A Stem and a Leaf.

The instructions were to draw a BIG flower with no stems, no leaves, and certainly no sunshines or clouds. Each girl was given her own square in which this flower was to be designed. I explained many, many times that the flower should take up the whole square (about one square foot). These flowers are a part of a large scale beautification project in the garden at one of the schools I work at. Each flower will be cut out and wired to the school fence, adding color and creativity to the empty garden space.

As the girls worked, I watched as Molly moved her pencil very, very slowly to ensure that she did not mess anything up. After about ten minutes she had constructed a beautiful flower, about two inches tall, complete with stem and leaf. She looked up at my co-leader and me, saying "Look, I stayed in the lines!" with the biggest smile on her face. Oh dear.

Now, the plywood board of flowers rests on my living room floor. Looking down I see an array of red, blue and yellow spots, each with tremendous character. From afar, I can remember which girls made which flowers because I have seen them draw the same flowers over and over again all year long. I am going to miss working with these girls.