I was up early and over to the park's education department by 8am to prep for today's all day field trip with sixty-some 6th graders from a local school.  We drove to the school and met the kids' bus to take them into Indian Cove.  The kids spent time with me learning more about seeing and observing, some ways to show perspective, measuring for accuracy, and more.  I had the kids do copious drawings, and they took turns in groups doing an hour hike with ranger Alison up into Rattlesnake Canyon where they saw a tarantula and frogs, among other things.  It was a fantastic day, though exhausting to be "on" all day, engaging with the kids individually and in small groups, trying to keep everyone  engaged.  Knowing these kids don't receive art instruction in school motivated me to try to cover more ground than seemed reasonable, and I was surprised by how many of them were really into it.  I expected about half the group to be only moderately engaged, but there were just a couple.  One of my favorite questions of the day was from a kid looking at a yucca who asked me how to draw things that are coming straight toward you.  Yes!  So then we had a lesson on foreshortening.  I had another kid who was super excited by the measuring skills I showed the group, thrilled to have a new way to make drawings more accurate.  It was a good day but I'm glad to be home and alone.  Now time for some dinner and relaxing.

Part of the group, hanging out on the rocks to draw.

Some of the kids' sketches from today, practicing drawing from observation, representing perspective, and journal mapping - mapping their hike based on memory of experience.