South Bay Hands on Art

Are you Branching Out?

2012-01-25T21:51:00.000-08:00

Some photos from our most recent docent training workshop, "Branching Out with Charles Arnoldi"....

"Reflections in Nature"

2011-11-03T12:39:00.001-07:00

Photos from the Thursday docent workshop, "Reflections in Nature." How many lovely places our imaginations conjured!

Teaching Tumbling Tiles

2011-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

So I taught the Tumbling Tiles lesson to middle schoolers today. Big class, but I noticed one section of boys was really getting into it, making geometric designs...

After class, they went outside, and their teacher called me out to see.... those same four boys were putting their tiles together to make a big collaborative piece, spontaneously--nobody told them to do this, they just understood the lesson. Whoo-hooo!

Thanks guys!

More Resources for Tumbling Tiles

2011-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Docent art, from the Friday workshop

Did you enjoy the training workshop for Tumbling Tiles? Are you looking forward to teaching the lesson? Great!

Here are some more resources for the background material:

Terrific Tiles: an accessible e-book (by me!) of photos similar to my slideshow today.

More about the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and how it relates to medieval Islamic tilework.

Isfahan in Iran has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Here's a gallery of images from a UNESCO website of the Meidan Emam, Isfahan.

Here's a nice website of Moorish tilework in Sevilla, Spain.

More about William Morris's designs for tiles (with a lot of images).

The MOMA page about Frank Stella.

An interview with artist Valerie Jaudon, conducted by fellow artist Shirley Kaneda.

Also, here's more information about The Power of Art event, the next two weekends.

And away we go! Tumbling Tiles

2011-10-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for the first project? Tumbling Tiles kicks off our 2011-2012 season. Here are some photos from the Thursday morning docent training workshop:

Help teach an HOA lesson at the Galleria!

2011-09-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ready to get started on the new year of Hands on Art? We are too! If you want to jump in before the first workshop, there's a great opportunity on Saturday, October 1. In conjunction with the Redondo Beach Art Group, South Bay Hands on Art Reaching Out is going to be previewing the Power of Art event with activities at the Galleria, including a Hands on Art hands-on lesson. Contact Stefani Conniff to volunteer your time; the event runs from 11-1 and 2-4 in the Food Court area.

Ready for 2011-2012?

2011-08-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

A few notes as we head into the new school year:

*School HOA chairs should have received an email about the chair meeting 9/10/11 (hey, cool date!)--if you didn't get that email, you may need to update the board about your contact information, asap.

*Workshops this year will happen at Alta Vista elementary school, at 815 Knob Hill. There are specific instructions about parking and entry to the workshop space; all school chairs will have these details in hand before the first workshop, and should share them with docents.

*Got the project list for this year? No? Okay, then here it is:

Tumbling Tiles
Penny Richards

Reflections in Nature
Diane Dubin

Branching Out
Kaye Furlong

Designs by Klimt
Marianne Coble

Larger than Life
Lee-Jean Lin

Notan
Marlene Rich

Firm dates and other details coming soon!

*Finally--anyone interested in being HOA Supply Chair? If you are organized, and you have some space for staging supplies for pickup, you can do this. There aren't any very unusual supplies this year (like some years), so it's a good time to give it a try. If we don't get an overall supply chair, each school's supply chair will handle ordering and organizing materials for each site. We've done that before, and it's not unworkable, but an overall chair makes a lot of things run more smoothly. Consider if this is another way you can help this year.

UPDATE: Supply chair FOUND! More details soon.

Brunch is now Light Lunch! All the details below

2011-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

The end of year Hands on Art brunch is now an early lunch! Same place as before, just a little later--all the usual hoopla and ballyhoo, guaranteed!

Where? Riviera United Methodist Church (here's a map)

When? 10am to 1pm, Friday, June 3

Who? You, if you're a docent, school chair, or otherwise involved--see your school chair or a board member if you're not sure

Come get your first peek at the 2011-2012 projects, and enjoy reflecting on the past year's art experiences.

Open House!

