March 20, 2009...Last Class!

Excitement and passion and loud discussion reigned during class. Topics: The Profile Project, what Ms. Sapelly should teach next time, and Ms. Nessrella's request to students to petition Principal Starr-Klein to retain Ms. Sapelly.

After a lively and noisy debate, students worked as if we had a hundred more classes. Spontaneous watercolors, drawings in sketchbooks, or simple conversation claimed the class duration. Alas, I watched my ink-obsessed student continue to 'aim and fire' his inks, making yet another larger spectacular, riotous piece...

Ms. Sapelly quietly cleaned up and packed the few remaining supplies in her plastic boxes. Trying very hard to retain her 'joy'- as the students remarked to her that even when she tried to 'act depressed or angry' that it was impossible to wipe away the happiness in her face- ...her eyes fell upon the crocuses peering out from the pale grey swampy ground surronding the school, the clear strong blue sky...

March 18, 2009

A student came up with a novel way to apply ink: aim the filled dropper and fire it onto the paper, creating a magnificent, exploding, colorful design. This one in particular has embraced this technique, and each class I find him set up, newspapers underneath his paper, armed with various ink colors, ready to work.

The film crew of two arrived for the last time, just to interview students, asking them if they like the class better now than back in December, when we began...and WHY...But trying to get some middle school students 'to elaborate' is impossible. An A to the film crew for trying..

Ms. Sapelly reviewed the finished work, and realized that some students proved prolific, making half a dozen pieces. One focused on his shoes/feet, and created a variety of complex pieces that included outlines, cutouts, and inserts...

Ms. Sapelly failed to escape the film crew's notice, and was asked about how she liked teaching here...she responded "I'm trying not to think about this Friday, the last class, too much. I loved every minute teaching here..."

March 16, 2009

Class energy ranged from peace to bedlam; at times, I simply watched, others I heard voices erupt in song or friendly teasing. More profiles of heads and feet/soles were emerged...shoes pulled off, put on watercolor paper atop the long rectangular desks, and traced.

Some carefully blew ink across paper while others dumped large bottles of tempera onto paper... or into a plastic shallow bowl, where students armed with rollers 'inked' them up and rolled and rolled and rolled upon their compositions...Brushes, plastic cups filled the sink, and muddy water spilled onto the floor...

March 12, 2009

The Profile Project continues to excite and astound with all the various 'wet' media employed by the students, one of whom got out the ink roller and began furiously rolling out fuchsia paint; another got a hold of one and used the day-glow orange, then used its edge to create swirling lines. The green glitter resurfaced, and a student added it to one of her 'Jackson Pollock-like' profile/paintings/collages...

"This is my favorite project" is a phrase that echoes across the room. Alas, paint, ink, and watercolors are a fave among the students. Still, Ms. Sapelly is glad that they worked up to this point using collage, tracing, drawing, and other dry media...she doesn't think they would have embraced the paint as much if they used it in the very beginning...

She is thankful for one more week to work with them.

March 10, 2009

Green glitter, courtesy of Ms. Lobo, entered the room...and fell on paper, tables, and the floor, with much excitement. One student sat in the corner working intently with inks, then watercolors, creating a magnificent, contrasting composition.


Shoe prints and profiles abound; today we added a hand painted and inked with day-glow orange tempera....alas, yet another type of paint added to the mix...A very busy afternoon indeed, as Ms. Sapelly yet again forgot to keep track of time, and cleaned up the colorful aftermath of free artistic expression.

March 6, 2009

The profile project continues to surprise Ms. Sapelly. Outlines of shoes, made of burlap, are pasted onto painted, orange and blue canvas paper...A profile is collaged out of disparate inked, painted, and drawn paper in square shapes...One student is cutting out and outlining his shoes, and placing each different 'positive' shape into the 'negative' shape, creating unusual spatial compositions...

One student decided to trace her midsection, and Ms. Sapelly obliged. The idea of profiles expands... And the fascination with free flowing multicolored inks on watercolor paper continues...

