whale tales

so. I’ve been busy… making life sized blue whale tails. I wish I had had the sense to show you the journey as it happened.  I did not. I guess you could say I was focused.(nay stressed).

I made the pattern tiny and used math to make it real sized.

   

   

then I assembled the pattern and cut out pieces and assembled those.

  more sewing insued.  then I painted.

   

 

then I added propellor strikes

  

roughly two months work.  I admit there were times when I wished they would make themselves. There were times when I hated them, was embarrassed of my work. I was tired and needed distance and sleep.

This morning I like them. There are things I will do differently next time. If there is a next time.  

I thank the staff at DFO for this opportunity and challenge.  I hope they are pleased. ( Truly I hope they are over the moon, but I’ll take pleased.)

Thank you to Matthew Elementary, the Anna Templeton Centre and My Parents for letting me use their spaces.

And to Erin at Fiber Lily.  For ordering giant amount of canvas in the perfect colour in such timely fashion.  

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Sometimes when you work at a fabric store you find really neat tags attached to bolts of fabric.
This one was clearly attached to the fabric before it was dyed because the tag was essentially the same colour as the fabric
Now if only I could read it.

(neato fact: sewing machine on the floor belongs to me mudder. The very same that I learnt how to sew with. thanks mom for lending me your indestructible. I promise to be careful
with it.)

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gifts from their hearts

Sometimes, when I’m teaching elementary students, I get gifts. Sometimes they say thank you. Sometimes they tell me how Awesome I am.
Sometimes they just want to give me a thing – a picture they drew, inspired by the project we just finished.
They are all sweet, and heartfelt.
Here is the newest collection from my grade 2 bird project.

they’re wonderful, I have kept them all, and started a binder, an archive of all these little thank-you’s. It’s a feel good thing for me – it helps remind me that I am important, helpful, loved, inspiring, and that I care, am talented, and passionate about what I do.

(and yet another gert big thank you to the NL Arts Council, for funding these projects in our schools. I’ve been grateful for their support in helping me and the staff, for building an arts based culture, education, and appreciation in the schools I work with.)

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Complete and Delivered!!

Pictures of the final salmons.
apologies for upside down or sideways photos……

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ever make a plaster mold?

Well, I def. learned something last week. I Iearned that it is Way Way easier to ‘wing it’ with elementary and primary students than with junior high students.
yeah sure, they’re better with scissors, and fine motor skills ( when they’re not, unfortunately, pretending to be unable from some sort of insecurity. Age 13. I do not envy them one single bit ).

Last class was hard on everybody, and I take most of the responsibility. As leader of the project, I was unprepared.
I have spent the last week preparing and communicating with their teacher and admin. I have two worksheets, as concisely explained as I can make them, while still giving a few choices to make. This, I’ve read, gives them some sort of control over their work, which is what this age of person is searching for ( developmentally).

I have two worksheets, and a more solid plan – that both teacher and admin have heard, and are pleased with, and have forgiven me for last day.
thank gods.

The students are still looking forward to the project – which is both refreshing and motivational to do a better job so they can enjoy, more, the rest of this really really cool, technical challenging, and artistically engaging project.

I also made a video of the mold making process, but I have to figure out how I upload it. Hopefully soon.
take care I yourselves.
r

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