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Workshops for Libraries & Schools
Origami (recommended age groups: 3-6th grades and 6th-8th grades) 1 hour

Origami is best taught in a series of at least three one-hour long workshops. The first workshop will be devoted to basic models. We'll build upon these basics in subsequent workshops. Along the way, I'll give instruction on how to "read" the symbols in the Origami books and interspersed throughout will be information on Japanese culture and the history of origami.
New participants can join in at any time and I'll give a few minutes individual instruction time to get "up to speed".

Art

Workshops Recommended for 2nd-5th Graders. 1 to 1.5 hours

Pet Shaped Poem Books

We will read a selection of poems from the one of the following books:

A Pet for Me; Lee Bennett Hopkins, Riddle-Lightful; Patrick Lewis and Weird Pet Poems; Dilys Evans

In a brainstorming session, the children will write short poems as a group. Then using one of the poems of their choice, they will construct small books in the shape of the animal they've chosen.

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

This is a story about a little girl who dreams she is flying over the Brooklyn Bridge (among other places). We'll read the story and I'll tell the children a bit about Faith Ringgold and her story quilts.

After brainstorming over some of our favorite places to go, the children will each construct their own Story Quilt using colored and patterned papers. A small drawn self-portrait will finalize the art piece.

The Dot and Ish, by Peter H. Reynolds

These are books about the creative process and artistic blocks.

Read Ish and discuss the pictures and the concept. Does the vase in the book really look like a vase? If you could see the wind, what would it look like? Can you draw it? What are some of our favorite things? Aliens, monsters, flowers, birds, shoes?

Using water soluble markers and large sheets of paper, the children can draw her/his favorite thing, filling the paper and using his/her favorite color. A brush and clear water or a spritz from a plant mister will help the color run all over the page and add an unexpected element of surprise.

End the workshop by reading The Dot by Reynolds.

    Bedhead by Margie Palatini
        After reading this funny tale about a boy having a (very) bad hair day, we'll brainstorm on some great words for bad hair. Then using pencils, markers, feather, wire and paper scraps we'll make self-portrait collages of ourselves with bad, crazy, wild, unruly hair.

    Wendell by Eric Jon Nones
    This is a story about a cat named Wendell, whose family thinks he is creating all sorts of trouble around the house. Wendell, of course, sees the tiny creatures that are the real troublemakers in this funny tale.
    We’ll do some brainstorming about what troublemakers might be living in everyday objects, such as your shoe, favorite mug or maybe even the pencil sharpener. There may be a whole town of trouble making creatures inside your CD player! Using pencils, pens and paper, we'll draw an everyday small object large and populate it with little people. This project will be lots of cartoon-style drawing fun!

Faucet Fish by Faye Robins
Emily loves fish but is only allowed a guppy. One day a trout plops out of her bathroom faucet. Next a flounder wriggles out until there are fishbowls all over the house... (from the inside book flap).

Using the lighthearted surrealism of the book illustrations as inspiration, we’ll be making self-portraits of ourselves as pets using heavy white paper, Crayons (for resist painting and water color markers.

Workshops Recommend for 5th - 8th Grade (1 hour)
    Flip Books
    We'll start off by learning how to make a simple animation such as a plane flying, flower growing, person jumping.
    Once the basics are learned, longer more complex books can be designed.

Drawing Games
We'll play a couple of rounds of drawing games such as Crazy Doodles and Pass the Paper. This will create a base drawing with ink/marker on white paper (or series of them!).

Next we'll have a look at the work of Joan Miro and Paul Klee, have a brief discussion on pattern, line and the magic of "3" in art. We'll finish the drawings by adding color and pattern to create a modern work of art.

Workshops Recommend for 9th - 12th Grade (1 hour)

Music to Art

   Teens are invited to bring their favorite CD's (as well as MP3 players). We’ll choose a few songs from the selections as a group and play them on a CD Player and have a look at Paul Klee and Joan Miro.
    Using black ink & brush we'll create a basic composition in response to the music. After the basics are done, we'll work into the composition with colored pencils, watercolor and collage (listen to your own MP3 at this point).
    End up with discussion.   Did the different types of music impact your composition and choices for finishing your artpiece?

EmaiL or phone Diana Trout at 215.884.0690

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Drawing Games We'll play a couple of rounds of drawing games such as Crazy Doodles and Pass the Paper. This will create a base drawing with ink/marker on white paper (or series of them!).

Next we'll have a look at the work of Joan Miro and Paul Klee, have a brief discussion on pattern, line and the magic of "3" in art. We'll finish the drawings by adding color and pattern to create a modern work of art.

Drawing Games
We'll play a couple of rounds of drawing games such as Crazy Doodles and Pass the Paper. This will create a base drawing with ink/marker on white paper (or series of them!).