Papel-Mache Mascaras- Parte Dos

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.

Faux Stain-Glass Windows

This week, before the Breakfast Program, I taught the kids to make a faux stain-glass window.
We glued ripped up pieces of tissue paper onto waxed paper and then put a frame around them. It was so busy, we didn't have any tables, so we just sat on the floor. Although I explained it and showed them to put it in the window, they really didn't get it until the end. They loved them!
This day marked the first of the 'lasts'. Last day teaching at the Breakfast program :(

Repairing the Tile Floor

One of the first thing I noticed is some of the small repair jobs that were needed around the Centre. As Moonie gave us our tour, showing us all the programming, sewing, computers, dental clinic, women's clinic, etc, etc, I noticed the beautiful tile in the main thru-way was damaged.
Throughout the weeks I have been figuring out the repair job. One of the challenges was finding the correct supplies. With very little Spanish, at one hardware store, a guy sold me a small bag of, what I thought was the cement adhesive. It had no label. But...after I mixed it...something was wrong. It ended up being plaster. I had to clean it off the floor as much as possible, let it dry for a few days and chip out the rest. Lesson learned! Sometimes 'signing' what I need (yes, I carried a tile with me) just doesn't cut it.
A few days later, I found an actually tile supply store in Ajijic. I was already with my translated- words and practiced my Spanish. I was telling the guy what I was looking for and he spoke perfect English. He was raised in Ohio! Oh, ok...I got the proper cement and I chose black grout.
I repaired the largest area with a spiral. Some kids showed up the day I did the grout. I was almost finished, so I didn't see any harm in letting them help me do the last two cleanings of the grout.

 

Replenished, Organized and Ready

You can't make art without art supplies.
I designated $300.00 canadian dollars of my donated funds towards supplies.
Finding the right stores, figuring out what supplies were needed, deciding how to organize everything was a challenge.
                  
But with Bud's help, with my mom's help and some help from two sisters; Chuya and Bete, we got everything finished. Dian, the creative director came back from her trip to the US and I got to show her what we did. That was a lot of fun! These supplies should keep them going for quite some time.


BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

 

Dian and I discussed some options for a 2 day Art Camp, or a paper-mache mask making workshops for the upcoming Mardi Gras Parade or an art exhibition. She'd like to learn tie-dying before I leave.
Today I also found the perfect paint store where I bought the supplies to get started on the painting of the mural with the teens.

Teaching the Kiddos!

I put up posters in the Centre listing the days I would be teaching an art class for kids (clase de art para ninos). On Fridays there is a breakfast program. Breakfast gets served at 10am on Friday, so I got to the Centre early and taught an art activity to some of the kids who arrived early. Other volunteers were there to pass out paper and crayons too. So many people volunteer at the Centre, it's really fabulous! The women who run the kitchen and cook the food are volunteers. They get tokens for thier help and they can use the tokens to shop at the store right in the Centre. It is packed full of clothes and other small household items.
Today the kids made a simple craft of a butterfly. I am learning so much Spanish. The kids speak no English except for the name of the colors and they love to teach me the Spanish word for the colors! I draw out the activity step-by-step and then write down the words for fold, cut, glue, etc. I'm not sure how much some kids can read but I can glance at the board and remember the word. This is the only thing that I do different here. I've been teaching the way I teach any group of kids. No one gets the supplies until they watch me first. "Observame!" I do it first and you do it second. After the demo, they have to repeat back to me the steps. First, you fold.... Second you draw the... Third you cut it out the...

 
Once they can repeat back to me all the steps then they get the supplies. I will help anyone who needs it. I drew the butterfly for a little girl and then the older kids wanted me to draw theirs. "No, poquito." (pointing to the little one.) "Facil" (pointing to them.) They get it right away and smirk. "No, she's only little, it's easy for you guys, you have to do it."
I asked the kids what the Spanish word for antennae was, when I made a motion with my hands on my head. They all said it at once: "Antenae!"

The kids had a lot of fun. It is really obvious that some have had very little art instruction or at least very limited opportunity to make a craft. When the meals were delivered, they did not want to stop. But, the Mexican women insisted we stop the craft so they could eat. We took away the scissors and glue and pencils until they finished eating. And soon after the meal the volunteers began to clean up. Next time I will get there earlier and hopefully the kids will get there earlier too.
They all know I am teaching again tomorrow. "Hasta manana!" as they left with their mariposa (butterfly). "See you tomorrow."

 

 

A Video of the Tepehua Community Centre

This is a short video about a new project that the Tepehua Community Centre took on recently in December 2015. 
It's a good peek at the Centre and where mom and I will be volunteering.
Click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx5_V1VA7Z0

The Drawings, The Thank You's

These are some the drawings I did as Thank You's to all the people who supported my artsy journey.
It was a entire feeling of giving and giving back. What a great way to begin!

