Calheta de São Miguel - The four day morning workshop (6th-9th September 2010)

Calheta de  São Miguel, September 2010

Similarly to what happened in the previous workshops, the "newcomers" (four boys and four girls) came around Sibylle's two days before the beginning of the workshop accompanied by their mothers or family members and  were introduced to the colouring of mandalas. 

These moments are an almost unique opportunity to introduce myself to each of them individually, observe their sense of colour choice and then once they are finished with the design they have sellected, talk to them a bit about what we shall be doing in the workshop. 

This multi-disciplinary workshop started with the boys having to assemble some wooden pieces and the girls having to make some mosaic pictures.

Assembling the wooden pieces  (Left). Showing the assembled pieces (from left to right  Valter, Wilson, Marcio, Eduardo, Beto, Claudio, Esmael and Leandro).

They always have a  story read to them daily, which we then discuss in class, particularly because each of them conveys a principle, a virtue, an example to be followed, etc. The authors sellected for this workshop were Pascal Biet; Martin Waddell and Helen Oxenbury; Arlina Cavo and Gill Pittar, and the book chosen to have its illustrations coloured by them was "The farmer duck" .

Many of the  book characters are animals and because they love the sound of foreign Languages, they started being taught some of those animal names in English.

Articulating the English words (Left). Discussing the story (Right).

The second day continued with the boys having to sellect colours to paint their wooden "Art" pieces and actually paint them, whilst the girls continued with the mosaic picures,  as well as  the painting  of velvet framed pictures and  coloured sand ones.

(The photos underneath show some of the artistic activities they got engaged in and the reading sessions)

 

Some  assembling  paper model types were used  (rockets and cars)

Eduardo and Leandro with the paper rocket and car they assembled respectively.

Some of the girls showing their "works of Art"

Erica with the mosaic fish and Nélida with the coloured sand pictiures respectively

Tarine with the origami raindeer
and
Verónica with the felt tip pen coloured picture









Among some of the entertainment activities were puzzle making, which they seem to enjoy a lot, irrespective of the fact that the "newcomers" always have a hard time doing them at the beginning (a situation overcome after the third puzzle making).

Claudio with the Ravenburger airport puzzle and Patrícia with the Djeco African boy puzzle.








Their "pieces of Art" were much appreciated by those who came to the "exhibition day" ... but I am sure that those who appreciated them most were "my young  little artists", to whom a whole world of shapes, colours and textures was revealed  throughout the workshop and  for whom (I am also sure) life will be slightly different, as from this moment onwards.