October 11, 2004

Max paints a picture


I took my 5th graders outside to draw. It was such a beautiful afternoon, I couldn't resist the opportunity to teach them about actually looking at what you draw, rather than drawing what you think it looks like. I find kids do this all the time. They draw the symbols that are taught to them rather than what the object really looks like. So after a little lesson on this, we headed out to the edge of the nature trail behind our school. It was a great place to draw. The kids found berries, milk weed, and other various dried and dead plants that were fabulous subjects to draw. The drawings they did were really great. Some of them, you could tell by their drawings, really understood what I was teaching them. I of course took my Moleskine along so that I could draw as well. They wanted to look at my drawings. They said I should be an artist. One of my students came up to me at the end of the class period and wanted to know if it would be ok if she went to a store and bought a book to draw in like mine. I, of course, enthusiastically, encouraged her to do so and told her I would love her to bring it in when she has done some drawings in it so I could see them. I wonder what my students will remember about me years later. When I began to get interested in art, I never saw my teachers, professors do any drawing except for the purpose of instruction. My students see me carrying my sketchbook - many of them recognize the small black book - I draw in it whenever I have spare moments...sometimes while my students are busy working on projects...I wonder what they think about that. I have noticed that my students have showed more interest in drawing since they have seen me drawing. This drawing is of my son, Maximus. He loves to paint. He is only two and barely knows how to do it, but he loves making marks of any kind...including crayon, all throughout our house. But it's ok. I usually can get it off...or we are planning to take down the wallpaper anyway, so I don't mind. One time he stood in our half-bathroom and drew short little vertical lines all around the room, including on the door, toilet and sink...we knew he was the culprit, because the marks were all at his level. We had a good little laugh and then were very thankful for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I drew this picture while he painted...it's a little out of proportion, but I think that's understandible...he was moving around a lot, as two year olds do, and I had to keep asking him to paint more...so I could finish my drawing, of course. The paper he was painting on was a piece of construction paper that Savannah had been practicing her letters on.

1 Comments:

Blogger Patty said...

hi
love this drawing looks it like he is into his work - you know the place where he wouldn't even know you are drawing him...

Also I love that a kid in your class wants to buy a book and start their own art... In this case, actions spoke louder than words... Right nice, I'd say :)
blarneybytes

5:16 PM  

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