Bits and pieces:
We had a sudden, unexpected snow"storm" last Wednesday evening, the eve of Valentine's Day. Before I went to bed on the 13th there was over an inch of snow piling up on the deck, and huge fluffy flakes continued to fall throughout the night. By morning, we had about 2 1/2 inches, schools were closed for kids, teachers got a late starting workday (I went in at 10:00), and I did not have my camera with me or I'd have taken some photos.
My son and his girlfriend should have been home from Chicago by now, but their flight was canceled due to bad weather up there, and so he won't be back in Raleigh until near midnight. I'm praying for their safe travel home tonight. She was interviewing for a residency at UIC... he has to go back in a couple of weeks for his interview. They are both hoping to be selected as resident pharmacists at the University of Illinois, Chicago... I'm excited for them, although it will mean I won't be seeing them as often as I do now.
................................... KOOPA UPDATE! ......................................................
Koopa has finished my painting! Kira has sent me photos of the finished painting and I'm so excited that I don't know whether I should show you the pictures now, or wait until I get it in my home. So, just to tease you a little bit, here is Koopa taking his first steps onto the prepared canvas. Notice he is beginning on the word 'turtle!' How clever they are!
What you see above is only the beginning.... Koopa walked his way all over the canvas until all the paint was blended in one way or another. His feet and tail were the brushes. She gave him a nice warm bath when it was over.
Here is what Kira began with. After she had told me I had won a painting, she had asked me to send her any words or phrases, symbols, and some color preferences. I told her I'd like to remember our koi pond, and would love to have the colors I associated with the pond... the shades of water, blues and greens,... the flashes of gold, red, and orange koi.
Kira, being the color expert, had to figure out how to set up the paint, in varying amounts, in just the right places, with the knowledge that her turtle friend, Koopa, was going to glide his tail and feet through the wet colors, blending them in his unique manner. If she figured "wrong" my painting could easily look like mud in the end (that's what happens when you mix orange and blue, or purple and yellow, or green and red).
First she had to prime the canvas, then apply a base coat. She chose the dark blue around the edges and orange for the middle. They appear to be metallic colors. She drew in a cicada and a dragonfly, knowing of my fondness for these insects. This is typical of Kira's work...she adds a personal touch to every painting, making each one a collaboration between the client, herself, and Koopa. The year '1981' was the year we began building our new home. Started it in March of that year, moved in by November of that year. The animal names she added to remember the most common animals we saw in and around our koi pond.
Here he is somewhere midway. I will write more about this project when I have the painting in my possession...
Max struck a pose for me last week... I believe it was on that snow day we had... this is what a miniature schnauzer looks like when he hasn't been trimmed for a couple of months. It's his winter coat. I'll trim him when spring gets here. Misty needs a trim, too. She wasn't in the mood for posing last week.
Misty, Max, and Daisy agreed to sit for this shot yesterday... all in one chair. It's Misty's chair, and as you can see, she isn't too happy to share it with the others. Look at those droopy ears! Daisy is Steven's dog... since he's been in Chicago for a few days, Daisy stayed with us... he used to take care of Max and Misty when we went out of town, so we're returning the favor for his dog. Daisy has been part of Steven's and Vi's life for almost two years now... when they found her at an animal rescue center, it was love at first sight. They adopted her. That's one lucky dog!
Remember the Papel Picado (paper cutting) project I was preparing for back in January? Here's what one third grade class did with it: we made Valentine's Day banners to hang across the hall just outside their classrooms. They look great, and since they are made of tissue paper, they flutter easily as the kids pass by below. I'm thinking we're going to make enough to span the entire hallway by end of year... green for St. Patrick's day, of course, is our next project.
Another third grade class drew self-portraits. Here are a few student samples.
Still another third grade class (studying Kenya/Africa) illustrated scenes from the Gikuyu creation myth...:
Below is a close up of just one student's work:
Briefly, the story goes that Mugai, the great Divider of the Universe, and Gikuyu climbed atop the black crystal mountain, a sacred home on earth for Mugai. There, Mugai pointed out the beautiful land as far as they could see. He told Gikuyu the land was his, for his children, and their children's children, until the end of time. Gikuyu was told to enter the fig tree grove, where the earth was rich and red, and there he met a most beautiful woman, Mumbi. He married her, and they had nine daughters. Later, nine sons would be found for them, and that's how the people of Gikuyu came to grow into a nation. That's the condensed version.
And here is still another piece showing Mugai and Gikuyu:
Students had read the story, then each week I'd read it aloud to them as they drew, to refresh their memory of it. First they drew a rough sketch, then redrew it on heavier paper, finally coloring it with twistable crayons and/or color pencils. The subject of Kenya was chosen by their teacher earlier in the year because the father of one of the students had just gotten back from his mission trip there.
I have much more, but that's enough to put into one entry. Will try to come back later... I have to go cook dinner now.... spaghetti is on the menu this evening. Bye now!
Tags: Koopa painting, student art work, papel picado banners, the story of Gikuyu
