Lynn Connel in Africa
This is an excerpt from Lynn Connell's blog on her trip to Africa. See the link to her blog in the Links section to the right. Lynn has been listed on the Art Map for the past two years.
Oct. 20 - February 14th...Valentines Day!
"I am going with ICA Canada (Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, www.icacan.ca - a registered charitable not-for-profit international organization, providing funding and support to 6 African nations with programs directly related to the HIV/AIDS crisis (volunteer testing, home based care, micro credit financing, employment skills training, youth education). "
OK the workshop this week. on art, the first one the ICA has given, i am a bit of an experiment it seems..20 participants some walking 2-3 hours to get there, some coming only for the mid morning snack of at least 6 slices of white bread and juice, lunch: chicken and rice...we eat with our right hand, the national dish Pap, or Pup, a combination of a wheat flour and water boiled and stirred..delicious like cous cous....no napkins, few trees, little paper...community centre, open windows blasting in hot air..the sweet sound of a class of 4 year olds next door singing xmas carols..we begin with an introduction, most absolute art beginners, nervous, quiet, sitting silently, then come the infamous spirit cards a la Douglas Walton..later one devout Christian confessed how worried he was when he saw this on my agenda, fearful of evilness coming into the workshop..but these were a huge hit, 25 cards for their children and grandchildren.....each one different, original, made by themselves, they were ecstatic, and we used them to imagine mountains, bushes, trees, creating landscapes: big land, little skies and the opposite for those who know these workshops...great..it was wonderful for me to watch them grow, the empowerment, the concentration, the sense of huge proudness when they discovered I CAN DO IT!! i am an artist..I can't wait to get home to teach this too my kids, my grandkids... I can use this in my batik...so exciting..wonderful.
Oct. 20 - February 14th...Valentines Day!
"I am going with ICA Canada (Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, www.icacan.ca - a registered charitable not-for-profit international organization, providing funding and support to 6 African nations with programs directly related to the HIV/AIDS crisis (volunteer testing, home based care, micro credit financing, employment skills training, youth education). "
OK the workshop this week. on art, the first one the ICA has given, i am a bit of an experiment it seems..20 participants some walking 2-3 hours to get there, some coming only for the mid morning snack of at least 6 slices of white bread and juice, lunch: chicken and rice...we eat with our right hand, the national dish Pap, or Pup, a combination of a wheat flour and water boiled and stirred..delicious like cous cous....no napkins, few trees, little paper...community centre, open windows blasting in hot air..the sweet sound of a class of 4 year olds next door singing xmas carols..we begin with an introduction, most absolute art beginners, nervous, quiet, sitting silently, then come the infamous spirit cards a la Douglas Walton..later one devout Christian confessed how worried he was when he saw this on my agenda, fearful of evilness coming into the workshop..but these were a huge hit, 25 cards for their children and grandchildren.....each one different, original, made by themselves, they were ecstatic, and we used them to imagine mountains, bushes, trees, creating landscapes: big land, little skies and the opposite for those who know these workshops...great..it was wonderful for me to watch them grow, the empowerment, the concentration, the sense of huge proudness when they discovered I CAN DO IT!! i am an artist..I can't wait to get home to teach this too my kids, my grandkids... I can use this in my batik...so exciting..wonderful.
posted by Barbara at 4:44 PM
1 Comments:
I'm loving these posts from Lynn Connell. What an adventure.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home