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.

Mural News

This week we will be painting the final back boards for the houses that we will decorate with our geometric patterns. Wednesday is the day! Hope to get students on this blog to give their POV about the project, art, and community...check back soon!

Beaded Ndebele Dolls (uphophi)

Mama Freemman brought in two of her special Ndebele dolls called uphophi -
These dolls are created with a cloth base and then very fine imported seed beads in multiple colors are strung to fashion the dolls in beaded clothing from head to toe. These examples are from the mid-20th century and display the popular beaded aprons that are worn by Ndebele woren. We don't know the artists' names who created them, but they are very fine indeed. The students used them as 3-D models to create their own drawings using various lines and color to create a 2-D rendering of one of the dolls. Notice the geometric designs that mirror the ones on our wall paintings that we are studying. Object-based learning and storytelling are part of the process...more on that later.

Preparing to Paint!

The wall is ready for painting...we gathered all the materials that we needed for painting - not just paint, but drop cloths,rollers, brushes, painter's tape, buckets, paper towels, rags, pencils, levels, and a general master design of where the background colors go! Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the camera to document our progress. We were so lucky to have Guiermo Zelaya, parent at Ideal, volunteer to help us over the holiday weekend - we couldn't have done it without you and your son's shared efforts and talents!

Our workshops were fun!

Art Workshops at NMAfA

The first Art Workshops began (one for each/ grades 1-5). A map of Africa to color and find South Africa! We had a lively discussion of the Ndebele peoples of South Africa - one of our docents, Dr. Nokwenza Plaatjies, was a very special guest who wore the beautiful traditional dress, beadwork, and hat of her family group. We all were rivited by her beautiful style and she taught us many of the 'click' sounds in the Xhosa language.

BEGINNINGS

THE WALL.
With the completion of the renovation of a former recycling facility, Ideal Academy was ready for its students. However, the 70-ft. white wall (see photo) on the main floor of Ideal Academy was such a large empty expanse that it cried out for an artist's touch...

Principal, George Rutherford, asked if the National Museum of African Art would partner with their school to create a mural on the great wall. After much discussion, I decided to introduce the students to the tradition of wall painting in South Africa among the Ndebele for inspiration. For generations, Ndebele artists have combined bright colors and complex geometric shapes to create innovative designs on the front walls of their houses. Mural decoration is done by Ndebele women who express great individuality and style. Contemporary paintings use a wide variation of color: blues, greens, reds, and yellows...

Photo: Ndebele Artist Nation, 1995.

...pink, violet, rust, brown, and other paints depending on what was available on market day. And always outlined in black.


Deborah Stokes
Education
National Museum of African Art

Our mural project began with the students being introduced to the art and techniques of wall painting in Africa. Students, teachers, and administration explored the idea behind creating a mural in their own school, and agreed on the theme of Community and Accomplishment. The goal is to create a welcoming space on the large expanse of interior wall at Ideal Academy Public Charter School. (see photo)