2011-05-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Elementary schools all over the district are holding Open House this week, and it wouldn't be Open House without Hands on Art displays! Be sure to notice the really cool ones, and share pictures if you take them... link in comments here, or post on our Facebook group (newly updated). Meanwhile, this is a display of docent projects I spotted this afternoon at Lincoln:

Chalk It Up!

2011-04-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

Were you there? We had a gorgeous day, and some great art, food, music, and dancing. If you were there, I don't need to tell you; if you weren't, you missed something great. It might not be too late to see the art, if you hurry--but that's the nature of chalk art, it's beautiful for a short time, and then it's gone forever. So seize the day!

Getting ready for Chalk It Up!

2011-04-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today there were chalkers all along the seawall at the Redondo Marina, celebrating Earth Day and getting a sneak preview of Chalk It Up, which is only two weeks away! What an amazing site for a chalk event, and it was a gorgeous day too--not hard to get inspiration with a sunny seascape right in front of us...

Chalk It Up News!

2011-03-07T06:48:00.001-08:00

Fearless chair Erika Snow Robinson writes:

I created a dedicated website for South Bay Chalk It Up - check it out...then, click all over it - follow us on twitter, post us on FB, read our blog...get our community out to support our children and the arts! and don't forget to PRE-PAY for your square via paypal thru our site! It's tax deductible - have a biz that wants to sponsor a square? Let me know!

Thank goodness I have a super understanding hubby who knows where my passion and talents lie since it seems every waking moment between now and April 30th will be spent for the good of Chalk It Up! I’m THRILLED to be able to say that South Bay Chalk It Up! now has its very own website. Complete with a paypal reg button (just like the one on this page!), and links galore - to vendor websites, email, documents for volunteers, FB, Twitter, this blogspot and MORE...so check us out as soon as you can. And PLEASE spread the word. We want this year to be even bigger than last year. Remember, this is the ONLY fundraiser where ALL the proceeds go directly to benefit South Bay Hands On Art.

And without SBHOA, our children’s world in the public school system (and a lot of the private ones locally) would contain a lot less “color”! When funding is cut, it’s always (for reasons that baffle me) the arts and music and sports that goes first. I’m not saying we don’t need rocket scientists and English teachers and accountants... what I AM saying is not everyone goes on to be one of those. Where would our world be without the contributions of Leonardo DaVinci? John Williams? Annie Liebowitz?

Wake up world! Because a world without music, art, sports and color, is not a world I’d want to wake up to - and we shouldn’t want that for our children either!

You can follow SBChalkItUp on Twitter--yeah! I think I'm the first follower ;D

Southern California Handweavers' Guild Annual Festival in Torrance, 7 November!

2010-11-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

If you enjoyed this docent trainings about weaving, check out the Southern California Handweavers' Guild Annual Weaving and Fiber Festival, this Sunday, 7 November, 10am-4pm, at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Sounds like it should be very stimulating to the eyes, the hands, and the teaching muscles too!

Photos from the Weaving at the Bauhaus workshop

2010-11-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Warp and weft and weave and weave... The Thursday workshop for Weaving at the Bauhaus was fun! It was over well before 11am; docents did some beautiful work, and solved some tricky process issues too. Some sneak peeks:

End-of-Year Brunch

2010-09-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

It's a bit early to be thinking about the next end-of-year brunch, maybe, but here are some photos from the brunch last June (photos by Cecilia Gamet).

RBUSD Superintendent Steven Keller with 2009-10 chair Lucia Galante Johnson and 2010-11 chair YaVanna Baird.

Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin with SBHOA Treasurer Jackie Cronkrite

Some of our radiant docents and school chairs!

Where are you going?

2010-09-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the South Bay Hands on Art docent training workshops will be held at the Knob Hill Community Center this year? (Click the link for map, directions, and other details.) Don't go to Parras Middle School--that was last year's hotspot. We're back to Knob Hill, our longtime location, for 2010-2011. Be sure to alert your fellow docents so they aren't late for the first workshop!

Our 2010-11 Schedule of Projects

2010-08-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Calendars ready? Here are the workshop dates and project lineup for South Bay Hands on Art, 2010-2011. If you've been around a while as a docent or a chair, you might recognize some of the presenters' names, but two are new to us this year.

