Art

Now that I've completely finished the 4 main orphanage murals and am just about done with the 3 murals in the house moms' rooms, I've started to shift my focus a bit.  Instead of the kids and moms mostly observing me do art (there were a few instances where I received assistance from the older kids and a mom), it's time to let them in on the creative process! 

Yesterday morning I brought a pack of extra thick crayons and white paper for the 2, 3, and 4 year olds to make drawings.

As I walked up to the property, the kids immediately knew something was different, as I came holding the above materials. They eagerly followed me to the back of the house, where a clean concrete floor allowed for us to sit and do art. I passed out one piece of computer paper and one crayon to each kid. For about 5 minutes, it was fairly peaceful; the kids sat and drew, and would come up to me every minute or so, enthusiastically showing me their crayon creations. 

But after those precious few minutes, things got a little out of hand.  Emmanuel started chewing on his brown crayon (maybe he thought it was chocolate?). Ruth crumpled up her yellow crayon inside her paper and hid it underneath her with a devilish look. Nchimunya misplaced his paper at least 3 times, each time assuming someone took it from him.  Genesis decided to scream and cry when she didn't get the color she wanted. Isaac decided his crayon worked better as a drumstick. Otavia thought it'd be fun to tease Salomy by stealing her paper away.  And the wind kept blowing Mainza's paper away. And during this whole time I was held captive as Milliam braided my hair tight enough to make me wince. 

But aside from this, or perhaps because of it, it was a life-giving experience for all involved. The kids got to use a medium they had very little or no experience with and got to practice creativity. 

Today I brought watercolor, brushes, white paper, and a water container to the orphanage. I figured I'd go for one-on-one painting sessions, given the more advanced nature of the medium and how the previous art time worked out. 

I started with a few of the older girls, Milliam and Otavia, who are about 10 years old. They enjoyed the process and caught on quickly. 

I hadn't even considered doing sessions with the moms, until I remembered that one mother, Ba Betty, lost her father the previous day and would be leaving for her home town for 8 days to mourn the loss. I found her behind the house hanging laundry. She didn't seem particularly excited to paint when I asked her, but after she began, her solemn spirit quickly turned to that of joy. She gained confidence as I encouraged her to think of objects to paint instead of me providing all the ideas.  The mood continued to rise as Milliam and Ba Ennie entered the room to watch. Ba Ennie was especially spirited as she helped direct Ba Betty what colors to paint a giant snake. There was lots of laughter. 

When Ba Betty finished, I asked Ba Ennie if she was ready for her session, she asked to wait so she would have time to figure out what to paint. An hour later, she brought in a children's bible book and asked for a pencil so to draw a picture of John the Baptist before painting. She took her time, carefully copying every detail outlined in the book. The finished painted product was excellent. 

Ba Balita painted a picture of a house with colorful flowers. What was neat was how she included inside information on the outside of the house-- a red bed and man eating oranges on a table. She said the last time she painted was as a child in school. She complained of shaky hands. 

I'm excited to continue these one-on-one sessions both with the kids and adults, and am humbled to bring a new experience for many to enjoy. I'm especially excited to minister through art to the orphanage moms, as they work and love so tirelessly 6 days a week. 

One thing's for sure-- despite speaking mostly Tonga, the kids definitely know what the word 'painting' means, as they follow me around, squealing, 'Painting! Painting!'