What a Night: The Truth Presents!

Greetings Friends and Family,

This has been such an overwhelming and humbling experience. I have met so many new and amazing people interested in my craft and journey.

Friday evening October 10, 2014 started with new and familiar smiling faces and pleasant conversations.

I really do love art and at times I don't love it too, but when I do it's moments like this that make the struggle of being an artist that more tangible and real.
I am happy I was able to explain a little about my process, my professional growth and journey as an artist.

This night would not have been possible with out the support of so many amazing people.

Dj G7 who really brought the tone to the night with his music artistry on the one's and two's.

I Rose what can I say this woman's voice invokes and embodies the spirit of our ancestors.  It sent chills down my spine.

The one and only OFATS with the dope RAPS bringing in positivity and love through the story telling language of hip hop.

(Located far left!)


But of course this day would not have been possible without  collaboration 

Coffee Hour Series (CHS) partners:  J.P. Licks INFocus Camera Club  Parker Hill Branch Library  Mission Hill Artists Collective (MHAC)  Community Alliance of Mission Hill (CAMH)  Sponsors:  J.P. Licks Dan Vlahos Design Studio CHS program coordinator: Dragan Grujic e-mail: dmgrujic(at)yahoo.com  INFocus Camera Club member

Many thanks to  everyone that supports me from patrons, friends to family.

This has been a night to remember and I can't wait to bring more opportunities like this for other artist in the community.

Enjoy a few more moments below.

La Catrina Azucar Kitty accompanied by a community member Sister Amina Muhammad.

Elder and Lesley Student talking art!

You indeed live and learn, community early childhood educator admires this one of a kind sugar skull.

Admires and fellow artist...

Long time supportive friends and my beloved little son Shallah.

The wonderful community healer Mama MAAT and happy ZNT customer.

If you missed the opportunity to purchase a print you may grab one here on my website.

Please check out my online shop established 2006

About DaArtistZNT

Limited addition prints once they are gone they maybe gone for good until new art comes out.

Buy Prints Click Here

If you missed the opening you have one more opportunity to get limited addition signed prints prints in person.

Friday November 14, 2014

JP LICKS MISSION HILL

1618 Tremont St

Mission Hill MA

7-9pm

Join me with art, music and more for the closing reception.

As always bringing art from the heart to yours. 

Peace and Love

Zahirah Nur Truth

Da Artist ZNT

DaArtistZNT goes SOLO!

Peaceful GreetingsFamily,

I hope the summer has been kind to you. 

This summer has been special giving me the opportunity to pursue my art and experience many learning lessons.

The Fall it seems has even more to offer!

This month please join me for a two day group showing via Jamaica Plain Open Studios.

Saturday & Sunday 

September 20 & 21, 2014

11am to 6pm 
24 Eliot Street 

Jamaica Plain, MA

This year I will be at the wonderful Eliot School where I am a faculty member.

Please come out learn about the classes I will be teaching and more! At this time you can also get information about my upcoming Solo Show: The Truth presents...

A collection of paintings and drawings. 

Brought to you by the CHS "Coffee House Series"

OPENING RECEPTION 

October 10, 2014

7-9pm

JP Licks Brigham Circle

1618 Tremont Street

Mission Hill MA 

Guest Artists

On the...

Ones and Twos by Dj G7

Ofats with the dope RAPS! 
Rhymes and Beats by OFATS 

IROSE dropping some sultry soul singin!
Music by Irose 

Derrick Trotman of Tru Soul Movement inspiring us with poetry.

All work on display will be available for sale.

Prints of various sizes will be available for purchase as well. 

I can't wait to see you present!

Peace 

DaArtistZNT

Making Connections in Art: Legomania!

Greetings Friends and Family!

Here we are again...

 

Paper "Lego MiniFigure"

I'd like to share with you some of the great things we have been up to in the Preschool Art Studio.

Today we experienced "Art on a Cart". I teach at a multi building Early Childhood facility in which children get to join me by talking a little walk to the Art Studio. However today that was not possible due to inclement weather.

It was raining quite a bit, so I ventured out in the rain with all my supplies.


First I would like to share with you a little bit about my teaching philosophy.

My number #1 rule is "There are no mistakes in ART!" This is a phrase I learned early in my teaching career. It was one that is truth for me and has stuck with me over the years.

I teach from a flexible point of view which includes children's initiate ability to create, prior knowledge, presentation of new information along with modeling.