October 7-8: Dappled Sunlight
by Rebecca Jarus

November 4-5: Weaving at the Bauhaus
by Penny Richards

January 13-14: Watercolor Sky
by Yavanna Baird

February 10-11: Children at the Seashore
by Vickie Sekits

March 10-11: Koi Fish Silk Painting
by Birgit Snodgrass

May 5-6: Sand Sculpture
by Carrie Powers

They'll eat this up!

2010-05-12T07:02:00.001-07:00

Final project for the year, presented by Marianne Coble--a pop-up-book style page based on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. Background, middle ground, foreground, scale, crosshatching... and some lovely water-soluble oil pastels. Let the wild rumpus begin!

(Above photo was taken at the docent workshop, by Cindy Denny)

Did you Chalk It Up?

2010-05-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Above: a colorful chalked seascape by Brennan and Maureen

A lot of folks did... hope you had a chance to stop by, at least--it was a beautiful day and a great location for the event.

More from Erika Snow Robinson--Chalk It Up is this SATURDAY!

2010-04-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

[at left: Lincoln principal Samantha Leddel at Chalk It Up 2008]

A message from Erika Snow Robinson, your tireless Chalk It Up chair...

Hey Y’all!

Well we’re in the home stretch for Chalk It Up - the signs are hung or placed around area schools (mostly), the ads have appeared in papers (or will), the flyers and e-blasts have gone out (numerously), the sponsor/pre-reg squares are rolling in (keep it up!) and the forecast for rain for May 1st has now been changed to sunny (WHEW! still praying though...).

Now all I need is YOU!

Friends, family, community members, kids, adults, artists - EVERYONE - to come on over and Chalk It Up this Saturday at Redondo Union High School!

Yeah, yeah...I know - it’s Sharefest and it’s OLG’s fiesta and...and...and the list goes on and on...(and those are all great events, of course!) but please remember, this is the ONLY fundraiser we have JUST for South Bay Hands On Art - which affects all our children! So see how many things you can fit in one day and make CHALK IT UP one of them!

Can you imagine a world without art or music or creativity? NEITHER CAN I!!!! So let’s make sure that it never happens for our children...

It’s not too late to pre-pay online and OF COURSE you can show up and pay for your Chalk It Up square the day of the event!!!

Thanks to everyone for making this happen and let’s make it the best art & fun-filled Chalk It Up ever!

Questions? comments? don’t hesitate to email me: redondobeachrobinsons@verizon.net or find me at our FB Events page!

Even more Chalk It Up news!

2010-04-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Erika Snow Robinson is back with another message of encouragement and an important link to our Facebook event page for Chalk It Up...

Hey Y’all!

Just want to thank everyone who is getting the word out there - especially those of you who are blogging, adding us to PTA Newsletters, websites, etc. Remember that you can find out the latest details about Chalk It Up, specifically, and South Bay Hands On Art, in general, here at the blog, or check out our Facebook Events page! I encourage all of you to ask your friends to join, or simply send them a Chalk It Up invitation once you’re there. Visit us - make comments - give suggestions, but mostly, let others know about us!

JOIN US...what are you waiting for? This event and our art program will only be as successful as the people we have participating and volunteering! And remember, your (and my) children are counting on you!

See you May 1st - at RUHS!
Erika Snow Robinson
CIU Co-Chair 2010
310.946.5421
redondobeachrobinsons@verizon.net

More Chalk It Up details!

2010-03-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest from Chalk It Up chair Erika Snow Robinson:

Hey Y’all!

Just an update on Chalk It Up 2010 and how things are going! First, let me say - things are going GREAT!

We’ve secured some great food vendors, including Borrachos Tacos and Fresh Brothers Pizza and now the arts and crafts vendors are starting to sign up as well! Forty canvases or so will be making their way back to us after having been turned into art by local artists and members of the Redondo Beach Art Group - for our awesome Silent Art Auction. Also, we’ve got some cool music slated for the event including the band, “Olds Cool” and the “Free to Be Me” Drum Circle.

Lastly, I want to make sure that everyone knows...Chalk It Up, which is an all-volunteer run event, directly benefits South Bay Hands On Art - an all-volunteer, non-profit organization.

