Inside the Spin-Mosaic Studio

It is often asked how I shifted my large-scale works for public places to include Memorial ARTwalls for children. This is the story. It is not a story for the faint at heart, yet this is the world we live in. Tragedy is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when" and to "whom". As artists, we can do more than express ourselves and paint pretty pictures. We can help express loss and celebrate life. We can help others unite within their common grounds. We can bring forth color and beauty, when only figurative storm clouds dot the landscape of the heart. This is one story: there will be more. *Dedicated to Adrian, Kelsea, Alivia, Mason, Xzavier, Gideon and Payton. [...]

Introducing the Memorial ARTwall with Claypool Elementary School in memory of Payton Slaymaker, age 10. Payton is a local hero with a strong and inspirational spirit who impacted many throughout her battle with cancer. We celebrate her life in color and beauty. A 9-foot Legacy Wings-Wall will be created in circle-painting workshops with every class in her school. Together, each child can realize their talent contributing to the beauty of their own come-and-go school space. The spirit of togetherness is important for resilience and healing to take their place in the wake of a tragedy. [...]

It is one thing to create, it is another thing to have to recreate once a creation is ruined: by yourself or someone else. What do we do then? Here is one such story that can turn into one such Superpower--if and when realized. [...]

Artist and Author, Christi Ziebarth (me!) takes a step backwards into a memory of coming in from the cold; and a step forward rolling snowballs with my own son on a blistering icey snow-day home from school. Here is where we find a brand of love that is hard to pin-point, hard to explain, hard to write about, and even harder to capture in a work of art. There is a quieting that comes over a child when they come in from the snow. The wind is not longer whipping at their pink cheeks. Tiny pea-sized snowballs are not longer itching at their neck. They are no longer bundled tight and high-stepping to track through mounds of snow. Sitting with a cup of hot chocolate is the most quieting and calming 10 minutes of winter. The gentle provision of a mother unbundling a child from winter play and a child soaking in the newfound warmth of still air and freedom of limbs, is a very quieting kind of love. [...]

Value is more than a monetary exchange. Value is sometimes a gift given where talent is compared to another that is higher in elevation than an artist feels they can aspire to. This is a simple story from long ago when I sat selling painted ladybug rocks with my mother at an Arts & Crafts Bazaar. There she sat with her table of art. There I sat with my card table of rocks. It was a learning lesson for sure. Then, along came a little boy my age who wanted to barter something in his hand that I deemed far more valuable than what I had to offer. What this did for my belief in my own talents...will never be forgotten. How can we gift gracious value into the lives of other Creatives'? It is a question we all must consider as we encourage others around us! [...]

Artist, Christi Ziebarth, shares an illustrated blog story from her early days teaching elementary Art among the Amish. The Girl in Red makes a second appearance taking you to the heart of where art and beauty can be found...nature. Children have a special way of recognizing and speaking truth. They also have a special way of recognizing love in sincerity. Some children are gifted more love than others. This is a truth to remember as we all enter a Season of Gifting---Christmas! Our children are our gifts to us. We are a gift to them. May we all cherish and appreciate each other in the true spirit of LOVE...straight from the heart of the Girl in Red. [...]

Author and Artist, Christi Ziebarth, digs deep into the pockets or her memories and recalls the difference between dream statements of the Amish children and the English children, when teaching in a rural Indiana school. [...]

Christi Ziebarth shares a moment of awakening as a blind child in her art classroom experiences a helium balloon for the very first time. Children with special needs often share amazing perspective as their lives revolve around differences and a comfortability with differences. Annie was sweet and special. The extra sensory applications initiated and planned within each art project forever changed the way I teach and think. I am forever grateful to Annie! [...]

Continuing illustrated Blog articles trace memories of my early days teaching Art among the Amish. This articles features a quintessential example of "sensitive accommodations" transformed into loving creative ideas and actions. Not every child has a positive home life waiting for them when they get off the bus. Many fall through the cracks and get lost in the shuffle. Art class was one time a week, but here in these four walls, were ample opportunities to creatively attend to hearts. [...]

Grace and Humor can come as a shock. Shocks imprint atmospheres and color into the mind. Author and artist, Christi Ziebarth, recounts a day in her memoires teaching among the Amish when both humor and grace were applied. Illustrations go along with each article. Enjoy her watercolor and pen-and-ink stylization! [...]

This culmination blog of a 30-Day Creativity IQ Challenge compares drawing skills to a beloved recipe. Students participate in a recipe writing activity of a familiar peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a literary writing prompt. The creative thought process of self-actualization is ignited by thinking through both the "ingredients" and "directions" necessary when writing a figurative recipe for the stages of drawing. A culmination game cuts strips of paper and aligns them in sequence. The drawing recipe is applicable to any age or skill level. [...]

The best of art picks up where words leave off. This post takes a look at the mixed media art of Angie Gunther, Germany with a nod to the safe corner in my mother's art studio when I was a little girl. Her studio taught me to find quiet and solace in the midst of vibrant color. Young artists and ALL artists are encouraged to continue the spirit of exploration through mixed media and varied technique. Sometimes we run across a gorgeous blue embrace and words are no longer necessary. [...]

Children's portraiture is both revealing and introspective. This article reviews developmental stages of portrait drawing as well as an interview with "grown-up" Art Student, Jenna Bremer as she talks about her journey of discovery. [...]

Introduction to a new blog relaying helpful stories and strategies gleaned from 20 years of Art Education for parents and teachers with creative children. [...]