Learner Profile Crowns . . .

Towards the end of October, I had my 2nd graders (all 120 of them) create Learner Profile crowns. 

At the center of Stamford American International School's curriculum is the IB Learner Profile which details the qualities that our students are encouraged to develop and demonstrate.

Part of this project was me wanting to bring a little bit of costuming play into the classroom and part of this was for me to get to know my students--and how they see themselves--a little bit better.  

Here's a brief synopsis of each Learner Profile quality and how it's defined by our curriculum:

Inquirers  They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning.

Knowledgable  They explore concepts, ideas, and issues that have a local and global significance.

Thinkers  They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems.

Communicators  They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively.  

Principled  They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities.

Open-minded  They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories and are open to the perspectives, values, and traditions of other individuals and communities.

Caring  They show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.

Risk-takers  They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas, and strategies.

Balanced  They understand the importance of intellectual, physical, and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective  They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.

I was surprised by how many of my students chose risk-taker as the profile they most identified with. I was also taken with how many of them chose balanced as the best way to describe them. I don't think that I could even describe myself as balanced now. And I am almost certain that I was not balanced in 2nd grade.

It was incredibly interesting to me how classes sort of identified with one profile, together. It was generally a profile that sort of fit their collective personality. For example, my more boisterous classes described themselves as communicators or risk-takers. And my quieter, more introverted classes described themselves as caring or thinkers. Most likely the students were feeding off of responses from their peers.  

Upon finishing his crown, one of my students--who recently moved here from Great Britain--said that he was going to march up to the Queen Mum wearing his crown and say, "Move over lassie, this is my house. I'm in charge now." Needless to say, his crown says risk-taker on the front of it.

I'm really pleased with how the portraits of the students wearing their crowns turned out. We may even take these a step further and have the students create watercolor self-portraits from these images.  

How would I describe myself? I would definitely say that I'm a risk-taker. I think that a certain level of risk-taking comes with being an artist. I'm pretty confident with my ability to take chances on new ideas and new experiences. 

What is the Learner Profile that best describes you?  

Goats For Sandy!

I've sat down to write this post about three times this evening . . . I am now realizing that it is quite stressful to write about one of the most talented people ever-to-be, who also--luckily--happens to be my best friend.

Emma Klingbeil is a rare beast. She is one of those fascinating oddities that comes along once in a blue moon. I met Emma in 2003. We were painting shoes for a company called Kiss My Feet. She reminded me of my sister, at the time (she is almost 9 years younger than me). I enjoyed her dry sense of humor and commitment to life as an artist. Yet still, after all of these years, nothing has changed:  going on just under 10 years of friendship and she is still making paintings religiously and incredibly inspiring to be around. 

She is a painter's painter. She enjoys traditional oil painting:  thick, odiferous paint that takes hours--sometimes days--to dry. In a world where everyone is looking for the quickest way to get things done, Emma patiently waits. She is the silent, but steady type:  always making things or thinking about making things or researching ideas about what types of things to make. She is consistently reevaluating her work and reinventing herself.  

She is so intensely creative that sometimes it is her only form of communication. She doesn't say a lot, but what she does say is honest and focused. And, more times than not, hilarious. 

So what's Goats For Sandy all about? Emma answers 10 questions about this and more below . . . 

1. Explain what you do. Goats For Sandy is my collection of fine art and craft . . . I love traditional oil paintings of figures and landscapes, but I wanted to make them more "fantastical", so I added a party theme. I also create clay animal heads for a 3D aspect of the series.

2. How did it get started? My mother was obsessed with dancing goats for awhile and when she saw some of my new work, she said she wanted a goat. I thought it had a nice ring to it. I've got an etsy shop:  goatsforsandy.etsy.com as well as a blog, emmaklingbeil.wordpress.com.  

3. What is your background? Where are you from? I'm from Medford:  a pretty, quaint town in central Wisconsin. I come from an arty family; my father is a musician, my sister and mother are also fine artists.  

4. What inspires you? I'm an insanely visual person--so when I need inspiration quickly, I usually look on blogs or StumbleUpon (which I just found out about) for images, color combinations, whatever looks good to me.

5. When does a creative idea usually hit you? That time in the morning when you're starting to wake up, but not quite ready . . . 

6. How did you know you wanted to be an artist when you grew up? Have you always been making artwork? It's just what my whole family did. There wasn't any other option, really. It's also the only thing that makes me feel completely fulfilled.

