Getting to Know You

I am still fighting that cold and it's not making me feel too terribly creative today.  SOOOOO I decided not to waste the day but to work on my syllabus for my sketching and journaling class that I am teaching next month.  I like to do something different every time I teach it.  I know a lot of you out there teach and have taught a lot more art classes than I have so you might have some ideas to add to this.  I am squishing a 3 day workshop into one day.  So rather than get too crazy, I am leaving some things out and combining others.  Most of those people signed up for my class appear to be experienced painters...although I do not know if watercolor is their primary medium.  In the supply list each person was instructed to bring 4 small objects of special significance to them.

SOOOO my introduction will be to get right to it and have them design their own name tag. I have precut Canson watercolor paper and pre-punched them so they will hang on a string later.  The name tag will combine several things I want to talk about in journaling...printing, working with the medium of watercolor itself, graded washes and cast shadows, as well as painting objects that have meaning to you.  After completed we will have show and tell and everyone will show their name tag and tell why the object they brought has meaning to them. It will also give me a quick heads up and who has need of some extra help and who are the watercolorists in the group! This also gets everyone into action immediately...paintbrushes get wet, palette colors get wet, and we find out right away who doesn't know how to unscrew the tubes and who leaves their brushes sitting in the water jar.  The graded wash will be in the letters...I will demonstrate with the final letter on my name tag to be sure, if I have a beginner, that they have the idea.  I also print out instructions and tuck them on to my teaching easel.  Even the most experienced painters do not always follow instructions very well. 

Boy, it sure gets everyone busy too.  And if I have some late arrivals I can attend to that while everyone is busy.  The letters are photocopied alphabets from that book I showed in an earlier blog.  Right away everyone has something to keep and use!  Win win.  

By the way, the little box is a sweet little box my sister gave me years ago.  I have always loved it and it makes me think of her when I see it.  Inside is a hand written I.O.U. for a back rub!  Sisters are the greatest!