Gem's growing process...in learning and being continues to reveal itself quietly and definitively. He was the one who expressed an interest in attending the workshop when I mentioned it was happening. Coming from a kid who as recently as this week told me he dislikes museums (he has a fear of getting lost in big buildings), I was surprised and intrigued that he wanted to go.
We met our friends there and Silke was able to use their family membership to get us in for free. Saved us $28! Daniel was with them, home to avoid a "zoo-y (whole school) field trip" to a farm. I enjoyed the rare opportunity to hang out with him.
It was interesting...I recognized some families there, but there were just as many families...I'd say maybe even more families, that I had never seen before. The homeschooling community around here is large and diverse.
My highlights:
• Observing the kids in a different sort of environment and situation (especially when we were in the gallery and the teacher was doing her thing with the 20 odd kids fanned out on the floor in front of her, it felt and looked very much like a "school field trip" to me).
Sag tends to be more comfortable in this kind of scene and, in fact, he's at a stage where he's testing the waters of being a "comedian" (Lukas recently paid him the high compliment "you're a comedian" and Sag has not looked back). It's a balancing act, when you hit those insightful, funny moments, the audience laughs with appreciation...but when you're just kind of annoying, well, I'm glad I was there to give him some cues to cut it out.
Gem was a marvel in a different way. He sat with the kids, rapt with focus, raised his hand numerous times (though it was one of those groups where the teacher took many comments whether your hand was raised or not and so I think he only spoke out loud once---as opposed to Sag who quickly caught on and was calling out responses right and left), and was quite comfortable and content.
• Walking the galleries with the kids. I was pleasantly surprised to get about 15 minutes with the kids walking around, stopping to show each other pieces that got our attention, to ask each other questions, to make connections.
• Seeing photographs or portraits of some of the artists taken/painted by other artists.
• Sag asking, on more than one occasion, "why is that 'art'?"
• Seeing the work of George Inness, a painter who moved to Montclair in his later life and whose later works signified the beginnings of "Tonalism". Really right up my visual alley.
• Discovering a gem right in my backyard. It's a small museum, but contains a plethora of interesting pieces, many of which we didn't see yesterday. I'm looking forward to going back someday.Last, but not least, the artwork created:
"Lunch" by Gem. He worked with great focus and without a word for 20 minutes or so on this masterpiece. He incorporated just about everything he learned: a horizon line, shading, lightening, angling, touching (as in each item in the still life "touching" something else)... I love how he included his own life so literally (the packet of ham and the blue bag of potato chips). No fake apples or pears (which had been set out in the center of each table we students occupied) for him.
A study sketch by Sag.
Study sketch #2 by Sag.
"Every Day Life" by Sag. Get it? The guy is fishing a shark in a rubber raft... :-)
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