Azulejos - Lisbon, Portugal

September 08, 2017 by Emily Bruff

On the way home from my trip to Angola I strategically placed a long layover in Lisbon, Portugal as my last stop before flying home. This was an important part of my trip because Angola was a Portuguese colony until the war of independence ended in 1974. So, much of my Angola experience was really influenced by Portugal.

My flight from Amsterdam landed late so I went straight to my hotel - which was amazing anyway, but especially after spending three weeks in Africa.

The next morning I had a fantastic coffee in the hotel and headed to the subway to begin my full day of exploration. Luckily, I had experts (Robert and Teague) give me a detailed plan of how to fill my day complete with a hand drawn map of the city before leaving Angola!

The first thing I was amazed with was the incredible tile covering EVERY square inch of wall space on 95% of the buildings. These tiles are called azulejos, which stems from the Arabic, meaning small polished stone.

This style can be traced back to as early as the 13th century but was most popular between the 16th and 17th centuries. The hand painted tiles’ most common colors were blue and white and sometimes yellow/gold. I walked down each little street nearly bumping into people simply because I couldn’t stop looking at the buildings!

Lisbon was incredible. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing and I got to see every spot on the Meyers’ map.

Rijks Museum - Amsterdam, Netherlands

January 01, 2017 by Emily Bruff

On my way back from my trip to visit my friends, Robert and Teague in Angola, Africa I returned to Amsterdam on a layover - which was fortunate because I needed another whole day to explore the canals and the Rijks Museum.

Sunflowers outside the Amsterdam Airport

I used the morning to make my way from the airport back to the Museumplein Square where I could catch a ferry for a tour of the city. It was a hop on-hop off ferry and I was able to stop for a bagel at the little cafe below Anne Frank’s House. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to tour her house as well as the Rijks in my short time there, but it was still an immensely strange feeling to stand on the cobble-stoned street that she must have walked on, and stare at the buildings she must have looked at from her window.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city to explore. There is so much interesting architecture, quaint little house boats, and bikes and wi-fi everywhere! It was really fun to just absorb all the sights while floating down the canal.

The Rijks building would be an incredible site even if it wasn’t filled with over 800 years of Dutch art and history.

I could have spent a week walking all 80 rooms and still would not have been able to study each piece the way I wanted. Even if you are unfamiliar with Dutch art, you most likely have seen a Rembrandt or Vermeer. These are the iconic masters of seventeenth century Dutch art and, forgive me for being a broken record, I did not fully appreciate the incredible brilliance of Rembrandt until I stepped in front of Night Watch, 1642.

Although I have taught about this painting for years in my various art history classes, I had not seen it in person. It stands at an imposing 11’11” x 14’ 4”. It is a group portrait of the company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, who appear in the front. I love this piece for it’s dynamic composition. It’s not nearly as flat as other Dutch portraits. There are so many characters moving around, some positioned with great prominence, and others I can barely see.

It’s thought that Rembrandt added his own portrait in between the company’s standard bearer and the man with the shiny helmet. I can only see his eye, which really cracks me up.

Everyone is looking different directions forcing my eyes to dart all over the canvas. Rembrandt's’ signature use of chiaroscuro (dramatic lighting) creates an emphatic statement of importance on the men in the center. But with all the controlled chaos of this composition it felt tight, even awkward, and I started to wonder about the size. After reading the plaque I discovered it had been TRIMMED (*gasp*) in 1715 when it was moved to the Amsterdam Town Hall. Just like the Mona Lisa was trimmed to fit an expensive frame the owner already possessed, Night Watch was trimmed on all sides to fit the space in which they wanted to hang it. My throat starts to close up just thinking of this travesty. I can only imagine how much more impressive it must have been before it was trimmed.

I did a lot of sketching at the Rijks because it seemed like they didn’t want you to take pictures, although, when there were mobs of people doing so the guards had given up that battle. So I took advantage of the mobs when I could.

