Serious artists at Maplewoods

The young ladies are getting on to have a little competition among themselves! A test to their mind and their creativity! Sonia got her idea and sketches planned at home during her spare time from homeworks and piano practices. Whereas, Aimee was too tight up from her school activities and homework, the only time for her is to work on the ideas and sketches during the art class. Things worked out differently for both artists. But, they are doing great! :)

Sonia the white nose girl!

See what's on Sonia's nose!

There's white paint on her nose!!!

My students can be very mischievous sometimes during the art class.

Here's our MARK!

Abbi Thio 10yo, originally uploaded by xterlim.

Finally I'd submitted 82 pieces of artwork created by my students including ourselves! Too bad James and Augustine were absent as they couldn't meet the dateline. Nevertheless, I will try to get more fun art activities and projects for my little artists! Once again, I want to thank YOLO - Edna and Kevin Thio for rewarding each artist a free T-Shit for their contribution! Here's our participation! We'd lots of fun working on these dots! ;p I'd even recorded the sound of their working markers! I'm sure the children were enjoying themselves during the dotting session!

Holly's birthday cake

Holly's birthday cake, originally uploaded by xterlim.

"Holly, Teacher Esther is going to bake you a birthday cake! What flavour do you like? "

Holly was jumping up and down, exclaimed "Yeah!!!!"
Then she stopped jumping and think, "Hmm... Vanilla! maybe chocolate!??"

Sonia nodded her head and said, "YES! CHOCOLATE!"

Aimee rejected, "Noooooooo Chocolate please!!!!!"

Joy smiled and ok with both.

I set my mind and said "Ok, I shall bake a vanilla flavour cake with oreo topping for your birthday when you come to art class!"

Holly agreed and carried on with her artwork :)

Sonia Hanke says...

10yo Sonia Hanke asked, "Why are we having art class today?" I asked her why? Because your mum requested to have  art class today, that's why... She complaint, "I'm so tired today, I had another art class earlier..." I asked her where was she learning, she said, "At home!" I was giving my brother an art lesson..." I was amazed, Sonia teaches her brother ART! I asked her what did she teach him today, she replied happily, "I taught him how to draw hamsters!" in my mind, Sonia has grown up! :)

A familiar face...

Today, I saw a familiar  person who was sitting at the bench outside the public toliet where I bought my art students for outdoor drawing, we were drawing the laundry shop which located just beside the toliet. Yes, it was Uncle Henry, I observed him a little moment while my students were still drawing. He was caring for himself applying cream on his arms... I was wondering the walking stick belonged to him or the other elderly who was sitting next to him... Next few mintues, my students exclaimed they'd finished their drawings and I was goging to walk them around with their  handmade lanterns, as promise. I decided to walk to the toliet direction and greet a long time no see Uncle Henry!

"Uncle Henry! How are you??" He saw me and started to recognize me and responded me back by another "Hello!"

Then I introduced him my students and adsked them to greet him and told him about I was having holiday workshop with my students here and he was just smiling, I said goodbye to himas I had work to do... Then i carried on my walk with my little students and one of them (Regan) asked, "Teacher Esther, who is him???" I told him, "He is a friend, a very nice person..."

From the distance, I saw him looking at our direction, I was thinking, will I see Uncle Henry again? Did he really recognize me when I greeted him? He looked like he had been retired from his security guard job. I hope everything goes well on his side :)

I never know I would meet him again but I know this man helped me and my students at the Maplewoods condo before with his kind heart :)

Agasthya's Pool Party

Agasthya couldn't wait to finish his artwork because his parents were organising a pool party just for him! It was his 8th birthday on 11th Sep 2009! Teacher Esther was invited too! Sonia and Aimee were too shy to join the fun! I must say, Raji had baked an awesome birthday cake that is very creative and delicious!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGASTHYA!

Congrats 3rd Prize Winner Aimee and Merit Award Agasthya!

Finally the prizes had handed to the original winners, Aimee who won 3rd prize and Agasthya who won merit award for their KtDA Art Competition! Look, their friends are smiling happily for them :D Cheers!

Keep The Dream Alive Prize Prsentation 11 July 2009

An exciting and a very happy day for all my students who had won awards for the YOLO Keep The Dream Alive Art Competition. I purposely took a day off from my regular art classes just for this very important event. I was there to support and hearty congrats my students as well as Joeel and Janice who had won themselves Merit Awards for their category. On Aimee and Agasthya's behalf, I also represented them to collect Aimee's 3rd prize and Agasthya's Merit Award as they're both away for Summer Holidays and they're not in Singapore. Alternatively, I saw many happy faces of my winning entries students and smiles from their parents and thankful congrats from the organizers who had made this a meaningful charity and exciting art competition a dream come true for all ages artists and donors! Always Keep the Dream Alive! You Only Live Once! I find this theme very meaningful too ;) Cheers!

P.S. : For those who didn't win any prize from this art competition, do not give up, have faith in yourselves in whatever things you do children! It is part of growing up! Cheers! T.Esther

Joeel and Janice won merit awards for their category too!!!

CONGRATULATION Maplewoods!
Merit award: Shankar Agasthya for Children Category 1
3rd Prize: Aimee Ericha Scheurmann for Children Category 2
Teacher Esther represented Aimee and Agasthya for their prize receiving as they were both not in Singapore.

CONGRATULATION Calrose!
Merit Award: Ethan Chan, Dylan Ng and Prudence Chan for Children Category 1

CONGRATULATION Lakeview!
Merit Award: Looi SiaoSi and Wong Tein Foong
for Children Category 2
Though Looi SiaoSiang, Kenny Tan and Wu Jianli didn't win any award for this competition but I'm happy for their result already because they'd participating and contributing their love for art!

