Well, while
I was writing yesterdays blog, starting the firing of my coral mound for my
seal project, volunteering as a docent at Two rivers Gallery, and visiting
Terry Johnson to see what I would need to do next on my Steel Eagle, Martha was
busy teaching her ‘I Am the Earth’ art class with a great bunch of third
graders at Mission View Elementary in Wenatchee. While at Terry’s I got a chance to see the new
large Native American Painting that he did and committed to help him install it
today. 
Once Martha
was done with ‘I Am the Earth’, we met up and headed out to the town of Quincy
so Martha could teach an adult art class put on through Catholic Family and
Child Services for child care providers at the Quincy Senior Center.
Once there
and once Martha was situated in the space that she and her students would be
able to use for the class (there was a bit of confusion at first as the place
was mostly set up for the St. Patty’s Day Feast that would be starting about
the time Martha’s class would be wrapping up), I went on over to the Quincy
Library. There I needed to measure the smaller of Martha’s two sculptures there
as I will be making a new mounting plate for it. The plate that is currently
under it is too small. And, of course I enjoyed seeing Martha's large sculpture of a proud farm worker displaying the fruits (vegitables) of his labor.
Having
measured the plate and determined the size that is needed, I took the time to
enjoy the art by Don Nutt, Jan Cook Mack, Brad Brisbane and other artists on
display there. I took note of the fact that Don’s painting of the first North West
Explorers being observed by Native Americans high on a bluff above the Columbia
has been moved to a location in the library better suited to show it and give
it the room it deserves.
After
enjoying the quiet and solitude of the (no cell phone) Quiet Reading Room with its
comfortable chares and fire place, I was jolted by the sudden ring of… you
guessed it, my cell phone. Ooops! I jumped up and quickly left the no cell phone
reading room and returned the “Short Stories of Truman Capote” to the shelf and
went outside to take Martha’s call. She was ready to have me come over and take
pictures of the artwork of her students.
This group
of child care providers which included a preschool teacher and a social worker
were all there to work with clay modeling, learn about art, tap into their own
creativity and get firsthand experience at how art can be a great stress
reliever. Some of the senior center staff were clearly interested and related
how they really could use such a stress reliever in their lives. Can’t we all? Some of the floks there recalled Martha from when she used to work for a program called First Steps in Quincy almost twenty years ago.
The art that
the students did in such a short time was pretty surprising. There was a
collection of miniature furniture by one student, a good looking panda bear by
another, a blue swan ladle or spoon holder and an assortment of other animals
and decorative items. All in all it was a good day for art all the around.
While there I took note of the poster put up by our good friends out in Soap Lake for the comedic play they are currently running, that might be kind of fun to see. What a hoot that must be.
And, today, as I
write this Martha is preparing to head back to the elementary school to finish
up the ‘I Am the Earth” project at the school and I will be helping our friend
Terry install his giant Indian painting and working on my Steel Eagle.
Another good
day for art to be had.
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