In other words, yes, SBHOA is in the classrooms of Redondo - but not just RBUSD schools - also our community’s private and religious schools like Ascension, Tuvia, St. James, St. Lawrence and so on...

AND we are NOT run by the district - so if/when y’all are thinking of donating or showing up to part with your hard-earned $10 for a 2x2 square on Saturday, May 1st, at Chalk It Up...please remember, this benefits EVERY child who has ever had, or ever will have, contact with the South Bay Hands On Art program, or the Reaching Out program, and it is COMPLETELY separate from any district activity!

Thanks in advance for y’all’s support - now get ready to CHALK IT UP!

Erika Snow Robinson
CIU 2010 Co-Chair

The Poetry of... Tin Foil?

2010-03-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

(Art by Sadie, a Lincoln student)

For the current Hands on Art project, students are making "iron" sculptures--from tin foil and wire. Well you didn't think we'd have them doing welding, did you? A coat of black paint is surprisingly effective at creating the illusion of ironwork. The project (developed and presented by Carrie Powers) is inspired by the work of Julio Gonzalez (1876-1942), an artist from Barcelona who spent his adult life in France.

Three-dimensional projects always present a display challenge. Here's how the Lincoln chairs solved it!(Shoeboxes, craft paper, and a staple gun, if you're curious.)

CHALK IT UP 2010!

2010-03-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a note from our enthusiastic Chalk It Up 2010 chair, Erika Snow Robinson, with all the details you need to plan a fine, fine day of chalk art on May 1.

Hey Yʼall! Chalk It Up is back this year, Iʼm happy to say! I agreed to run Chalk It Up this year for three reasons: #1) I missed it (like many of you have told me as well!); #2) itʼs now our only fundraiser solely dedicated to supporting Hands On Art (and we all know how important our art program is!) and #3) two of the most fabulous, amazing chicks said yes to “co-chairing” with me if Iʼd be the front man (or woman, I suppose) - and those two amazing chicks are Stefani Conniff and Laurie Anderson!

Yes, you know these gals - they are long-time HOA supporters, docents, participants and theyʼve both either chaired, or been involved with, Chalk It Up for a while as well. Chalk It Up would not be around this year if not for them and many other volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to pull it off. In fact, there are so many volunteers, helpers, committee chairs and just plain nice folks to help out, when all is said and done, Iʼm going to owe so many people favors, babysitting hours or money that I may have to rafﬂe off my ﬁrstborn (sorry, Drew!).

We have some great changes this year - including getting technologically savvy. If youʼre reading this, perhaps youʼve already noticed how much Penny Richards, who so generously runs this blog for us, has magically pulled us into the 21st century...including a PAYPAL “buy” button to pre-purchase either a 2x2, 3x3, or the grand-daddy, a 5x5 square for the day of Chalk It Up (and yes, you can buy them the day of the event, too!) Please spread the word - about this blog, about our event - on Facebook, and Twitter and whatever other places are out in the blogosphere or web. We need all the help we can get and weʼre trying to avoid going paper crazy this year (in the interest of our environment and our sanity!).

Weʼll have live bands, the Free to Be Me Drum Circle, Dennis Forel of Balloonacy, an awesome Silent Art Auction with art created and donated by members of the Redondo Beach Art Group (of which Iʼll be donating one!), a bake sale, plus lots of food and vendors and also returning...the ever-popular jewelry workshops put on by the talented Silvia Peluso. So come out and stroll and chalk and view our Hands On Art Gallery by RB students!

Look for the ﬂyers via email and by all means, pass them along to everyone you know. Weʼll be on Facebook soon so visit us there and who knows...maybe Iʼll even learn how to twit...tweeter...? well, you get the idea!

SEE YʼALL SATURDAY, MAY 1ST, 2010 - at RUHS, near diamond & PCH!
Erika Snow Robinson
Chalk It Up 2010

February Project: Mandala

2010-02-07T15:44:00.001-08:00

For February, SBHOA classes will be focusing their energies and thoughts into mandalas... the lesson emphasizes the way design grows from the repetition of elements, and has a clever way to make that repetition (especially for children who may never have seen carbon paper ;) ). The docent workshops certainly enjoyed the process!

