By Teacher Endo

February 2004

Teacher Rita and I have been conducting the KIDS AT ART Workshop for twelve summers now. It is a nomadic operation that has been held in various venues from fast-food chain franchises to shopping mall lobbies. And every year we rediscover why the traipsing is worthwhile. Nothing will prepare you for what is going to happen when you give a child a piece of paper and a pencil. Some are timid and need encouragement at the start. But pretty soon they would consume the white space guided by Teacher Rita's Number 1 Rule: DRAW AS BIG AS THE PAPER. When they have gained their confidence, children become unstoppable forces of creation. And then working with them feels like conducting a reckless driver on a joy ride: It's a thrill, but you have to know when to put your foot over and step on the brake.

It is inspirational when their imagination takes over. I watched in awe as Joaquin, 5, recreated a vase of flowers into robust and fearless specimens, defying both gravity and representational convention. The white china vase became a red vessel with violet polka dots. Modest mums evolved into brazen blossoms that grew either up or sideways. And all the while Joaquin was telling me matter-of-factly about their garden at home, and his swimming lessons, and the family's trip somewhere. All in continuous monotone, stopping neither in his words nor actions even to wash his brush (the term 'multi-tasking' came to mind). When his dad came to take Joaquin home, I could not look him in the eye. I was abashed that he might see the tears of my rapture. As we usually accept children from 5 to 12 years old, I hesitated to accept Eunice, 3?, to the Workshop. She had the suspicious and wary scowl most children have on the first day of class. But she had already attended toddler's school and seemed well behaved, so I told her father that I'd let her try one session. After everyone was settled, I gave her paper and a brand new set of oil pastels hoping to appease her but she showed no change in her countenance. Without a word she went to scribbling irregular shapes purposely and I was relieved to see a genuine interest in drawing. Her scowl remained, however, and finally I approached her to ask if she was okay. She told me in a timid, sulking whisper," I want to paint." I gave her a set of watercolors and brush and she immediately started to paint, well appeased. She turned out a piece that could've been mistaken for a mature work of modern art.

We had told the children to build up three layers of newspaper for their paper mache pets to make them stronger. One perky little girl, Keisha, 7, was always a fast worker and it looked like her pet Kusalagoofagoof was almost done. When Teacher Rita asked her how many layers of newspaper she had already glued on she proudly replied, "16 already." We could not stand having to wait for summer to work with children again. Some parents were also interested in art instruction during school days. So we finally decided to conduct Saturday classes here where we hold office. But that's another story to tell. And besides, SUMMER IS HERE AGAIN!

Michael Joseph Luistro
Instructor, Department of Psychology
University of the Philippines, Diliman

Cathy Lasam
Art teacher at Art Informal, drawing and painting teacher
One workshop Studios Junior and Senior Art Coach at BBCS
Makati, Artists in Residence, Inc.

Maysa Arabit
Graduate of UPCFA majoring in Painting, now taking up her masteral studies at UP College of Education, teaches art part time at St. Paul's College, Pasig.