Just facilitated this fun art session with the girls at Camp G.L.O.W!
The theme was self expression and each girl got their own puzzle piece to design. The idea was to see their beauty as individuals and also as a learning, growing, functional group through their camp experience.
Learn more about this amazing organization Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World)
Interpreting topics of sustainability such as permaculture, climate change, alternative energy and animal husbandry for the MAREP Expo here in Grenada. I fully commend the MAREP team for getting an illustrator involved to translate these themes into educational materials for children. (See a few samples below.)
I volunteered with
this art program over the summer and taught this group of youngsters (6-8 yrs
old) how to paint /personalize their very own bamboo pencil cup holders.
They were very excited to create something different and functional. It was
also a good opportunity to introduce the kids to sustainable materials that we
have on the island. I like teaching art classes where kids get to explore, have
fun but also create functional products that they can use in their everyday
life! Not all children in the Caribbean have access to art classes or
materials so just sharing supplies to experiment and play with is just as important. We must continue to encourage young children to learn and express themselves through art.
Through funding from Reach Grenada I got the opportunity to facilitate some art classes for children from select foster homes on my island.
As usual I found Grenadian kids to be exceptionally talented. They are engaging, full of ideas and not afraid to push boundaries, which of course resulted in some really imaginative creations!
I felt really proud to be invited to do a Visual Arts presentation yesterday for Career Day 2017! It’s a great sign that the Arts are being recognized as a viable career option in the Caribbean! Thank you SGU and Rotaract Club Grenada for the invitation to connect with youth! #movingforward #convertingthemasses #stgeorgesuniversity #careerday2017
Fun Fun One Crab On The Run is a Caribbean
nature counting book. Illustrated by moi, written by Mario Picayo and
published by Little Bell Caribbean
This special launch is a kid-friendly event,
and will be promoting the value of art and literacy to early childhood
education on my island. In honour of
Picture Book Month, there will be a presentation on reading picture books,
illustrations on display, as well as copies of the Fun Crab Books for
sale.
Thanks
to our generous Fun Crab Patrons. 160 books have been donated to our
pre-primary and primary schools in Grenada! (Distributed by the Ministry
of Education.)
As the illustrator, I'm really excited about Fun Crab going to Grenadian schools so our young children will have access to books designed with Caribbean children in mind. As a literacy tool, Fun Crab has the potential to help strengthen a reading culture in Grenada using fun, familiar imagery and author Mario Picayo's clever rhyming story. Fun Crab is modern because it is multifunctional and topical (promoting counting, reading, and environmental conservation from a very young age). To support these learning features, companion learning materials were created in the form of 60 Fun Crab Number charts and 70 Species charts for distribution to the schools.
Don't miss our ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention Program) art exhibition event at the Grenada National Museum. We are raising funds to purchase occupational therapy resources and raise awareness for Grenadian children with special needs during the month of May.
