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Japanese Friendship Garden, Balboa Park, San Diego (photo by Jane LaFazio) |
The photo above looks idyllic, doesn't it? Beautiful garden on a gorgeous day and fabulous San Diego's Balboa Park. So peaceful.
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2nd graders making art |
This was the other view of the same location! I taught 20 little 2nd graders how to plein air paint! I love teaching kids, but I gotta say, I was exhausted about just a little over an hour with these little artists!
They made tiny watercolor journals and captured the cherry blossoms in bloom.
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concentration |
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Me, overseeing my students |
The photo above, is me and the photo below is my dad.
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My dad, (in the center, front) somewhere in San Francisco, many years ago. |
My dad passed away a number of years ago. (My parents were divorced when I was less than 2 years old, but I saw him once a month.) After he retired, he volunteered with groups of kids. He loved helping little kids, teaching them reading, or math or whatever, and for most of my life I couldn't figure out why.
But about a dozen years or so ago, I got the hankering to teach kids. It must have been in my DNA. Over the years, I have been a visiting artist in numerous elementary schools, and even created and ran my own grant-funded after-school art program (Mundo Lindo) for 6 years.
When I got the opportunity, recently, to teach art these 2nd graders in Balboa Park, I jumped at it.
Must be in my DNA.
PS April 18 is my 10 year anniversary of blogging and I'm thinking of stopping. What's your opinion?