Category: Art Class

The classroom was prepared. Manzy had organised the boys with the keys. I immediately was sided by Nivarna and Kelsey who had two little boys with her. It was sweet that she wanted to herd them. I let them in the classroom and then we had to make decisions. Did they want to work together on the mandala, yes. Did they want anyone else in, no. I closed the door the journey had begun the goal was to finish the mandala.

They needed to draw options so they could vote for the best. Each drew their own mandala. Kelsey had come in with two younger boys. She made a hurried drawing of something and then started helping the boy next to her. I would have prefered her to focus on her own work.

I got to the point of four options. All the learners had drawn out what they understood from my description of a mandala. There were three the same Kelsey and the two little boys all had the same image. They did not copy her but were coached by her. She meant well by getting them brave enough to draw. They felt the teachers voice was to far away, they got her.

We had gotten to the voting part and I put all four images out and asked everyone to vote for which one they thought was the best. Everyone voted for their own image except one small boy voted for Kelsey. Perhaps he was beginning to think strategically. Other learners were now knocking on the door. They wanted to join in, it took a lot of energy explaining softly that they were interrupting a process inside.

Back in the room. I then asked who wanted to put the voted image on the final board, no one. Kelsey walked out with her two boyfriends and I allowed Nivarna to continue as I had spend so much time keeping people out and clearing the space and getting them all this far. I did not feel like getting another random set of four to work together.

She did her design that was closer to the brief than the voted one, more beautiful. After a while she got tired. Her concentration was not as good. I showed mercy and allowed another girl in. It took a while for them to get along and be comfortable working together, I am thankful they could work together. The class reached an end point. Kelsey did not finish the work that had been voted for. She left with her followers. Nivarna had come in alone. She was strong enough to get to an end point solo.

I entered the hall and there were children on the stage. Music was playing loudly and I stood and watched the children for a while to get settled into the location. Some linked up in rows and started dancing. I noticed the girls held together separately. They were on the stage and there was a row of boy beneath them on my level. There was a lull in the movement and I moved towards the back as that is usually where I find Manzy. I spoke to her and was positive about the up coming show. She stepped forward and watched the children too. I waited a while curious to see what would happen next and couldn’t hold any longer and asked for the key.

The class was quiet and neat and I set out the blues to prepare for the mandala project. I enjoyed setting up and took a bit long perhaps. A girl came in as I was setting out the paints. I was going to send her away as I had not got all the colours set out. I invited her in. I asked her to come up with options for a structure. I explained what a mandala does and how it radiates like the sun. I showed her how concentric circles could be used as a grid to make a more complex sun. However she did it her way. She listened to me and then did it her way again. I agreed. The structure of what she did stayed the same but a group of boys entered. I had to include them and so ordered them to fill in the patterns she had caused. The boys were already in a group so it was hard to keep them in her pattern some of the weaker ones wanted to be like her and make a new pattern better than hers but I reigned them and focused them on the central mandala.

The mandala took time but I have improved a lot in that I am able to hold a group together and there was only one at the end. The tidying up had to be discussed and the boys did not preform the duty so I sent them away and when the girl performed the washing as she wanted to do it, the boys came back. The classroom was clean by the end of the session and I had done that with someone which was a breakthrough for me as I usually send them all out to get order.

I cleared the classroom and waited to see if the learners arrived. They did and Kelsey was there. I was happy to see her back and noticed she started working very nicely on her clay sculpture not needing any guidance, doing it on her own and smoothing nicely. The Boys got in to. Jude was there. I did not send them out the classroom to clean myself this time. I stayed in with them and explained how important it is to leave the classroom neat. I found talking a lot helped keep them sensible they did not get reckless and go for things. I had to put a lot of attention into saying more and motivating instead of doing it myself.

Thursday and time for Art Class I had my Ladies Church meeting first and then made the effort to get out to Ottery for my 2pm to 4pm slot. Today it would be clay and I wanted a photo of Manzy. I had asked her for a photo on Tuesdays but she said Thursday was better. Manzy has been at the community center as long as I have as she helped me get my space. On the third Thursday I complained about being in the main hall with the games, as they were disruptive. She was the one that heard what I said and arranged a room for me upstairs. It was more private so the kids did not get distracted by the games. She knows quiet a few of the people in Ottery.

I got the key and went up to my classroom and made the clay balls for the class. The learners were restricted to an animal theme. We had done many clay animals classes that they could draw on for inspiration. Hafsa was the first to arrive and she made a lolly pop out of clay. I complained and said she needs to take on something bigger, a bit more complex that she can work on for longer. I started to demo a Hippo. That helped her get into the theme. I gave her mine to continue.

