Pride of Barbados (pink). Pastels. July 31, 2010

Today I tried pastels.  I wanted some colour. I found pastels hard to handle though as you never know
where the line is going to go. They are not pointed!  But I persisted.

the rocking chair July 30, 2010

                                                  rocking chair


This is a drawing done today. This rocking chair has a history! 


 I bought it with the idea of spending many wonderful hours sitting in it and rocking my soon to be born, little baby.


 As it turned out, the little son who was born had different ideas. He was a very active child with excellent co-ordination at a very young age. 


 He never did like being rocked in a rocking chair. He was too busy for that. What he did like, is climbing up the back of the rocking chair, as I held him, and tipping it backward as far as it would go, leaving the two of us in a position, where it was almost impossible to get back to sitting position!  That became the fun 'game' of the rocking chair!

the rocking chair

ajoupa school 2001-2010.

Dried flowers.

                        Embroidery - of a picture drawn by the student.      Dried flower book mark.                                            

                                                                                                

the ajoupa

2001-2010

The school was relocated in September 2001. This is its new location. I ask for your indulgence, in one display of some of the art projects the students were involved it.

a leap of faith.. opening a school tobago 1994..............

Our horse Mandy!

The school garden.

Trees to climb!

The children and teachers.

The school

There came a time, in my teaching career when, in order to remain true to what I knew about the creative force, and its intrinsic place in learning, I was forced to create a school that I could believe in.

I had tried for many years to place creativity at the centre of the teaching I did, within the regular school system. But it became dissatisfying, because I could see that there was so much more that could be done, while teaching the same curriculum, and preparing for the same examinations. To me, there was no division between these 'realities'. We are whole beings, made of mind, body and spirit. Why should we exclude two of these realities, and teach to the mind, in isolation?

Any learning experiences which were meaningful to me, or that I have any recall of now, were experiences where the whole 'me' was involved. The rest was like flat cardboard by comparison. So many years of boredom, that could have been so exciting!

I moved toward the idea of opening a school, very cautiously. Originally, I taught the Special Ed. children of North America. Any method that I could devise to teach these little children, was accepted by the system, because clearly the 'normal' teaching was not working for these children, and the system was at a loss to know what to do with them!

I taught the 'educationally mentally retarded", (EMR) as they were called in those days. I taught the gifted, who were also labelled 'special need' students. I taught the emotionally disturbed. I taught the teenagers who had 'fallen through the cracks'.. a phrase I have never understood!

I taught the children from the 'new Canadian' families, who came from all over the world, but mostly from the Caribbean. I taught the indigenous Canadians, whose peoples had lived in North America, long before the Europeans 'arrived'. I taught teens from Canada who were in trouble with the law, and needed guidance to get back to a less destructive path.

These children did not 'fit', and were therefore given special schools and special classes, within regular schools, in those days. (1973-1986 ). Later, when this quite effective and humane system became too expensive to maintain, it was dismantled, under the guise of not wanting to isolate these children. As if being a 'failure' isn't isolation in itself!

In these teaching situations, where many feared to go, I was left to teach as I liked. And I found that including the arts, and many 'hands on' learning situations, was what worked- from the gifted to the 'slow'. It has always been my belief that all children should have this kind of an education. One that involved the learner in a real and deeply involved way. The 'regular' students, who fit in, were getting a raw deal! One parent, who had one regular child, and one special child, said she wished her regular child could be in my class too! She felt sorry for that one.

Upon moving to Trinidad, there was no such system available. Many students were simply failed at the age of eleven, and left to their families to deal with. The situation in Tobago was even worse. Only 43% of the eleven year olds were given a place at all,,in the secondary system.

The rest were effectively discarded by the system, and often their own families, at that tender age.

The Caribbean schools, were clearly catering to the top ten percent. It was like a large clearing house, where only the fit and perhaps exportable, remained. At that time the country boasted that they had one of the best education systems in the world, and compared their top students as superior or equal to those of anywhere in the world.

But they failed to mention the cost to a society to produce these few, at the loss of so many talented and beautiful little souls. Many of whom have since turned to gangs, and gang warfare, and crime. It was predictable! What did the society expect these little people to do with the rest of their lives? Failed by the system, and often their own families, they turned to their peers. They used their 'wits' and 'talents' to get by, in a very competitive colonial system, that was intent on discarding them.

I taught for a short time, within the regular system in Trinidad, and was allowed, at a progressive private primary school there, to teach creatively. Upon moving to Tobago, I assisted in the creating of a primary school, with broader teaching methods and goals. It was successful, and the children loved it. But I had a different philosophy about discipline, than the school had. I also wanted the curriculum to become broader.

