Tie One Hand Behind Your Back

'Students during Residency', Drozda

About five years ago as part of my studio outreach into the community I developed the Wren House StudioVisiting Artist Program and Teaching Studios for young artists at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia.

I simply love to visit Virginia Beach schools no matter the grade. The Virginia Beach City Public Schools Arts Programs are richly diverse and content driven. The art rooms on every grade level are inspired. I come in, as a working professional (not as an art teacher), for a week of demonstration and with each grade create a different project. My main concept is that whether you grow up to be a sports jock, a marine biologist, a veterinarian, or an office worker... you can choose, at any time, to live a natural 'Art/Life'...you can choose to live simply and creatively. 

This past week, and next, the challenge is to engage students while I'm wearing a full arm cast. As a result of that we really have been able to delve a bit more deeply than usual into the live simply part.

I believe in setting a tone so I always provide a nature table. In the center sits the famous image of earth from space with the caption, 'Good planets are hard to find'. Surrounding this iconic image are found treasures from my walks and travels. There is everything from a slider turtle's shell to a whale's vertebrae to stones (with large embedded snail shell fossils) from a trek in Nepal plus many other tactile curiosities:

'Nature Table', Drozda

found objects

I also install large pieces of my work in the school lobby and my 18' long 'River Runner' is laid down so that students 'walk down the stream' as they enter the art room:

'River Runner', Drozda

18'x4'

Acrylic/Marine Urethane/canvas

Being able to walk on a painting may be one of the delights of the day for each student and their teachers.

With a pencil, a piece of paper and a broken arm I invited each class in turn to time me for three minutes as I drew, with my non dominant hand, using a black and white lithograph of a bird or animal as my 'model'.

'Peregrine Falcon', Drozda

12x9"

3 minute pencil/nondominant hand

photo by Angeles Gonzales

At the end of my three minutes they would ooo and ahhh at how well I did. Then their big surprise followed when I offered to be their time keeper as they challenged themselves in the same way. Every student was excited to give it a go.

 Student work

9x12"

3 minute pencil nondominant hand

photo by Angeles Gonzales

  

After the non dominant hand they put the drawing away and did another drawing, using the same 'model' and their regular drawing hand.

student

3 minute non & regular hand

pencil

photo by Angeles Gonzales

And lastly, they put everything away except for a clean sheet of paper and now the challenge was to create a memory drawing.

student

non&dom&memory drawing

photo by Angela Gonzales

I have had such a great time experiencing the sheer unadulterated delight of discovery through each grade, and each child, that it may have given me a whole new approach to the visiting artist model.

See you Monday as we 'Follow the Moon'

~May you sing your day