For the past two Thursdays, the New Artists program at Phillips Elementary had the pleasure of having a special guest come in. Lena Loshonkohl is a fine arts/art history major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was generous enough to come in and show my 4th and 5th graders some watercolor and charcoal drawing techniques. We practiced still life drawing, and watercolor gradation (making colors more or less saturated) with some favorite objects the kids brought in from home. The students loved having a fresh face in the classroom and really enjoyed learning new skills.
"I create art in order to connect with people. I feel personal isolation haunts every human being, and my goal is to break that isolation with my work.
For this same reason, I feel that teaching is imperative, as it teaches us to connect with one another. I realize based on my experiences as a child how important afterschool programs are, and how important it is to engage children in something they're interested in. As more and more art programs are being pulled from schools, we will need to rely on the communities surrounding us to provide classes for kids. After volunteering, I truly admire the work of this afterschool program and deeply believe it is having more of a positive effect on these kids than the teachers realize."
-Lena Loshonkohl
Also, be sure to check out Lena's awesome blog, Gift of Amnesia. It showcases her own artwork (she's extremely talented) and talks a little bit about specific techniques and styles she uses. Enjoy!
-Annie
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