Thursday, October 31, 2013

it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men (Frederick Douglass)

hello everyone!
I did these 2 little paintings on canvas paper the other night,
and i didn't like either one of them,
so i made them part of a composition instead.
Sometimes, adding a little something helps.

At least it helps me. ;-)
i love the fibre in this paper
and of course, the quote.
Yes, we are indeed all gifted for something...

What are YOU gifted for?
 then a quick little acrylic painting in my journal...
isn't it funny how a simple visual
can bring back so many memories?
I'm willing to bet that many of you
remember at least something about your childhood
when you see a Crayola...
 good advice from Rembrandt...
I want to share this with all of you.

A few years ago, i collaborated with elementary students 
to do this calendar as a fundraiser.
We had so much fun doing this...
(September - 1st day of school)
Each month had a theme and each student from every class
(from kindergarten to 8th grade)
drew something from that theme.
I was hired by the school to have weekly art sessions
where i guided the students with their drawings.
(February - winter)
I then painted a background reflecting that theme (on a large poster board)
and we glued each drawing on the board. 

(November - Remembrance day)
The poster was then scanned, reduced,
and formatted to fit this calendar.

("I like living in my community because there is no war,
we live close to the ocean, and many of my friends live nearby".)

During the art sessions, i chatted with the students
about what they love about living here
and as the project evolved,
we decided to add these little quotes to the calendar.
Children are filled with wisdom
when we take time to listen.
At first, i heard many students say "i can't draw" or "i'm not good at art"...
so it became a quest for me to change how they felt about art
and about themselves as artists
during the weekly sessions.
As you can see by the beautiful works of art -
they became more confident in themselves.
The students were all so proud of themselves in the end,
and my heart was bursting with joy.
I like to think that i may have had a hand
in creating a few extra little artists out there.
The world needs more artists. :-)

Happy Halloween everyone!
xox

In the spirit of Halloween - A Mummer's Dance, by Loreena McKennitt.





9 comments:

  1. that calendar is so cute! what a great idea for a fundraiser. I love those quotes too. I;m going to try to keep those in the back of my head for awhile. :)

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  2. I love the idea of that calendar. Thank you for sharing it. Our local cultural council has been looking for ideas and I think this is a great one.

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  3. Oh Pauline all this children's art is just fabulous, I love all of it, so full of spirit, you must have had lots of fun with them, bravo!

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  4. That calendar is seriously awesome! Kids are cool like that. And I love the crayola crayon too. Getting a new box of crayons was a HUGE deal for me. Especially when it came with a sharpener in the box. :)

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  5. Love the calendar, and fantastic to see you back and blogging regularly again. Now I just need to keep up with reading :)

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  6. What a lovely post - you are right about the wisdom of children. It breaks my heart to see parents busy with their phones while their children try to talk to them. The calendar is so lovely - and it is wonderful that children can celebrate how they see the world.

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  7. I've used that powerful Douglass quote too!For years that has been my belief system! I love that you facilitated this wonderful calendar and were able to influence these new little artists. Many of us had preconceived notions about what an artist was and wrote ourselves off early on! Thank you for making such a big difference...the calendar is amazing!!The crayola does carry such special memories! Wonderful post with so much yummy art! Thanks for sharing!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  8. delightful calendar! Love your journal pages with the red mulberry layers against the gold/ochre tones. And your crayon painting is superb!

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  9. Such a creative idea that calendar! Must've been wonderful for the children to see their drawings in print!

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