"creative" day...

Carving a wooden bowl

Yesterday in the CSS wood shop, I had "creative" day in which the kids could do anything they wanted provided it was done safely, and that I had sufficient materials available. The kids prefer to call it "free day." But my own term is to describe what I hope is going on in their hands and heads as they wrestle with ideas and making them come forth in physical form. It is a great time to introduce tools they've not used before. Gouges, mallets and drawknives were introduced to various students and safely used.

One 2nd grade girl wanted to make a bowl. So I provided a block of soft wood, a gouge and mallet along with safety glasses. With the wood safely held in the vise, she worked carefully and quietly for almost an hour. Her bowl would not meet Pottery Barn standards. But I would have been proud to have made anything like that myself in second grade, and she was too. Each woodworking scholar made works from their own imaginations.

7th, 8th and 9th grade wood turners

My 7th, 8th and 9th grade students also had "creative day". Some turned pens, and it was a pleasure to see all of our school lathes in operation at the same time.

Today in the school wood shop my 4th, 5th and 6th grade students will also have "creative day." I'm also getting ready for White St. Art Walk on Friday where I'll show my work and perhaps sell a few boxes. Sunday is the annual Books in Bloom Literary Festival on the grounds of the Crescent Hotel. My wife is co-founder and co-director of the annual event which brings authors and their readers together for a lovely spring day.

Make, fix and create..