Demonstration Pictures
Rockville High School
This school year marks the forty-third year that I’ve demonstrated in the schools. Everyone knows by now that my school demonstration schedule has had to be severely curtailed because of the silicosis and the lack of energy to “put up” ;-) with all the kids crowding around the wheel. On doctor’s orders I can no longer expose myself to the possible colds and sniffles of elementary school students, but here and there a High School demonstration is OK. So! Off we went to Rockville High School, where I’ve been doing demonstrations “forever”. High school demonstrations are usually more “teaching” oriented than entertainment oriented. All the students remembered the Dinosaur Goop story from their Elementary school days and just because we’re as sentimental as the teachers and the students, we just had to re-visit the Alligator and Donald Duck and the ‘Leaning tower of Pisa” and all the other silly things and characters I’ve been making during the course of my demonstrating career.
The kids were great, the teachers were great and thanks to the oxygen tank my energy level stayed “up there” and the demo went well. Don’t count me out yet! ;-) Are we having fun yet?
Recently the Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department sponsored the 19th Annual Collet Park Old Fashioned Day. What a glorious day it was! The weather was just wonderful and the various family oriented activities assured a good time for all. The Park Department really outdid itself in trying to present an event that could be and was (!) attended by Mom, Dad and the kids. The festivities started at high noon with a performance of the Band of Gold, the first band to play in a continuous musical presentation that offered something for everyone to enjoy. There was an antique car display, arts and crafts displays, a puppet show, face painters and clowns and lots of edible goodies by various civic organizations. Hayrides, horse & carriage rides, ice cream and “ham’n beans” cooked over an open fire all contributed to a wonderful family outing.
Among the arts and craft booths were quilters, painters, wood carvers, glass blowers and blacksmiths and oh yes, there was this one familiar guy letting people try their hand at the potter’s wheel. Even the honorable and most able mayor of Terre Haute couldn’t resist getting his hands dirty and fashioned a not so bad pot, for a beginner! :-)
One might make plans to attend next year’s event!
In Indianapolis recently, the Indiana Art Teachers Association held their annual conference. Attended by art teachers from all over the state, this conference was a bit like a “home coming” for me as the last few years the flood, house building and health “kinda-sorta” put a crimp in my style and work schedule. Many a teacher who had been in attendance at one of my previous workshops years ago came up and said “Hello”. As in past years my workshops were very popular; the guy must be doing SOMETHING right, eh? The room was almost too small to accommodate all those who wanted to attend and participate. Supposedly limited to twenty-five teachers, one workshop had 32, the other 38 participants. Very much a hands-on workshop, the partakers made gnomes, boxes and were exposed to plaster decorating stamps and hump molds as well as basic kiln maintenance and firing schedules and techniques. Notwithstanding my lower stamina and energy level, thanks to the “continuous sucking of the life juice” (that would be oxygen!) the workshops went well. When they were over I was exhausted, pooped and drained, but seventy more teachers hopefully came away with a bit more knowledge than they had before they attended the workshops. As per usual a good time appeared to have been had by all and according to one participant “we learned much”.
….had their undivided attention, indeed…
…now for the next project…
While working on the boxes, the gnomes were nearing completion and some of the faces were just priceless, as evidenced below
Once the faces were made, the “bodies’ needed some attention and it was just unadulterated fun to watch the collection come to life!
…and then it occurred to the workshop conductor (that would be yours truly…) that the gnomes and the “dug-out” boxes have been a staple of the workshops for over thirty-five years. Can’t help but wonder how many of these gnomes have been created over that time span … Like someone said to me the other day: “Not to worry, Rogier. You’ve made your mark”. I do hope and pray that in spite of having to use oxygen 24/7 I will be able to continue creating gnomes and teach many more workshops. I’m having too much fun to retire just because I turned 65 earlier this year!
So there! ;-)
A few weeks ago the Fourth Graders at Rockville Elementary School participated in a clay workshop. As part of their all around Art History education the students had studied van Gogh’s “Starry Night”. They even learned how to pronounce the painter’s name correctly (i.e. the DUTCH way!) During the workshop they made candle holders that were based on what they had learned about “Starry Night”. Starting out with a slab of clay as their “canvas” the students created their impression of the famous painting taking note of the flowing lines and patterns.
Once finished with decorating and piercing (stars!) the flat slab was folded around a cardboard tube and became a pierced, decorated cylindrical form that will serve as a candle holder/shade. The students, most of whom already knew the “Clay Dude”, did a fantastic job listening to and executing their assignment and even had FUN doing it!