Working-materials & preparations

‘Joined exercise with closed eyes and with one ball of clay per child.’

Materials needed for one drawing exercise

Paper: 65 x 50 cm. 160 grams / for drawing (120 grams is also an option)

Charcoal: 2 sticks of charcoal per child, which they break into 6 pieces of 4,5 cm each

Tape: tesa tape

Materials for clay exercises
A ball of clay the size of a tennis ball or a size which will fit in a child’s hand (somewhat dependent on the child’s age).

The clay exchange exercise. Communicating with eyes closed. First feel what you receive. Then you are free to decide if you continue working on the piece of clay you have received or to completely change the clay. Keep your eyes closed throughout.

The children can also flatten or roll the clay on the board lying between them

Clay-board 25 x 35 cm. Sawn out of MDF or coated block board

If the children are going to make a drawing afterwards:
paper size 65 x 50 cm, 160 grams will be best

Crayons: 4 crayons (white, sienna, blue, black)

Tape: tesa tape or other type

For a number of joint exercises (9.3, 9.4, 9.5 and 9.8) a maximum of 4 crayons (see photo) are needed to make a drawing with closed eyes with the non-dominant hand after the meditation on an object brought from home.

Drawing with closed eyes based on an open eyes meditation of an object brought from home with which the child has a strong affection.

Extra requirements:

Small tables/benches were the only furniture available during workshops in Kenya (Africa). However, a lot can be done with very limited means. Photograph: Cas Roseboom.

Tables to stand at while the children or adult participants carry out the drawing exercises.
Small sandwich bags for storing the balls of clay.
Small sandwich bags should the children wish to take the clay object home.
If necessary old pieces of material for the children to wipe their hands after washing them after claying.

The most practical way is for you as the coach to lay out all the balls of clay on a large piece of (plastic) cloth before the lesson. Water from a tap or in a bucket is useful.
Didactic preparations for a lesson from ‘the Timeless Hour’ are clearly illustrated in the YouTube films which can be found in the MENU under PRESENTATIONS.
The children can then take the boards and balls of clay to their workplace at the start of the lesson.

You use tape to fasten the drawing paper to a support or to the floor of the class room.

Make sure that you give the children the right instructions when they fasten the drawing paper for the first time:

‘Horizontal drawing board with drawing paper stuck down with tape at the corners. You can also use double tape as can be seen in this picture’.

First tear off four separate pieces of tape of about 5 cm length. Tell the children that they first need to lay down the paper in the correct way at the correct side (for instance the side of the non-dominant hand).

Then they put the piece of tape diagonally across the corners of the paper in such a way that a piece of tape of the same length sticks out at both sides. Then they firmly press the tape down onto the drawing board or the floor.

By rubbing your fingers over the tape it will stick better. The rubbing makes the glue on the tape become warm and makes it stick much better.

This will prevent the paper from coming loose during the drawing and also prevents frustration due to sheets of paper moving.

Larger drawing boards can also be used, as can be seen in the picture.

Two eight year old primary school boys – the exercise with the spiral, here drawn with the non-dominant hand. Through focus occupy the space outwards towards expansion and also make the spiral from the outside inwards.

‘Group teachers and artists standing while working on a large joint drawing on a large drawing board. Partially with closed eyes and the non-dominant hand and later with eyes open.’ Nairobi / Kenya. Foto Cas Roseboom.

expressing inner images… Learning by Doing