(Thanks to Cindy Denny for the fine photos.)

January project: Pastel Wolf

2010-02-07T15:36:00.001-08:00

Are there wolves prowling your school campus? Or are those just our last HOA project, "Pastel Wolf"?

Photos from "Grow Well-Explore Art"

2009-12-17T15:56:00.001-08:00

Did you check out the displays at the Beach Cities Health District? The halls were literally aglow...
Aha, but don't be frightened by the Myth and Mystery projects, haunting the same spaces!

Grow Well - Explore Art

2009-12-12T10:43:00.001-08:00

Read the Daily Breeze's nice write-up of the show at the Beach Cities Health District here. And come to the opening reception tonight, 4-6 pm. Kids too!

Color of Snow: The Process in Photos

2009-11-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

With some projects, it's easier to show than tell, and our current lesson, The Color of Snow by Birgit Snodgrass, is one of those. Here are the steps in photos--it's absolutely no substitution for the workshop, and the actual lesson is much richer, but maybe the photos can serve as reminders of the sequence.

1. Draw in simple trees with pencil and fill in the trees with Maskoid:Remember to say it clearly: Maskoid is the product we're using. "Mastoid" is a part of your skull. ;)

2. After the Maskoid has dried a minute or two, wet your whole page with a sponge, quickly add watercolor (be sure to leave some lighter "misty" spaces), and before that has a chance to dry, add a generous amount of coarse salt:

3. Let that dry a little (time will depend on how wet the paper is). Then (this is the fun part) peel off the Maskoid:

4. Next, use brown watercolor on a dry brush or old gift card to make the tree-bark texture, and to make the trees more dimensional. Birch trees have horizontal dark marks in their pale bark:5. All done! The salt should stay on the painting until it falls or shakes off--don't try to wipe off the salt or you may smear the painting:

Support your fellow docents this weekend!

2009-11-04T10:31:00.001-08:00

Some ways you can support other Hands on Art docents in their various artistic pursuits--we're not just teachers, many of us are also musicians, dancers, crafters, and visual artists too. Why not learn more about them?

Erika Snow Robinson (docent at Tulita, a past project presenter, and a Chalk it Up co-chair this year) will be performing with the Beach Cities Symphony Orchestra this Friday, November 6, in a FREE concert at El Camino College ($2 parking). Every ten years, the orchestra performs Beethoven's 9th (Ode to Joy) with full chorus--so this is your last chance to see it before 2019! Kids are absolutely welcome. Concert starts at 8:15pm at the Marsee Hall auditorium.

Works by several Hands on Art docents, present and past, will be for sale at an Artists Holiday Boutique, to be held Saturday, November 7, from noon to 9pm at the home of Georgette Gantner, 327 North Gertruda Avenue, Redondo Beach. If you attended the Power of Art, you know there are some wonderful local artists, and this boutique gives you a chance to buy local and buy direct. Good stuff you can't get at the mall!

Got more announcements? This is a good place for them. We love to support our docents, but we also like our workshops to run on schedule, so we're encouraging more online notes for outside activities.

Workshop #1: Myth and Mystery

2009-10-08T18:12:00.001-07:00

What happens at our workshops? Well.... About 180 docents are assembled in one room:
And we eat brunch (but it went so fast I didn't get a chance to photograph the coffee, the quiches, the croissants, the fruit, the flan...). And there are announcements, and helpful displays related to the project of the day:
Want to buy a t-shirt or apron? The merchandise table is waiting for you:

Now it's time to get down to the art.... The presenter says, hands in the gesso!

And TAAAH-DAAAAH! Happy docents with their finished works, ready to teach the lesson to their students.

October 11: "Where the Wild Things Are" Day at the Skirball

2009-10-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Because our last project of this school year is based on Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," we thought Hands on Art docents, families, and friends would be interested in the Skirball's upcoming Family Day, "Where the Wild Things Are," to be held on October 11, 10am-4:30pm. It'll feature a craft center, live music, readings, and an exhibit of illustrations and props from the movie (due out soon). It's free with museum admission and no reservations needed. Check it out at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles (just off the 405).

