Practicum 3

This is a piece that I did in practicum. It was in response to a client piece where they drew a girl fairy and said that she was going to fly away to a planet that was perfect. It just really hit, me because what was inherent, was that she wanted to fly away...

Art Ed - Scratchboard

Today was the last day of class! YAY! But I will miss all the friends I made in class. This was the last piece that we made and it was to demonstrate the idea of a scratchboard, where you color with oil pastels and then completely cover that with black paint, and scratch the paint away to reveal the colors underneath. I made this butterfly for my sister!

Art Ed - Quilt, Clay Pot, Still Life, Etc.

Well the class is almost over! Shew... These intensive classes are crazy.

This first piece is based on Faith Ringgold who creates painted story quilts, often changing her life magically in the painting. Also in the piece we had to use at least 3 different techniques. I used marbleized paper, printmaking and collage. I really like how the center panel turned out and will eventually cut the quilt border off after the class is over.

Here is my finished clay pot, after glazing. Looks like a Christmas present to me!

And here is a chalk still like that we did today. I focused on the paper flowers in the still life because of the colors.

This piece was done real quickly just to learn about the crayon resist technique. It was really fun to do and I loved applying the watercolors and watching roll off the wax lines I had created.

And this is just a quick card that I made from my leftover quilt pieces. I think that I will make some more cards after I cut up the quilt!

Practicum 2

These don't have much explanation, just some wire pieces I made. The first is a heart, kinda stylized, maybe like bringing two pieces together to make a whole (or two people). And the second is a bouquet of flowers.

Art Ed - Ofrenda for Lisa

This project has been really hard for me to work on, but really therapeutic as well. As most of you know, my good friend Lisa died last year, and if you knew her, you know she loved Day of the Dead. When the teacher told us that we were going to be doing a Day of the Dead piece, I knew that I had to do this for her. Are project was to make an ofrenda, or altar, containing a calavera, or skull. Ofrendas are meant to call the loved ones back in spirit, and include bright colors, fragrant smells, and things that they loved or that were dear to them. It was an incredible experience to try to commemorate Lisa by thinking about all the things that she loved. I used really bright colors because when I think about Lisa I think about springtime, and how we would always plan to break out our sandals on the same day every year, thinking that if we both wore sandals, no one could make fun of us! Ofrenda's also usually include a class of water, but in hers I included a pom tea (she loved all the fancy drinks) and a martini. For the food offering, I used sour skittles to create the butterfly trail, knowing how much Lisa loved sour candies! The potted flower in the back is traditional for an ofrenda, and so I wanted to honor that. There is also a miniature book I made for her so that she could read. I wanted to include Alice in Wonderland, or David Sedaris (both her favorites) but decided instead to leave the book unwritten. There is also a Hello Kitty, Lisa loved Hello Kitty, and a Grateful Dead Bear—Lisa loved the Grateful Dead and was a deadhead at one time in her life. And of course I included a high heel shoe and two lipglosses, I couldn't choose just one, and neither could she, she collected them like they were going out of style. And then of course there is a dog. Lisa loved her dogs, especially big dogs, but also little dogs. I wanted to include a picture of Allie so that they could be together, or at least a boxer, but she would have loved this Harlequin Great Dane puppy and I so love how it is looking up at the butterfly. The calavera, is a traditional elaborate one, Lisa would have loved it, and it even has on red lipstick. And then of course there is the picture of Lisa, smiling just as I remember her.

A close up of the calavera.

Practicum

My placement for this summer is at the Children's Psychiatric Hospital in St Louis, and today in class we made a picture about how we felt about that to help process our emotions. I am kinda nervous and anxious and excited all at once. I have been worried about my personal emotional health from the beginning, after being told that I was too sensitive to be an art therapist. And starting this new placement where I could have a really tough case load, brought all these feelings forward. It also brought some self-doubt forward and made me question whether or not I could handle this, and whether I had made the right choices. Well of course these were fleeting thoughts, and I know that I am on the path that I am to follow, but for a fleeting second all these feelings came flooding back to me. In the art piece, I have the burden of anticipation on my back, with hopes that it will be alleviated with actually starting and realizing that I am capable. When looking at the piece after completion I saw that it was very bright with no darkness, and that I too was surrounded by this bright energy. I really am looking forward to the experience, and do feel the excitement all around me!!