This was one of my favorite pieces, but was a mystery. I could not find a plaque and didn’t find it in the guidebook.

It was fascinating. Aside from being enormous, the textures and values were made from what looked like large cat claws. I couldn’t stop studying it. It was suspended in midair in the Atrium but I could only see the front of it from the Passage. After tweeting @rijksmuseum they introduced me to the artist, Giuseppe Penone. This is his Spine d'acacia and is made with acacia thorns! Brilliantly fascinating.

Again, the building alone would have been worth the visit. The Passage was just what it sounded like - a road passage that went through the Rijks Museum. Street performers could look through the huge windows into the Atrium while they were entertaining the bicyclists and pedestrians as they passed through.

Someone once described the feeling of being overstimulated in a gallery like the sensation of too many skittles in your mouth. All good things - just a lot to take in at once. This is the best way I know to explain the Rijks. All good things. I wish I could have taken it in more slowly.

Museu Nacional de Antropologia - Luanda, Angola

December 05, 2016 by Emily Bruff

The Angola Anthropology Museum is in Luanda, the capital. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get in, because the website was not updated, partially broken and I had heard various museums had been shuttered to the general public due to the economic crisis. Teague and I had to fly from Huambo to Luanda anyway because I would be flying from Luanda to go home. So we decided it was worth a shot. Robert drew us a map with various landmarks to show to our driver. Once we got into the general vicinity we asked a few people for directions and were eventually pointed in the right direction.

Finally we arrived in front of a pink building (characteristic of all government buildings in Angola) that looked like it had once been a homestead. Later I discovered it had been the home of a businessman who made a living selling slaves. In 1976, shortly after Angola gained independence from Portugal, it became the Anthropology Museum.

We climbed out of the car and found our way inside. A cheery man greeted us at the door in Portuguese. We were thrilled to learn that not only were they open, but they would provide us with a guided tour!

Although this is a museum, it was not the typical museum experience. There was no grand entry hall featuring a coat check and optional MP3 tours. There were no brochures in different languages or maps of the museum layout. In fact, there wasn't even electricity. However, two things were familiar: There were amazing artifacts and no pictures were allowed.

We began our tour with a beautiful hand carved canoe from Mafumeira wood. I pulled out my notebook and started furiously sketching everything I saw in an attempt to document as much as possible.

Woven baskets to catch fish. A scoop made from a hollowed Baobab fruit called an Imbondeiro. A guitar-like musical instrument called a Cihumba. There were weapons and arrow heads from many different tribes including the Chokwe people, whose artwork is the most famous around Angola. The guide told us that each arrow head had a different shape so the hunters would know who had gotten the kill.

There was a tool called a mortar and pestle, and although it was an ancient tool used to smash corn, I had seen women using this tool driving through the countryside on our trip to Namibe. It was a specific “U-shaped” branch called an Upi or hammer and a flat bowl shaped stone called a Pedra. This tool would come up again and again in my study of Angolan culture and it was fascinating to see one that had been used so long ago.

women using a mortar & pestle to smash corn

As we snaked around the rooms slowly, I was absorbing every detail of every item. Teague and our guide were being very patient with me as I sketched.

We came through one room and into the next and then I saw it! A Chokwe throne. Made from assembled wood and cowhide, this was the most fantastic symbol of Angolan history and culture enveloped into one incredible sculpture. It was more intricate and complex than any throne I had seen in my research and I was completely overwhelmed when I saw it.

It was at this point that my pen decided to give up and I was forced to seriously abbreviate my sketch. I was thrilled to find an image of the chair below, courtesy of the book, Chokwe, by Manuel Jordan.

