KrisMag #6 Drawing with children in Bali 2018

KrisMag #6 / May 2019

Connecting Creative People

Mari menggambar!

To draw with children in Ubud, Bali

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Om Swasiastu Mari menggambar Let’s draw

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KrisMag # 6 May 2019 Editor: Kris Søgaard Layout: Kris Søgaard Front page:The Temple Gate by Ni Putu Eva Photos & text: Kris Søgaard Iris Bakker - then mentioned

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Content Introduction

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Starting up

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Drawing the Temples

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Not always drawing

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Watercolouring

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Freestyle & Abstract

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Putu Eva

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Kadek Ayu

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Putu Tuta

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Putu Adi

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Putu Ditya

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Diplomas

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Balinese Names

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The Compound

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Books

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Putu Eva drawing

THANKS TO THE SPONSORS All materials for the children were sponsored by: My friends who gave me a generous gift card for my birthday & Aart deVos, art supplier, Aarhus, Denmark.

Thank you all!

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Introduction In July 2018 I went to Ubud, Bali, as I had done the last 24 years.

Always staying with the same family which is now also my family.

With me came a young Danish artist and art teacher, Iris Bakker. We had talked about making some drawing classes for the children I know.

Preparations and plans were made: Iris was going to teach the children different disciplines such as perspective drawing, watercolor etc. Focus would be on using your eyes … see, draw, see, draw, see …

It was Iris’ first time in Bali, so apart from her taking it all in she was going to communicate with children who do not speak English! And she not Indonesian nor Balinese!!

My role became to buy the materials here in Aarhus, to contact my family in Bali to find out which children might take part - we had decided on the age 8-10.

In Bali I was the mediator, the translator and the documentarist photography.

And now back home again to publish this magazine.

It was a great time and I guess we all learned a lot.

But to make plans is one thing. Reality always wins.

For example we could not have regular classes from day to day, because the children had so much to do: A Hindu ceremony that lasted some days …

A dance class …

A birthday …

Daily offerings …

Football with friends - not to forget …

And many many more!

So the classes took place when they had time - sometimes with two kids, other times with five plus their friends!

This KrisMag is for the children - my ’grandchildren’ -whose works you can enjoy on the following pages.

Terima kasih ke Putu Eva, Ayu, Putu, Putu & Putu!

Thank you!

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Putu Eva, 8 years.

Putu Eva is one of the children in our compound.

There are six children and two older teenagers.

Putu Eva is always busy: school, dancing babysitting, making offerings, making fun ‌

Kadek Ayu, 8 years.

Ayu is - just like her cousin - always busy.

The two girls are together almost all the time.

Putu Ditya, 10 years.

Putu is living in another compound in Sugriwa Street.

He is the only one of these five children, who draws all the time.

Putu Tata, 10 years.

Putu is often together with the girls - and he is also a very good babysitter.

Putu is very helpfull and is interesting in learning English.

Putu Adi, 10 years.

Putu is always busy outside our compound.

He loves to play football with his friends.

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Starting Up

Lesson one: Draw Kris’ sandal

Balinese children learn handicraft skills by watching the elders and then copying them.

As a start they drew what Iris drew ‌ but we wanted them to do their own observation and then make their own drawing! It was hard, but when they understood, their original results came

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And then Putu Eva was babysitting!

I love the life in the open garden in our compound - so full of life!

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This one was difficult!

A glass you could see through but with a little help from the teacher they succeeded.

From left to right: Putu Ditya, Iris, Putu Eva, Putu Tata and Ayu.

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Drawing the Temples

All Balinese compounds have their own temples for the daily prayers or for bigger ceremonies for the extended family: birth, weddings, tooth filing, death ‌ and many more.

Here the children are drawing the split gate to the temple.

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Another small temple ‌ and a small visitor!

It’s a cecak that eat all the mosquitos, so she is a friend.

Putu Tata and Eva are showing the results.

Nice job, kids!

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Not always drawing!

Putu Eva is busy all day: Left: Doing the morning offerings all by herself.

Below: dressed up for ceremony, the family was preparing for the Cremation, that takes part every fifth year. Two family members had died.

Below right: babysitting her aunt’s twin girls gives a lot of practising here with grandmother, Ayu and a dog.

Opposite side: Top: teaching the teacher how to dance good to be the expert now!

Girls hanging out on the balcony.

Kids looking at teacher drawing - lying on the couch.

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Putu Eva’s drawing of Iris’ room seen from bird’s perspective: the bed and chair with flower prints … and the fan.

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Watercolouring …

The children had been looking forward to unpack their watercolours - each colour nicely wrapped up in paper.

