The importance of memories ...

As I was organizing the photos I took during the last workshop in Calheta, so that each participating child may have an album of his or her own, not only with photos depicting the "Art work" they have made but also special moments they may have experienced throughout the workshop ... I couldn't help thinking about myself as a child.

Fifty one years have gone by since I painted these little glazed tiles, but  I still remember every little moment that preceeded and followed the actual making of the tiles ... I don't often think about it ... but the moment I see them it all comes back as if it has just  been yesterday.

I felt really proud then ... and if I am honest I must say I still do ... for having painted such small figures at the age of five and been praised by the various family members and the teachers of João de Deus pre-preparatory school.

The little glazed tiles have been fortunate enough to have "survived" all these years ... but some of the "Art works" made by "my" children of Calheta may not have a similar fate ..., many of them are hanging on the walls of their precarious houses ... the extreme heat, the humidity and even the wooden fire smoke may alter the colour and texture of some of those beautiful things they have made ... 

I know how important these have been and are for them ... and the fact that I photograph them in the process of making them or holding them, once they are finished has a lot to do with this concept of preserving memories, be it in the form of photos of the "precious" objects or those memories associated with them, which have and have not been captured by the camera ...

Sketch made by Leinira during the  2009 April workshop in Calheta

Two different sketching approaches based on the same original, the one on the left made by José Carlos and the one on the right by Carlos (2009 August workshop in Sal).

Samuel making his own sketching version (2009 August workshop in Sal).

Tarine (Left) and Marline (Right) with the colouring sand pictures they made during the 2010 February workshop in Calheta.

Veronica's version of the Church of Tarrafal made during the 2010 February workshop in Calheta.

Kevin (Left) with the paper car and Veinilson (Right) with the the wooden snake made during the 2010 February workshop in Calheta.

Simone holding the mosaic "work of Art" she made during the 2010 February workshop in Calheta. 

Lavinia holding (Left) and wearing (Right) the loup mask she made during the 2010 February workshop in Calheta.

Juliza with the coloured sand "work of Art" she made during the May 2010 workshop in Calheta.

Carina painting her wooden sun during the 2010 September workshop in Calheta.

Marline at different stages of completing her felt tip brush Art project during the 2010 September workshop in Calheta.

Artemisa, Eunice de Jesus and Eunice colouring their felt tip pen projects of Art during the 2011 February workshop in Calheta.

Tarine and Marline (Left) painting with tempera and Claudina, Lola and Daniela (Right)  carrying out their colour sand projects during the 2011 February workshop in Calheta.

Diva making her sketching version of the traditional outfits of the children of the world  (Netherlands) during the 2011 February workshop in Calheta.

Irrespective of what the future might hold for these children ... some of their childhood happy moments have been "preserved" and may some time in the future be part of their "important" memories ...