By Sarah Nelson
This past August we took our bi-annual trip to Tijuana! Twice a year we create time for art workshops at Casa de Mi Familia, focusing on drawing techniques, color mixing, and mediums ranging from printmaking to watercolor! This summer we helped the kids make their own logo for Casa de mi Familia and created stencils allowing us to create T-shirts for everyone at the Children’s Home. In the mornings they focused on drawing animals and increasing their perspective drawing abilities by illustrating cities with incredible detail and color.
It is evident that the techniques and lessons are improving their artistic skills after every workshop. The kids are proud of the work they are making and so are we! They never cease to amaze us with their capacity to overcome adversity, and to learn and create beautiful things. We hope to return in February and continue to deepen our friendships and continue to build on the artistic foundation we have been building.
Some are looking to become professionals and study in a variety of artist fields, including graphic design and architecture. We are hoping to help them develop portfolios. Most of them do not receive any form of art education in their schools, so we are working to fill in the gap as they look to pursue these careers!
Our relationships with the kids (Sarah knowing them now since 2012) and John Mark having completed his third trip, are deepening and trust is growing. We have gained trust and a depth of friendship that can only happen over time, and it is something we are excited to foster, and honored to have the opportunity to be building.
We are so grateful for our dear friends in Tijuana, and for Aracelis and Alejandro who are incredibly loving and hard working caretakers. We can’t wait to go back early next year!