Iris had chosen the Nevskaya White Nights set with 12 colours and a good brush, so the first lesson was to be used to it.

How much water?

How to mix the three primary colours to complimentary.

How to save the painting when it was ’sailing’ with water.

It was not that easy - and patience was the key word!

Photo up/right: Grandmother and one of the twins watching. We always had some kind of audience and were known as ’The Danish Kindergarden’!

You can see some results further on in the magazine.

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Clockwise from top: I’ll draw something while the colours dry!

Putu Ditya with his ’driver’ Rita and teacher Iris.

The vulcano was rumbling - but no outbursts.

Kris - after the children had left.

Putu D painting very concentrated.

Rain! A good day for watercolour!

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Offerings were being set out every day …

Beautifull!

Sometimes the kids would come to draw and paint … just because they enjoyed it.

The view from my porch to the ’balé’ - a half-open room used for all kind of activity: here are the offerings for the cremation, but also a tv-set for fun!

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Freestyle & Abstract One of the last days the children came over and asked if the could paint ’abstract’. And they brought some friends, too!

Yes, why not!

So here are some examples of their works that afternoon …

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All three photos by Iris Bakker

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Putu Eva

All 9 photos here by Iris Bakker

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Kadek Ayu

All 9 photos here by Iris Bakker

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Putu Tuta

All 6 photos here by Iris Bakker

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Putu Adi

All 5 photos here by Iris Bakker

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Putu Ditya

Photo: Iris Bakker

Putu is very concentrated when drawing. He goes to art class and takes part in drawing competitions.

His younger brother Kadek is always interested. His big interest is music and dance.

Here Iris has made a drawing of the two boys.

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Diplomas

And then one month had passed!

The children got a diploma, a new book for drawing plus all their materials - pencils, pencil sharpener, brush, watercolours and their sketchbook full of memories.

I know they had a good time - and so had we.

Terima kasih banyak, thanks a lot!

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Balinese names According to the Balinese Hindu system there are four castes or clans. ● Sudra – farmers (more than 90% ). Today they are in all kind of jobs and are easily recognized by their names - see below ● Wesias – merchants and administrative officials ● Ksatrias – the warrior caste, noblemen and kings ● Brahmana – holy men and priests You will mostly meet the Sudras - their names are: ● Wayan for the firstborn (can also be Putu or Gede) ● Made for the second born (can also be Kadek) ● Nyoman for the third born (or Komang) ● Ketut for the forth born Both boys and girls have these names, but they can be differed by: I Putu - a boy Ni Putu - a girl AND then they all have last names that are not family names.

Therefor they often get or take nicknames so they should be identified easier … but I have come to Bali for the last 24 year and still have difficulties to find out, who is who!

The Balinese caste system is not as strict as the Indian - they interact with ease on a daily basis.

Names for the other castes: check UB Ultimate Bali

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The compound The Balinese compound is the place where an extended family lives.

It was started by the founding father and mother, the first couple who build their home here.

Their sons also build their homes here, and so did their sons ‌ and so on.

The daughters went to a new compound by marriage and became wives, daughters and sisters to their new families.

For special ceremonies the daughters come home to their birth compound to take part.

The compound is surrounded by a high wall and a gate, where the Elephant God Ganesha protects against the Evil Spirits.

In one corner is the Family Temple. It is situated so it is pointing to the Sacred Mountain Besakih. Here the family does their daily prayers and offerings.

A half-open building - the balĂŠ - is next to the Temple. It is used for ceremonial purposes, for socializing, watching tv and storage room.

Each family has their own building - a bedroom. All other activities take place outdoors on the porches protected by roofs.

So there is always a lot of activity - and that is how our young friends Eva, Ayu, and three times Putu boys live.

My family runs also a homestay with 3 separate rooms for rent which gives the compound an international touch!

Om Sante Sante Sante ‌

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Books There are so many books about Bali that I find it hard to recomment any. But three books, that gave me a lot, are: Adrian Vickers: Bali - A Paradise Created (a different history of Bali showing how ’good pr’ for centuries has created the picture of a Paradise as the last Paradise, Island of the Gods … AV takes us up to modern times).

My BEST recommendation!

Miguel Covarrubias: Island of Bali (Bali in the 1920’ies and 30’ties. MC writes brilliantly about the life, the religion, the art being an artist himself).

Fred B. Eiseman, Jr.: Bali - Sekala & Niskala vol. I & II (the best book for understanding the Bali Hinduism and all its ritual)

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Disini anda bisa menggambar ‌

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Om Sante Sante Sante

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