first nor'easter of the season

Yesterday we had our first nor'easter which brought a lot of rain and winds. We're still having strong winds today. They're good for drying laundry and the tons of leaves that came down with the wind, but Deezel and I will be buffetted around on our walk. Our color along the coast is still very nice. I took this picture last weekend in New Castle. I've never found that blue in fabric.
I had such a satisfying day yesterday. It was a write and share day. Other than the fact that the Friday classes have only done this once before, it went well. Each student chooses a work to share. Since it's early in the year, most shared portfolio work. Except for the first grades, they write in their sketchbooks. Most of them use the prompt, "When I dive into my picture, I see... /I hear.../ I feel.../ I smell.." It's an open ended, yet can be specifc prompt.
We talked about why I am such a believer in this part of the process. I do tiny postit size sketches of the work to help me remember what each is doing. The last class of the day is a fifth grade and their art and writing was impressive.
I've adapted this format from what I've used for years past. I had been on a two week cycle.  It was never very satisfying, not enough work time and not enough share time.
So, at the end of year, after asking the classes what they'd change about art, and many of them said more Studio time, I thought about this schedule. I was apprehensive about a 40 minute time in the Studio, but it's proving to be well worth the change. I actually can do some individual instruction for kids pursuing their own interests, they can get into a work and they can be very thoughtful about what they see and say in share time. I can also be responsive to specific interests that arise,  since "Studio" time has an element of choice, while still presenting what "has" to be taught. I've also been conscientious about leaving time at the end of classes to prepare them for the next week.  It has reminded me in a big way that the art process is about  each of them, not me.

Now, I have to get efficient about photographing their work during either studio or share time. Of course, I'll teach them to photograph work as the year goes by.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

October 16

This marks the day that I found the giant oak leaf . I used a stylized leaf that I had made as a stencil with a single red color.

Single leaf fallen

to the ground, wordless beauty

 powerful beauty.

October 15

I worked as a judge for the Cocheco Quilt Show. I was amazed at how so much of what I learned all those years as a quiltmaker is still accessible in a practical way.

Lovely cold fall day

the feel and look of quilts bring

back another self.

This is a pencil and colored pencil sketch of a made up design. I did later enlarge it and create it in fabrics.