More learners joined, about 10 or more. Not all got their animals done. Those that persevered through unsure stages finished their animals. They could visualize the good finished product. I made a space where people could put the finished animals. It was worth the trip out the learners had made the effort to come to Art Class.

The Ottery learners are working hard to get through school and some are bright enough to add art class to there schedule as an after school class. A community hub gives you the access to society you need. No drugs just good wholesome fun.

I had just finished demo-ing how to make the Clay Snail object to the first boy Cameron when more came in. They all got excited about making a snail immediately. They got into it and competitive. Making a snail is not that simple. It takes hours explaining how to get the ridge above the neck right. Then some just smile back and others take it on.

Once the competition is on, its not that easy to get creative ‘cos everyone is making a snail! The need to make a snail is the key ingredient, if they want it enough they get better. No snail can not be bettered, believe me. Better smoothing a stand alone single shell, the options are endless.

Today I was experimenting with notions of instrumentation and container. Different ways a contained can make sound. I came up with two solutions a flute and a string instrument. The flute changes notes by adding more water. The string instrument gives different notes by changing the string length.

There was enough bottles and water for ten kids to make flutes. On top of that I made a circle of chairs. An arrangement to play the ready made string instruments in. For the string instruments I used different sized containers to give different resonance. Also I concluded that sitting on a chair and holding the container with my feet while pulling the string tight with my hand and plucking with the other worked well. You could alter the length of the string plus you could keep it tight to make better sound. I attached two strings to one container. If someone else wanted to join there was a line. It was quiet popular with the little kids as they could focus on playing and then relax and hang.

I made a special effort to remember Cameron’s name for that lesson. There were so many kids but I decided to focus on one or two in a lesson to remember their name. Cameron came in with his bright yellow T-shirt and played his string instrument well. He did leave a bit quickly but we had got some play time in so he knew what to do with his new instrument.

Holiday workshop this week. so I went in early to do painting. I had organized a 10 – 12pm class in the timetable. Painting last week had been a bit thin and out of hand. This week would be better I would set up stations. If a kid has all his colours and tools well set up the artwork might be more considered. Orange yellow, red and white were the choice colours of the day. I needed sunny colours to counter the blue and green tubes made a few weeks ago.

The kids got completely involved in what they were panting this week. I made a point of watching them and not getting involved and it worked better as they need attention and positive feedback. They all found there own way of painting the tubes and stayed calm and respectful while doing it. There were about 10 kids in and out. The group is growing stronger as we have been doing it for more than a year now.

I went out to Ottery and was greeted by children as soon as I got out the car. I said hello and went into the hall. The regulars were there and I played some table tennis but things were a bit tense somehow. The game did not last to long and I chatted a bit to Manzy and then headed up to prep the art class for the kids. That just made everything feel sure, I had a reason to be there. The kids were so keen they followed me up. I started unpacking the paints explaining we were going to do sunsets in the savannah. I was a hot muggy day warm but with the smell of rain.

I couldn’t send them all out to prep neat stations and create a template artwork, that would have been rude. I would have had to soldier them out, command them. Instead I tried to tell them what to do. An older community member came in and started to move around and get things done. I knew that would work better than telling but they always wanted my attention.

I said picture a sunset in the savannah. Red sun setting bleeding into orange and yellow. Elephants moving quietly through the grassland as silhouettes in the darkening twilight near the waterhole, transition back to art class and I handed out the paints to see what they could muster from that hidden world. The class was a bit to active as the results seemed thin, the connection to the source of that rich red sun was tenuous, small.

Prep work as usual for the art class this week. I created a model car, looking a bit more complex, one step further than my first model 2 weeks ago. I cut in a seating area and added a seat. I wanted the learners to extend what they had learnt in the last class. I am aware I came in pretty hard and they managed to finish my brief way to easily, but they did reach the end point. I provided them with all the parts. I tried to give thanks as they finished. Giving thanks that they had achieved something that day. They were free to go and play.

The kids that watched my demo and took it further did the best. They easily applied the cable tire connection to all the connection needed to fix the axles. Those that wanted to talk didn’t preform well as they wanted to socialize but didn’t get to the finish line. I say play hard get it done then go down stairs to the hall and hang out. They can always come back next week. Clay is a bit softer as they can sit in the room calmly together for longer, making.