Around the World Art Camp!

 

What a week we had in Around the World Art Camp! With ages 6-9, we traveled to a different country every day, finding it on the map, sampling the culture, learning facts, playing games, and of course, creating art! This week-long camp was held at Palmetto Christian Academy in my very own lower school art room. I think the room was happy to have some artwork being made in it again, and I was thrilled to watch these gifted and talented kids become immersed in different cultures.



Aboriginal Dot Painting - Emu, Age 9

Day one - Australia

Today we went "down under" and learned about Aborigines. The kids loved the chanting CD we listened to while imitating aboriginal dot paintings. Then we made and played our own digderoos with traditional aboriginal symbols. The kids couldn't get enough of our Aussie snack for the day, Fairy Bread. It's easy to make -- just put margarine on white bread, cover with rainbow sprinkles and cut on a diagonal. Simple!



Celtic letter A from The Book of Kells, age 7



Day Two - Ireland

Ah, the Enchanted Isle. Did you know there are no snakes in Ireland? Today, we learned about Saint Patrick, the shamrock and the Trinity. We read Irish blessings, watched Irish dancers and listened to traditional music. For artwork, we learned about illuminated manuscripts and created our own illustrated Celtic letters inspired by The Book of Kells. The best part of the day might have been the Celtic knots and crosses made out of pizza pans...or maybe it was the Irish Jaffa cakes!



Gyodan breakfast, age 8



Day Three - Japan

Did you know the round circle on the Japanese flag is a symbol of the sun? Or that it's considered rude to blow your nose in public in Japan? We had a blast learning about this amazing country. We listened to the music, ate edamame, and then created our own gyodan (Japanese art of making fake food). Don't they look good enough to eat?

Fish haiku and sumi-e, age 7

Next we wrote haiku poems about animals and painted them in sumi-e fashion. Beautiful! The Japanese word search was extra hard and extra fun today.



Learning about Picasso, sculpture, age 8



Day Four - Spain

Spain is home to bullfighting, flamenco dancing, and some truly interesting artists. Today we emulated Picasso, Dali, and Miro. The artwork was surreal. Personally, I enjoyed listening to the Spanish flamenco guitar and eating the Manzanilla olives for snack. I find myself longing for more tapas. Ole!

Learning about Joan Miro, "Landscape", age 8

Please enjoy some more photos below. Looks like I'm done with summer camps...off to jury duty next week!

Aboriginal dot painting




Time for play!



Playing the didgeroo

Aboriginal dot painting, Kookaburra, age 8



Aboriginal dot painting, Platapus, age 7



Aboriginal dot painting, Kookaburra, age 6

Aboriginal dot painting, Sugar glider, age 9

Didgeroos!



Word search!



Celtic letter B, age 9

Celtic letter C, age 6

Celtic letter J, age 6

Celtic letter A, age 9

Celtic letter L, age 6

Celtic letter Z, age 6

Celtic Cross, age 9

Celtic Cross, age 8

Celtic Cross, age 6

Gyodan fruit, age 6

Gyodan pizza and parmesan, age 9

Gyodan burger, age 6

Gyodan taco, donut, grapes and purple onion, age 6

Gyodan grapes, age 6

Gyodan grapes, age 7

Panda haiku and sumi-e, age 9

Penguin haiku and sumi-e, age 6

Cat haiku and sumi-e, age 8

Cat and mouse haiku and sumi-e, age 6

Bird haiku and sumi-e, age 6

Crab haiku and sumi-e, age 6



Making Picasso-inspired sculpture



Picasso-inspired sculpture, age 6

Picasso-inspired sculpture, age 9

Inspired by Miro, "Dog", age 6



Painting surreal landscapes



Master Pieces Art Camp!

Summer camp is officially OPEN! I just finished a week of art camp at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, SC. With kids ages 6-8, we studied a different master artist each day and then worked out our own inspired masterpiece.  The children used bodies, minds and spirits to experience Cubism, Impressionism, Surrealism, Abstractism, and Realism. Enjoy the photos below.

Learning about Pablo Picasso

Picasso-inspired soft sculpture, age 6

age 8

age 6

age 7

Mini-masterpieces, pastel on shrink film, Learning about Claude Monet

Impressionistic Cat, age 6

age 8

Learning about Salvador Dali and Surrealism

Surrealist Landscape with silly putty foot, age 6

Learning about Vasily Kadinsky and Abstract art

Abstract Composition to music, age 7

Learning about Leonardo da Vinci and drawing what we see around us. Later we sketched inventions!

We learned a lot about art, but we played hard too!

Next weeks' camp is at Palmetto Christian Academy. In this Around the World Art Camp, we'll go to a different country each day! Can't wait!

Cupcakes and Creative Writing

Last night I discovered through trial and error what cupcakes and writing creativity have in common. Delicious. Enjoy my latest post at A Good Blog is Hard to Find.

