Ralph Waldo Emerson was the one who said, "Every wall is a door". This quote has always helped me to remain optimistic and hopeful. It seems fitting for this post and my student's work above.
My students are finished with their mixed media collages. And I'm happy to say once again, I am pleased with their results! Of course, being pleased does not mean it was easy. It's hard work to make a bunch of ideas, directions and materials come together to look like a meaningful and intentional finished piece.
For some of my students the topic of "identity" is a stumbling block, because they feel as if they don't actually have an identity yet. (You know, after all, they're only kids!!) It is definitely true that over time, we mature into knowing ourselves with a deeper understanding that's more reliable and consistent then when we were young, (thank goodness) but even at "middle-age", I still consider that knowing myself is a series of vistas, more than an actual destination. I don't view it as a place where one arrives, but more like opening doors. It's about what we see, but also what we allow ourselves to see...walls, doors, windows?
The Collage Detail above was created by Karen Graeber, Grade 12. Click on her blog link to read what she wrote about her collage. Thanks KG! :-)
Click here to see more students' works.
