The joy of art: Alessia Fent-Roter, left, and Amanda Quinteros, flashing ecstatic smiles, basking in the warmth of a fruitful and revealing exploration into the art and science of Stained Glass Painting, at a Mini-Masters workshop conducted by artist and art teacher Elizabeth Hoadley before Christmas at Genesis Elementary School.
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Photo:Glass 1
Creating a gift for someone you love: brilliant smiles, shining art!
Children invited to paint Stained Glass Angels at Elizabeth Hoadley's Mini Masters Fine Arts workshop
"Their smiles shine as brilliantly as their art work!" said Elizabeth Hoadley, about the children who participated in a Mini-Masters Fine Arts Program pedagogical day workshop she conducted before the holidays for children of Genesis Elementary School.
Mrs. Hoadley, accomplished artist, art teacher, and mother of three, is also the founder and director of the Mini-Masters Fine Arts Program, a multi-dimensional art and mixed media project that for the past three years has responded to the artistic needs of many dozens of children whose ages range from pre-K to junior high school.
Children who have participated in the Mini Masters Fine Arts Program have been invited to paint, draw, sketch, sculpt and delve into the world of architecture, the result of which has been an impressive body of work that counts among its special achievements the design of houses by children as young as 8, 9 and 10.
Asked what motivated her to try 'stained glass' art with the children, a pursuit which is a road not traveled by most children, even those with lots of artistic talent, Mrs. Hoadley replied with the enthusiasm of a committed teacher for whom little is impossible and much is sacred.
"Why not," she answered at first, firm in the conviction that one never knows until one tries. "Churches have such beautiful stained glass windows and since we are often in them for the holiday season I thought it would be fun to let the children see how it can be done at home in a safe manner," she added.
As healthy as they are fun
Mrs. Hoadley also explains that since true stained glass involves cutting glass and using toxic lead, Mini Masters activities do not use this approach which could be risky for children. Instead, she says, she uses the second best thing, non-toxic paint which the children put onto glass before baking it for permanency. She specifies that she takes great care to ensure that the art classes "are as healthy as they are fun."
"I don't know what I enjoyed more, doing the workshop or watching the pride in the children's faces when they produced something so beautiful as a gift for someone they love. That's something that no one can purchase from a store – a gift from within," Mrs. Hoadley told Courrier Laval.
Paraphrasing the popular television commercial, she concluded with "Ped Day Art Workshop: $19. Gift produced: priceless!"
Photo:Glass 2
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Photo:Glass 1
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Météo: Laval, 19 juillet 2008 / 20°C
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