Badlands Residency Day 21

April 11, 2012

Worked with the 4/5^th grade and 6-8^th grade classes today. I get to work with them next week as well, so today we focused on drawing. I showed them a few different ways to measure and draw using L-mats, thumb/pencil at arms' length, and marking proportions on a photograph and transferring those onto a drawing. I think it went well. Their drawings are great and most of the kids were really into it. Next week we'll cover painting.

Got back to the quad around 4pm, chatted with all the neighbors for a little bit, then we headed to the wagon wheel for Katie's (surprise) birthday party. There were actually quite a number of people there tonight, small town but Katie is from here, so knows many. We had dinner, DQ ice cream cake, and many rounds of various games. I'm gearing up for a couple good painting days here, if the weather manages to be as gloomy as the forecast looks. If the rains holds off, Ryan might take me out exploring some remote areas on his ATV friday. My fingers are crossed that it will work out. My car can't get very far off the beaten path, and many of the best places are more remote.  

The school.  K-8th grade, 54 students.

Drawing lesson

Painting lesson

Badlands Residency Day 20

April 10, 2012

Spent the morning sorting through badlands photographs and finishing prep work for the afternoon lessons. After lunch I headed to the school and got set up. Had a lot of fun with the two classes today, first was the 2^nd and 3^rd graders, then the K and 1^st grade class. Small school, so grades are combined in classrooms. Something I've often thought could be a great benefit to the kids' learning, if done right. The kids today were great. So quiet and focused on their work. I love seeing that when I teach art to young ones; they get so engrossed and you really see their personalities come out on the paper. Rangers Julie and Sara painted as well, and seemed to really enjoy it. I wish I had more time here, there is so much more I could have done with the kids.  Images of the their work will show up here when all is finished, dry, and scanned.

After cleaning up and coming back to the quad, Steven drove Ed and I over to Rapid City for dinner at the Firehouse Pub. Good stuff.  An excellent view of Harney Peak throughout most of the drive over, and some spectacular cloud formations.  Steven and I were both wishing we had our cameras along.  We had some errands to run in Rapid, visiting the leather shop for Steven to get his art supplies, and Michael's where I needed some things for the school. Stopped for groceries too, there's a fair bit more variety here than Wall. Planning to make Coq au Vin one of these nights, and needed ingredients. Can't believe how much I'm eating here, must be all the hiking since I'm also getting leaner. Got back home on the late side, so just watched a bit of a movie with popcorn and rhubarb pie. Will head for sleep after posting this.  

Firehouse Pub.