Read, Write & Spread It!

Nice Quotes from the documentary: Class Act, about the importance of art education. You can check out the documentary at www.hulu.com type in Class Act, it’ll come up. I highly recommend it.

But for now, let’s just muse about teachers and the arts… Read these quotes but then take a minute to respond with who your favorite or most memorable teacher was, which teacher was most important, why? How did they change your life…

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” –BB King

“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” –Albert Einstein

“We need to reconnect the sense with the mind and that’s what art education is about; it is about cultivating the capacity to notice what is subtle but significant.” –Dr. Elliot W. Eisner

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -Dr. Seuss

“No matter what you decide in your life to do, you’re always an artist.” –Jay W. Jensen

“The teaching artist is someone who could do nothing else but this. It is an artist that is aware that art is about social responsibility; that art is about connecting people.” –Jason Duchin

“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” –Twyla Tharp

“Where would any of us be today without teachers?” –Jay W. Jensen

What teachers are you grateful for?

I’ve been lucky to have some great teachers throughout my life, but I’ve had a few that have really opened my eyes to the arts and myself.

*I wouldn’t be where I am today without Mr. Mellow, my high school art teacher who’s tough love approach matched my stubbornness. And who’s giving nature and ability to present me with new mediums and materials on a regular basis, fed my endless curiosity. He pushed for me to go to art school.

*Jason Bagatta, the first teacher I had, on my first day of college classes at Chester, I continued to have him for almost every semester I attended and learned immensely about arts and life from him and his classes.

*Jeffrey Carson, at the Aegean Center for Fine Arts, the English guy, the History Guy, the Writer Guy, there wasn’t anything this man didn’t know about and couldn’t make a dirty joke to go along with. This man is a quote factory and has lead quite an interesting life.

*Jay Bordage: he opened my eyes to film and I could have taken his class a hundred times and still learned something new. I'll never forget the day I saw *his* work for the first time and felt truly privileged to be learning under him.

Of course, there are many others, I can applaud Chester College and The Aegean Center for being full of wonderful teachers and incredible artists. So I’m lucky…

Who is your favorite teacher and why?

Easter Egg Art

Let's have an Easter Egg challenge! See just how creative you can get with the beautiful little white surface.

I made two red ones in honor of "Greekster" (Greek Easter) because they dye all their eggs red.

Maybe after you've all made your Egg Creations, taken pictures and shown your Egg Pride you could try this Greek Easter Egg Game. (I played it in Greece at Easter time.) Here's how it goes:

Cracking Eggs

In Greek culture, eggs are usually dyed on the Thursday before Easter. This particular Thursday is called Red Thursday, or Kokini Pempti. Nothing is done on Good Friday. No one works or cooks. You basically act as though someone in your own family has died.

So you've got your eggs, it's Easter Sunday, and you're rearin' to go. Here's what you'll need to know:

* It takes two to crack eggs properly.
* First, you and your partner must chose your eggs. you want an egg that seems as though it would hold up to a good beating.
* Hold your egg in your fist as though your fist were an egg cup.
* You will want to chose which side you want facing up first.
* Tops will smash tops and bottoms will smash bottoms.
* All actions are done vertically.
* Next, decide who will try to smash the other's egg first.
* It is very important to attack your partners egg head on, otherwise it is considered cheating.
* If you have succeeded in cracking your partner's without cracking your own, you get the next hit. (If you started tops, bottoms are next).
* If no one's egg has cracked, your partner gets a try.
* The winner is the one with the least damage.
* The top winner is the one who's egg has withstood it all. Unless of course you are really wanting to eat your egg, because you can't crack it on your own unless it's the very last egg left!.
* Remember to have fun.

We'd even make wishes before beginning battle and the one to win, had their wish come true!

Share your egg fun! Get creative! And Smile!

P.S.
*Did you know? -- A great way to color your eggs red is by cooking them in red
onions?