When I look at my grandchildren's artwork, I see a reflection of their world.
What they are thinking, What is important to them, What and who influences them. Starting around age six, my grandson, Luis, created artwork that was very perceptive. When he created art for someone, it always has a connection with who he intends to give it to. He loved drawing, painting, and using clay--he just loved creating. He would create artwork for me that had hints of who I was to him. He draws pictures and puts labels like PEACE on them, or draws pictures of us at the beach or doing things together, or of me teaching school--he knows me well. My granddaughter, Mila, at age four just drew a drawing which, as an afterthought, she said was for me. No connections there. She drew a frying pan and someone cooking. What was influencing her? She was watching one of her mother's friends cooking eggs on the stove. How did I fit into to this? Her mother was on a video call (WeChat) talking to me and handed the phone to her. Mila desperately wanted to have a connection with me, but because I haven't seen her in over a year, she had very little to go on. So, she brought me into her world. I see my grandson every day, and my grand-daughter maybe once a year. Connections between people . . . that is what is important. Even the little ones know this and try to create connections with those around them. In my teaching this next school year, I think that I will concentrate on making connections with my students and having them make connections through their art with others. I will continue to strive to provide opportunities for them to connect with students in other cultures. This is one way that we can work on achieving peace in the world--through connecting students with art and writing. In my personal world, I need to work on those connections with all of my grandchildren. Like my students, I will need to make an extra effort to connect with those that are far away. In the case with my grandchildren, they are hours away. Maybe, I should do an art exchange with them.
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