It has been a whirlwind week, with my approximately 370 students coming to school with full gusto, vim and vigor. I will get into a groove soon and this won't be so overwhelming then, I hope. (Where have I heard that before?) In the meantime, my art has had to take a backseat to working out projects for my classes to make. While I confess I haven't ever really cleaned out the studio since the last grandkid invasion, I have found it in me to work in it as it is. There simply isn't enough time to do otherwise!
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| Interspersed between the homes, abandoned homes like this one dot the streets of town. |
My students are from a small, isolated town with few jobs and scant opportunities. They are exposed to little art or culture and the highlights of most of their summers has been playing in the town swimming pool. However, they are beautiful, smart and sweet. Even in middle school. (Didn't see that coming) They are eager and open to learn and are chomping at their collective bits to get going on an art project. They touch my heart and often I have to be careful not to allow them to see the tears their sincerity brings up in my eyes. These children are remarkable people.
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| Me. The assignment is to made a self-portrait using words only about yourself. Harder than it sounds. I can hardly wait to see what they come up with. |
I found a project on Pinterest for self-portraits that will help them- and me- discover more about who they are. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be the opening project for the older students. Today I made an example piece so they can see what I am trying to get from them. A picture of that teary-eyed, wobbly kneed antique they call "Miss." It's a local term of respect, and I am not correcting them. I can answer to Miss happily. And I do.
Thanks for stopping by! Alice
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