• Previous message: Bill Sechler: "Re: (no subject)"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

I have been mulling this over a bit and can't decide if I am legitimately
concerned or perhaps just in touch with my inner **tch. Thought I'd run it by
you all.

Last year we had a visitor to our school who showed a slide show of children's
art. These children live in a rain forest area (exact location escapes me at the
moment) and are chosen to live at this school, where they are given extensive
lessons in painting the flora and fauna of their area. Their work is exquisite.
A bit naive, but extremely carefully rendered. Definitely formulaic, but still
each one is unique and they are unquestionably beautiful. Very deep backgrounds,
with tropical colors. Not as naive as Rousseau, but a bit similar. Some of the
children are as young as 8, yet I see absolutely none of the same childlike
spirit and primitive quality I see daily in my students' work. This stuff is
right on the money as far as technique, realism, etc. The guest was hawking this
work. It was expensive, in four digits. I asked and was assured that the
children received some of these profits, but as far as I could tell most of the
profit went to support the school, itself. One could also earn money by
referring another customer, so there is certainly money coming off the top.

Our science/environment teacher just loved this stuff, and this guy. Evidently
the children are being taught about their flora and fauna by their "elders" (no
explanation of who that is) and part of the thrust is to record these things
before they are extinct. And the speaker seems legit, caring. He, himself, is a
photographer. And yet.. and yet.... my antenna is out. These paintings must
take in the 100's of hours to complete. I have a hard time getting my third
graders to finish coloring an 18x24 paper with oil crayons. I can't even imagine
working with them with tiny little brushes and acrylics on large canvases and
getting this result.

Has anyone had any experience with an organization like this? Any opinions?

Jen in Tallahassee

---

• Next message: Jarsawyer: "Re: color theory project pics"
• Previous message: Bill Sechler: "Re: (no subject)"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Mar 03 2000 - 16:34:27 PST