7. What is your favorite part of the process when making a new piece of artwork? When it clicks! I'm not one for really "planning ahead", so I start off kind of shaky. But eventually the idea comes together.

8. What are you currently working on? Goats For Sandy!! I'm getting ready for some upcoming holiday craft fairs. I am going to be making some ornaments and other trinketty things . . . 

9. If you could collaborate on an art piece with anyone, who would it be and why? Lindsey Bailey:  because it would be epic. And I'm not joshing!! (Disclaimer:  I did not know she was going to answer this question like this. I thought she would say Manet or Carvaggio, not me. Blush.)

10. If someone came up to you right now and said they want to be an artist when they grow up, what would you tell them? If you're meant to be an artist, you will be an artist.

Next Wednesday? Merging arts education and studio practice.

Happy Deepavali!

Tonight we celebrate Deepavali!

Deepavali is a five day festival celebrating the Hindu calendar new year. It is a National holiday in Singapore; businesses are still open, while schools and banks are closed. We had school today, but we are off tomorrow.

Deepavali (also known as Diwali), literally means "row or garland of lights". Locally, it has been called "The Festival of Lights". It is symbolic of the victory of good over evil:  the victory of Lord Krishna, one of the deities of the Hindu pantheon, over the Demon King, Narakasura.

On Friday at our school, a dance troupe came and performed. And today, the students and staff were asked to wear celebratory dress. The students learned about Deepavali and painted clay lanterns with their homeroom classes.

During my classes we made large 2D paper collage lanterns. We combined metallic, translucent, and construction papers. And we looked at several festive images of Deepavali celebrations from all over the world.

Here is my 2nd grade class displaying their lanterns (some finished, some not-so-finished). And below, two of my 4th graders who came to visit during lunch. Everyone was so brightly colored and cheerful today!

For dinner, I met a friend in Little India. We ate at Indian Summer, where we happen to frequent so much that they sort of know our order when we walk in the door. I absolutely love their cheese dosa and samosa papri chat. 

Outside of the restaurant, several shops up and down the street were displaying their lanterns ready to ring in the new year . . . Bring on the fireworks!!

Craft Circuit Singapore: MAAD & Handmade Movement!!

MARKET of ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS  In October, I had the pleasure of attending a craft market at Red Dot Design Museum. After walking in the front door, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this exciting event.

The Red Dot Design Museum is housed in a huge red building, on the outskirts of Chinatown. The building is called Red Dot Traffic, and is a grandiose colonial style building which used to be the headquarters of the Singapore Traffic Police. It includes all of the fun places listed in the image above.  

Once a month, on a Friday, MAAD takes place at the museum from 5 - midnight. The museum entrance fee is waved and the place is packed (rain or shine)!! There are generally about 70 artists, crafters, and designers represented; with the heaviest focus on designers and crafters. They also feature workshops: a roped-off space where visitors can take part in a craft or art making project. Every nook and cranny has things to look at, participate in, or buy!

This past Friday (at November's MAAD event) my work was featured at the entrance to the main space below. Because everything is made out of concrete in Singapore, it's more challenging to install. And, I'm definitely not able to use my favorite tool:  the staple gun. 

So after meeting briefly with Elvin Seah, the curator and coordinator for MAAD, we decided that a slideshow representing all of my work would be the best way to welcome the guests. 

I created a lively space (sans staple gun) for the slideshow to "play" in . . . A little girl was there with her mother and kept calling it the party corner. Score.

My slideshow featured images of my work (collaborative and solo), as well as my contact information. I had the slides set to 5 seconds, so it was continuously playing. I was apprehensive about displaying my work via powerpoint, but it looked really tight! I was very happy with how everything turned out.

Oh yeah, and also at tonight's event? Threadless co-founder Jake Nickell and several Threadless staffers. Just hanging out at craft shows in Singapore, I guess. Very cool.  

At midnight, everyone had to load-out. So, I brought my little bag and filled it up. It's always so sad when everything's taken down at the end . . . Party's over. 

But on my way out, I was asked if I ever do workshops; that they would be interested in having me back to feature some of my workshops. Hooray-ripple-splash-happy!! 

To another MAAD event on the horizon . . . 

+   +   +   +   +

HANDMADE MOVEMENT  Fast forward a few months to January and you have the inaugural outdoor craft market--Handmade Movement--being held at Fort Canning.

