Can you name the female African-American poet who served as the Montaukett tribal historian and established and operated her very own school for black artists? Would you like to recognize upcoming cultural heritage events by analyzing poems by Latinx, Indigenous, international and diverse poets around the world? 

Combine art and poetry by compiling your very own portfolio of paintings and poems. During this drop-in course we meet weekly to discuss a poem, its writer and any pertinent background information. The selection of poem is diverse and features classic and contemporary poetry in order to give learners a variety of writing styles and viewpoints. Learners read along with me as I share the poem, and will then be given the opportunity to share any thoughts or opinions on the poem. They may be called upon to share their ideas, either verbally or in the chat. Next, together we paint an image or scene; I will demonstrate my painting during class, but your learner may choose to paint something different! Our paintings will focus on being inspired by the poem, so it is possible that every student's painting will be unique. 

This class focuses on self-expression and building confidence, so I welcome learners of all abilities and skill levels. There is no step-by-step tutorial for learners to follow, but I will be sharing watercolor techniques and ideas. At the end of each class we share our paintings and celebrate how unique and different they are. If the painting is dry, learners can copy the poem onto the painting or on a separate page of their journal. Otherwise they can do this offline, as I will be providing the poem via the classroom page. 

Our weekly schedule for 2024 is as follows. Poems are not in chronological publication order but are chosen to give variety and to compliment various international heritage months and seasons: 

• Week of August 19: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth. Art themes: nature, landscape and daffodils.
• Week of August 26: maggie and milly and molly and may, by e.e. cummings. Art themes: seascape, beach, detailed sea creatures. 
• Week of September 2: The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. Art themes: forest/woods, trees, perspective/angles.
• Week of September 9 (Hispanic Heritage Month USA): Ode to my Socks, by Pablo Neruda (Spanish with English translation). Art themes: clothing, textures.
• Week of September 16 (First Day of Autumn USA): Fall, leaves, fall - by Emily Brontë. Art themes: autumn leaves, trees.
• Week of September 23: Instructions on Not Giving Up, by Ada Límon. Art themes: cherry blossom trees, spring, trees, rising phoenix. 
• Week of September 30: A Noiseless Patient Spider, by Walt Whitman. Art themes: detailed spider and/or web, nature.
• Week of October 7: Things We Carry on the Sea, by Wang Ping. Art themes: seascape, boat, human shapes, Chinese art styles.
• Week of October 14: Autumn, by Alexander Posey. Art themes: autumn leaves, trees, Muskogee Creek art styles.
• Week of October 21: VACATION (no class)
• Week of October 28: The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe. Art themes: dark colors, raven, gothic art.
• Week of November 1 (American Indian Heritage Month): Zhingwaak gaa-ozhibii’aan Bamewawagezhikaquay (To the Pine Tree), by Jane Johnson Schoolcraft - aka Bamewawagezhikaquay (Ojibwe with English translation). Art themes: pine tree, Ojibwe art styles.
• Week of November 4: A Picture, by Olivia Ward Bush-Banks. Art themes: seascape with Harlem Renaissance and Algonquin art styles.
• Week of November 11: Fame is a bee - by Emily Dickinson. Art themes: detailed bumblebee, nature.
• Week of November 18: Falling Leaves and Early Snow, by Kenneth Rexroth. Art themes: winter landscape, trees, leaves, perspective, shadows on snow.
• Week of November 25: Star Quilt, by Roberta Hill Whiteman. Art themes: quilt designs.
• Week of December 2: The Darkling Thrush, by Thomas Hardy. Art themes: thrush (bird), winter trees, winter landscape.
• Week of December 9: Invictus, by William Ernest Henley. Art themes: textures, color mixing, parchment/scroll background.
• Week of December 16: The Negro Speaks of Rivers, by Langston Hughes. Art themes: landscape, river, Harlem Renaissance art styles.
• Week of December 23: Snow-flakes, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Art themes: snowflakes, resist painting, mixed media (oil pastel/crayon with watercolor).

This course is a great way to introduce young learners to poetry and fine arts. Students who have taken classes in my Painting Poetry series may be familiar with the process of reading a poem and painting a scene inspired by the poem. I have found this to be an excellent exercise in poetry analysis along with historical context, as well as being a beautiful and gentle way to develop fine arts skills. If your learner has any specific needs or requests please feel free to reach out to me prior to enrolling. I welcome learners of all abilities.

I hope to meet your learner in class and share my love of art and poetry with them!