Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

It's another very muggy, foggy, stiff day in Morocco. The foggy soup hasn't burned off for three days. The artwork is limp and so is the art teacher. I think part of my problem is that I am not eating much. All the food was novel and interesting at first. Now, I just want a Caesar salad from Panera. There is a MacDonald's or 2 or 3 in the downtown area, but nothing like that where I live. I've lost interest in food.

Today, I did some drawing exercises with the students from the book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. They drew horses upside-down. The idea is to trick the brain into seeing lines and shapes rather than the whole horse. The left side of the brain keeps saying, "Horse, horse." With the original sketch upside-down, copying it is more difficult for the left side, so the artist switches over to the right side of the brain.

It is an interesting exercise that gives kids a quick way of seeing things from a new perspective. This is especially good for 7th graders who want everything done in five minutes. They were excited to see their drawing improve during one exercise.

Tonight was curriculum night, and I met four or five parents of art students. They were all lovely, engaging and friendly. One asked if I decorated furnishings. Hmmm. I could try, I said. Another said she'd take me to Marakesh to learn to paint the Moroccan way. I still don't quite know what that way is, but I am game.  Marakesh is about 3 hours away. She also asked if I would teach children on Saturdays.

The Moroccan way?

These are things I have thought about!

However, I feel swamped with what I currently have to do. So, maybe I'll just take another trip to Rabat instead.

My funny for today is: a fellow teacher came in and said someone called her the art teacher, Marcia. I said that was great because all sorts of people are upset with me for being a bit of a pill about wanting art supplies. I suggested she take the heat, and we both had a good laugh! I hope to call her Marcia for at least a couple of days.

My birthday is tomorrow....a birthday in Morocco. It sounds so exotic. But, you know what? I'd rather be jumping on the bed with my grandsons while my daughters are chatting in the background. We'll just have to see what tomorrow brings. Morocco is always full of surprises! Hopefully, my daughters are flying  in with all my family and friends:-)

Otherwise, I guess I'll take a long walk on the beach with new friends here.