Art Ed - Puppet Class

So today we taught the paper bag puppets to some of the kids from the Day Care on Campus. Each group got to work with 3 kids, so it was pretty one on one for them, which was nice. And these were the school-age kids there over the summer, so they came up with some really creative puppets. Here are some pictures:

Art Ed - More Puppets, Clay Pot

So tomorrow the kids from the Day Care on campus are coming over and we are going to teach them how to make puppets. My group decided that we would read them Puss in Boots (the pop-up version!!) and then we would teach them to make paper bag puppets. So I made the demonstration paper bag puppet for our group:

We also started on our clay pots. Here is the beginning of mine:

Art Ed - Spider Puppet

So for the Art Ed class we are put into groups where we will make puppets and then perform a puppet show for the Early Childhood Center on Campus. My group chose to do the African Folklore story of Anansi the Spider, and my puppet is the spider. They are paper mache' and then cloth is used to cover the hand. I tried to make mine look like a web, but it kinda looks like a web dress ;)

The story of Anansi:

Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs

Once upon a time, there lived a spider named Anansi. Anansi's wife was a very good cook. But always, Anansi loved to taste the food that others in the village made for themselves and for their families.

One day, he stopped by Rabbit's house. Rabbit was his good friend.

"There are greens in your pot," cried Anansi excitedly. Anansi loved greens.

"They are not quite done," said Rabbit. "But they will be soon. Stay and eat with me."

"I would love to, Rabbit, but I have some things to do," Anansi said hurriedly. If he waited at Rabbit's house, Rabbit would certainly give him jobs to do. "I know," said Anansi. "I'll spin a web. I'll tie one end around my leg and one end to your pot. When the greens are done, tug on the web, and I'll come running!"

Rabbit thought that was a great idea. And so it was done.

"I smell beans," Anansi sniffed excitedly as he ambled along. "Delicious beans, cooking in a pot."

"Come eat our beans with us," cried the monkeys. "They are almost done."

"I would love to Father Monkey," said Anansi. And again, Anansi suggested he spin a web, with one end tied around his leg, and one end tied to the big bean pot.

Father Monkey thought that was a great idea. All his children thought so, too. And so it was done.

"I smell sweet potatoes," Anansi sniffed happily as he ambled along. "Sweet potatoes and honey, I do believe!"

"Anansi," called his friend Hog. "My pot is full of sweet potatoes and honey! Come share my food with me."

"I would love to," said Anansi. And again, Anansi suggested he spin a web, with one end tied around his leg, and one end tied to the sweet potato pot.

His friend Hog thought that was a great idea. And so it was done.

By the time Anansi arrived at the river, he had one web tied to each of his eight legs.

"This was a wonderful idea," Anansi told himself proudly. "I wonder whose pot will be ready first?"

Just then, Anansi felt a tug at his leg. "Ah," said Anansi. "That is the web string tied to Rabbit's greens." He felt another. And another. Anansi was pulled three ways at once.

"Oh dear," said Anansi as he felt the fourth web string pull.


Just then, he felt the fifth web string tug. And the sixth. And the seventh. And the eighth. Anansi was pulled this way and that way, as everyone pulled on the web strings at once. His legs were pulled thinner and thinner. Anansi rolled quickly into the river. When all the webs had washed away, Anansi pulled himself painfully up on shore.

"Oh my, oh my," sighed Anansi. "Perhaps that was not such a good idea after all."

To this day, Anansi the Spider has eight very thin legs. And he never got any food that day at all.