The basic shape of the chair was based on early Portuguese design (that fact alone encompasses so much). The summit of the chair and leg stretchers were broken into rungs, each with a different representation of Angolan life and symbolism. This beautifully identifies the chair as uniquely Chokwe. These chairs were to be symbols of a chief’s power and authority and each rung describes a part of his responsibilities. The top rungs represent the spiritual realm showing figures wearing various ritual masks. The Chokwe also have a rich tradition of animal symbolism. One symbol represented here were the bats in the stretcher bar between the chair legs. Bats are used to symbolize that the chief can be aware of everything happening in his territory, even at night. Intentionally set below the bats on the bottom rungs show everyday life: women caring for children, making food and men playing music. The Angolan people and the Chokwe tribes in particular have survived because of their adaptability to outside influences. So, the rungs I found most interesting showed a European presence: clothed people holding the hands of unclothed people. The back of the chair had a rung showing a missionary on a horse. I loved this piece because of the optimistic choices made by the artist, showing the partnership between European and Chokwe people. This relationship was complex. Many times the Europeans and Chokwe fought each other. But this shows a moment time where they were at peace.

Chokwe Throne, Museu Nacional de Antropologia - Photo credit, Manuel Jordán, Chokwe. — Chokwe Throne, Museu Nacional de Antropologia - *Photo credit*, Manuel Jordán, *Chokwe*.

One very unfortunate, and somewhat comical, result of my pen dying was having to sketch the masculine initiation ritual mask in pink ink. These masks are only similar shapes, but I wanted to include them because of their appearance on the top rungs of the throne.

Although the shape of the mask on the left is similar to the one I saw, it has notable differences. There were not fibers attached surrounding the face and there were doe or cow like ears protruding from the forehead. The twigs and bark making up the mask were red, black and white striped, which is consistent with initiation ceremonies. The explanation next to this one was that it was used specifically for a circumcision ceremony. The image below is a Chikuza which is used to protect the initiation camp physically and spiritually. So, while I believe they are not exactly the same, I think they may be related to the same ritual called the mukanda. These images below give at least a feel for the artifacts I am attempting to describe.

The mask on the right is very similar to the one I saw in the museum. It is called a Pwo, or a female mask. These masks are generally used to symbolize the beauty of Chokwe women. They are used in many rituals and could represent a general female, a lover or a special relationship with an ancestor.

By the time we reached the last room the guide told me I could take a picture. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be nice or just tired of waiting on me to sketch everything. I was thankful either way.

Necklace called a Kwamo, worn by a married woman. Made of ostrich egg shell beads and braidings of vegetable fiber.

Resources:
Ministerio da Cultura Museu Nacional de Antropologia, Pastoricia
Wastiau, Boris. Chokwe. Milan: 5 Continents, 2006. Print.
Jordán, Manuel. Chokwe. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1998. Print.

Voci Yetu & Tabita - Huambo, Angola

December 05, 2016 by Emily Bruff

One way missionaries have made a tangible difference in Huambo is through economic empowerment. Two such examples are Voci Yetu (a Catholic women’s co-op) and the Tabita doll factory. Each business began in the 1970s shortly after Angola gained independence from Portugal.

Women (most with disabilities) were provided manual sewing machines and trained with simple patterns to make various textile items such as bags, clothes and dolls.

Each doll is made to represent a certain city in Angola. This one has a baby on her back.

Their work has been perfected and improved upon over the years and they are able to support themselves and their families with the income raised providing an alternative to the back breaking labor of farming.

The women work in buildings without electricity but with great efficiency and a joy that is palatable.

Fernando - Huambo, Angola

December 05, 2016 by Emily Bruff

One great experience in Huambo was meeting artist, Fernando Tambula Mona at his Art gallery called "Atelier e Galeria" located in Cidade Alta on Avenida Norton De Matos. He is a member of UNAP - União Nacional de Artistas e Plasticas.

His studio was the lobby of an old hotel with amazing light and a fascinating old elevator shaft, where he liked to paint. Talking with him about his art process proved to be a bit difficult because my translators were nurses by trade and were not familiar with many of the terms he was using. But thankfully we were able to spend several hours with him over a couple of days and I believe we were able to learn a lot about each other in spite of the language barrier.