For example: I might say in session do not mix the colors! Simply because we may want the colors to stay pure as possible. But guess what if they get mixed up, that's ok too. Because "There are no mistakes in Art!"

Let's get started!

Each Art Studio Session my goal is to engage many aspects of learning but most importantly I strive to make a connection between Literacy and Art.

Literacy: Is the relationship of one's ability to read and write as well as speak a language. This also includes that letters have sounds, those sounds together create words and words have meaning.

Young children often make connections to points of interest.


The subject of interest that we are going to explore is "Legos" especially since "Lego The Movie" came out.

This weeks literacy connections is related to Speaking and Art terminology.

We conversed and explored the 3 D's this week.

What are the 3 D's you say? Why what else? Drawing! Designing! Decorating!

I learned about children's prior knowledge by  asking if they have heard of any of the 3 D's? By this point most of my 3, 4, and soon to be 5 year olds have heard of these Art terms.

Next we define them:

Drawing: to make a picture of something using crayons, markers, pencils or paint by using lines and shapes.

Student example: "Drawing is when you make a picture of something!"

Designing: to use our thinking caps to plan what materials and drawing tools we want to use to draw and decorate a picture

Student example: "Design is when you design something on top of something"


Decorating: To add shapes with paper, scissors or other art materials to make a picture.

Student example: "Decorating is when you put sparkles on something!"


Modeling:

Here children were provide with color copies of various "Lego" faces. These were used as inspiration so that each child could create there own "Lego" face.

Children were allowed to choose their color of choice for a shirt and pants of their paper "Lego Minifigure".

Then the "Drawing, Designing and Decorating began!

We have some really great authentic work here along with proud students!

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the Art Studio.

As always....

Peace and Blessings

Zahirah Nur Truth
aka
Da Artist ZNT

DaArtistZNT: Artist and Educator- Documenting in the Classroom

Greetings Family

Welcome and a very Happy Spring to you!

I would like to take this time to address the importance of documenting information in the classroom and in life in general. 

So what is "Documentation"? Why is "Documentation" important?

Today I will strive to address these questions, provide points of reference, pictorial examples, and definitions.

So let's gets started.

Documentation by definition is: the collection of information or data through several means ones paper work and written observations, videos, pictures, samples of childrens work, tape recording of dialogue and other social interactions.

Examples of documentation gathering:

Anecdotal Notes

Developmental Checklist

Pictures 

Work Samples

Videos

So why is this all so important? It provides us with a frame of reference. 

In the classroom we can track developmental progress and assess the effectiveness of our teaching and learning.

I personally love documentation, but more specifically I enjoy snapping pictures because it helps trigger my memory of the 4 W's Who? What? Where? Why?

In the world of technology many of us use documentation everyday via social networking rather it be a blog, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. This too is a form of documentation.

Here in the Art Studio for me taking a picture is all about capturing the moment!

Art is about creating and enjoying the process, but not always about the product.

Here in the studio children get to develop and make connections between art and real life objects and skills.

Theme: Transportation/Community

Here the young child is practicing tracing the fundamental stages of drawing.

This picture depicts the development and enhancement of finemotor skills along with cognitive ability.

1. 3 point grip

2. Tracing

3. Attends and focuses on work 

4. Child uses opposite hand to hold stencil in place.

Correlation and Correspondence

Here the child is developing finemotor ability but is also engaging in matching and real life connections. 

1. Child matches color of traffic light to picture and colors cirlcle in red. 

2. Child associates traffic light picture with traffic light out in the community.

Artistic Expression and Self Awareness

The above child was asked to draw a picture of herself in the community picture. No suggestions were made except please make sure you make all the parts of your body.  

Here we can see several developmental domains in action along with other skills.

1. Cognitive Ability

2. Finemotor Skill

3. Prior Knowledge 

Balance Awareness and Focus

The child is focused. She is holding the car in one hand while painting the wheels with the other. 

Skills being used are:

1. Cognitive 

2. Social Emotional

3. Finemotor 

I hope you enjoyed taking a  small glimpse into my Art Studio. 

Let's talk about the 4 W's

Who: Young children in varying ages of development.

What: Well Art of course which at times can engage math, science, social studies and real life connections.

Where: The Art Studio a child friendly and appropriate space where young children are encourage to create freely based on themes or own interest.  

Why: Art with in its self is a form of documenting as developing young artist you can see young childrens growth. Growth is represented through practice, prior knowledge, cognitive ability and awareness of self. Each child has their own ability to create work that is authentic to them. All children may not create a representational figure that has all identifiable body parts. However they can still create. The point is to keep going, keep trying, skills develop, grow with practice, consistency and ability over time.

