A Sense of Me

As part of my art and writing residency, students at the School Without Walls created blogs that centered on their personalities. Using the five senses and the sixth sense of intuition, these high school students wrote some very interesting narratives.

What Do You Love

On this Valentine's Day, sixth graders wrote narratives about what and who they love. The stories were then transferred to a small book they made. This session was the 8th of 10 sessions in my art residency with the Kennedy Center.

Wall Animal Mosaics

Animal mosaics created by this seasons apprentices line the wall at Arts on the Blocks Annual Open House. Partnering with the Montgomery County Humane Society, the event featured studio tours, face painting, caricature sketches, button making and an opportunity to collaborate on a wall mosaic for the Humane Society.

Beginnings of a Book

Sixth graders wrote stories based on memories they had of family members and were challenged to tell the story with pictures alone using papers they painted in earlier sessions. Next week they will add words to the story.

The Message in the Memory

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.  
~From the television show The Wonder Years

Last night I spoke to a group of parents and their children at an elementary school in Gaithersburg, MD in Montgomery County. I talked about my writing process and how my book Grandma's Purple Flowers was based on memories I had of my grandmother when I was growing up. I talked about how she rode the Greyhound bus from Atlanta to Chicago in summer to visit. I talked about the memories that had amazing effects on me, such as the gold teeth in Grandma's mouth and how I used to comb her long silver hair until she'd fall asleep. Many of these memories crept into my story. Memories are powerful things. If we entertain them, you'd be surprised how fruitful they could be.

Collaborative Creativity

I'm doing two mini art workshops tonite for a Family Reading Night at an elementary school in Anne Arundel County, MD. Parents and students will collaborate on cut paper collage portraits of their grandparents. The weather is actually cooperating. I'm jazzed!

Stories Without Pages

I will start another Kennedy Center residency next week at the School Without Walls. The art and writing residency I designed "Clip. Cut, Paste - Using Technology to Piece Your Stories Together" will encourage 9th and 10th graders to use the computer as a bridge to their creative writing.