He worked mainly with oil on canvas, but incorporated a lot of mixed media like wood shavings and sand with gel medium or resin.

First layer of a mixed media piece using wood shavings and resin

Fernando grew up in the artist markets of Luanda and studied at an art school in the Congo for 4 years. His work is very textural, thick with impasto, creating highly abstracted figures. The generous application of paint is even more impressive when I think about the scarcity of his supplies. Quality oil paint is not available in Huambo and so he must acquire it from Luanda, a 10 hour drive away. This has only enhanced his innovation for supplementation, however.

He showed me soda cans filled with oil-based ink used for fountain pens that he procured from a local business. Fernando’s work is rich with thoughtful symbolism.

This is my favorite piece, which I happily bought from him. It shows women at work, with swirling marks and vibrant colors symbolizing the fast paced energy of the market. A strength and moxy is shown in the repetition of items carried on their heads and symbolizes the determination to earn a living and care for their families, yet softly formed are their feminine figures. I enjoyed this respectful and almost awe-inspired perspective of women from a male artist. Fernando was so kind and welcoming to me and was incredibly driven in his work.

When I told him about my International Art Exchange project, he got to work that very night and came up with this amazing contribution.

You can see on the left the tools of Umbundu women's work, like the mortar and pestle used to grind cornflour. On the right are tools of Umbundu men's work, like a bow & arrow, hammer and machete. These tiny clay sculptures are laid on a layer of sand coated in resin to represent the dusty environment of Angola.

As we talked several other artists filtered in and out. While most of the work in his gallery is his own, he provides a space for other community artists to sell their work as well.

Fernando is an impressive and talented entrepreneur. He has been commissioned to do several murals for businesses around Angola, he has sold about a dozen works to at least one gallery owner in the states and he was even introduced to the Angolan Minister of Culture. I was honored to spend so much time with him to listen and learn about his work and technique.

Fernando gave me a gift of a tiny painted bird made from a pine cone.

Tchitundu Hulu - Virei, Angola

September 17, 2016 by Emily Bruff

After the 600 kilometers to Namibe from Huambo, we drove another 1.5 hours through the desert to the village of Virei. After gaining permission from the village and a police escort, we were on our way another 30 minutes through extremely rough desert terrain toward the painted rocks of Tchitundu Hulu. After only dreaming about seeing these rocks in person a year before, I was just minutes from laying my eyes on them. The last stretch we were literally driving on the bottom of a dry river bed, navigating between rocks and trees. At first we were distracted by an enormous mountainous rock that rose up before us. It had two large rock overhangs which made it look like a face with squinty eyes.

Although this mountain looked familiar from my research, I was worried for a moment because if the paintings were in those overhangs, I would have come all this way for nothing since I am not a rock climber and so did not bring rock climbing gear. But in all my research I had not read about anyone (of the two articles I found) having to climb to see the paintings.

We continued on the course which began to lead us away from the larger rocks. Thankfully and amazingly, the GPS took us within 10 yards of the opening of the rock overhang - which was at ground level!

I jumped out of the Land Cruiser immediately recognizing the shape of the rock’s opening and tried to contain my jubilance. While there was a cement wall coming out of either side of the rocks, possibly having held a gate at one point, there was nothing protecting the ancient paintings from the elements or humans. The art, up to 20,000 years old, was just sitting there - open and vulnerable.

As I walked up the dry river bed and onto the rock I noticed some Mucubal Tribal people making their way curiously over to our truck. It felt as though I had transported through time to the very moments after the paintings had been created.

The colors were vibrant, opaque brown, red and white pigment on top of a transparent white wash background. Although I had seen several pictures of the art, it wasn't until I saw it in person that I realized the entire surface of the rock had the whitewashed under-painting. I could still see the drips from the wash covering the original color of the rock.