CONGRATULATION Crestar!
Winners of Children Category 1:
1st Prize: Wong Yew Ki
3rd Prize: Samantha Teo Xing Yee
Merit Award: Ashley Khoo Li-Ann, Darren Marcus Loo, Joel Preston Gn Yong Grn, Melody Lin
Winners of Children Category 2:
2nd Prize: James Sng Jia Hong
Merit Award: Chan Yi Bin, Goh Sher Hwyn Rebacca, Racheal Butt Jia En

Abigil's Belated Birthday! & Their Cupcakes Making

On previous Monday, my students told me they wanted cupcakes for their snack again! I think we should have a purpose to bring nice food in class and asked, "Whose birthday fall on May???" Abigil raised up her hand, "Do you want us to celebrate for you?" She nodded her head shyly... Ok, I'll bake you cupcakes for you on next Monday! The whole class cheered "Yea!!!"

Just nice, they also make mini size cupcakes from paper clay. First of all, they visualised different kind of cupcakes they want to make from the clay. The cupcakes have to look appealing and delicious!They took 3 lessons to complete this little project ;p See their cupcakes creation!

Double Bliss

Aimee's Mum called me and asked who is Yellow Octopus and where did they come from... I told her they're the Creative and Media Company, then she said Aimee has won a 3rd prize for her YOLO Keep The Dream Alive (KtDA) Art Competition! Wow! I'm so happy for Aimee!

Follow on, another line came in, this time was Kenny's Mum! She read a letter that she received from St. Andrew Autism School... Our Kenny Tan has won a Sliver award from the Youth Challenge Art Competition for his Cherry Blossom Tree painting in oil! Well done Kenny!

It was really a double bliss for me today ;D Cheers!

Sonia's 9yo Birthday

These pieces of work required 2 lessons to complete. The idea is to introduce basic 3 dimension (3D) drawing in their visual art. Well, they did a pretty good job ;)

Sonia's birthday is TODAY! We celebrated her birthday yesterday after they had finished their paintings! ;) I baked her cupcakes as promised and I hope this birthday present bring and share joy & love with her little art friends! Happy Birthday Sonia Hanke!

KtDA Maplewoods Little Artists

All the children are so spontaneous once they received what they want to draw for the templates! But I just can't get Sonia to join! Why, because she doesn't like competition :s I told her it doesn't matter if you win or lose, just enjoy drawing... she just doesn't want... she was motivated for once, then she changed her mind again... then again, she was motivated... changed her mind... finally I gave up :s Maybe there'll be other art competition that will interest her ;)

Sarah Hong Yoo Jeong 7yo :
"My dream is to live in a Big House! with a beautiful garden."

Alex Hong Gio 6yo : " Battle in the outerspace!"

AiMee Ericha Scheurmann 8yo :
"My dream is to be an Astronaut!"

Shankar Agasthya 8yo :

"My dream is to be a cowboy living in the carefree lifestyle."

We missed Uncle Henry!

We missed Uncle Henry!

He has pinky cheeks, white hair almost bold, a healthy looking senior citizen who used to work as a senior security guard at the Maplewoods Condominium. He is a caring person who loves children and take good care of us whenever we needed help from him for our art classes! He would let us use the function or meeting room when parents facing Internet booking problem or absent minded parents who forgot to book the venue!

I remembered 4 years back, I stopped teaching Art at Maplewoods. Uncle Henry gave the parents my contact numbers which I'd registered from the entrance guards. I think that time was very strict because of SARS, they would want us to fill up our contact numbers as well. My art classes regained with new students again! Old students came back too! Uncle Henry definitely made the art classes happening again when he got me back! I'm fully grateful for his assistance and being a responsible and caring security guard. He'd made Maplewoods a place filled with children's joy and cheers! I can tell in his eyes, he's very happy to see children cheering around when the art class is on! He has definitely see the children growing up!

This year, we don't get to see him in the security office anymore. The management told us Uncle Henry has retired... we are very sad....but, we hope to see him again if we can :D I am so regret that I never take picture of him with the children, however, his kind image is always on our mind. Hope he could come back one Monday and visit all of us!

Wish Uncle Henry has a happy golden years ahead!

With all our well wishes and blessing!

Tissue Box Pet House

I promised these young ladies that I'm going to bake gingerbreadmen for them as Christmas treats! They exclaimed "Horray!" and even requested me to bake for their siblings too! Sonia brought a new friend named Lina to the art class today ;) I remembered she gave herself a nickname, Greasy??? I gave each of them a template to build a house! I asked them, "What kind of house do you want to live in??" They answered in no time "Pet House!" There, they drew pets at every windows:- cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, parrots, goldfishes and even terrapins! They're one true animals' lovers ;) Good job ladies!

Leopards At Maplewoods

Ai Mee and Sonia did a good job for these pieces of artwork :)
Atagasthya was on the summer holidays that's why he missed this lesson...

In the Sky @ Maplewoods

Atagasthya is back to Art Class today! Welcome back!

My growing students...

Aimee gave me a giant chocolate chips cookie and asked me to snack with them during the art class! Gosh, how nice if I have a cup of coffee on the spot, anyway, I let them be as they snacked while they're doing their work ;)

Talking Cards for Moms

Ai Mee and Sonia posed with my home baked cookies and their hand made cards for their Moms :) Gosh, they finished all my cookies without my notice :s But, I'm glad that they love em :)