Art Love Magic

Back in November, I participated in a children's art workshop presented by Art Love Magic.  It was a very cool event, with spray paint, installation art, paper sculpture, music, and other creative shenanigans all happening at the very cool Deep Ellum club, Trees.  I worked on two paintings with the crowds of enthusiastic young artists who attended -- here's one:

Painting the Music

This week at Carpe Diem, my young students and I created this painting as we listened to the music of J.S. Bach.  On the first day, we listened to the pipe organ and painted with strong, dark blues and greens, using large brushes and bold strokes.  On the next day, we listened to the harpsichord and painted with sparkling whites, yellows and greens, making short, bright strokes with small brushes.  On the third day, we looked at our finished work and spent time talking about what we saw.  Here are some of the marvelous things my students saw in their painting:

• "Strong Thunder"
• "Like a Festival"
• "Wish of a Dinosaur"
• "Going on the Ferris Wheel"
• "I'm Imagining I was On the Stairs"
• "Nighttime on a Special Friday"
• "It Snowed"
• "Night Near the City"
• "I See the Sun Coming Up"
• "It's Rotating"
• "Bananas and Hot Dogs"
• "I See a Flower Down in the Deep Cold Water"
• "Mezzazoo"
• "Raindrops on the Stairs"
• "A Bonker Party"
• "A Tiger is Hiding in the Circle"
• "Different Moons"
• "Everybody Throwing Candy in the Air"
• "A Pinata Falling Down"
• "Flowery Night"
• "Broken Necklace"
• "Lights on a Tree"
• "A Canoe Going for a Ride in the Water"
• "I See a Shark Down There"
• "Rain Beads"

These students range in age between 2 and 5.  About sixty-five of them worked on the painting, in class groups of 8 to 14 students.

Plano International Festival

I had a wonderful Saturday at the Plano International Festival!  Too many kids to count painted on my canvas, while friends from the Writer's Garret helped them write poems and stories inspired by the process.  I kept hearing things like "this is my favorite day," "this is fun," and "I want to do this every day!"  One nine-year-old boy stayed for about three hours, painting, dictating stories and poems, and telling me all kinds of things.  My favorite:  Mona Lisa's eyes follow you wherever you go.  NOTE:  the painting now lives in the conference room at the Writer's Garret, brightening poetry workshops and other creative gatherings.
Here are some pictures of the painting in progress:

Finished CommuniTREE Painting

Here's how White Rock Lake felt to all 52 of us who painted together last Saturday:  a joyful urban oasis.  Thank you to everyone-- and especially to the bright boy who had the brilliant idea to paint a glowing sun in the middle of the branches!

Upcoming Event!

Great news!  I'll be collaborating with friends at the Writer's Garret next Saturday at the Plano International Festival.  I'll be facilitating a painting, and others will be facilitating an exciting creative writing adventure inspired by the experience.  Come celebrate our shared creativity in color, shape, and language!    Art, story, and poetry are for everyone, because every human life contains beauty, power, and untold depth.  Come share a little of yours!  For more information, visit http://www.planointernationalfestival.org/

CommuniTREE

Pictures from yesterday's CommuniTREE celebration at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake.  Thank you to all of the wonderful people who contributed to this painting.  I'm finishing up the backgrounds, and I'll post a picture of the finished painting soon!

Great News!

After a summer hiatus, it's time to get this project going again.  I've been invited to bring the Big Blue Umbrella project to an exciting event on Saturday, September 24, at the Bath House Cultural Center.  It's called "CommuniTREE" and it will be a very eclectic autumn equinox celebration.  Picture drum circles, storytellers, food vendors, crafts, musicians, and a multitude of colorful goings-on.  Sounds like the perfect environment to set up a giant canvas and see what beautiful images might come from the hands of strangers!  I can't wait. Check out http://www.earthrhythms.org/ for more information.

Progress on Canvas #2

Rained Out

So much for the big blue umbrella.  Sunday evening, it filled with towering storm clouds.  The only creatures interested in my painting were a couple chiggers crawling around on the canvas, between blue lines.  Their cousins were busy sucking my blood.  Suddenly the heavy heat broke, and I scrambled to pack up.  The canvas bucked so hard in the wind, I could hardly wrestle it to the car. I hoped my easel wouldn't act as a lightning rod. Big fat drops pelted the windshield on the way home. 

the sky

the lake

Canvas #2 Has Begun!

I set up Canvas #2 on Saturday.  The Texas heat has already lowered its lid over my corner of the world.  The lake was no longer humming with breezy spring activity, and few people stopped to paint.  I was wondering if I should have set up closer to the playground, when a runner came along, announced that he was heading off to art school in the fall, and jumped into painting with gusto and panache.  First he smeared his hand red and made an arching row of handprints to follow the blue lines I had painted.  Then he mixed water into red, yellow, and green, and tinged areas of the canvas with subtle, transparent washes.  He tried several brushes, splattering thin yellow over the washes.  He told me about his latest project, which had involved homemade paint mixed from dirt and clear gesso.  I regret not snapping a photo of this fearless artist (who was flecked with paint by the time he was done), but I was too engrossed in watching his process to think of my camera.

Painting at Jess Harben Elementary

After she saw this blog, my friend Sheridan Braggs invited me to visit her first grade class.  They created this colorful canvas, which is nearly finished.  The children dove in with great enthusiasm.  Check out the periwinkle blues!  Sheridan says everyone who's seen the picture has been thrilled about it.  In fact, rumor has it that a giant collaborative canvas will be part of the next teacher inservice meeting at Jess Harben Elementary.  Go, Sheridan!  Let's spread the notion that we're all part of something big, beautiful, and singular!

Canvas #1 Completed!

Here it is!  Thank you to all the wonderful strangers who stopped and painted with me at the park.  Not only have you helped me create this happy work of art, you have given me reason to believe people are wonderful.  Here are the joyful, whimsical shapes and colors we didn't know we were going to create until it was happening!  Thank you for your ideas and for your friendly willingness to join in my experiment.

And now we need a title!  E-mail me at lisahuffaker@yahoo.com with suggestions.

By the way, I've already bought a second canvas, and can't wait to begin!