Introduction Commodification of devotional artworks diminishes their original meanings. Colonialism and institutional practices have for centuries eroded cultural identity associated to these traditional art forms and diluted their intended meanings. Looking at the history of the Hopi Kachina dolls and the greater significance of Kachinas to the Hopi people, we can better appreciate what has … Continue reading Teaching Tuesdays – Commodification and the Road to Re-appropriation of The Hopi Identity
Study Of A Forest Spirit
I can easily say the only thing original about this might be my simplified style of it. I have filled my imagination with images of tree beings and forest spirits from endless books, movies, and illustrations. They aren't always female and I'm not sure this one is meant to be fully female either. It is … Continue reading Study Of A Forest Spirit
Study Of A Desert Spirit
Having recently read about the deserts of China, a sight I have yet to fully incorporate into my imagination, I imagined what a nature spirit or demon might look like. It comes across more cartoonish than I hoped, but that has more to do with images of the strange creatures from Samurai Jack and a … Continue reading Study Of A Desert Spirit
Making Colours Workshop
In a recent peer workshop, one of my fellow student-teachers proposed making paints out of sustainable materials. No stranger to making watercolours and ceramic stains out of natural pigments, I was intrigued by how she would turn these into "acrylics". I took careful pictures of the recipes (she took from the internet): coffee grounds and … Continue reading Making Colours Workshop
Goya Squares Project: Nobody Lies Here – Unknown in Live and Death
So, I felt I wasn't quite finished with these Goya squares (I'm still unsure if I am) and had this one leftover that had a foot and bit of an arm on it. in my imagination, it turned into a pair of fish. Then there was one that contained a bit of a face, the … Continue reading Goya Squares Project: Nobody Lies Here – Unknown in Live and Death
Goya Squares Project: Imagining Space in 1950
Following the Beelzebub & Bob drawing, the teacher suggested I try again, only this time with only one of the Goya squares. So I did. I now had a couple of Pixma fine point pens to work with, instead of that silly metal nib and inkwell. I stared at the Goya square. I stared at … Continue reading Goya Squares Project: Imagining Space in 1950
Teaching Tuesdays: Subtle Tones Lesson Plan
RATIONALE: The Students are in a community art program, ages 5 to 7 years old, multi-lingual, multi-cultural.The students will demonstrate the ability to express a unique vision of their own reality.The students will demonstrate the ability to let go of outward observation and trust their inner process (instincts & imagination) while freely exploring the materials. Modigliani … Continue reading Teaching Tuesdays: Subtle Tones Lesson Plan
Goya Squares Project: Beelzebub and Bob
Oh, how I didn't want to do this project at first! Really, I didn't understand the directions. I mean, take these small poorly photocopied and cut up pieces of famous Goya etchings and extrapolate the lines outward into whatever vision comes to you. Oh, and we have to use a dip-pen with metal nib and … Continue reading Goya Squares Project: Beelzebub and Bob
The Hybrid Project: Hey, look over there! The Tiki-Plague Doctor is rollerskating
The drawing teacher gave the instruction to complete a "large" drawing, then the details fell apart for me. What style, what subject, what... everything? These were the questions of my fellow classmates and the answers came back in such a fashion that it seemed anything would be accepted. later, one-on-one, the teacher suggested I use … Continue reading The Hybrid Project: Hey, look over there! The Tiki-Plague Doctor is rollerskating
The Alien Vermeer Doing a Study For The Girl…
I had a few other titles in mind for this one, such as: "Damn it, I forgot the earring" or "Oh, right! Humans don't have ears! I almost gave my secret away. LOL" If you haven't figured my absurdist humour out yet, I imagined the artist Vermeer was an Alien and his actual studio was … Continue reading The Alien Vermeer Doing a Study For The Girl…
The New Renaissance Mindset 