FROM Ramallah Friends School

FROM https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/visualart
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=ramallah%20friends%20school

"#Visualart #Developingskills #creativethinkingskills #Compositioninartunitplan
In their MYP 4 visual art classes, ninth-grade students embarked on a journey of creating abstract artwork. Prior to completing their final pieces, they underwent a process that involved researching and designing their compositions. To gather inspiration, they delved into the works of abstract artists from around the world. They meticulously crafted sketches to plan their art compositions, applying various elements and principles of art as their tools for bringing their creative visions to life."

HISTORY of the Quaker School:

"In 1869, a fifteen-year-old Palestinian girl named Miriam Karam mustered up the courage to ask two Quaker visitors to Ramallah, Eli and Sybil Jones, to start a girl’s school in the area. At that time, no education program existed for girls in this region.
Before long, Friends had established a medical mission and boarding school for girls. By 1902, a similar boarding school for boys was created by Friends.

"It is doubtful that Miriam, Sybil, or Eli could ever have imagined what Ramallah Friends School would look like in the twenty-first century. As the only accredited International Baccalaureate World School in Palestine, RFS offers an innovative and multi-disciplinary education that prepares Palestinian young people to be outstanding scholars, leaders, and change-makers in their community and around the world.

"Nurtured in an academic and community life guided by Christian Quaker values and spirituality, the School aims to impact both Christian and Muslim students in a wholistic and life-changing way.

"Despite being in one of the most politically and spiritually challenging locations on the planet, RFS continues to thrive. Through a terrific partnership with USAid/American Hospitals and Schools Abroad, the School has been able to build a world-class facility. Even with the constant pressure of living under occupation and the regular threat of violence, RFS consistently prepares students who are ready to thrive in college or university, work, and service.
Please pray:
• for Rania Maayeh, Head of School, that God may guide her in her decisions.
• for the safety of everyone who must cross military checkpoints while coming to school amidst the current political upheaval. • for success for the IB students who will be starting their official exams soon.
• that suitable staff is found to replace those who are retiring; and for all the best for the staff who are leaving the school. • for economic sustainability, so that RFS can continue to meet the needs of its students despite challenges.
• for necessary resources and funding to continue to be granted through ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad) to support the ongoing educational initiatives and programs at Ramallah Friends School.
• for RFS student Shadi Khoury, who will be facing four court sessions in May"
--RAMALLAH FRIENDS SCHOOL



How inspiring!

These pictures from Ramallah take me back to when I lived and worked in Palestine-Israel years ago. I only vaguely remember seeing the great Quaker school back then. But for all those years ago, since 1869, the school has taken a stand for peace, justice, and caring.


In the LIGHT,

Dan Wilcox

Art of Beauty, Dynamite, and Amazement

A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us."
"If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for?"
Franz Kafka

Maybe that’s true, too, in art.

The blaze which sets our hearts afire.

“Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment.”
Claude Monet

Though I take Kafka's negative image and reverse its effect--
concentrating on the festival of Life--
the brightest, most just, truest,
the good and best and beautifulest.




Here are several of my favorite paintings that woke me up:-)

Alley by the Lake

-Leonid Afremov


"Leonid Afremov ®(born 12 July 1955 in Vitebsk, Belarus) is a Russian–Israeli modern impressionistic artist
who works mainly with a palette knife and oils."

"During the cold Russian winter, Afremov stayed at home painting. He was not allowed to participate
in government exhibitions because of his Jewish roots and was not allowed to be a member of the local art associations."

His early work was sold privately via family and friends and was not seen by many people. A lot of his work in the 1980’s was just given away for free."

"Between 1990 and 2002 he lived in Israel, [but] because he was a recent Russian immigrant, the locals considered his work as having little value."

"When Leonid confronted galleries about the extremely low prices, he always received the same answer: "you a Russian immigrant, you a new piece of junk, (sic) you have no choice."

Finally, Afremov moved to the United States, "from 2002 to 2010 in Boca Raton, Florida...currently resides in the popular resort town Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, near Cancun...Most of his work is considered very colorful and politically neutral."

"I tried different techniques during my career, but I especially fell in love with painting with oil and pallette-knife. Every artwork is the result of long painting process; every canvas is born during the creative search; every painting is full of my inner world..."

"I love to express the beauty, harmony and spirit of this world in my paintings."

"My heart is completely open to art...True art is alive and inspired by humanity...that art helps us to be free from aggression and depression.

"The artist invites to the world of simple beauty which constantly surrounds us, but we are too busy to stop for a moment and enjoy it."
https://afremov.com/Leonid-Afremov-bio.html





There is the wonder of explosive color by Marc Chagall in some of his paintings.

Yes,the vivid pageant of life and romantic love by Chagall, whose colorfest blazes wild in my heart.

Marc wrote of his future wife, Bella,
“I had only to open my window and blue air, love and flowers entered in with her.”

However, as we see in the news every day and throughout history, there is not
only the lively and romantic, but tragedy and hate.



Artists speak to that, too.

The Third of May 1808 (El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid) by Francisco Goya in 1814 showing the horror of the French/Spanish war.

Gurenica by Pablo Picasso, created to oppose the bombing of civilians in a Basque town by German planes supporting Francisco Franco
in the Spanish Civil War.







Let's close with a beautiful Impressionistic painting of a new dawn:

Impression Sunrise
by Claude Monet








And a communion meeting house for the Transcendent,
"SkySpace"
by James Turrell
and architect Leslie Elkins:

In the Light,

Daniel Wilcox