Writing Multiple Points of View

Why do I write in multiple points of view (POV)? Is it because I have many voices in my head? Well, sorta, but not quite. It's because Life and Journalism have taught me that the true story--as Paul Harvey used to say, "the REST of the story"-- is found in the eyes of many people, not just one. Here's an example:

I may go through my day, driving down the road and being cut off by a guy (his wife just left him), and then going to the grocery store where a clerk is slow and making me late (she suffers damage from childhood brain cancer) and then on to school to deal with a difficult child in class (she's been to as many schools as she is years old and is uncomfortable starting a new one). What if I knew the rest of the story? Sadly, I rarely do. I would simply say, "I drove down the road today and was cut off by a guy, then I chose the wrong line in the grocery store because this slow clerk was making me late for school, and then I had to deal with this really difficult kid. What a day." But you see? How self-centered is that? What if we were able to think not only of ourselves, but about other people? What if we took the time to ask people how they are doing, what's their story, why are they the way they are? Might we have more empathy, compassion, grace, and patience? Might our perception of reality be closer to real than if we stayed in our own little head?

This is the power of the Author, the Creator of story.

And this is why I write multiple points of view as I did in my latest novel, The Inheritance of Beauty. As I was writing George, Maggie, Ash, Annie, and Joe, they came to me and told me their stories, often one right after the other. It's thrilling to write that way and I hope, thrilling to read that way, too. I want my readers to care about not just one, but all my characters. The best way to care is to understand. And the best way to understand is to walk in someone else's shoes. And oh, how amazing it would be to find out that the story-- our stories, in fact-- are not just about one person, us, but about anyone who has ever come in contact with us. What a majestic, powerful story that would be!

So what are your favorite novels or books told in multiple POV? And what's your story? Have you ever tried to tell it in multiple points of view? If not, I dare you. You might just come closer to the truth.

God bless and happy reading!

Enter to Win!

Friends, do you enjoy an enduring love story? My book has been compared to The Notebook or Water for Elephants. And now my publisher, Thomas Nelson, is sponsoring a great giveaway of my latest book, The Inheritance of Beauty, which releases officially Feb. 8. Here's how to enter:

Go to Goodreads.com, add the book to your to-read list, and then click the "enter to win" button.

20 copies will be given away! Giveaway contest dates are Jan 29-Feb 28, 2011. Act now and tell your friends!

Here's the direct link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8841209-the-inheritance-of-beauty
Best of luck!
Nicole

PS. Please write a review of the book wherever you can online once you read it!

Moses Stuttered

Listen, I'm not a preacher, I'm just a woman trying to live the best life she can. So, this morning when I picked up my old copy of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, I was struck by this passage:

"God wants to use you to make a difference in his world. He wants to work through you. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it. Not how long you lived, but how you lived. If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you, too, if you stop making excuses."

Wow. I saw myself in several of those people. Which misfit are you? What excuse are you using?

I do want to make a difference in this world. I teach my kids, "If you walk into a room, always leave it better than the way you found it." I want to leave this world better than I found it. It wasn't always this way for me though. I used to be content with getting by and minding my own business. Then something began stirring.

Several years ago I answered this call on the Oprah Show: "Looking for courageous people who want to make a difference." I wound up participating in an amazing venture to help a family in my community and was brought back on the show to tell the story. But that was only the beginning. Soon after, I was asked to serve on a board of a local charity, and my first novel, The Spirit of Sweetgrass, was released. I've just released my fifth novel, The Inheritance of Beauty. I'm blessed to meet so many people these days, to teach 165 kids in a school, to speak to organizations, to reach thousands of people through my writing. Before, I was very happy to hide away from the world behind my computer--but my heart changed when I simply asked God to use me. I desire every day now to be used even more by Him.

I have a dear friend recently diagnosed with a degenerative disease. As he finds the disease becoming more debilitating, the one thing he asked me to pray for is that a "highway of opportunity would open up for him for God to use his gifts to make a difference in this world." I am humbled by this giant's faith.

Have you ever asked God to use you? If not, what excuse are you using? I promise, you'll open a floodgate and embark on the greatest adventure Life has to offer.
Godspeed!

My Inner Child Wants to Thank a Marvelous Teacher

Do you have an amazing teacher who left an indelible mark on you in immeasurable ways? I am blessed to have a few in my lifetime. One such teacher was my EXCELS (gifted and talented) teacher in elementary school. I looked forward to spending my Wednesdays in her trailer at Hilton Head Elementary. It was a magical place, that trailer.



USCB Lunch with Author Series Mar 4, 2009. Another
amazing former teacher of mine (Calculus) Jane Upshaw,
me, and Sunny Littlejohn on right.