There were creatures, like a sea turtle and a sand dollar, that made me think the river bed could have been salty. The browns and reds were the same colors as the dirt and sand on the ground around us.

I looked out from the rock at the Mucubal people and imagined people like them expertly mixing the crushed pigments with animal fat. Then I imagined the artist applying the paint with deliberate and controlled mark making to the smooth rock walls.

I thought about the physical distance I had come and all the red tape and obstacles I had been through to see this art. The fact that I may be one of only hundreds of people throughout the history of the world to lay eyes on this, to stand right where the artist had stood, was incredibly overwhelming.

I could have stared at the lines on that rock for hours. But the sun was high in the sky and beating down. So we packed up the Land Cruiser and began the 2 hour journey back through the desert.

Artisan Market - Lubango, Angola

September 14, 2016 by Emily Bruff

Driving into the center of town we passed many vendors on the street selling vegetables, fruit, baskets and various other goods.

We passed an interesting catholic church with a modern twist on gothic architecture. It had beautiful teal doors and interesting window patterns that reflected the patterns in the mosaics on the walkway in the front.

Across from this church was a walled courtyard with a small group of vendors. Teague and Robert led me through the grassy yard into a small room where two men were woodworking. Along two walls were shelves filled with stone and wood carvings of iconic Angolan imagery. The most common were busts of women from the Mwila Tribe carved from purplish pink rocks of the nearby Chibia Quarry and the Pensador, (The Thinker) which is one of the most famous symbols of Angolan culture.

While Lubango is in the southwest of Angola - home to the Mwila Tribe - the Pensador originated with the Chokwe Tribe in the Northeast part of Angola. This tribe has the most famous artwork in Angola and it has been influential across the country. You can find the Pensador on everything from Angola’s currency to the bathroom doors.

However the most fascinating was watching the craftsman carve a Pensador from start to nearly finish. I got to stand close enough to have wood shards fly into my face and hair. He masterfully hammered on different chisels until the form began to appear out of what was once a rectangular block of wood.

The ground was dirt covered with a layer of sawdust, wood scraps and rock pebbles. A chicken sat beneath the artist’s feet and the air was thick and hot. But I could have stayed there and watched him carve all day.

Cristo Rei - Lubango, Angola

September 13, 2016 by Emily Bruff

Lubango is a 6 hour drive from Huambo. As we drove into town, which sits in a valley, the first thing I noticed was the white speck on top of the mountain in front of me. It was clearly a very large statue since it was visible from miles below.

We drove up the mountain and as we came closer I realized it was a statue of a man (Jesus) with his arms outstretched. This is called Cristo Rei (Christ the King, in Portuguese). There are at least 2 just like it in Brazil and Portugal. Built in 1957 it is all white marble sitting on cement and imposes an impressive height of 30 meters.

We got out of the Land Cruiser and looked around at the awesome views from 2130 meters above sea level.

As I studied the monument’s face, I realized the nose was broken, apparently shot up during the war. Rounding the far side of the statue I came upon children of the Mwila Tribe playing with rocks in the sand. They were in traditional dress of loincloths, rope and mud caked on top of their braids.

It was a jarring juxtaposition to say the least, me in my jeans and what felt like excessive camera equipment, but a fascinating experience.

Moco Museum - Amsterdam

September 04, 2016 by Emily Bruff

As I was wandering around Amsterdam I came across a gem of a museum, Moco, featuring Andy Warhol and Banksy. I couldn't believe my eyes! Banksy is an anonymous street artist who has built success by questioning government, corruption and rules in general. Banksy mainly works in spray paint and found materials. I was able to see the work for the first time just last month while some of it was at the Tinney Gallery in Nashville. Now not only did I just happen upon it, but it was with another subversive artist who most certainly was influential to Banksy - Warhol. Warhol's career spanned the 1950s-1980s from commercial artist to Pop artist.

