Huber Adventures: Travel and Experiences with Kids: En Plein Air

I look forward to every Thursday. That's my volunteer day at Kami and Lincoln's school. I help Barbara out with Art class every morning from 8:45 to 11:30 AM. Barbara is German but has lived in Spain, Uruguay and now Panama. I love talking to her and we sure have a lot in common other than being newbies in Panama.

Kami's sketchbook sample

Barbara was sick last Thursday so I was the art teacher. Sure!! I'll do it. I was kind of nervous being by myself with the kids but hey, I went home, got my coffee, a snack and my sketchbook. :)

We have 3 groups we work with each Thursday: the lower elementary, the upper elementary and the middle schoolers. No high school kids for us. Thursday I worked and actually sketched with them. I kept forgetting about the time, but I think I did ok overall. LOL

First, I explained the "plein air" technique (French for painting in the "open air"). Next we all observed the backyard of the school to find what we could find to sketch. The LE kids unanimously decided that the palm tree with the behive, bees and squirrel was the coolest thing to sketch. Uh! I had them picture it in the mind and paint at the table for safety sake and my paranoia about the bees.

Next up were the upper elementary kids: Kami and Lincoln's class (Lincoln spends half the day with the UE class for reading and english and writing). These are the 3rd grade to 5th grade class - and the largest! 10 kids total. Its kind of funny to explain to them the plein air idea and have them go at it. Some took out chairs and sat in front of the object they were sketching, others sat at the tables and painted from the distance. Of course there is no right or wrong in sketching, it was fun to watch them all sketch and helping those speed sketchers to sketch another and another.

Lastly, after our sketch or two, we did the art critique of each others work. This to me is important that we can share each artist work, review it, and comment on it. I think all the kids loved that part. I tried to encourage positive comments in the UE class, but overall everyone did an amazing job. Now to work on a link to share all my pictures of the kids and their art work in progress and finished products. Picasa or Flickr...maybe a blog!!!!

-Lita