This week Chewonki visited the art room with both live animals and a collection of items from nature. Students in Grades 4 and 5 moved through four stations drawing and painting from observation. They were encouraged to draw what they saw. They learned that observational drawing from life can teach them a lot of new skills, like patience and acceptance when the animal moves on its own free will and that drawing visual texture like fur, feathers and scales can be made to look a lot more realistic when you are drawing from life. Slowing down and quietly using our eyes and hands to draw the natural world is such a gift when so much of our life is busy and based in technology. We are very grateful to Chewonki for giving the students this opportunity.
