Last week we read to the kids, grades 3 & 4 and Montessori equivalents at the infamous Hillfield Strathallan College.. where my breakdancing career both began and ended..
Christine did a talk to the senior law classes while I did one for their senior art classes.
I had so much fun I ran out of art cards to give out. I visited my old art room and paid my respects to Mr. Doug Moore, an art teacher who was always a champion of my creative endeavours. I did not paint this incredible portrait.
We dedicated the book to him. He was always so encouraging about finding your own voice and exploring uncomfortable topics to talk about. He studied every religion under the sun and circumvented the world 3x despite becoming a paraplegic in his 20s. He never claimed to be perfect but lived with incredible humility and resilience.
If he felt you did a half hearted job he’d toss ur painting on the ground and wheel over it with his chair. One time I submitted a painting still wet for an assignment, so obvious I crammed it in the night before as an after thought. He gave it a bad grade then tossed it in the trash.
Those are my favourite stories about him. To some he could be harsh, he was not everyone’s favourite teacher, he could be hard to please, the truth can be hard to hear. He came at a time in my life where I was close to closing off a very big part of myself, art, to pursue something logical and very practical, but what good is efficiency if you don’t like where you are efficiently getting to. He changed my life, and made me see a life of art is incredible!
I loved seeing the art room’s upgrades, a dark room, a firing kiln?!! There was gentle talk about me maybe teaching art there one day. I flirted with the idea a bit, and I let them woo me some with their printing press. I would totally jump in there and do a joint picture book with the class, how fun would that be. Everyone can take home a copy too. Would have loved to learn how to self publish a picture book at that age.
It was wild getting to have lunch back at the old cafeteria, so many upgrades. No giant chocolate communal pudding spoon though. Rumours went around about the morning’s cool visitors. So many memories of old friends and lost crushes, a testament that your past shapes and follows you, even without you realizing, a real Wes Anderson, Rushmore type moment for me.
My favourite part was reading to the younger kids. It was amazing to see them so curious and actually engaging in our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Some future aspiring lawyers already!
The kids loved the art and while front row sat a good two feet away from my toes at the beginning of the read, by the end of it, they were nearly on my lap! Everyone leaning in to see all the different Canadian wildlife I had painted in between the pages. They were so curious of the process too.
Atlas, my ultimate favourite was when this young lad came up to me to say that I was his new favourite illustrator ❤️
I had so much fun I promised them I’d be back in one year’s time with two more picture books. Thank you HSC for all the support! & the Canadian Constitution Foundation and Christine for the opportunity!
LISA NG ART 