The Drawing Begins!

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The day of my first workshop was the day the rain began. It was either cancel the workshop or rent the Ranger Station, and I decided to go for it. I've been waiting a decade to do this; why let a little deluge stop me? Only one family actually made it, but they really got the project off to a great start. We sang the song, then Gabe, Nico, and their dad Jeff picked up pencils, markers, crayons and paintbrushes and got inspired.

The part of the song that spoke to us the most was the last stanza:

Well, the rain poured on Joaquin.
The water drizzled down all over Oakland...

It was amazing to see how each of these twin brothers approached art. One confidently freehanded the stuffed barn owl in the display case. (Hoot hoot!) The other was explorative and expressionistic, his sketches conveying the dizzy feeling of looking at a tall tree, his hands dancing with the energy of raindrops. Their grandfather was an art professor, and I think he would be proud. 

The dad made a beautiful sketch of a Sequoia and an Oak, a balance of both styles.

Look at all the ways to draw the rain.






I hope the workshops all fill up soon. This is a beautiful way to spend time with kids.


Sign up here! 

Donations welcome!

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Location: Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd, Oakland, CA 94602, USA

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