Artist in Residence

The recent Micro Survey has so far indicated a very positive outcome in favour of repeating our Artist in Residence program. I did receive a number of comments asking exactly what the program entails. Following is a summary from Ramona for everyone's elucidation. It would be good to hear from your children, use the comments section to post their thoughts.

From Ramona:

The Artist in Residency program that I recently completed at Haultain involved working with grades one through six to teach them crucial basic techniques in art. I incorporated some of the curriculum subject matter that children were studying into their lessons using various mediums.

We did various contour studies (upside down contour, still life contour, etc), learned about chiaroscuro (light and shadow technique in art) and movement, and how to render it, learned one point perspective (horizon lines and vanishing points), and learned about paint techniques with watercolor pencils, watercolors, and, my favorite – acrylic paints (rendering in realism and in impressionist methods).

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the children and would like to thank the teachers for letting me “barge in” for six hour-long sessions in each of the classes to share what I love to do. I think you will be amazed at what your children were able to accomplish. Ask your grade 3 student about their Taj Mahal or their Ukraine cityscape in perspective, or a grade 4, 5, or 6 student about their Emily Carr-like totems , or their prairie landscapes, or their Group of Seven style acrylics, or their whale in motion. Ask your grade 2’er about one point perspective of a pier on their Nova Scotian coastal-scene or any grade 1 student about desert and arctic landscapes...

We covered a lot of art in a very short period of time, but it was a wonderful experience, and I hope you will have me back again next year! - Ramona Lind