On Sunday we had Part 2 of our paper mache mask-making.
It was a rocky morning with everything going wrong. The first day I had like this while here. I was determined to find a couple of glue guns but the main street was blocked off, so I couldn't get to the hardware store and the detour meant an unexpected 30 minute delay. I was hoping to get to the Centre early to turn over the paper mache, and put them in the sun to dry and it was cool and cloudy! What! No sun!!
I took the masks outside to put a quick coat of white paint all over the front of the masks. I usually do this for the students to cover the newspaper, and it means the first base is dry and ready to decorate. By the time I finished the white, the sun came out. I turned them all over, and let the underside completely dry.
All but two kids showed up but sweet little Fatima showed up and there was no mask for her because she hadn't come the day before. Everyone decided she should use one of the masks that was being left behind. And I used the other for demonstration. 15 masks were made in total! Petra, who runs the shower program joined in with her Grandchildren and Bere's and Chuya's mom came to help too! Dian, the Creative Director, had plans to paint her mask into a lion.
I laid out all the supplies I could find that didn't require a glue gun. Paint, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, confetti, tissue paper. The kid's eyes were wide. They watched me prepare and they were chomping at the bit to start.
I saw them all fighting over the paint-brushes, they were snatching up as many as they could and holding onto them. Hmmmm.... It is common that older siblings rule the younger ones, so they can grab a paint brush from their little sister's hand and the younger one can pout, but nothing can be done.
Hmmmm...
I stopped them all and took them out to an area where I could use my translator. I speak English into my translator and it repeats it back in Spanish. By now, they are familiar with my app (their first time seeing this). I told them that before we get started, we were going to work respectfully and help one another, that they only have one hand so they only need one paint brush, that we were going to share and be polite and not grab things from one another. I am POSITIVE that the ones who go to school know this! They all agreed and then...
Vominos! (Let's go!)
We piled back into the classroom where I did a demonstration of the paint and confetti. I told them that they can do whatever they want, but my demo was a heavy influence.
The kids set out to decorate their masks! What fun they had. Oh my goodness!!! What joy. One thing I did notice was the quiet. They were all concentrating so much and with such determination.
Mom and I were so wrapped up in helping that we didn't get many photos of them painting.
Anyone who teaches art knows that there is about an hour of preparation for a 1.5 hour art class, and when it's done, there is about an hour of clean-up, especially if you allow paint, confetti and white glue. The kids helped a bit, but once their masks were done, they were off playing leaving the adults to clean.
Chuya's mom was moping the floor but as soon as she left the mop for a moment, I snatched it up to help. But, this also seems like a no-no. Whenever we tried to clean the room, the women would not let us. She insisted on getting the mop back. I know that most retired people here, meaning the Gringo's, offer employment to house keepers and gardeners. Perhaps they think we all do this in Canada as well...?? Maybe they think we don't know how to mop a floor.