Inspired by Renegade Craft Fair and sponsored by Noise Singapore, Handmade Movement is Singapore’s first and only large-scale indie craft fair. But it’s more than just a craft fair. It is envisioned to be a platform for local artisans to reach out to the community and encourage appreciation for unique items that are handmade with love and attention. Amidst good music, fabulously colorful decor, and the lush greenery of Fort Canning, artisans display and sell their handmade products and original artwork as well as conduct workshops for both adults and kids.

I have been asked by Aisah and Michelle, the curators and organizers of the event, to make this large space pop with color . . . And, I intend to do just that.

Fort Canning is a large park set in the heart of the civic and cultural district of Singapore. It is the highest elevation in the city, filled with gardens and historical relics. It is a popular place for picnic-ers, badminton games, and music/arts events.

For Handmade Movement, the main tent--housing the selling booths--will be in the center of the green space. A photo booth and the Handmade Movement booth will be in front of the building, on the stairs. And food vendors will be to the right of the walkway pictured above.

I have so many ideas for how to decorate the space that my head is spinning! I will be lining the walkway, draping the railing in the front and stairways of the building, and outfitting all of the smaller buildings and two main gates, see images below. And, Handmade Movement is helping to fund the entire project . . . 

I'm super-excited about these little structures! 

And this is absolutely beautiful! Pack those entryways with color!! And what a sweet little gazebo. It needs a skirt, I think.

Much of the grounds at Fort Canning are considered sacred because of the graves dispersed throughout the park. Needless to say, I will not be decorating the gravestones; but I will be using the history of the space as a launching off point to help shape the decisions I make in my designs. I really love the image below. 

Looking forward to this project! What a way to start 2013!

Mid-Week Inspiration.

At 7am, I got on the elevator on the 22nd floor to ride down to catch the shuttle for school. Right around the 17th or 18th floor, a giant golden retriever by the name of Sugar got on with me. I knew today was going to be a good day.

Then this happened (around lunchtime), and I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the day. This got me thinking about inspiration. Inspirational things. Things that inspire creativity, drive, progress, real change.

Inspiration comes from all over the place:  teachers, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, television, celebrities, magazines, religion. The list goes on and on . . . But then there is the inspiration that comes from inside. And I started thinking about my artwork and where it comes from:  why do I do what I do? What inspires me? What inspires other artists?

So I decided that each Wednesday my posts would feature something creatively inspiring to help get us up and over the hump of the week . . . These short, focused posts will include everything from interviews of artist friends to inspirational song lyrics, colorful music videos to exciting books. A little light to show us that, sure enough, the end of the tunnel is in fact near.

First up? OK Go.

In the past several months I have been posting a lot about OK Go. They create projects that bring joy:  joy to themselves in the process of making the work and joy to others who get to watch or experience the work, live or through video. They love confetti, they love color, and most importantly they love dogs. Their creative drive is both inspiring and mesmerizing. They are able to create so much out of seemingly simple things like treadmills and Dollar Store finds, and at the same time they create massive projects like being featured on a commercial during the Superbowl by building a track for a specialized car that plays instruments strapped onto the track while driving and singing. And let's not forget about possibly the largest, most inventive Rube Goldberg machine ever to be created:  I love that they let the sounds of the items falling down or water splashing remain in the video.

They are huge supporters of creativity, which I completely relate to . . .   

They continually post process videos on YouTube, which I watch on repeat and learn from.

And then they make gorgeous videos. A couple dancing. Dancing and beautiful color:  my two loves.

However, my most favorite video of all features the Notre Dame marching band and some pretty fantastic costuming. My 2nd favorite video features a trained goose, which I have previously posted here.   

What I like about OK Go is that they are willing to make bold, creative choices and take risks with their music. They are establishing their own path, continually pushing boundaries and enabling creative progress. Inspiring indeed.

Next Wednesday?  We meet the lovely lady behind Goats For Sandy.

Rock The Vote, Y'all.

Voting. It's a touchy subject, but an important one. Not one other time in my life have I felt more excited about voting than now. Sure, I've been voting since I turned 18. But it was only when I moved out of the country that I realized how truly great our nation is . . . All countries have their pros and cons. But there is a guiding passion that exists in the United States that does not exist anywhere else. I'm so proud and honored to be from a country that gets riled up about who they are voting for, whose election outcome could heavily influence the world: the ENTIRE world. It's fantastic to watch and exciting to be a part of!    

About a month ago, I sent in my completed ballot to the great state of Texas.  