Happy Spring and Happy Art

I now offer private art classes for children Ages 2-8 years of age. Feel free to email me if you are interested in a private home lessons.

Love and Light

DaArtistZNT

A.rtistically R.aising T.he S.tandard: Winter in the A.R.T.S. Studio...

Peaceful Greetings Family,


The week is almost over but my infant and toddler students have been busy creating delightful charming and authentic work. This week's art studio project is focused on winter and cold weather.

We have been exploring new materials to paint with that can easily be found at home, Qtips and foam peanuts from packages.

"Children's art is not about the product but the process  in which art is created." Willfully "Children can developed a life long curiosity in art that transcends time..."

Let's look and see what we have been up to...

Literacy Connection: 

Author/Illustrator: Claudia Rueda

 

"This delightful  book takes you through the journey of a mother polar bear and baby polar as he learns and grows. He discovers snowstorms and that he is loved."

 

Art Activity: 

 

"Children use light blue paper to create a winter scene of snow and ice with combination of green blue, light blue and white paint."

 

"Here children practice dotting and stippling with q tips and foam peanut shapes to make a winter storm."

 

 

 

 "Children practice cooperative learning by sharing art materials, Here two children share a plate of paint and work together nicely." ;)

 "Children continue to paint using foam peanuts to create dots and marks on their paper."

 

Starting January 6, 2013

I will be teaching a winter “Tot Zone” Class at the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA the focus of this class is for children ages 2-3 years age with an accompanied caregiver. I am excited to be facilitating this course and have lots a great art projects planned related to the season and family. Please click on the link below to register. Classes are filling quickly! Class will take place on Monday mornings from 10am to 11am.

Sign Up for Art Classes Click ME<---

 

 

If you’re interested in learning more about me as an artist and or are interested in me teaching a course in art for your program/center of education please contact me at zahriahnurtruth@me.com.

I am certified to work with children from Preschool to Second grade.

Let's create Art from the HeArt!

Peace and Blessings

Da Artist ZNT

Zahirah Nur Truth

 

 

Da Artist* Da Educator* Da Visionary: Exploring Art and Literacy

Peace Family,


I know it's been a while and wanted to take this opportunity to show you what I have been up to lately in the Art Studio working with young children. 

Some of you are aware I am a formally trained  Early Childhood Specialist with a passion for Art. I am happy to say that here in the state of Massachusetts I am a certified Infant/Toddler, Preschool as well as Director I and II professional.

Let's learn a little more about the program that I run and take a peek into the studio.

A.R.T.S.

and

Literacy Program

A.rtistically R.aising T.he S.tandard

The main benefit of incorporating literacy into an art program is that most children are naturally visual learners when combining linguistics with letters sounds, letters and word recognition you are strengthening young children’s ability to read and write at an early age. The overall goal of the A.R.T.S. and Literacy program is to bring these two worlds together in a fun and engaging way that is appealing to young children and families. Children will be exposed to literacy via many modalities; conversation, exposure to artistic terminology, traditional children’s literature in the form of child appropriate books. Children will learn about letters and words by being submerge in a child friendly art studio that is enriched with words labeled on common areas, tools and objects that they may be used in the Art Studio. Each lesson will be geared to the development of Early Head Start /Head Start /School Readiness programs. They will then be scaffold to meet the learning needs of individual groups and individual children with varied learning abilities. All of my lesson plans are created in way in which similar concepts can be taught to elementary aged children by scaffolding the learning techniques and requirements to the needed level.

Welcome

To

The

Art Studio

With

Ms Zahirah

Literacy Connection: 

“The Family Book”

By Todd Parr

 

Art Activity: 

“Students get to use colorful paper as background in unison with various shapes and textures of paper to create a mix media family collage. They complete the project by using markers to add finishing touches.”

 

Literacy Connection: 

“ART”

By Patrick McDonnell

 

Art Activity: 

What is Art? Making Art and beyond...

“Children learn about different line formation, and get to practice those using crayons; they then finish up the practice by exploring drawing and painting techniques with watercolor. The finished project is a unique mural created as a group.”

  

If you're interested in learning more about me as an artist and or are interested in  me teaching a course in art for your program/center of education please contact me at zahriahnurtruth@me.com.

I am certified to work with children from Preschool to Second grade.

Let's create Art from the HeArt!

Peace and Blessings

Da Artist ZNT

Zahirah Nur Truth