More Dates to Save

2009-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

South Bay Hands on Art docents have opportunities to do a lot of community activities and fundraisers beyond the classes we teach in local and outreach schools. Some you can put on the calendar right now....

The Power of Art
16-18 October
655 North Harbor Drive, RB
A three-day cultural arts celebration sponsored by the Redondo Beach Art Group. SBHOA docents will be teaching a workshop at this event, "How Sweet It Is."

Grow Well-Explore Art
12 December - 22 February
Beach Cities Health District
A major exhibit of Hands on Art projects, with displays created by each school's docents. The opening reception will feature a silent auction, and prizes for the best displays. Don't miss it!

Chalk It Up
1 May
(Location to be confirmed soon)
A chalk art fundraiser for South Bay Hands on Art. Docents will be involved in planning this event and making it happen; buy a square or a pair, or a great big square for a great group activity.

Workshop Dates for 2009-2010

2009-08-31T11:01:00.001-07:00

Here is the final schedule of workshops for the coming year. (If you're at a Thursday school, notice the Thursday dates; if you're at a Friday school, notice the Friday dates.)

Myth and Mystery
Marianne Coble
October 8-9
Inspired by the work of Jesse Reno (b. 1974) of Portland OR, students will create their own mythological painting on rosin paper using a variety of media.

The Color of Snow
Birgit Snodgrass
November 12-13
This project will have students wondering what is the real color of snow. They will use watercolor, Maskoid, and salt to create their own unique landscape of birch trees, fences, and colored snow.

Pastel Wolf
Julia Tedesco
January 7-8
Students will draw a step-by-step portrait of a wolf and learn how to use chalk pastels. They will also learn about wolves and wolf conservation.

Mandala: The Complete Circle
YaVanna Baird
February 4-5
Students will explore patterns, shapes, and emotions as they create their personal mandala using prismacolor pencils.

The Poetry of Iron
Carrie Powers
March 11-12
Students will sculpt with wire and foil, adding black paint and a clay base, to create their own abstract sculpture inspired by the work of Spanish-born Julio Gonzolez (1876-1942).

Wild Things
Marianne Coble
May 6-7
Inspired by the popular children's book by Maurice Sendak, students will design a three-dimensional page with landscape and a creature, using a variety of techniques and media.

Our New Location!

2009-08-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

For the 2009-2010 school year, South Bay Hands on Art docent training workshops will be held at Parras Middle School (see link in sidebar). We will meet in the Multimedia Room, an auditorium off the cafeteria.

Because the parking is quite limited at this location, we're encouraging carpooling (as usual), and also asking that docents use LEGAL* STREET PARKING whenever possible. The curb near the Multimedia Room should be kept open for school supply chairs, who are usually bringing bins full of supplies to the workshops. Docents who require closer parking for health reasons should also have priority for the few campus spaces we can use. Let's leave the close spaces for the folks who really need them, and enjoy a little walk in a nice neighborhood before and after our workshop fun.

*Use your eyes and common sense--look for signs about street cleaning and other restrictions on parking. Hands on Art will not pay your parking ticket if you fail to follow basic rules of parking to attend a workshop.

Hands On Art Chair Meeting

2009-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 Chair meeting will be held on August 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is an important meeting to attend. Email daynacalifornia@gmail.com for location.

Rock the Chalk!

2009-07-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

From the Redondo Pier website's listings of upcoming events. This is great fun in a great location--whether you're participating or just walking along the pier watching the chalk art happen.

7th Annual Chalk Art Festival & Live Music
Saturday, August 22, 2009 | 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Come out to Redondo Beach and see how the Redondo Beach Pier’s walkway becomes a veritable canvas on which all can create their own chalk art. The first 150 people to enter receive free chalk. The festival is FREE to the public and open to all ages. Individual and team prizes will be awarded in various categories.

Julia Tedesco's "Legend of Sand Dune Park"

2009-06-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Beach Reporter this week has a story about Julia Tedesco, a local artist, publishing a children's book about local history, The Legend of San Dune Park. Tedesco will be teaching one of our 2009-10 workshops, "Pastel Wolf."

Hands on Art shout-out in Lincoln talent show!

