Try again

Lily Emo- Assistant Teacher of the Painting Class



It seems to be that small things or achievements are able to leave enduring impressions. That has how it has been for me helping out at the Art Camp in Nicaragua this year. Observing the delight of children as they learn for what seemed the first time how to mix basic colors, seeing how they grow a little more confident as they explore with different techniques to make small improvements to their pictures. Small improvements to a painting can quickly become bigger noticeable changes to a painting.
I think it is an instant reaction for children all over the world to throw away paintings that are only half finished and start on a new one when the painting is not working the way that they had wanted it too. This was the case for Modesto. When he came to me with his half finished and obviously un-cherished painting, he was asking for more paper, which I refused to give him. Instead, I sat down beside him and showed him that by adding a few different colors and using his brush in various different ways he would be able to resurrect his painting and not need to throw it away and move on to something else. I left him intently working on that picture for the rest of that class period right up until recess time. During recess I saw him protectively guarding his painting while it dried. It had become a treasure and source of pride, instead of becoming a thing to be discarded and forgotten as quickly as possible. This is just one of the small things that had left its enduring mark on my memory.