I had the privilege to demonstrate to The Carey School student body how I create my paintings.
I started out with first graders, then came the second graders, followed by kindergartners…then the third, fourth, and fifth graders.
With each group came bright-eyed faced filled with curiosity…and sometimes flushed cheeks from recess.
We began by talking about what they would title the painting as they saw it. Their responses were wonderful and insightful on occasion. My personal favorite was, “grape juice” as only a kindergartener would suggest.
I explained to them how when I was in kindergarten, my teacher gave us a project using masking tape and shoe polish and how I have taken this idea and starting working on canvas with the same principals as I learned when I was their age.
Each class would then choose, as a whole, which color I should apply next. We began with my choice, which was shoe polish. Then came green-gold, red, yellow ochre, phthalocyanine blue, then more greens, blues, pink, and finally more shoe polish.
It was a wonderful experiment on how to detach from the end result and truly be in the moment, connecting with not only the students, but the canvas as well.
Ah, going back to school has never been so much fun!

In the spring of 2007, Carey School Compilation was donated and sold as part of a fund-raising event for the Oregon State Head Start Program.

Do Good, Feel Good.