A note from Parts & Crafts!

I want to share some pictures and stories with you from my "Art en Plein Air" class with Parts and Crafts. We had such a wonderful time at the Somerville Growing Center for the month of August.

The kids loved spending their mornings surrounded by the beauty of the garden and making art inspired by the flowers and wildlife that came and went. We saw a variety of birds flying in and out feeding on seeds, fruits and insects. Ones that really caught our attention were the bright yellow and black goldfinches swooping up and down and landing on flowers and in the trees. For some kids, this was the first time they ever saw one.

We found a cicada molt attached to a low tree branch where kids were able to closely observe and draw it. We also encountered a variety of bees, wasps and beetles going about their day.

The kids were really inspired by the garden and made lots of drawings of what they saw. One of the older boys used plants he saw to create characters of his own design. It was also so nice for them to just sit and enjoy spending time with each other to just talk and play in the space. Their parents were so happy to see their children outside, making art and spending time with their friends.

By the end of the month, I had many parents express how much their children enjoyed this brief but meaningful time with us in the garden and are looking forward to continuing in the fall. Thank you so much for having us!!!