Category: Art Class

Arrived at art class and the space was settled and clean. The Paintings were on the wall framed. The outstanding drawing by Kelsey framed and mounted on pink. I was not sure whether to bring in the younger learner or to hold out to get older clients in. People need to pay as they appreciate what they are doing in the classroom more. I started making a clay sculpture of a big hippo. I wanted to get it fired with Charlie out at Vrygrond. The learners came in and then they bashed down my sculpture. It is almost like they feel where I put my attention and care. I then had nothing to show. The learners say they want art class but if they can not behave properly they are not ready for art class.

Went into my classroom and things were looking neat and how I left them. I put the head of the hippo on the base as the legs had had time to dry and strengthen. There was a quiet atmosphere of making in the room that brought about something bigger. The children were downstairs playing games. I still have not managed to get anyone to sponsor them.

I unlocked the classroom and continued with the clay hippo I am making. It was a productive session and at the end I went down to check on the games. The games were doing well and many of the learners recognized me and wanted to know about art class. I made the hippo three times and the third time was better but with out legs. The bloated animal was too heavy for legs.

Unlocked the classroom and the space was looking neat and cared for. The children did not come in this week! When learners in the area get together they want to use that bonding to do other things such as sport. I don’t always see the sports teams come in and do art! I want to keep art as the focus in my art class. The people are there because they want to learn and then like what they see, they work diligently. The children in the area are very triggered by visuals. If they see a photo that they like they know it immediately. They don’t always know how to do it. I waited this week to see if anyone would come. I got one boy I asked him if he liked to paint, he said yes! I asked him what colours he liked, he said turquoise and lime green and I noticed those were the colours on the t-shirt he was wearing. I asked him for one story from his art class of a painting experience he enjoyed. He smiled. He came up with a Lion of hearts.

I went into the classroom hoping Marchel, El Nineo and Tyop would be there but they were not. I just don’t know who to get in contact with in the local community to get a regular kid. Another youngster came in as I am regular on my Thursday slot and I made a clay elephant. He did to as I made the effort to do it. I had an older woman from the butterfly project coming to take a look. I spent time with her and the kid made an elephant but it just didn’t seem good enough for her. I have learnt to embrace failure in the face of I spent time with you in the room. Entertaining woman is only fun until everyone is sick of the cake.

The second week back at Ottery for 2020 and I was in the classroom. I had brought my clay with and started the session as 2pm as planned. Tyop, Marshel and Elnemo entered the classroom pretty close to four. I was happy to have them so tried to keep them in. Marshel wanted to make a lion out of clay so he went to the bookshelf and took the correct form down. I then helped him mould up the lion out of clay. His friends also wanted to be included so I got them to choose animals and do them.

The class has not been formalized as I have not been able to sign up parents. I keep on getting the children in and then the parents don’t bother to come as they are busy. If I try access children through schools I need to talk to teachers and then don’t get parent access either. It is almost like institutions are validating students rather than the parents. If I send a letter home there is no responsible adult that I can access. I then work with learners that are skilled but not mature enough to sign up and pay for a whole term.

I have been so lucky and privileged to work with the kids in Ottery last year. I was allowed to gift them a class once a week and they joined in. They are so bright and happy and cheerful it lifts my spirits to work with them. I am putting out feelers to see if it is sustainable for the learners to be allowed easy access regularly or if I should have periods of quiet where I organized a bigger project and then include them. These are the things going around in my mind as I commit to a 3 month lease on the space.

Once I have committed to a space it is so hard to get people to visit, come in. They all want to meet me at the Hub and then get to know me casually. The real friends are just not being made that come to visit because they like me. I find keeping the kids happy lightens the space but still I am not allowing the thinking time for a bigger project that can fit in some way.

It was a warm sunny day and I set out to Ottery to find the art show up as I had set it up the previous day. It had a nice feel as I walked in fresh and bright. I walked up the stairs sat on the stage and waited for the learners to come.

When the learners came I led them around the exhibition and talked about the different objects they had made over the year. The show comprised of three mandalas of orange, purple and green. I was very proud of the snail project as Charlie from Vrygrond had agreed to work with me. There were also the recycled plastic cars and the hanging tubes of bright colours that had a kinetic feel to them as the moved and swayed in the breeze.

I organized a show time for Thursday last art class lesson of the year. The learner walked around the stage and participated in the show by looking. I would have preferred them to ask more questions as it would have got them thinking. It was a fun experience as an art show is a whole new entity to play with.

The classroom felt fresh as I walked in. I looked behind me and saw a workman had been in. He had installed a brand new basin, wow. Clean, bright and silver with a working tap, awesome. I walked around and marveled at how much I liked my classroom after two year. It felt more homey as I thought back on all the art classes and how much progress I had made.

Katlin came in and we chatted about her day. She had gone to school and didn’t have much else to chat about so we played clay. Katlin decided to make a baby and I said I would chip in and make the house. She then mentioned she would make a mom and dad. I felt good about that and continued building my house. I noticed Katlin then making a crib for her baby, she did not get as far as the mom. That made me sad. Katlin was very productive.

Katlin then closed the door and St Martin wanted to come in. He seemed nice. He didn’t say to much and then opted for the octopus. I was playing nicely and then Katlin wanted to clean up. She always wanted to clean where he was, so he moved to the opposite side of the table and I told Katlin it was better if she didn’t follow. I pointed out there was alot to clean up on her side of the table.

The session had been quiet and productive. It was more relaxed and that made it easier to remember the names of the learners in the classroom and really get to know them. The learners had more freedom as I could be with them. I did not have to dictate to the whole class. Getting to know a few people well makes a difference.

I walked back into the classroom and saw the red flower painting. The marks that had built up last week had dried and had an alive feel to them. Nivarna had created a grounding for something. She was back again this week to help out with purple. There was no erasure or leaving just SWOT. Sailing, Water, Over Trying, Gettingthere.

Luckily I had brought the frame with so I could make the flower painting look good. I had it over my holder like a hooler hoop and when I popped it on the two mandalas began to work like a set. They both had the same frame. Next to the calmer greener one it looked good. I bit more wild, finished solo to keep up with the first one.

Today was the purple and it happen on all levels. I started the mandala by rubbing the wooden disk cut for the work and a girl came in. She wanted to join and jump in with paint. I said why not try draw a plan first. She started to draw a mandala and I approved. She needed my approval to keep on the job.

The people were coming in now so I got the purple paint out and the mandala got started. As soon as I asked her to draw on the wood board she said how? All that planning on paper. She got it right because she kept on trying. It was a messy session as Nirvanah found the purple powder paint and started dusting it around the room. She didn’t clean it up very well, not fit enough.

When the mandala was finished the learners were happy. They got me some water from down stairs. I cleaned the classroom as I am fitter. I know how to take on a task and finish it. It seems a very simple thing but it takes something. I handed my exhibition invites out for the end of the year show. I have been hanging at the Ottery Community centre for about 2 years so I hope there will be some shows. I am not sure if I should put Kelsey’s drawing up as she signed it and then walked in to the class and said she wasn’t called Kelsey, Strange Days.