A Great Day For Creative Expression!

Two boys draw their self portraits. Diyar Academy for Children & Youth, Bethlehem

Great success today!  21 7th graders from Diyar Academy met with me in the art room to draw their self portraits for "Children of Bethlehem".  First we went around the room and introduced ourselves by name and shared one anecdote.  I was not surprised at all when most responded, "I like to play futbol."  Surely we had a whole team and ample subs just around our one table!  

As we shifted gears into the art, in classic 7th grade style, they were a mix of attentive and rambunctious.  Once they finally got into the project they were coloring and writing away.  The girls were perfectionists (flashbacks to my own middle school years...) and it took multiples promptings to move them on from creating the perfect head shape to actually drawing some details.  A number of the boys went right to work, a few struggled to get started, and others sought out new media to work with.  In the end we had a beautiful collection of self expression in pictures and words with marker, pencil and paint.  

Next up, photoshoot and sharing.  I look forward to telling you all about it later this week!