2009-06-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

You'll hear Hands on Art mentioned among the great things about Lincoln School, in this talent show performance from last week (listen for it in the segment by "Halle B"--whose mother is a longtime Hands on Art chair and docent, btw)...

PTA Reflections

2009-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 theme for the PTA Reflections Program is Beauty is...

This program is open to all students. The art categories are literature, musical composition, visual arts photography, film/video production, dance choreography. The deadline is in October 2009. If your student wants to be creative over the summer, this program provides some motivation to get started.

2008 Chalk It Up video

2009-06-03T12:10:00.001-07:00

From this website. Sorry about the screen cutting off on the side, the original is wider than this column.

Our 2009-2010 Schedule of Projects

2009-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

At the brunch on 29 May, we unveiled the six projects we'll be presenting to students in 2009-2010. They are.... (drumroll optional here)....

Pastel Wolf
a lesson in wildlife drawing
by Julia Tedesco

Myth and Mystery
a lesson based on the art of Jesse Reno
by Marianne Coble

The Color of Snow
a watercolor landscape project with a twist
by Birgit Snodgrass

The Poetry of Iron
a sculpture project based on the art of Julio Gonzalez
by Carrie Powers

Mandalas
exploring traditions, symmetry, and shapes
by YaVanna Baird

Wild Things
a lesson based on the art of Maurice Sendak
by Marianne Coble

Stay tuned for details as fall approaches!

Tar Heel Readers for Hands on Art 2008-9 projects

2009-05-27T20:50:00.001-07:00

Tar Heel Reader is an innovative literacy website that provides age-appropriate and interesting online picture books for new readers of all ages. (Because a new reader who is 16, or 36 or 56, doesn't generally want to read only about puppies and kitties and teddybears, eh?) In the past year, I've made Tar Heel Readers to go with several of our Hands on Art projects. Check them out! These books can be used online by one student, or downloaded as powerpoint presentations for a whole class, in case those modes are useful to any of our docents.

Hundertwasser
Vanishing Point
Marimekko
Sunprints

Watch for more Tar Heel Readers that match our 2009-10 lesson plans--they'll be linked here as supplements as we go through the year.

Enrichment material for "Fixing a Shadow" lesson: Anna Atkins (1799-1871)

2009-05-27T12:32:00.001-07:00

Our Fixing a Shadow lesson focuses on the work of Fox Talbot. But.... did you know that the very first book of photography was made of sunprints, just like we're making?

Anna Atkins (1799-1871, pictured at left) was the same generation as Fox Talbot; her father was a scientist and a librarian at the British Museum. When her father published a translation of a French book about shells in 1823, Anna provided over 250 illustrations. In 1839, Anna was recognized for her work when she was elected to the Botanical Society of London. It was around this time that she started making cyanotypes (sunprints) of different species of algae, based on Fox Talbot's method. In 1843, she began publishing British Algae, and followed that with another compilation of cyanotypes, The Ferns (1854). Because each print was unique, these books were published in very small runs, and only a few copies remain today.

Check out selections from the New York Public Library's set of Anna Atkins's stunning algae cyanotypes here.

Our History

2009-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

South Bay Hands on Art can trace its roots back to 1975, when budget cuts in the Palos Verdes Unified School District deeply affected the arts in the schools. A program known as Art at Your Fingertips was created by a group of parents who would continue the art experience for their school-age children. This program was so successful that by 1982 a new pilot program was started which, for the first time, broadened the reach of the program to include schools outside the PV USD.

One of these "sister" programs was South Bay Hands on Art, born in 1987, with only four elementary schools and thirty docents. In 1994, yet another sister program was born when Torrance formed their own group, Adventures in Art. This allowed Hands on Art to expand to the entire Redondo Beach Unified School District. The program continued to duplicate and there are now six sister groups in the area. (See our sidebar for links to some of them.)

Today, South Bay Hands on Art proudly boasts nineteen schools, both public and private, and over 350 docents. We bring six different art projects to students in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms, and afford the children the opportunity to experience the joy and magic of art in a non-judgmental, non-threatening environment.

Thanks to the efforts of parent volunteers, whose passion for art illuminates our children's world, Hands on Art provides a rich and stimulating opportunity to experience art in different and exciting ways.