All Ages! Flying Machine Art Academy

Flying Machine Art Academy             140 Balboa St, San Francisco          Art classes for all ages!

Flying Machine Art Academy specializes in working with all ages in drawing, painting and pottery.  The photos above were taken over the past month during our Tuesday/ Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning classes.

Our highlight earlier this week from our Tuesday class, ages 7-12;  student's pottery after the final kiln firing (top image). See for yourself the amazing range of skill being developed at Flying Machine Art Academy at 14o Balboa St., San Francisco.  

  Our Summer schedule starts June 13th!!

Check it out at: 

http://www.flyingmachineartacademy.com   

510-847-6248

Huichol Indain Yarn paintings created by Flying Machine Art Academy's Kindergarten class

The Huichol Indians of Northern Mexico (190-mexico-s-huichol-resource-page-their-culture-symbolism-art)created these amazingly colorful yarn and beaded paintings, seen directly above, and were the inspiration for last weeks project that led them to create different concentric lined compositions.  The Huichol people are descendents of the Aztecs and are related to their Uto-Aztecan speaking cousin, the Hopi of Arizona.  The people, numbered to be about 18,00, still inspire many artists today and are admired by many more for their beautiful, skilled work.

Incorporating this concept in their art, Flying Machine Art Academy's Saturday morning kindergarten class focused on shape, contour and concentric lines for their weekly project.  The first three images seen above were created by three and four year olds after learning about the Mexican artist's amazingly detailed use of line and color to depict animal forms, plant forms and people. This work was completed in just one hour!  This lesson was part of a unit on Mexican art.

Saturday morning Kindergarten classes are from 9-10am and introduces key concepts of art history and design techniques.  visit us at http://www.flyingmachineartacadmy.com  and come join in the fun of learning!

PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDEMENTAL

Welcome to  a series of my thoughts, ideas and opinions about creativity and the creative process.  My intention is to build awareness in developing and nurturing more highly functional, creative children who know how to thrive in any environment.  After teaching for 7 years I slowly noticed a developing pattern, or trend, in the amount of time I liked to sit down durning the day in relationship to the amount of time students liked being seated.  As an artist and an art teacher, you are always on your feet, grabbing supplies, moving canvases, stepping away from the art, getting in close to it, jumping, sitting, leaning...rarely sitting for hours at a time.  I love this about art, it allows and demands that I move around.  

Here's another observation. Children LOVE moving around.  Fidgeting, running, tapping their toes, scratching their head, flinging their pencil, changing seats, opening the window, go to the bathroom, scooting their chairs in, scooting it out again...all in 5 minutes time.  And as an art teacher I've observed that young children, in general,  are the MOST uncensored, uninhibited, energetic, creative and abstract thinking out of all of us.  Coincidence that they love to move?  

The idea, that I'd like to further develop and explore, is that movement, kinetic activity, physical motion, stirs that reptilian, intuitive mind body connection, further fueling the imagination, the brain and thus the whole body system as a creative source of energy and genius.

The question I have is...why are there so few opportunities in the average classroom and even the exceptional classroom, for a student to be physically engaged in a way that will fuel their physical system, give the cerebral brain a rest and tap into the experiential body intelligence that feeds the immagination? 

 Hall passes, water breaks, messengers, these are not solutions for children who need significant windows of physical acitvity to help them focus, nor are they the exception to normal classroom routine.   Their desire and need for movement needs, and is slowly getting, more  consideration for the overall  needs of all students, and adults alike.

Please post any thoughts or comments you may have and share your ideas.

Cheers!

Introducing New work!!

Hi Everyone.  Hopefully the art I'm about to share with you will compensate for the delinquent entries in the last few weeks.  I've been designing a new art website and it's playfully consumed all of my time.  Moving on...I introduced you to Corbett Leith, an amazing abstract artist, in one of my earlier entries and I'm introducing his new work and new web site to you again today.  His work is not to be missed so Kick back, relax and take just a minute to enjoy his inspiring work at http://www.corbettbleith.com    

When you're done, this spiral drawing video is a taste of a few drawings  you'll find at http://www.petersengallery.com  

Enjoy!!  

  music by Doc Watson

New chapter

Summer.  The season we wait for every year and others chase  around the globe.  Beautiful places, beautiful people...and summer brings all it's fun and memories to keep us going... 'til the next time. There's been mention of the painful sadness of summer ending among my friends who are educators, trying to slowly shift gears between rest and racing. Before it passes I suggested we gather some photos of friends and family to mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.  Sometimes it helps to let one season go and allow the next to begin and avoid the clinging to wanting more of the past.  Clear the energy, clear the mind, and open up to what's about to happen.   Gather a few photos of friends and family and take a moment to say thank you for what has been and all that still awaits you.

Featuring Colette Crutcher, Mosaic artist

Among the many inspiring murals throughout San Francisco, Tonantzin Renace is not to be missed.  This sensational mosaic relief mural of  the fiery red Lady , unparalleled anywhere in the city, can be seen at 3495 16th St. and Sanchez.  Colette Crutcher lives and works in San Francisco, creating several mosaic masterpieces around the city including this incredible Mayan Quetzalcoatl ( seen above) sculpture located in the Mission district at 24th St. and York. One of her latest feats is the astounding community steps project located at 16th Avenue and Moraga in the Sunset district.  Aileen Barr, also a local artist who creates her own tiles, shared her skills with Colette to help create the hand made tiles and worked with Colette to design the steps.  With Aileen's ceramic knowledge and Colette's mosaic experience, the two artists work were wed.  Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier are responsible for proposing the idea and helped organize the project. Together, everyone raised enough money, $120,000, to create and complete the 163 steps mosaic design.  (left image just below)

WOW!!!

I previously had the privilege of living in the same neighborhood as Colette and could visit her Lion, Wise and Furry, at whim.  We can see more of Colette's incredible work on her website at www.colettecrutcher.com.  You can also purchase a book about the 163 steps recently completed in the city to support their work and cover the cost of the publishing.   Also noted and not to be missed here is the detailed relief sculpture created by her artist husband, Mark Roller ( circular relief seen below). The two have worked on several projects together, most easily seen on the Quetzalcoatl sculpture mentioned earlier.

          

Finally, to learn more about the murals of San Francisco, visit www.cityhikes.com.  OR   www.precitaeyes.org.

Nature

Among the amazing, magical formations that nature reveals to us every day, there are always some exceptions that defy any sort of explanation.  Like this tree growth I encountered while hiking the Dipsea trail in Marin, CA.... 

I never cease to be amazed at the endless creativity around me.  Please post your most amazing experience in nature and remember... keep your eyes peeled.