Left: Warhol,  Right: Banksy — Left: Warhol, Right: Banksy

Warhol used bright neon ink in his screen printing techniques on images in popular culture.

Bansky uses bright pops of neon or pure color in most all his images which typically depict a commentary on current events.

Banksy uses a stenciling technique which is not dissimilar to screen-printing. I really enjoyed this piece which seemed to tie the two artists together nicely. Banksy has spray painted on the side of a police van with a Warhol-esque pop culture reference in the middle.

van Gogh Museum - Amsterdam

September 04, 2016 by Emily Bruff

On my way to Angola I was fortunate enough to have a layover in Amsterdam. I made my way to the van Gogh Museum first.

After starting this sentence over a dozen times, I realize there really isn't a way to explain how amazing seeing art in person is. The textures, the colors, seeing the impasto stand almost an inch off the canvas....just fantastic. Impasto is when paint is layered super thick building up the literal texture of the paint. It is impossible to see from a photograph. This is why van Gogh's paintings are only a fraction as impressive in books and reproductions as they are in person. He also painted wet on wet--meaning he didn't wait for the paint to dry before putting on another layer. Seeing the layers and vivid colors right next to each other was breathtaking. The decisive brush strokes and control he had to keep his oil paints from muddying (getting all mixed up and turning brown) is really incredible.

There was one piece, I think called Overgrowth, that reminded me of Kudzu in Alabama. I'd never seen it before and in fact the museum store didn't have a post card of it either. Even though it is featured in the front of my museum guide it doesn't list it's name or give any information about it. (Which is why I felt justified in taking it's picture--totally not allowed!)

I wish so much that I could convey the textures and colors that pop off the canvas. Bright blues and purples right next to yellows and lime greens. Huge globs of paint that looked to be squeezed right out of the tube and laid down with wonderfully messy precision.

Although his paintings look quick and loose, he planned nearly every mark. There were scores of sketches and plans in books along with letters to his brother.

Left: Irises Right: Overgrowth — Left: *Irises* Right: *Overgrowth*

There were not only van Gogh pieces in his museum. There were artists that were his contemporaries as well as his influences. This was one of the most overwhelming sights with Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Manet and a Rodin sculpture (not necessarily in that order or pictured) in one room.

In addition to the amazing art, the barista gave me a "longa" espresso for free! (I must have looked really tired). There was a great balcony view of Amsterdam at the top of the museum.

International Art Making Cooperative

August 30, 2016 by Emily Bruff

People across the world finding global kinship through art.

I extended a challenge to friends here in the states to participate in an art making cooperative with people across the globe in Angola, Africa. The assignment for both groups in USA and Angola was simply to create a symbolic self portrait using mixed media and found objects from daily life. There was no age requirement and no prior art experience necessary. The only requirement was to reflect on who they are as people. The results are a wonderful window into hearts and minds.

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My Symbolic Self Portrait

August 04, 2016 by Emily Bruff

This is my Symbolic Mixed Media Self Portrait. I created this with the hope that I could share a bit about myself with others here in the states as well as in Angola, when I visit in September. But I don't want to be the only one sharing! My goal is that as many people as possible will share parts of themselves in this art making co-op, so that we might all learn a little more about each other's every day lives, rituals and traditions.

Below I describe my process and symbolism. Take from it anything that is helpful and leave behind what is not.

I began by collecting items that represented my daily life. Starbucks bags and wrappers. Wood from Alabama. Daily report sheets from my kids' nanny. Maps of Alabama and Tennessee that my children painted on. Favorite Bible verses. Wire and twine from a friend.

Next I laid the wood together on the masonite (the flat manufactured wood) and moved it around until I was happy with the spacing. Then I screwed it down.

Next, I chose a color that would compliment the other colors of the items I had collected and painted the wood and masonite.