The Admiring Hands project is on exhibit...they hang beautifully on a large bulletin board near the entrance of the school and the always action-filled cafeteria...

March 3, 2009

More ink free fall, burlap, and tracing completed on the Profile/Shoes project. Sheets of watercolor paper, quickly covered by precarious lines of violet, black, and orange ink filled Mr. Fontinha's drying rack. More paper is needed...

Mr. Brewster's film crew came and went, documenting the intense days that are few in number...the Admiring Hands projects are finally displayed on the bulletin board near the main entrance. Thank you, Mr. Brewster!

February 26, 2009

Streams of colored india ink, watercolor, and tempera littered the tables of the art room this afternoon as students began their last piece, the Profile Project. Actually, Ms. Sapelly allowed them to trace either their facial profiles, or their shoes (or both).

As usual, Ms. Sapelly set up some guidelines, but once she showed her examples, the creative juices flew...about a year ago, she experimented with ink washes, acrylic, and acrylic mediums and textures. The students loved the pieces, and rather than simply cut out and use her colorful watercolor papers, they opted to make their own!

Violets, pinks, blacks...ink everywhere...others did use Ms. Sapelly's 'samples,' and made beautiful sihlouttes with their own painted backgrounds....

A fast furious fun and intense class...

February 24, 2009

Today, we wrapped up the Admiring Hands project! Like the Postcard Project, we all sat around the long rectangular tables while discussing individual works. Some students volunteered to 'be first,' while others refused to participate...but in the end, all was fine, and the uncomfortable students shared with all their unique, sensitive mixed-media pieces...

Overall, everyone really liked the freedom of choosing what and who to include in their 'hands.' One student wanted more variety of materials, and I agreed. Also, all agreed that a better brand of glue stick would help in their collage efforts.

Inspiration came from parents, siblings, other Gilmore teachers (including yours truly), friends, and boyfriends or crushes. The sheer variety and style of work astounds me. And the amount, too. "A perfect project," the students quipped.

I wish all classes could be so satisfying to both student and teacher. :)

February (Friday the) 13,2009

An eerily quiet class. Even Mr. Fontinha's 'countdown to vacation' timer, displayed on the large classroom screen, failed to deter students from the task at hand...Knitters, crocheters, and those sitting at computers-purportedly searching for images but really playing solitaire-felt unfazed by the impending week off.

And then, in a blink, they disappeared, dispersed for seven days....

February 11, 2009

Creative and energetic bedlam reigned in the classroom, help by the presence of three eighth grade males. Spring paid us a brief but welcomed visit, so we all took full advantage of it, and opened windows for the first time in months. Blue, red, and pink felted hands adorned endless sheets of white watercolor paper. Beads were glued and tossed around the room. Some singing could be heard. Intense students, with heads bent over their first knitted or crocheted piece, worked quietly...one of them male....

A spectacular hour.

February 9,2009

Ms. Conely warned me that, because of the full moon, the students were 'extra energetic.' They certainly were, but more hand projects/drawings were finished fast and furious, complete with images of Freddy Kreuger, strands of pink thread, more beads, and pink felted stars...despite the bedlam, intense work invaded the room.

In art, I find energy can be harnessed in creative, rather than destructive ways...today, the level was "off of the charts," but in the exuberant positive direction.

February 5, 2009

Today, Ms. Sapelly observed a natural rhythm of the class, which included more gluing of beads, sparkling yarn, and marled variegated chenille onto sheets of white watercolor paper. A discussion about the differences between the games of pool and billiards began while one student finished his project, devoted to pool, adding a pencil wrapped in a neutral fabric that acted as a pool stick. A few students sat at the computers, intently looking for evidence of any differences between the two terms.

Hands projects are completed, new ones begun as Ms. Sapelly is constantly asked, "Can I have another sheet of paper?"...Thank you to Ms. Lobo for letting us use some of her enormous stash of colored felt...

A student composed a group of hands around the edges of the paper, colored in the 'negative' space surrounding them, revealing a 'star' shape in the center. A beautiful, powerful graphic image in its purity, its simplicity..

