Lessons From a Mug of Chocolate

Now and then I manage to hit on a project for the kids at school that grabs their imaginations and looks terrific.  This past week the third graders have been working on large mugs of hot chocolate with oil pastels that are turning out so well.

Each piece is 12" x 18" 

The pictures give me a chance to teach about background and foreground and shape and color theory all in one go.  As I have been hanging them in the hall, it has been very fun to watch the staff stopping to look at them and hear their admiring comments.  The kids have done a job to be proud of.

Hanging all together in the hall as a 'collection', each piece sets off the one next to it, making a treat for the eyes.  They remind me of a color drawing class I took in Santa Fe a few years ago.  There were 6 of us in the class who really enjoyed working together.  We each had a distinctive style and when we'd come to the critique portion of each assignment, it was easy to know who had done which drawing just by their styles.  All very different, the works as a whole would always be very eye catching.  I loved that group and learned a lot from the association.

I have to admit, these pictures make me want to draw one, too.  The shapes, gorgeous color and all of the possibilities for patterns are tempting.  This looks like fun!

As I've been watching these develop, my thoughts have been going over how different each of us is and how unique our styles are as well.  There's not a wrong or right way to create, there is just mine or your way.  So often the art world seems to be at odds, fussing over things like realistic work vs. abstract or even what constitutes real art.  How silly it all is- who needs art police, anyway?  As individual as we each are, there is room for all who want to be here

 Thanks for stopping by! Alice

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