Day 2: Meditation, Oil Paint and oh so much more.

Today was an exceptional day in so many ways. We started out the day utilizing something I very much believe in and have been engaged in for a few years now, meditation and Mind Body medicine. Thank you Nancy and Adi for teaching me this skill and allowing me to participate. After we got set up, I asked the class if they knew what meditation was and some did, reflecting, clearing your mind were a few answers. Since we were doing something totally new in creating art, I wanted to clear our minds and create space to experience this new medium and think outside of our norms. They were open, they became silent, I put on low classical music and asked them to breathe and clear their minds. We did this for about 7 minutes and then asked them to come back to class and open their eyes when they were ready. Then I asked them how that experience went and they said, it felt relaxing, refreshing and cleared their mind.

Something Margaret and I have not done since we started this program in 2008, we are co-teaching this week. Thank God! I want to so play, play, play with the oils, make them happen. Thank God I am not left to my own devices to do this because if you do not understand how to use oils, they go from beautiful colors to puck green in the touch of a brush and the wrong combination. In my art training and art education, I know how to use oils well though I am not a traditionalist in how I teach and Margaret's sage knowledge from her past teaching experience has the class painting in small squares, blending, using colors, etc. Reiterating the color wheel that we teach each year... It helps create structure for those times when you are very intently being creative and need to step back and make it look a certain way or need to control the outcome of your art to truly express your creativity, message and form.

The colors of oil paint is so much richer than using water colors and the texture is so rich. It was great to see the eyes of the students light up when they use this new medium. They are so capable and smart. It makes me feel unworthy at times to be experiencing this and all these feelings and watching these beautiful young people developing in front of us.

We also did something that we have done in the past. We did still life drawing to prime us for our oils using these stuffed animals bought at the market place. Each person had to draw from their vantage point. Since we are sitting at multiple tables placed together as one large table, once we finished we all got up and moved to the left to look at the work. Wow!!!!! Such great work, some are very talented and some very simple but all great. This method of moving to the left until you were back at your seat was great because everyone got to see each others work, comment, ask question, etc. We used this as well when we were using the oils after doing blending etc. A new method we like using, plus it gets people moving after sitting for a good amount of time.

Something we had to consider for this class was they would be at school from 10-2 without food. When class is in full session, they would normally eat at school, so after guidance from the headmistress, we purchased loaves of bread, Margarine and drinks. Besides the fact that we purchased the wrong margarine (did not spread easy) someone took the role of preparation of butter sandwiches and another took the role as beverage control and within 15 minutes all students had been fed and all bread and drinks had been distributed. They were so happy with this. This was so little and it meant so much to them. Bread and Margarine and Orange drink. Could you imagine giving this to students in the US. They would look at you like you were crazy. This is one of those constant reminders of how little they really have. When asked what they might like for a snack tomorrow, they said, exactly what you brought today. I read into this to realize maybe a better margarine. I realized that bread is not in their daily diet because it is so expensive to them. There are constant realizations of the different worlds we come from.

All are students are excited about the coming weeks. They are excited about the prospect of the art exhibit that will happen at the Kuona trust again, we made arrangements today. They are excited to paint with a new medium, they are experiencing new things and as Margaret said as we were looking around the class, these boys and girls are becoming men and women right in front of our eyes. I cannot begin to tell you how moving this is.

A question that we ponder; Will they always be in our lives? What does this mean? I guess we get to take them along with us and hope they take us along in there journey of life. I continue to believe that we get more out of this then they do.

I know this is such a gift to be able to teach these exceptional humans. I feel like we cannot do enough for them.

After a day of meditation, drawing, oil painting, arranging for an art exhibit and a late lunch we were able to return to our sanctuary at Pedro Arrupe, allowing us quiet time to prepare us for tomorrow.

With gratitude to you for joining us on this journey.

Charles and Margaret