I registered to vote overseas about 2 months ago and panicked for 3 weeks when I received nothing back in my email or mailbox--not even a, hey thanks for your application, your ballot's on the way! Nothing. So when it finally arrived, I jumped up and down like I had received a million dollar check in the mail . . . For starters, the ballot was crazy-huge! When I opened the envelope, the ballot itself was like 12 inches x 18 inches and the font was easily 20 point, maybe more. (Did they know that my eyesight was getting worse, perhaps?) I felt like I had shrunk in size and was holding the paper of a giant.  

I took it to school the next day to show everyone. Needless-to-say, no one was as excited about it as me. But my students asked me who I was voting for and I told them. If they were going to be my only audience to my excitement, then I would let them in all the way. They were happy with my choice, so no real debate was had.

I put my ballot next to my computer and just stared at it for days. I was not wavering on who I was voting for, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to actually fill it in. But, it did. Every time I would sit down at the computer I would pick it up, read the front and back of it, and put it back down again.  

Then, finally one day, I filled it in, walked down to the post office, and sent it off. Certified-style. 

Now I am not here to tell people who to vote for . . . I don't care who anyone votes for. (Well, I care a little bit.) I'm more interested in people voting, period. To me it's about exercising a right and standing up for something that truly matters to you. It's about being counted. It's about being a part of a community and setting an example. It's about follow-through and being heard.     

Long lines suck. They do. But just think: when you push that final button or marker in the last box on your ballot, you can go home, drink a cup of tea or a glass of wine and think to yourself, I made a difference. Now that's something to hang your hat on, it'll even make you sleep better at night.  

So get out there and ROCK THE VOTE! Stand up for what you believe in . . . You'll be glad you did.

Why I Blog & Other Things of Note . . .

I thought I would share with you why I blog. Blogging takes up an enormous amount of time and creative energy, so why do I do it?  

Two reasons . . . 

1) I blog because I really like people, places, and things; and I enjoy documenting. Recording "happenings" through video or still images makes me really happy. Blogging is a way for me to record things that I've made, things my students have made, and inspirations. By photographing people, places, and things, I feel like I've slowed down time or captured--forever--a special moment.  I like sharing these moments. 

2) I blog because I am very social and blogging is another way for me to build community and interact with people. I am a teaching artist and very involved in the arts community, so I interact in the physical world with people all the time. Blogging provides another form of social interaction: a quiet connection through images and words that could potentially reach out to people all over the world. 

I started this blog in June of 2009, when I left Austin to attend graduate school in Baltimore. Starting a blog insured I would be able to share with my family and friends what I was doing in school. It was the easiest way I could think of to send images and stories to everyone at once. And at the time, it was completely about school and the people I met during school. I'm so thankful that I kept up with it because there is no way I would remember everything that took place during that 14 months of my life: journal entries from the first few days of class, the passing of Michael Jackson, cooking with my friend Katti (the very friend I went to see recently in the Philippines), the 4 feet of snow that fell within a 2 day period and left the entire city shut down for over 2 weeks, the amazing young people I worked with at Wide Angle Youth Media, and what my visual thesis actually looked like . . . 

Now it's just over 3 years later. I've lived in California, Tennessee, and now Singapore. I've attended two universities. I've taught art classes at over 50 community and school-based locations. I've put up over 30 installations in various places. And I've met some really great, wonderful people along the way!

During this time, I used this blog as a holding place for memories and past experiences. Now it's time for a bit of an internal makeover. (On the blog, not me. Okay, well, maybe me too . . . ) 

My goals for my blog content will stay relatively the same. I will post fun things, silly things, and everything in between. But, my posts will grow to 4-5 times per week, where before my goal was once a week. When I moved to Singapore, I realized that I had more content which meant I needed to post more often. While most of my posts will focus on art, teaching, and travel; on occasion I may post an essay I've written or images/videos of my growing nephews.  

My posts might contain questions, so I encourage your comments whenever you see fit. I also ask for your patience as I begin to do some housecleaning on the blog. I will be formatting my old posts and editing them out, mass exodus-style. And if you see a misspelled word or grammatically incorrect phrase: never fear. Chances are I've caught it and haven't had the opportunity to fix it. (I promise I read these things over a billion times before I post them . . . I am but one person. Sigh.)

Last but not least, I always post new entries on my facebook and twitter pages. But if you are interested in receiving these posts via email, feel free to send me a message.

Thank you for being a part of this . . . Now, let's have some fun!!