Students' Creative Expressions of a leaf

I took my class to spend 20 minutes in the school compound and briefed my students to sense and get in touch with the nature surroundings.  What you see here exhibit the students’ creative expressions of their observation and imagination.

"Cracklee" effects Expressions

I have specially designed this creative craft program for those people who claim this statement " I can't draw, I don't know how to paint and I have never done a craft before!' This program involves a special kind of technique and some special art materials to create such "cracklee" effect. All we require here is patience as five layers of paint are applied before achieving the desired antique effect.

My Mandala Expressions

I recently have fallen in love with anything that has a black surface to doodle on! Once I started sketching a Mandela on a surface I simply couldn't stop till I have completed. All you need to do is to identify a starting point and start drawing what comes out of your mind - no preplanning or pencil outlines please.  Just relax your mind and allow your spontaneous ingenious thoughts flow freely! Before you know it, a Mandala is created!

So beware - the next time you are wearing something black and plain, do stay away from me!

Community Service - Exhibition by Youth Club

Community Service - Exhibition in the making

Community Service - Sunday Youth Club

I facilitated an art session with a group of youth age from 11 to 17. I wanted to educate them to have awareness on global warming and protecting the environment. I presented a short movie which I have put together using resources and information from the internet to inspire them prior to the start of their creative expressions. No examples of art work on this topic were shown and what they have produced at the end of a 90 minutes session is 100% original and authentic!  

My Creative Expressions

My students often asked me, teacher where is your work?  One of the reasons I don't display my work around the art room is I do not want my students to mimic my style in each project.   I feel showing examples of my creations to my students would probably suppress their genuine expressions.   I strongly believe that authentic artwork is based on the student’s own experience, observation and imagination.

Go ahead - take a tour on my blog and have pleasure looking at my creations!

Creative Mandala Expression by an elderly person

My mother is seen here actively expressing herself and enjoying this creative process on drawing Mandalas.

Collaborative Mandala

Yun Yun facilitated this collaborative Mandala

Four of my family members which comprise of three generations - my mother, sister, sister-in-law and my niece joined force and expressed this wonderful piece of Mandala on a Sunday morning. Using water colour and paint brushes, they all settled in their own spots and started painting spontaneously. The entire creative process only took 30 minutes and what we have achieved here is something money cannot buy – its bonding and quality time we spent as a family doing something really entertaining! There was so much synergy in us that this enjoyable activity was our main topic over lunch!

Creative Mandala Expression by an elderly

 

My mother who has just turned 77 years old had a fall recently and broke her thigh bone. Her mobility has been restricted despite her steady recovery staying in a rehab nursing home for two months.  She is feeling depressed and has lost interest in all the things she likes to do before her trauma.  I started to promote drawing Mandala art with her but she just sat quietly beside me and showed no interest in participating at all.  It was in my third attempt that I finally motivated her to respond and took part in this creative activity.  With my continual encouragement and inspiration, my mother now took on board drawing Mandala expression as part of her daily routine! 

I am truly delighted with the successful breakthrough using art as a platform to instill a new interest to my mother and helped her got out of depression.   Most importantly, my mother (my most senior student) is smiling again! I believe this is my finest accomplishment I have ever achieved so far being an art teacher.

I will continue to make every effort to bring awareness and effectiveness of art education as a platform to introduce and boost well-being and happiness to senior citizens in Nursing Homes.  I also endeavor to organize a Senior Citizen Art Exhibition to show case their exclusive creation someday!