“Your presentations were the perfect combination of multimedia and personal interaction with the audience, capturing everyone’s attention while involving them in the program.
The workshops were the “icing on the cake,” reinforcing what was learned in the DVD and powerpoint through the experience of creating personal collages ~ a fun and very powerful learning opportunity.”
An art and writing workshop experience is a fun and educational way to take learning into practice and let your students be authors and illustrators with me during a school visit. My workshops spring from the pages of my books and encourage kids to be imaginative with their own writing and art in an environment that is not attached to grades or testing but that, nonetheless, reinforces curriculum strands from Language Arts Literacy and Visual Arts. And, my more intensive Deluxe Publishing Residency Program adds Life Science and Technological Literacy strands for a truly multi-discipline experience.
Above, left to right: Bulletin board with alliteration collages, Dar teaches students how to create an alliterative word bank, Kids create animal collages from handpainted papers. Workshop: “Alliteration is Always Awesome!”
The individual Writing and Collage Workshops are designed for universal success and engender achievement in students of all ages and developmental levels. Utilizing poetic language and writing techniques like alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphor & simile bolsters classroom academics.
Above, left to right: Student illustrates an alliterative sentence, Dar paints paper with kids in an Artist in Residence program. Workshop: “Deluxe Publishing, Artist In Residence.”
My energetic Collaborative Workshops foster shared ownership of a creative project, creative cooperation and a sense of community effort. Murals and poems that children make together are wonderful showcase pieces to display for open houses and family events at your school.
Above, left to right: Dar brainstorms with kids before a collaborative poetry writing session, A collaborative tree mural, Students work on a collaborative tree mural. Workshop: “The Poetry of Trees.”
My information packet includes complete descriptions of my art and writing workshops as well as supply lists, grade levels and class sizes. Because of scheduling and budgeting, many schools find it most effective to pull out a grade level or two to participate in a workshop experience. Typically, Grades 2 and 3 are the grade levels who benefit the most from a hands-on workshop, however, I am happy to workshop with all grades K-5. Contact me for any specific questions you might have.
An Artist In Residence (AIR) program is the ultimate author/illustrator workshop experience and I will gladly provide you with a customized proposal for your school.
Teachers and grownups need creative experiences, too, and my adult workshops allow grownups to explore poetic language and collage in a fun, relaxed and informative environment.
You may schedule me for your school or conference as a Teacher In-Service and include a presentation on Successful Creative Writing in the Classroom, as a more intensive technique-based Collage workshop for your group, or as a resource-packed seminar on Independent Publishing.
Contact me for scheduling and fees.