Sunday, September 23, 2012

Art and Artists

With my post yesterday about making a design with wet wheels on dry pavement came an email from a blog reader named Kristine. She wrote me a letter and sent two photographs. I've asked for and been granted permission to reproduce both the letter and the photos. First the letter: 

Hi Dave,

After reading your blog today, I had to share the attached photos! A couple years ago, I got inspired to do some wheelchair art, and on the last day of school that year, my ESL students (the beginning level) helped me make it happen. They painted and repainted my tires, and I rolled around the canvass. After we were satisfied with the tire designs, they painted the bottoms of their shoes, and walked around the canvass. It was so much fun!!

We managed to get a lot of paint off my tires after ward, but they definitely had some color for a long time. (Which, in my opinion, isn't a bad thing!) I'm still in love with the finished product. The crazy colours and designs somehow look exactly like my kids and I together in the classroom every day. :)

As we were finishing up, a 6th grader in a wheelchair came by, and we invited him in to take a look. His eyes lit up, and he also gasped, "My mom would KILL me if I did that!!" I told him, "So would mine...." :)

Just thought you'd enjoy!

Kristine

Now take a look at the art. Enjoy:




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12 comments:

  1. Karen23 September 2012 at 05:29

    What a great idea! I'm like that little kid in awe of the artwork. Kristine thanks for letting Dave share this with all of us.

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  2. Utter Randomness23 September 2012 at 07:27

    The Centre for Students with Disabilities at the University of Ottawa has set up something similar with one of their old spare wheelchairs during their awareness week. Anyone can take part and it's pretty neat to see people who aren't regular wheelchair users having fun in a chair.

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  3. Belinda23 September 2012 at 09:16

    What fun! What an awesome teacher! What great art! What zest for life and exuberant expression. On a deeper level, the fact that the wheelchair was the vehicle for expressing all of the above, the children will absorb into their psyches!

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  4. Tamara23 September 2012 at 10:27

    Just have to say that I absolutely loved this. Great post for a Sunday morning - Thanks Dave and Kristine!

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  5. Colleen23 September 2012 at 13:29

    Dear Dave and Kristine:

    I just love this! In the hands of an artist anything becomes an instrument of creativity.

    Or in Dave's case - in the hands of a romantic it facilitates the expression of love.

    Colleen

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  6. Anonymous23 September 2012 at 13:35

    Beautiful idea, beautiful art!

    Sue

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  7. Kristine23 September 2012 at 15:02

    Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments! We had a lot of fun that day. And you should have seen the kids' faces when they realized we weren't going to be painting with brushes!!

    I feel pretty confident that my kids leave my class with a MUCH better understanding of disability--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful--than the average person. I also think disability makes me a better teacher in all kinds of different ways.

    PS, Dave, you Canadianized my spelling! Colors with a u? Psh! ;)

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  8. Dave Hingsburger23 September 2012 at 16:13

    Oh. My. Gosh. Kristine! I'm sorry. I have a British setting on my spellchecker and I didn't notice that I was changing your spelling. I have switched it back. Again, sorry.

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  9. Kristin23 September 2012 at 19:43

    Love that artwork. What a fabulous idea.

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  10. Kristine23 September 2012 at 23:48

    Haha, no worries, I don't actually mind at all! The British spelling just caught my eye and made me smile. :)

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  11. Liz Miller24 September 2012 at 09:51

    Gorgeous!

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  12. Bubbles25 September 2012 at 06:00

    If I had big money, I would pay big money for that art! It is beautiful and the meaning attached even more so!

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