Teachers learn about teaching art

Annie Painter leads students. photo by Jim Mitchell There was no school in Sisters last Friday -- except for teachers. Almost 150 art teachers came to Sisters High School to learn from other teachers at the 2004 Oregon Art Education Association (OAEA) Fall Conference, "Art in the Pines."

They came from all over the state.

Sisters High School art teacher Mike Baynes started last summer with members of OAEA to organize the in-service program. About a dozen vendors displayed their wares in the commons area of the school. The art of past and current students lined the halls.

In her keynote address, Sisters resident Annie Painter related her experiences as an art teacher with tidbits of advice on how to "stay the course" in today's environment of budget cuts. During the day she presented three sessions entitled "Drawing in the Sand with Sticks -- Improvisation as a Basic Skill."

The sessions were hands-on. Up to 12 "students" gathered around a table covered with Kraft paper. All, in a somewhat coordinated effort, drew designs on the paper in black using branches tightly tipped with old rags as drawing tools. Then they filled in the open spaces with bright oil pastels to create a colorful piece that was described as "a meandering exploration of line, shape, texture and value."

Facilitated by OAEA board members, a "Sharing the Spirit" session explored issues and questions posed by participants. Down the hall, award-winning local painter Paul Allen Bennett presented a slide show of his work. Meanwhile, other programs included "Gesture Drawing," "Character Tessellations," "Cultural Appreciation" and "Paste Papers."

The afternoon offered another sand-drawing session led by Painter. In another open "plaza," students/teachers used black paper and tempera paint to create "Large, Colorful Paintings" under the watchful eye of Paul Allen Bennett.

Other participants fired clay creations in "Raku Glazing," complete with an outdoor kiln.

In "Creative Mosaics" participants used hammers to shatter decorative tiles into pieces of random size and shape, and then reassembled the pieces into colorful mosaics. Local teacher Michelle Herron led a session on "Art of Web Design."

A highlight for many was an art gallery tour in Sisters with guides provided by High Desert Gallery.