and helps further your book in some way.
My goodness! Thank you so much for this. It came to me as an email as well, so I've filed it in a special folder about the flu and probably will contact Professor Dehner, as well as look into his book. This was wonderful of you! Have a wonderful day.
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