February 3, 2009

A long thin narrow string of knitting becomes a streamer. A white quilted sample piece Ms. Sapelly did for a project last year becomes the a cover of a sketch pad...filled with pink letters, wrapped with spakling yarn.

We run out of supplies, and Ms. Sapelly writes a shopping list: glue sticks, solvey, rhinestones....Class was well worth the treacherous drive through the snow storm.

January 30, 2009

Mr. Brewster's Documentary Film class was in evidence, taking some pretty amazing shots of students working, focusing on their hand movements. I sat with a group of male students who spoke passionately of Freddy Kreuger (one of their projects is beginning to resemble that notorious character's hands...in black and deep red wool yarn!) and Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight, a movie they urged me to see.

Hands included colors of the Irish flag, a pair of magnificent representational hands illustrated in pencil, and psychedelically colored hands that looked right out of Cream Disraeli Gears...or the Dukes of Stratosphere...depending on your music 'era.'

January 27, 2009

Ms. Sapelly, thrilled that one of her students loves "eighties music," dove into her pile of LPs and took a handful to Gilmore. She made photocopies of their covers, and the student was really excited...but he has yet to include them in his 'hands' project!!!

Two students, caught up in the excitement of a sports event, took the class time to create lovely green silk headbands. One featured a cd cut in half with beautiful writing on it, the other a feather. They wore these around and showed them to their friends upstairs. Ms. Sapelly photographed them before they left for the game. Another student used a pile of black yarn and created an amazing hand, the lines of the yarn reading like veins, with some strands spilling outward into space.

Principal Klein visited us, but seem concerned about the lack of students sitting in the class...and the few that were walking the hallways. Ms. Sapelly realized that three were absent, one excused for math extra-help, another ran to get her purple knitting yarn, and the other two were upstairs...so, six students sat deep into their work! But, she realized, she only started with nine students for the day anyway!

All turned out well, and we look forward, cautiously, to Thursday...

January 23, 2009

The class 'hands' include a variety of details. Beards, knitting samples, beads, black and white 'graphic' areas, ipods, and pool tables emerge on several pieces of watercolor paper. Hand gestures range from outstretched to peace signs; one student opted to exclude fingers!

Ms. Sapelly showed some of her own work today, but most students were uninterested, and wanted to work on their pieces in progress. They did, however, like the 'church window/ eye pieces,' and some expressed interest in learning the quilting and dissolvable stabilizer technique that was used in their making. Ms. Sapelly promised to 'demo' the technique after the Admiring Hands project is complete.

January 21, 2009

A lot of energy this day, for we came off of the Martin Luther King holiday and the excitement of the inauguration...I saw evidence of Gilmore's participation of the event in the form of large cardboard backdrops and posters littering the art room.

We continue to work on the Admiring hands project, but some were somewhat distracted and excited as the day wound down. A couple of students, however, sat in complete absorption, quietly coloring or adding words to their role model's hands...

Ms. Nesralla, Assistant Principle, paid us an admiring, encouraging, sweeping visit, exclaiming, "I have no artistic talent!" No matter how hard Ms. Sapelly tried to counter her opinion of her artistic abilities, Ms. Nesralla waved her hand and shook her head as she strolled out of the room.

January 16, 2009

A shrinking class population it seems this week, but Ms. Sapelly believes it's due to the long weekend...families may be taking an extra day for an extended vacation. Still, we were fortunate to meet with Ms. Megan Kenealy, Community Outreach Coordinator of the Fuller Craft Museum. Ms. Kenealy organizes all sorts of great classes and connects artists with the public schools...Ms. Sapelly is one of those artists, and is sooo grateful for the opportunity to teach at Gilmore Academy.

Ms. Kenealy met with students and asked them questions about the Postcard Project, while observing their work on the Admiring Hands Project. All were intently working despite it being the Friday before a long weekend!

Ms. Kenealy informed students about the Art Aspire gallery opening to be held at the Fuller Craft Museum in June. Their work will be part of the exhibition, and she encouraged them all to attend the event! They will be receiving formal invitations as the date nears...

