Seeing how all the pieces fit together!

After many hours of  painting with two layers of finishing work (gel & varnish) - everyone got a chance to put a hand in the creation...time to begin the layout and see how the pieces finally are beginning to fit together to construct out Ndebele-inspired homestead!

More Students Join IN!

We had a good work week at Ideal and the mural continues to come along...(see photos) - Students from the High School helped us to work on the design of the installation. Next week we  create the collages around the frame of the door using the students art that they worked so hard on in our workshops at the National Museum of African Art...Time to begin adding the black and white outlines that are characteristic of Ndebele wall painting - off to the paint store!

Layout & Design on Boards

This week we started the design layout on the painted boards that the students painted.  Small steps to a big design.  Mama Freeman is so talented!  Now we are ready to get all the designs on - two areas done with geometric shapes, edges taped, ready for great colors... 16? more to go!  School is on break this week...perhaps some of us will go to school anyway - the excitement  to see the final installation  by April!? is carrying us along...more laterrrr. 

BLIZZARD HITS!

It was fun at first, and a beautiful snow that made the city look wonderful, but some of us had to shovel for hours, couldn't get out, our lights went out, lost electricity, and the big dig out started - so much ice! whatever melts during the day turns to ice at night...I got a leak in my ceiling and a bucket in my room with the drip, drip, drip going as I am writing this...I want to get back to painting! Hope Ideal Academy reopens this week, but we are expecting more snow tonight!!! I'll let you know how much on the next posting.

SNOWED IN!!

Our scheduled plan to finish painting the background colors has been postponed due to the blizzard of 2010! The snow nearly hit a record (and did in some areas) and we have been digging out since Saturday. There is so much snow and dangerous ice/roads that even the National Museum of African Art Smithsonian has been closed for two days. I hope that the students from Ideal Academy are having some fun in the snow (sledding anyone?) building a snowman, and keeping warm! More news when we get back to school.