Sunny Littlejohn exposed me to what the world has to offer--food and mythology, other cultures, wordplay--and piqued my appetite for them. We've gotten back in touch and she recently found in some of her belongings a poem, of all things, that I wrote in her class in 1983 when I was 11 years old (for those of you counting). I must have been in fourth grade. It is by no means gifted nor talented, but I can see she must have realized and fostered my love for the sweet ironies in life...and afterlife. Not to mention the ocean :) All things I explore in my novels today.

Enjoy the writings of my inner child below:

Creatures of the Sea (by Nicole Seitz, age 11)
It gleams in the moonlight
Wet and filled with life.
The sand dollar buys no food;
The urchin is found not on the streets.
But the creatures with fins and scales
Can be found in schools.

Starfish are not found in the sky at night
Nor does the sunfish, in the day, shine so bright.
Horseshoe crabs don't get trampled,
Pounded on the horses' feet.
Angelfish never die and go to God's home place.
Rainbow fish aren't found in skies.
You do not play guitar fish.
Goldfish are not expensive.
Silverfish are not worthwhile.
But people love this place so much
They become oceanographers.

I know, leaves you breathless, right? So much for satisfying endings. I assure you I've gotten better at those! But apparently, growing up on a little resort island left its mark on me as well.

From myself and any other student who had you as a teacher, Sunny, thank you a million times over. You ignited something in me then that has grown into full flame years later. And I'm only one person. Imagine the collective impact on the people you've touched along the way. God bless you always. God bless marvelous teachers.

On Being Still

Do you ever feel you're a little slow when it comes to the aha!-eureka! moments of life? Sometimes I do.

You see, I'm teaching this year...art, to a LOT of students. It seems there is much to do in each class and very little time, so when the kids won't quiet down while I'm talking, lecturing or giving instructions, I get frustrated. Yesterday as I was walking into school, I thought to myself, "Why do I get so frustrated with that? Is it me? Do other teachers feel this way?" And then it hit me. So clearly. A revelation I would never have gotten had I not been teaching some wonderful kids this year.

God revealed to me deep in my spirit, "How do you think I feel when I'm trying to teach you something? When I'm speaking to you, but you won't be still enough or quiet enough to listen? When you don't leave all the cares of your world outside and give me your full, undivided attention? Is it any wonder that occasionally I have to use more drastic measures to slow you down and make you listen? I do have something to teach you, you know. And there's so much to do but so little time."

Well, my goodness. I guess I am slow. It took over three decades and walking in the shoes of a teacher to understand that I am JUST LIKE my children when it comes to learning from God, to listening to Him. I am a fidgety, chatty, distracted, and busy child.

Be still, and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

Wow. I get it know. I doubt I'll be quite as frustrated when my kids are talking or tapping their feet while I'm trying to teach them the difference between Van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso. We are kindred spirits, after all.

Now, on to my next lesson...patience.

Somewhere in My Chronology, a Poem

by Nicole Seitz

If all of life is but a moment...

I am a little girl sitting
in a windowsill listening
to John Denver wondering
when her daddy's coming
home.

I am a young woman putting
a ring on a finger saying
I will now and always
under a magnolia
tree.

I am a new mother laying
on a hard table listening
to her daughter's cry saying
her name is
Olivia.

I am a soccer mom cheering
for her young son running
across a green field scoring
a goal just for
her.

I am a daughter, a sibling loving
my family, an author writing
characters teaching
me about
myself.

I am a child of God savoring
each second thanking
Him for the blessings hoping
for what tomorrow may
bring.

Sun Stand Still - Audacious Faith

Was blessed this weekend to watch a message by Stephen Furtick, pastor (on fire!) of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. Every time I hear him, I am moved. No different this time, but maybe moreso. He talked about having an audacious faith that asks God to do the impossible. He calls is Sun Stand Still faith, and he has a book entitled the same. Well, I found this video of a rap song for the Sun Stand Still movement. This. Song. Rocks. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5klQLaYNew

A Good Blog is Hard To Find: As the River Rages

A Good Blog is Hard To Find: As the River Rages: "By Nicole Seitz If this reads a little like a family letter home during the holidays, bear with me. I'm from the South where family is king...."

Beyond Grief

I'm saddened to hear a dear friend passed away yesterday, amazing poet, Irene Nuite Lofton. I've lost several friends in the last few years and her chapbook, "Beyond Grief", has helped me tremendously. Here's my favorite poem in that one about hope. I don't think she would mind my sharing it in full.

THE PROMISE TREE

Today I saw a tulip tree
Against February skies.
And every swelling velvet bud
Flings truth at winter's lies.

Lies which say there is no end
To winter's bitter cold.
That hope is lost and never found
As earth is growing old.

But tulip buds tell only truth,
and every bud proclaims
That life must surely follow death,
And spring will come again.

~Irene Nuite Lofton

You will be missed, Irene. Heaven rejoices.