Mural Painting

I started teaching a new Garden Art class at school this month.  It is delightful and a lot of work.  The most time consuming part is prepping and then getting the pieces ready for display.  For this painting project I had a lot of help with the prep.

I have completely loved working with the students in a new way and coming up with projects every week that will work for grades K-6th.  I have found that most projects work with all ages with a little modification.   This project that you see here was my form of a mural. I work with whole classes and I couldn't quite figure out how to have 20 students paint on one mural all at once.  So, they're making a mural quilt.  When they're done they will all be mounted on a piece of plywood and displayed in the garden.  They turned out beautiful.

The first class I did this project  with was the kindergarten class.  The assignment was very structured.  I showed them Georgia O'Keffe paintings and they were all asked to draw a close up of a flower.  They were also told to fill up the entire square.  No white paint showing.

This class shown here is a little older.  I told them to pant something they like in the outdoors.  I also put around the same inspirational pictures that I used in Kindergarten.  I thought the paintings came out beautiful.  I loved watching the focus  and complete absorption of some of the same students who often have a difficult time focusing. 

Spring Blossoms

 

Spring has sprung and even with a certain amount of neglect things still bloom forth in all their glory.  I look around our yard and there is a riot of blooms.  Not a lot of color in these pictures but there is some.  These first blossoms are a product of our neighbors hard work and lightly fill the air with a scent of sweetness as I race by them to or from somewhere.   Jasmine that covers the fence and a sprawling bulb the I'm not sure the name of.  The other ones are from our pear and apple trees repectively.  They are old but oh so productive.      

Winter Veggies

Well, I had lots planned for this garden but didn't get it all put in yet as you can see.  I have things purchased and waiting patiently to spread their roots.   But actually the bare dirt does reflect action.  I cleared all the weeds and even got Emily, begrudgingly, to help a bit.  In her bare feet.  I told her it might be easier with shoes on but that was too much work or something.  Anyway, I have lettuce, spinach, cabbage, chard and broccoli waiting.  Then in seeds I have carrots, radishes, kohlrabi and beets.  I have to make  trek up to the horse farm to get manure and then we can roll.  I think I need Nate's help around here when it comes to gardening.