Then, I tore all the pieces I had collected in similar ways. This created repetition with items that would not otherwise have anything to do with each other. The torn edges also created interesting texture. I spent a while moving the pieces around to get visual balance around the composition.

When I was satisfied with the first layer, I glued the pieces down with matte Mod Podge. You can also use Elmer's glue, but I would paint it on to prevent wrinkles. Next, I began to add another layer of symbolic elements. Pictures of me and my kids, twine, wire and metal flashing.

When you apply photos to your piece, pay attention to the direction the people in the photos are looking. This will create an implied sight line that the viewer will naturally follow. Think about unconventional ways to attach your items, (i.e. nails or screws).

Layers are more fun than no layers.

The varying gauges of wire and the twine created more texture.

Line variation and font variation also added interest. Overlapping the text onto other layers helped to unify the parts.

The symbolism of my self portrait begins with the wood. Not only is it from Alabama, where I grew up, but there are two pieces side by side, but separate. This represents parts of my life that formed the person I am but are no longer a part of me. There is a map of northern Alabama (where I grew up) and half of Tennessee, where I have lived for 7 years. My children painted on each of the maps. The torn pieces of paper are Starbucks bags and wrappers representing my daily ritual of coffee consumption. There are daily sheets from my kids' nanny representing their daily routines.

The wire surrounds all the pieces in a winding way similar to the paths of many road trips I have taken with my children. This wire seems hold in all the pieces together that appear to be floating away or are broken apart, similar to the way my friends and family have surrounded me.

The bible verse represents the importance of my faith journey to my every day life. We always have joy.

Please consider creating a symbolic self portrait to share with our friends in Angola, Africa this September. Once you have created your piece, submit your image and I will share it with the participants in Angola. Once I return I will share their creations with you!

Submit Artwork

Open Call for International Art Making Cooperative Participants

July 23, 2016 by Emily Bruff

September 1st I leave for Angola, Africa to visit my friends Teague and Robert Meyer. I will be researching art of the region and facilitating an art making cooperative. I need participants from all over the world! If you would like to participate see the instructions below. Send me the picture(s) of your finished work and I will add it to the collection!

Symbolic Mixed Media Self Portrait.

There is no artistic ability required for this project. There is no age requirement. There is only the requirement to be thoughtful about who you are as a person and how you will tell that story to someone in a different country.

The idea behind this is that we learn about each other's daily lives.

1. COLLECT: Start to collect things to use in your project that represent daily rituals or traditions. For me, I drink coffee every morning, commute to work and pick up my kids from their nanny. So tangible things that represent that ritual are starbucks cup sleeves, gas receipts and the daily report from my kids' teachers. Then I have larger/more important traditions like quiet time and my scripture journaling. I might pull some pages from my journal. Pictures of me and my kids. A map of where I live. A picture of my church and some of my friends. All these things represent me and create variety.

2. COMBINE: Look at all your items. What pulls them together in unity? Similar colors or textures? Think about how you can amplify those similarities. How can you tone down the differences? Continuing with my example, I might use green, brown and blue as my color scheme since the green and brown is symbolic of starbucks, the blue is already in the pen marks of the daily report and the journals. Then I might decide to run copies of most of the pictures so they are black and white and can be painted/colored on. This also tones down their differences.

3. CREATE: Find something you can use to glue all your pieces onto. This is referred to as a support. It will be more interesting if it is NOT a pre-made canvas, but maybe a scrap of wood or piece of cardboard. Cardboard also has layers that are wonderful for peeling back to reveal textures. You might also find scraps of fabric, colored paper or magazines that are in your color scheme. As you are arranging your items, think about balance and emphasis. What do you want to be the first thing people see when they look at your piece? How can you use repetition to create balance around your piece? Maybe repeating the same fabric all around, or the same color. How can you create a visual sight line throughout your piece? Maybe using brightly colored thread and sewing a line all around and through the composition. Can you use an image INSTEAD of words? (Words are fine too...but keep the language barrier in mind) If you use words can you use them in an interesting way with layers? Suggested materials: cardboard, newspaper, magazines, thread, wood, markers, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, crayons, fabric, found materials, transparent paper, foil, glass, photos, and anything else you can think of!