A Description of My Adventure to Mexico

This describes my project. This is how my GoFundMe campaign (gofundme.com/gailhodder) reads:

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to teach art to thousands of children in Prince Edward Island, Canada and it's time to pass on the Joy of Art to a group of less fortunate children. 
Plans are in motion to fulfill a journey to the Tepehua community of Chapala, one of the poorest in Jalisco, Mexico.
I am ready to give back to a very poor community and will volunteer for one month to teach art to children. In Chapala some parents cannot afford to send their children to school.  While parents try to provide the basics of living, children are often left on the streets. Luckily, the Tepehua Community Centre , is providing assistance through education of all facets and they would greatly benefit from having me volunteer there to teach visual art and craft. Studies have shown that arts education improves reading, writing and math skills, improves social skills and is motivational, especially to those in poor communities. But, perhaps more than this, being creative and making art and crafts brings great joy to children. While we Canadians may consider drawing and coloring a natural occurrence in our children’s growth and development, for some children in the Chapala region, having a piece of paper and a pencil, and an opportunity and place in which to create and have fun makes a huge difference to their day. My plan is to teach a group of older children a technique first, and then have them teach the younger children the same technique. We will explore many aspects of making art and creating but concentrate on the motifs, colour palate and images from their culture.
Part of my time with the Tepehua Community Centre will also be spent teaching the organizers some art skills, so that they can feel confident teaching and passing on these skills. The Community Centre will provide me with free accommodations. Yay!
Here's a short video of me discussing my profession: Gail Hodder - Visual Arts Educator
To show my appreciation, each contributor to my GoFundMe campaign will receive an original charcoal drawing from me! 
Funds raised will be used towards my transportation to Mexico, art supplies for the children and my meals.
I will be starting a Facebook Page/Blog to promote my Fundraising Journey and to post lots and lots of videos and images of my time in Mexico with the kids!
Let's do this together!!!!! Be a part of this journey with me!
Thank you,

What inspired me?

People inspire me.
Tammy, a woman in my community who adopted 2 children from China and raised countless dollars for other families wanting to to adopt.
Emily, age 19, from Prince Edward Island, who did the El Camino, not once, but twice!
Trudy G, a fellow jeweller from New Brunswick who has been going to the Chapala region for several years to teach the adult women new jewellery making techniques.
My kids! Loudon and Brennus are age 12 and 10. I want to teach them that there is a whole wide world out there. They are so fascinated by my venture and with the ease of technology, they can follow ever step.
My children's uncle inspired me when he and a group of other doctors went to Africa to provide free health care to a village. One year, he took his two oldest children with him, who were just tweens at the time.

I lived in Canada's Arctic for 5 years. Living in another culture inspired me.

Other people's stories and adventures inspire me. Stories of Inuit being lost on the tundra and surviving. Modern day adventurers like Don Starkle, Paddle to the Arctic and Victoria Jason, Kabloona in a Yellow Kayak who paddled through the Arctic. I read both of their books while living in Repulse Bay, NU. While living in Inuvik, NT, I recall many stories of people travelling the famous MacKenzie River by any means, even rafts.
I was once on the Dempster Highway with friends having a picnic and out of nowhere comes an elderly man on a bike. Coming from the south meant that he would have had to travel over 700 km on a gravel highway. He told us it was a personal journey.
When in Inuvik, there was a film screening about a husband and wife team who followed the Canadian herd of Caribou on foot. Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison documented this powerful adventure; Being Caribou.
Adventures by actor Ewen McGregor and friend Charley Boorman when they traveled by motorcycle all around the world going through many countries and therefore encountering many cultures. Both adventures were filmed; Long Way Round and Long Way Down are a must watch.
Movies inspire me: Into the Wild, The Wild, Tracks, The Way...

Why...why this and why now?

I want to wake myself up.
I grew up in a small town in a traditional family. My mom was a stay at home wife and my father worked every day.
I always wanted something different. I dreamed of travelling and seeing the world. I moved to another province (PEI) when I was 18 to attend university and met so many people from other places and other cultures.
From there, I moved to another province (Ontario) and met more and more people from more and more cultures. I was fascinated.
After art college I moved to Canada's arctic where I was completely immersed into the Inuit, Inuvialuit and Gwich'in cultures for 5 years. It was a dream for me and I loved it.
When I had my first child I imagined him coming with his dad and I to many different places. He was born in Inuvik, NWT. His first flight was across the country at 6 weeks old. His second flight was moving to PEI at 8 months old.
I had my second child 2 years later and I became a stay at home wife for 5 years. We bought a house, and became a traditional family.
This was not what i had planned, not what I had dreamed of. My marriage ended 5 years ago and it honestly took 5 years to get past it. Lawyers, legal fees, division of property, child custody, etc is crippling.
Now, my children are well adjusted to two households and are old enough to not miss their mom (too much). My finances are back on track and I have a job that will permit me to take a month leave without pay (and I've saved my vacation days).
It's time for me to get back to my my childhood dream, to live an non traditional life, to travel, to explore another culture. It's time to teach my children too.
I don't want to work 9-5 every day without life experiences that will change me. I want to grow as a human. I want to feel and see and smell and taste a different place that will stay with me and become part of me. I want to wake myself up to how well I have it. How much we have. How lucky I am.