February is a month of many celebrations, and many winter natural wonders to enjoy. At Art Sphere Inc. we started commemorating February with a day of crafting at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge Groundhog Day Festival, and began class at Penn Treaty Middle and High School with a Valentine themed calligraphy lesson.
Before drawing in calligraphy, the class had a short discussion on the different kinds of love we celebrate on Valentine’s Day, beyond romantic love. The students were asked to imagine symbols to represent either neighborly love, sibling love, or romantic love, and to draw them in their calligraphy.
By the end of February’s first class we all left with more creative ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day and other upcoming holidays. Throughout February we will recognize the outstanding achievements of African-Americans during Black History Month, in particular the cultural contributions of African-American artists. Over the course of the coming weeks we’ll illustrate the influences of African-American artists in modern culture, and the ways in which art is used as a form of history keeping.
Of course, art lessons in February would not be complete without acknowledging Presidents’ Day, the national holiday in which we celebrate the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln. We indeed have an exciting and busy month planned!
Calligraphy Lesson Materials:
Japanese style rice paper loose sheets
Black drawing ink
Bamboo and metal fountain-tip pens
Ink wells (3 oz Dixie mouth rinse cups)
