I have a passion for Trees & Art

I don't think I've blogged this - but need to!

I'm now a Citizen Planter for Casey Trees of Washington, DC!  I've planted trees at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Rock Creek Park Cemetery, and Wangari Gardens - all in Washington, DC.

I look forward to planting trees in the Spring!

The other thing I absolutely love is inspiring children to love art. Thanks to the Greater Reston Arts Center, I teach art to children at my sons' school. I show them an artist, talk about their life, tell them what made this artist unique, then introduce new kinds of art supplies and techniques to the children to work with. Some children are hung up on "I've got to do it just right and make it beautiful." Those students, I find, sometimes have trouble just beginning.

This is key: I tell the students, "I don't care what it looks like. I just want you to try. Make it look ugly. But do SOMETHING. I want you to try a new art technique." And then those kids, once they have permission to make something ugly, actually end up making something that I think is extraordinary. And this is what inspiring children to love art is all about.

Here are some links of the things I mention above:

Casey Trees of Washington, DC
Smithsonian National Zoo
Rock Creek Park Cemetary (wikipedia)
Rock Creek Cemetary
Wangari Gardens  |  Wangari Gardens in the Press
Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE Art)