Riley first came for art lessons two years ago, when she was in the third grade.  Now she's back at age 11, almost ready for Middle School!  At left are her three phases of the art project called "Finish the Drawing" I've been doing with my students this week.

"You're kidding, right?" is what Riley said she felt like saying when I told her what we were going to do last - a full-page painting of the drawing we'd been working on from the inside out, so to speak.  Once she started, though, she found it a lot easier than she had supposed, partly because she was so familiar with the drawing already and partly because she used a nine-part grid to get the proportions right.  A sizable drawing is a lot easier when you take it one small portion at a time.

I showed her how to make a wash and she took to it right away and was delighted with the results.  Watercolor is not a forgiving technique, but Riley used it well.  Because of the color work we've done, she was able to choose colors that blend well.

When I have only one student, I enjoy working alongside her with my own similar project.  Children know how to learn by asking questions, but also by watching others work.  As we work, we chat about school, family, and friends - and also about watercolor paper and why it's rough and thick, and about what kinds of hair and fibers paintbrushes are made of.

Because of school vacations and scheduling conflicts, my weekday groups won't be back for three weeks.  I'll miss them!