In Art Sparks’ Green Session, artist/educator Imogene Drummond connected the idea of growth with Divine Sparks’ film’s fifth chapter celebrating the emergence of the Great Green Earth—and the unfolding of life on it. Unlike other Art Sparks sessions, this one involved a movement activity that engaged the class in an improv dance. In “Twirling, Whirling On,” students chose a ‘Seed Dance Card’ and, prompted by the subject of their dance card, engaged in an improv dance to music. The class really got into it, and soon, the room came alive with living, hopping, growing things! After their rollicking dance activity, students created an image of their experience or the subject of their card.
- Daniel painted a charming symmetrical tableau of a palm tree with coconuts which he put in a landscape with a mountain, clouds, and coconuts.
- Expressing the subject of her roots-to-tree dance card, Juliet painted three different trees showing three seasons: spring with green leaves, fall with autumn leaves falling, and winter tree with nascent buds. I like how she connected the idea of time and seasons on Earth in her piece!
- Balian painted the life cycle of a frog egg to tadpole to frog. Isn’t it interesting how he expanded on the session’s theme to show three phases instead of two in a life cycle?!
- Osmar painted what he described as the “evolution” of a coconut to a palm tree beginning with the sun shining on the coconut and painting white arrows to indicate its life cycle. The students clearly embraced the idea of life cycles in this experiment!
- Nick painted an exuberant flower blooming under the sun—with a seed in the middle of its bloom!
- Adrian W painted a seed flying through the air which later became three trees emerging from the earth.