4. CO-OP: Send me a picture of the finished piece! I will share with the group in Angola and the whole process on this blog.

Submit Artwork

Happy Dance

July 22, 2016 by Emily Bruff

Today something huge happened. I booked my flight(s) to Angola, Africa. This process has been almost a year of researching, waiting, planning, waiting, coordinating, waiting and praying.

In my art classrooms there has been a constant void in my curriculum. As an educator, I naturally pull from what my experiences equip me with to impart knowledge to my students. When my experience was lacking, the next best thing was researching someone else's experience and trying to share this insight second-hand. My art explorations have been limited to the museums here in the states, the semester I studied abroad in London, and briefly backpacked Europe. This tends to create a very Euro-centric approach to art history and art making. It's not for the lack of trying. There simply is not enough research and documentation in our school library, public library or even on the internet to provide an in depth look at the vastness that is the African art landscape.

Last fall a colleague of mine, Doug Anderson, came back to school after a trip, as a Teacher Fellow with National Geographic, to the north pole to study polar bears, icebergs and other things that make Environmental Science teachers tingly. He was so pumped up when he returned and shared all about his experience, his enthusiasm was contagious. He also shared about how there are opportunities like his all around if one was willing to look.

Inspired was an understatement. I knew where I wanted to go. My roommate in college, Teague Meyer and her family began their adventure as missionaries in Angola, Africa in 2010. It had been a dream to visit since before they had even left the states. But, it was always impossibly expensive. Now, I had a tiny chance to see the great work she and Robert had been doing, and maybe even research some art while I was at it!

After several hours of scouring the internet to find an opportunity that would allow me to taylor my own experience, I discovered the national grant foundation Fund for Teachers. This initiated a 3 month research expedition into Angolan tribal art, contemporary art making and art history. Similar to my experience of researching African art for my classroom, this experience was fraught with difficulty. Many times the information I found came directly from Teague and Robert as they were actually on the ground in Angola and could ask questions or do research locally. This just reinforced the need for this research and I hoped the grant committee would see it the same way.

The grant I wrote was to fund the research of the tribal art of the Chokwe people, the ancient rock art of Tchitundu Hulu and to facilitate an international art making cooperative, among other things. January 20th I hit "submit."

It would be 4 months before I would know if my grant had been awarded. Being that I like to plan things and check off lists to pretend to be in control, I decided to proceed as though I were going to be awarded the grant. Robert sent me all the visa application requirements...a 7 page email of instructions. The instructions had instructions. This process was an adventure all by itself.

First, renew passport...check. Second, yellow fever vaccine...check. Third, go to the Angolan Consulate in Houston, TX on a Monday or Wednesday between 9-2. Um...I was needing another excuse to go to Texas to visit my brother (in Dallas) anyway. As I discovered, I had the easy part of the visa application. Robert had to make the 8-11 hour trek to the capital, Luanda, to formally send my letter of invitation to the consulate. So thankful he was willing to invite me!

The Consulate of Angola - Houston, TX - March 22, 2016

April 5th came the happy email to tell me I had been awarded the grant for my research!

Grant committee notifications - April 5, 2016

But it was not until today, 11 months and 3 weeks from the time I set out to get to Angola, that I actually secured my itinerary and proceeded to my happy dance.

Exactly 4 months after applying for my visa, it arrives - July 22, 2016

This will be an incredible opportunity to bring more information and understanding about African art history as well as contemporary African art making to our unbalanced art classroom curriculums.

But, personally, it will also be an opportunity to see the amazing work my friends have been doing for Jesus. I hope to share both stories as I go on this adventure.

If you would like to keep up, follow me on Twitter or Instagram @emilyhmartinez