Labor of Love

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I cannot believe I am finally doing this…I am going on a mission trip to teach art to Guatemalan children.  This has been a thought in the back of my mind for 16 years.  The moment I decided to become an Art teacher, I wanted to teach art to everyone.  I have always believed that art is within everyone, it just has to be nurtured out and the person will create.
The fact that I leave in less than 4 weeks to give these children an opportunity to allow Art to become their voice is so inspiring to me.  I am going on my mission trip with I Am Art, through Athentikos.  I am truly in awe of the work they do.  They have asked me to create a lesson with paper-making.  I have taught paper-making years and years.  I even made handmade paper for my sister’s wedding invitation.  I love making paper, it is fun and open to all kinds of possibilities- like adding mixed media to the top of it before flipping it to dry on fabric or newspaper or drying the paper pulp into ripples.  So many ideas, so little time.
I brought my blender and shredded paper to class and that’s when my 8^th graders started asking me what I was doing.   I started to talk to them about my mission trip.  They were all over me to help, so much so that I was overwhelmed giving them jobs. I taught a few of students to make paper pulp-Jane, Emma, Iva, and Abby.  We made the colors of the rainbow.  I gave Sierra some paper I had made and asked her to decorate it.
[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7594″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Once again my 8^th graders started voicing their opinions, they told me to do more with my students in Guatemala.  I started bouncing ideas off of them.   My 8^th graders liked my idea of the journals, and of using glass and creating dream catchers.  I asked them what they thought of “walking in God’s light” and creating footprints of who you are.  I have some of theirs to show my students.  I also said something about masks and they went wild.  They told me I have to do these projects too.  Well, I just couldn’t stop there.  I asked my students to help me cut paper so that I could make my 8 to 10 student a sketchbook.  And then I had one of the girls drilling holes in wood so my class can make wall hangings while the paper is drying.  At this point, it became a labor of love.
My suitcase is over flowing with materials and love from my students.
I would love to tell you that the love stopped there, but I can’t because past students have now become involved and donated art materials and wrote letters for my art students.  Thanks to my good friend Sherry Amorocho who teaches Spanish at our high school.   I am so proud of our 4 year Spanish students.
My labor of love is a beautiful journey for all of my students- past, present, and future.[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension=”two” corner_style=”rounded” size=”large” url=”http://athentikos.kindful.com/i-am-art-se-luz-2016/sarah-cook1″ target=”_blank” bg_color=”#dd3333″]Give a donation to support Sarah Cook in I AM ART[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_gallery images=”7602,7597,7598,7595,7596,7599,7600,7601″][/vc_column][/vc_row]