Yesterday afternoon I took my first journal workshop at Harry's school. 30 children around the age of ten awaited me and their new adventure.
The children were very attentive while I gave a quick talk about journaling and showed them some of my journal pages. Emphasis was placed on the fact that you DO NOT have to be brilliant at drawing and that 'mistakes' are simply lessons that provide a wonderful record of your improvement over time. I showed them pages in my journals I love and some I feel are my own 'lessons'.
Each child was given a Hahnemuhle Travel Booklet (9 x 14cm Portrait) and our project of the day was to personalise our journal with our very own handprint, a much more creative way than simply writing our names in our books.
The children went about filling their handprint with lots of illustrated personal information, their excitement, creativity and enjoyment was such a pleasure to watch. There were some great ideas buzzing around eg. one young girl decorated her background with her fingerprint, using watercolours.
Below is the pre-prepared example I took, made in my very own Hahnemuhle booklet and the journal page I made during the day in my A6 Venezia.
I am returning next Friday and I enjoyed it so much ...I Can't wait!
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20 comments:
Great project Anita. I can't wait to see each week's exercise and maybe when the books are full you'll show us one page from each journal that the owner likes best.
Thanks Shirley.
That's a great idea about the pupils picking their own favourite for me to upload here.
What a wonderful project Anita.. the children must love you and your enthusiasm. Wonderful idea for the first class. Dont you get a kick our of working with children?? How did it come about???
Brilliant! I can't wait till next week to see what you do next! Look forward to following this project - yet another inspiring one! (BTW how many projects do you have going at the moment???!?)
What a super idea! How lucky to have you to teach this project - can I join your class?
This is beautiful Anita. Once it is finished, are you going to make a podcast? I just made my first one.
No sound, just photos, of my cabbages and the drawings I have made from the cabbages. I have not uploaded it yet. A podcast of one of each child's favorite sketch and comments from you and your instructions in a podcast form would wonderful you to have. These are so unique. Then you could keep a CD and each child could have one to keep of all their friends.
Wonderful.
Sherrie Roberts
Your hand journal looks like something students would enjoy, in fact I would enjoy it. In fact, think I'll try it too.
Any chance you will record your classes? I would love to hear what you have to say. Can I be a student in this class?
You blow me away with the amazing volumn of projects you take on and complete. Such a passion you have!
Lisa
This class must have been a joy! Beautiful pages here, too! I can't wait to see your next realisation!
OK, I'm going to steal this idea - it's brilliant, and not just for children! Love your example with its mixture of painting, doodling and writing.
This is really great and inspiring. I have actually thought of including a visual journal option to my art residency lessons. Now that I see your success, I think I will follow through on that idea for the following school year.
If interested, here are some of the projects that the kids are currently doing:
http://davidrvallejo.blogspot.com/
You´re off to a good start here, clever idea to start with the hand as a signature. It´s automatically personal, and easy to make even more your own mark... The kids have to love this! I wish I could see their books after you´ve finished this project with them...
What a fun project! You must be having a blast working with the kids making illustrated journals. Yes, please post some of their finished pages - they would be great to see!
Hey there "teach"...YOU ROCK! I can feel the joy beaming from your face all the way across the ocean...the handprint idea...brilliant! Every parent of every child in your class must be deliriously happy with this project!
Wow! Thats a lot of 10 year olds! What a wonderful influence you are for them.
Nice Anita! What a great project... I'd love to see some of the finished pages too. Sounds like you're all enjoying this!
Anita - These are absolutely beautiful. I love the idea of a hand print - and inspiring the children with these beautiful works and the idea - how truly wonderful for you and the kids!
If all your classes with the kids are like this let me be the first to line up and buy your Kid's Journaling with Art CD! Really.
Now why weren't you around when I was ten?! This sounds like a brilliant class that will be relished by pupils and teach alike. I can see it starting a trend.
What a fun class....a great experience for both you and the children. I'm already looking forward to what you do for the next class.
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