Irenaeus

"The glory of God is man fully alive and the life of man consists in beholding God."

Haiku XXXII

A business meeting -
The face of the full moon peers in
with a great yawn.

Taking Learning To Task: Creative Strategies for Teaching Adults, Jane Vella

5 stars
If you teach - you MUST read this book. And it doesn't matter what content you teach - you MUST read this book. Although it is written with teaching adults in mind, the principles mentioned are transferable to any age and context. I home school my two elementary children as well as teach at the college level and I can say that after reading this book, and actually applying her suggestions, my teaching has improved for the better. My lessons have become more thoughtful and engaging and a space for true learning and experiencing the material is being fostered. My training is in education so Vella's instruction gave deeper insight to the practicalities behind teaching in a new and helpful way. The book is theoretical with a heavy emphasis on practicing the tasks she suggests - the book is a waste if it is not engaged by actually trying out her suggestions. The book also contains some very helpful appendices that summaries her theories and praxis.

imagination:

the ocean of the mind whose tides are given to a transcendent being

ballet:

poised strength

after watching Swan Lake performed by the Russian National Ballet Theatre

favorite quote from the program:
"...but no power can stop the young man whose heart if full of love."

hops

Illustration Friday prompt: clumsy


one-line pen & ink drawing w/watercolor pencils

No one could understand how Edward could not see he was cuckoo

Monday Artday prompts: invisible & insanity


one-line pen & ink drawing w/watercolor pencils

education:

to learn to love and love to learn

prophet:

translator of the past and future tense into the present

in memory of Martin Luther King Jr.
click here for his "I Have A Dream" speech (17min)

creativity:

I create because I am created.

wilderness

Illustration Friday prompt


one-line pen & ink drawing w/watercolor pencils

Hermon thought it odd when he woke one morning with no reflection...

Monday Artday prompt: invisible


one-line pen & ink drawing w/watercolor pencils

I wonder how it happened, I wonder what he'll do...

Chris (age 10)

Once upon a time there lived an elephant. His name was Hermon. One day Hermon got in a fight with a witch. The next day Hermon looked in the mirror but he couldn't see himself. Then he realized that if he took off his cloths he was not invisible. That's why elephants don't wear cloths.

Benjamin (age 8)

One day there lived an elephant named Hermon and he had a good life except when the evil wizard came and killed the first animal he saw. Well, Hermon knew he couldn't let this keep going on. So, the next time the wizard came, Hermon came out and said, "wizard you must stop!" The wizard turned and said, "you think you can stop me?" The wizard pointed a finger at Hermon. His magical spell hit Hermon. Nothing happened. Hermon ran home. He went to bed. In the morning Hermon looked in the mirror. He had no reflection. Then he ran to where the wizard was. When he had found him he was there since the wizard had put a spell on Hermon. The wizard didn't see him coming. Hermon jumped on the wizard and captured him and Hermon made the wizard undo the spell that he had put on him.

Floyd & Whisper

Monday Artday prompt: invisible


one-line pen & ink drawing w/watercolor pencils

Ludwig von Beethoven

"Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?"

letter to Bettina von Arnim, August 11, 1810

Sisyphus

Illustration Friday prompt: confined


pencil illustration

I thought the Greek myth of Sisyphus portrays being "confined". The story of the tricky king Sisyphus who is condemned by the gods to roll a large boulder up a steep hill - only before he reaches the top the boulder would always roll down to the base of the hill again thus forcing him to be confined to the task for eternity...

More on the myth here

Lolloping Polly

Polly went a lolloping
Through the forest Gray
Came upon a troll king
With an evil game to play

The troll was quite a dandy
Yet crafty and forlorn
He offered Polly candy
To distract her from his scorn

Yet Polly knew of troll kings
And the dangers of their gifts
So she began suspecting
More motives in his wish

Luckily, dear Polly
Was schooled in trollish charms
And thinking rather quickly
She lollopped to his arms

Polly with a swagger
Reached in her yellow purse
Then drew a purple dagger
And hailed the troll a hearse

candle

one-line pen & ink drawing

renewal

Illustration Friday prompt



one-line pen & ink drawing with colored pencils

elf

one-line pen & ink drawing