Therefore, I was actually forced, by life I would say, to open my own private primary school. It was for the children and families, whose circumstances did not stand them in good favour, for gaining a place in a secondary school in Tobago.

The motivation of the parents was to send their child to a school that would guarantee them a place in that system. These students consisted of foreign students, special needs students, children of artistic parents, children of desperate parents. Ninety percent of these children were from Trinidad and Tobago. Ten percent were from all parts of the world. If my 'foreign to Tobago', methods would help them, they were willing to find the money for the fees.

It made for a very interesting group of children to work with. We have all gained!

a new day has dawned - rocks, seeds and leaves

Well, it is time to take the dive. Time for some new work!

Still life. I drew the real objects. This is a picture of them.

Drawing done today.

I am on my way!

the art of playing 'mas'- "Sebucan"

Sebucan is an Arawak (island Carib) word.

Two Ariwak warriors.

More warriors.

The Sebucan dance. This dance resembles the maypole but it has a completely different origin. The maypole came later to Trinidad.

The Sebucan dance.

This was a dance done by the island Caribs (Arawaks), to squeeze the poisonous juice out of the cassava plant. It was done as a presentation in the early carnivals of Trinidad, by Arawak families, who lived in the Arima area.

This presentation includes all of the peoples who have come to Trinidad over the many years.

the art of playing 'mas'- "Shadow"

This band was amazing to see on the road. It took people by surprise. It was a tribute to the calysonian, 'The Shadow", and the effect of the whole band being on stilts, against the skyline, was breath taking. The black satin had an interesting visual impact.

The band explored the image of a shadow. A shadow has no race or sex. A shadow is private and exists as no light, as opposed to the image which exists in the light. The faces are covered, as stilt walkers were in the African tradition. The individual playing the mas is not to be seen. Even the hands are covered.

The older and more experienced stilt walkers used the traditional stilts that left their hands free.

The younger stilt walkers used stilts that used the arms and were not as tall. They could come off of these stilts easily, which made them more comfortable for the little mas players.

It was interesting to see the effect of using black in the carnival. It was effective.

The shadows moved throughout Scarborough!

The judging point.

the art of playing 'mas'- " Fireworks 2000"

This band used the headpieces to represent the fireworks. We also explored the use of the sailor costume for this band. There is so much flexibility with the sailor mas. The students learned the sailor dance from folk artist Earl Gordon. He donated his time to this task willingly and we all thank him for it!

Fireworks up in the air. The Queen of the Band.

King of the band. Fancy Sailor.

Stilt walking was introduced. The students were given classes in stilt walking, outside of carnival time. This picture is taken at a Heritage Festival event.

the art of playing 'mas'- "Dance de Bele"

Even the smallest ones got into the act! They danced and they danced!

and they danced some more!

A rare moment when one of little drummers met J.D.Elder. The children were fortunate to be able to perform the Bele dance for him, after Carnival.

A beautiful moment for all!

The drummers are taking advise from the great J.D. Elder. This shows the spirit of this great man.

The little drummers on carnival day. They rode in the truck and drummed for our mas band!

The school offered drumming classes at intervals. These were taught by folk artist and dancer/drummer Earl Gordon. He was always there for the school!

A bele dancer!

The King of the Band. He was originally from England and worked very hard to learn this dance. He just bravely 'jumped in', and he was appreciated by all!

This is the Queen of the band. We needed a dancer for this 'mas'. The Queen and the King won some very decent cash prizes that year!

The band "Dance de Bele"

the art of playing mas- "Power to the Douens"

The douens have come out to enjoy the carnival, and perhaps give the folk character, the douen a new image. It was a beautiful mas to watch on the street! The costumes were made of white satin, and the children struggled to keep the hats in place, in the wind by the sea.

The douens feet face backward, and they wear a mask on the back of their heads so they appear to be walking away from you, when they are really approaching you!

This picture shows the female douen from the back. You can see the mask in this picture.

This was the Queen of the Band. She is the only one with colourful scarves around her neck. The children played this mas so bravely, although the costume was a bit hard to handle, and a bit too hot!

the art of playing 'mas' - "Mas in de Forest"

The birds of Paradise visit the carnival asking for protection.

The tarantula wants some peace in the forest!

Even the snakes need our protection. The snakes in Tobago are not poisonous, and do much good.

The frogs need a place to breed, uninterrupted by human development and pollution.

The butterflies are asking for a habitat where they can fly freely.

The mas band is called 'Mas in de Forest'.