Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving (belated)

Thank You

I feel so very grateful for all of your of support this past year for my project, Thailand Burma Flora Fauna. It has been an intense, focused, and fulfilling year full of challenging work!

As I am entering the final stage of production, I thought I would share a handful of images of students working during some of the TBFF drawing and design workshops that I held in Mae Sot, Thailand. 

This is but a small fragment of what your contribution to this project has helped to create. 

You were a part of this! Thank you!

A young student working.

Teaching art to children can be really rewarding– and I was fortunate to be able to do so with Mae Sot NGO Kick Start Art. Even more fulfilling for me was connecting with the young teachers in that same organization.

For all of the time and energy that I directed towards these young folks, I was met with matched enthusiasm to learn and to be challenged during the teacher-trainings. I believe that in assisting them to hone their skills as working artists and instructors, we are contributing to a greater good and a larger picture, as they are sure to share their knowledge and pass on their skill set with their current and future students.

For the young adults and working artists among them, continued art training can help to provide a livelihood that is a positive alternative to the type of exploitative labor that is often the only available option to migrant workers.

For many of the younger migrant children, art classes in a clean, safe environment can be a much needed rest from their lives– ones that are often filled with adversity, anxiety, and under-stimulation. It is an incredible thing to witness a group of excited, distracted kids suddenly fall silent in quiet concentration, enveloped in the peaceful, engaging, and simple act of making a picture.

Thank you again for your contribution to this project! You help and support made this happen!

Student K.K. and his red panda drawing during a teacher-training and design workshop.

Heads down, pencils moving! Mostly quiet with some occasional a capella singing of Burmese radio pop songs.

Student S.K.P. drawing a garden snail from life which she later used to make a flora fauna ink drawing of the same subject. Hold still!

Students showing off their work after a flora fauna design workshop.

Working on preliminary drawings at Kick Start Art.

This little lady shows off a fun drawing of an elephant-mermaid-eagle made during an animal hybrid workshop. Drawing can help children to develop different modes of thinking! 

Students investigating animal subject matter and drawing thumbnails from references at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

A younger student making a preliminary drawing of a pig during a TBFF workshop.

Teacher training workshops with the Kick Start Art crew and staff were the best!

Teachers J.K. and K.K. drawing away at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

Little dudes checking out their work during the animal hybrid workshop!

A student working on an intricate flora fauna design during a teacher-training workshop.

A student draws leaves from life in the garden at the Puzzlebox Art Studio.

A large group of younger students quietly working.

Making thumbnail drawings.

Teacher J.K. and his awesome bamboo and red panda design!

The Kick Start Art crew and one of the groups they had during summer school. I was happy to be able to contribute and teach with them!

S.K.P. holding a card that says THANK YOU in Burmese!

Thank you all for your continued support!