I remember with great emotion the days I spent in Lebanon in July 2006.
Norma, my longtime friend, invited me to collaborate at the “Atelier Awlad” in Beirut.
I thank her for trusting me, and for letting me choose what I felt or thought was best for the children; in order to develop their sense of creation, and to try to erase inhibiting social or religious differences within and between them.
I remember the beautiful Corm garden that welcomed us, with a beautiful water lily fountain in the center. Everything was beautiful and inspiring.
Every morning, with the children, I improvised a different proposal based on contact with the surrounding nature which was magical. Interventions in communion with everything that we had within our reach: with branches, dry leaves fallen to the ground, pebbles etc … and with everything that surrounded them and that could feed their imagination. And I added some elements to interact with nature and allow them to realize the expression of their creativity. Like paper, glue, paints, ropes, scissors, Chinese ink, playdough, etc…
Every day I gave them an indication and they were completely free to do whatever they wanted and to express their imagination without barriers. This is how, day after day, I could see the joy of all these children, who while playing, made works of art without realizing that they were freeing their souls, maybe forever.
Perhaps one day they would remember those liberating moments that opened a window for them forever.
I particularly remember a child who in front of the blank page could not make a single stroke. I asked him why he couldn’t.
– I don’t know how to draw – he told me.
So I suggested:
– let your hand do anything without thinking.
He was suddenly delighted when he let the pencil in his hand run down the page.
Then he did a lot of lines from top to bottom and from right to left. In the end, looking at his drawing, he saw many things on the paper: airplanes, trees and so many other things appeared in front of his eyes. His amazement and joy also taught me the essence of creation.
A few months later I started making sculpture with my heart full of passion for this discovery.
These are also the last moments spent with all these wonderful children that I missed and led to my own artistic expression.
I still dream about them and I wonder how they are.
Fourteen years have passed. I continue making sculpture thanks to them, Awlad and my dear friend Norma.
Marcela Rossiter