Today is my first day participating in the April A-Z Blogging Challenge where my mandate is to write a post every day in April (except Sundays) using each of the twenty-six letters consecutively as inspiration.
As you can see today’s riveting topic is Art… Art in the primary school setting, specifically.
I don’t know if I’m the only teacher in the world who feels this way but I find the whole art thing a bit daunting.
All those paint smocks; the paint and the cleaning of thirty paintbrushes, glue everywhere, newspaper spread over all the desks, the spills, the paint fights and the angry parents who aren't impressed with paint stained school uniforms.
It’s just too messy.
Sometimes I take shortcuts insisting we use cotton buds instead of paint brushes. “It’s Impressionism!” I’ll sweet-talk the kids. “It was very popular in France at the end of the nineteenth century!”
It is a bit limiting though.
At university, our art lecturers suggested we never stoop to handing out colouring-in sheets to the kids but instead have them release their creative talent through free drawing which is far more stimulating and artistic.
It was with this in mind yesterday that I encouraged some of my students who’d finished their assessment task to work quietly at their desk drawing whatever took their fancy.
Without exception all of them decided to sketch the exact same subject. Me.
Mrs Poinker riding a stick legged horse.
Mrs Poinker in a rainbow.
Mrs Poinker in a lovely garden surrounded by flowers.
But there were two stand-outs I’d like to share with you.
This was my favourite...
Item 1.
I love the youthful glint in the eyes, the absence of crow’s feet and the jaunty hairstyle I really must experiment with. I only have one question… is my forehead really that high? If so, who can I see about it?
In contrast to that delightful piece of artwork we have...
Item 2.
Not only has the young Picasso lovingly portrayed his highly-esteemed teacher in an interesting light but he’s also had a stab in the dark as to how her husband might look.
I have several questions.
1. Noses…why?
2. Beer Bellies…why?
3. Scotto’s Ninja headband…why?
4. Resemblance to Punch and Judy… why?
I’d sidled up behind him while he was holding it up in the air laughing with another student across the room... but I was now standing in front of him with an outstretched hand as he desperately scribbled out the speech bubble in the centre of the illustration.
I wonder what it said.
The mind boggles doesn't it?
Uncanny resemblance really!
Thanks again to Scotto for his Photoshopping talent!
This post is part of the April A-Z Challenge