Ms. Sapelly brought in her hand project, which will be quilted on muslin using tiny running stitches... she worries that she won't have it done by the deadline. Students were interested in the technique, and she will bring in some supplies next week for those who want to incorporate textiles in their work.

January 14, 2009

Everyone seemed tired or prone to outbursts today, as some students went on a field trip, returning just prior to class. Mr. Stewart interviewed students about their experiences while working on their projects, finding out how they felt about the class, for his documentary film making elective.


Ms. Sapelly reviewed the Admiring Hands project, and passed out a sheet with guidelines, ideas, and details to include in their drawings. Students finished up with their questionnaires and began working on their 'hands' composition.

January 12, 2009

Ms. Sapelly met with Ms. Lobo before class, and went to Emmanuel House to work out the logistics of the art elective visiting and working with the seniors. It became apparent that this was going to be impossible due to scheduling, so Ms. Lobo and her Community Service Learning class will do the Hands Project with the Seniors, while Ms. Sapelly's Room/Stories elective will interview role models, and work with their 'hands' instead.

Ms. Sapelly had the pleasure of meeting Professor Burns, a resident at Emmanuel and mentor to Ms. Lobo while she attended Bridgewater State College. What an inspiration!

Ms. Sapelly re-introduced the Admiring Hands Project, and all seemed fine with the change. She passed out the 'information gathering' questionnaire that both the student and the 'role model' will answer. This personal information can be included in their compositions.

Questions include: What is your favorite childhood memory?; What is your favorite food?; What are some phrases your parents used to say to you?. Ms. Sapelly suggested using words, derived from each other's answers, to fill in the hands or the 'negative' space around the hands. She showed several 'sample' hands she worked on using words, and images from magazines and newspapers. Students responded most to her own drawings that included her tiny, repeated signature covering the outside of the paper.

Students filled out their questionnaires during class. Already, one student has begun his drawing, a curve ball hand gesture throwing a baseball, including the words 'curve' and 'baseball.'

January 8, 2009

Ms. Sapelly introduced the new project, The Hands, tentatively working with the Emmanuel House seniors, but was unable to give specifics due to her working out logistics with adjustment counselor Ms. Lobo. Basically, each student will trace or draw their hand, making a certain gesture. They will trace the 'others' hand as well (senior).

Students began working in their sketchbooks, tracing their hands and filling in their fingernails, and adding colored circles outside of the hand area. All were on the sleepy side, due to the gray weather.

January 5, 2009

We wrapped up The Postcard Project. Each student described the subject, images, colors, words, and other elements included in their compositions. Topics included domesticated animals, baseball, shoes, rings, colors, pepperoni pizza, Plymouth, a Pink Floyd song, summer, video games, water, and healthy food. One was dedicated to a friend and contained images and words alluding to a relationship begun in childhood.

Overall, the class impressed Ms. Sapelly with their passion and depth of work, which wasn't easy to do on such a tiny surface. Then, she asked each what they liked/disliked about the project, and what she could do to improve and enhance their projects.

1. Likes: The majority enjoyed the 'freedom of expression, no limits' on what they could include in their work. Mind you, this assignment had very specific parameters: size of surface and choosing three 'things/places' you cannot live without. Apparently, these limits didn't bother them, rather they freed their imaginations. Also, they liked working on a small scale; it didn't overwhelm them.

2. Dislikes: Not enough class time. Not enough variety of images and magazines available to use. Not enough found objects to use in their postcards. Ms. Sapelly repeatedly asked them to bring in their own objects, but no one did so.

3. Improvements: see above.

After class, as I finished packing and cleaning up, a student returned, and asked me if
"I taught any child classes in Boston. I spend a lot of time in Boston, love your class, and want to know if you teach anywhere in the city."

I don't...yet....but I assured her I'd get busy, with her help, and develop a youth class. I celebrated my birthday today, and thought that this was the BEST birthday gift I'd received in a long time. :)