Thanks so much to Kim of
Hummus Anonymous for getting me inspired for this week's art class. Seeing the finger figure skates made by her daughter got me looping about the mental ice. But like most inspirations, I was caught in the crossfire of memories, images, words, and events.
Snow on the playground made Tuesday magical. Getting the smallest students bundled for a real life snow experience involved lots of turning sleeves right-side-out, and aiming thumbs into their own mitten studio apartment.
The five year olds are practicing writing the number eight. This number is both the beautiful, graceful, double om of loops on ice, and purest torture for most young writers.
S S S, then
/ / /. Link the bottom to the top. No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, don't take that detour! Don't double back around!
My ankles are too wobbly for skating, and my shoulder too shaky for holding the picture book back-handed.
Ed and Rebecca Emberley's picture book,
Mice On Ice, added more ideas to the mix. Next week the kids will make a 3-D ice rink. The white crayon wax resist with the blue watercolor/black ink wash looked nicely icy.
"You are skating on thin ice" implies risky behavior without the disrespectful attitude associated with "pushing your luck". While I was pleased to find Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic "Blue Danube" program online, I can't find Mary Tyler Moore's classic figure skating spin from the early 70s.
I'm midway between the eighth anniversary of my mother's death and the first anniversary of my dad's. As Dad worked through paralyzing grief at Mom's death, he found a little window of light. "I'll never have to watch figure skating again!"
© 2012 Nancy L. Ruder
1 comment:
Next project: water bears go scuba diving!
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