We continued with portraits yesterday at the request of the girls, but we chose a different medium this time, and a different model too.
We chose poster paint for the bright block of colour it can produce, and I showed them Fauvist art, which very much uses such contrasting blocking to create potent atmospheric effects. Our model, Sherry from year 12, was very happy to help, but had no previous modelling experience, so sitting still proved quite difficult for him. However, that did not deter the participants, who embraced this fresh challenge with a vigour I have come to expect from them, although that is not to say that it does not still warm my heart every single time. Despite the lack of stillness in our subject, hiring a professional model is not only beyond our means, but also would serve to alienate the young artists from their subject. After all, the conversations they lead with the model during the session, that light, laughing banter that is flung around the drawing room as their brushes work, contributes every bit as much to the portrait as the physical appearance of the model itself. Portraits, I think, should be more than a photographic representation of an individual, and I think that the girls are beginning to see that now. They've stopped asking me for brown to paint the hair, or how do they make the skin look real, because they know now that they can use their imagination and their creativity to really show what they think of the subject in front of them, and express themselves, rather than aiming for a photographic reproduction.
The issue this time was mainly the fact that their was a lot of time left over. They finished everything in thirty minutes, as working in broad swathes of paint is generally quick, and after that, we had no planned activity, and we couldn't just let them go early. To fill time, we decided to do something they'd been asking to do for a very long time: paint splattering. It was messy, and I've had to wash all my clothes, but I think that they had fun. I do think that the timing was a big problem none-the-less, as it felt rather chaotic, with everybody doing their own thing after the main scheduled activity, and nobody really doing anything particularly productive. Hence, I have decided that for next time, I shall chose a project that is more time-consuming, one that perhaps spans over a longer period of time and really engages the kids fully. The problem with this is that it might limit the amount of people who could join mid-project, and as we have fluctuating membership rates, this could deter people. I shall have to think about this for a while, before I can reach any concrete decision, but what I'm pretty sure about is that in December, I would like to start a series of wintery, holiday-themed arts and crafts projects.
Unfortunately, I was told by two of the girls, Masha and Alisa, that they can no longer come to art club. Since it's after school, and they live on the outskirts of Moscow, they get home very late, and have no time for school work. Naturally, I can fully understand their choice, but it makes me sad nonetheless, as I've grown fond of the girls. It brings back the question of whether for next term, we should hold it during lunch, despite the lesser amount of time available, in order to uphold our membership numbers, or to continue with the current, rather successful set-up, and work with our small but dedicated group. I have always thought that after school was the best available option, but this abrupt leaving of two of our most enthusiastic members has shaken me somewhat, although I still see far more negatives to lunch-time sessions that after school ones. It is a decision I hope to have made by next week.
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| This week's art board |
The issue this time was mainly the fact that their was a lot of time left over. They finished everything in thirty minutes, as working in broad swathes of paint is generally quick, and after that, we had no planned activity, and we couldn't just let them go early. To fill time, we decided to do something they'd been asking to do for a very long time: paint splattering. It was messy, and I've had to wash all my clothes, but I think that they had fun. I do think that the timing was a big problem none-the-less, as it felt rather chaotic, with everybody doing their own thing after the main scheduled activity, and nobody really doing anything particularly productive. Hence, I have decided that for next time, I shall chose a project that is more time-consuming, one that perhaps spans over a longer period of time and really engages the kids fully. The problem with this is that it might limit the amount of people who could join mid-project, and as we have fluctuating membership rates, this could deter people. I shall have to think about this for a while, before I can reach any concrete decision, but what I'm pretty sure about is that in December, I would like to start a series of wintery, holiday-themed arts and crafts projects.
Unfortunately, I was told by two of the girls, Masha and Alisa, that they can no longer come to art club. Since it's after school, and they live on the outskirts of Moscow, they get home very late, and have no time for school work. Naturally, I can fully understand their choice, but it makes me sad nonetheless, as I've grown fond of the girls. It brings back the question of whether for next term, we should hold it during lunch, despite the lesser amount of time available, in order to uphold our membership numbers, or to continue with the current, rather successful set-up, and work with our small but dedicated group. I have always thought that after school was the best available option, but this abrupt leaving of two of our most enthusiastic members has shaken me somewhat, although I still see far more negatives to lunch-time sessions that after school ones. It is a decision I hope to have made by next week.
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