Karl Marxhausen (KM): Here is something I want to show you. This is a painting that I did this a long time ago. (holds up 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches painted panel)
KM: It doesn't even say what year it is. (walking passed tables for students to see it up close) So, I'd gone on vacation somewhere out on the West Coast. And it had a lot of ocean. There were some people sitting on the rocks. When I got home to Missouri I thought: "Oh oh that was so cool. I want to paint that." (pointing to piece) So, I was able to get the rocks and the distant land and the sky and the water. And, how many people are on there?
Students: Two
KM: Two. So, are they the same size?
Students. No no.
KM: No. But do I have eyeballs and glasses and can you tell what kind of shirt they are wearing?
Students: No.
KM: No. That's the best I could do. And I can't believe I STILL have it. I mean, but I have come such a long way.
Student: I think it looks pretty good.
KM: Thanks. (nodding) You know, I'll just say this up front. Artists are, you probably know this, but artists HAVE FEELINGS. Be careful what you say when you are walking around somebody is working on something. Invariably, people will say: "That doesn't look, or who is that? or, you know." You know, say something nice. WORDS HURT ARTISTS as well as everybody else.
Ms. Jan, art teacher (MJ): Everybody likes to hear something nice.
KM: Recently the timing of coming and talking with you, I've been going through old pieces of my work, and signing it. A few years ago I was leading a class and I had some things I did "trial and err on." And I was showing it to the people I was teaching. And they were saying to me: "Mr. Marxhausen, why don't you have your signature on them?" And I thought: "well, that's a no-brainer. These are just me messing around with paint." So now I and going through and signing stuff. I want to show you a few things.
(I put a painted panel on each table. Students look and hold and point and discuss it among themselves with the time I allow. Chatter ensues. When the time is up, they pick and choose who will go up and talk about the piece in front of the whole class. I sit down and listen with the class)
KM: (after two minutes) Time is up. Who is going to come up from your table? Pick somebody. (Three students come up and line up to take turns) Okay hold your piece up so everyone can see it. Everybody - eyes up here, quiet, please. Okay, go ahead.
A student with Blonde Hair Black shirt (BHB) holds up 4 x 6 inch panel for the class to see, as he points to areas and describes what he sees.
"I'm thinking the grass down here. I think that is the flowers. I think there is grass. I think the sun is setting. It's dark over here. There is a hill of some sort, a rock pile, and over here there is more grass." BHBKM: What do you see on the back side?
BHB: 7 - 26 - 05
KM: So what year is that?
BHB: 2005.
KM: Thank you. Very good. Excellent job. We can clap. (BHB goes back to seat. The class claps their hands)
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A student with Long hair and Striped shirt (LS) holds up a 4 x 6 inch panel, and describes the scene.
"Okay, we think it is like the woods and this down here is the grass. And here is like a path, and here is like the trees that are still alive. The brown is where some of the trees have died or are kind of old. On the back is 7-26-05." LS
KM: So what year was it done?
LS: 2005.
KM: Very good. You guys are so observant. You know these little ones, I really like them. When I found them, it's like, I can't believe I still have these. I have photographs of many of my paintings, but some of these I have not documented." KM
MJ: You probably should.
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A student with Black hair and a Pink sweater (BP) holds up this 12 x 12 inch panel and shares with the class:
"We thought that around here was the woods, and then there is a path here, going into a bigger woods. A meadow around here. Kind of sunset up there. And kind of a little woods right there." BP
BP: Karl Marxhausen. Carrollton.
KM: Good. Excellent. Let's go on another round.
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