Happy Birthday Canada!

A couple of weeks ago I was at a Catholic School in Toronto, Our Lady Of Victory, where a very industrious teacher took on a project that would celebrate Canada's 150 Birthday, involve the entire school and include me! Her idea was to make a mosaic Canadian flag that everyone in the school would contribute to.

I arrived first thing in the morning and set up in the school's atrium. The project, a large Canadian flag, was ready and waiting for each class to come through, listen to a quick condensed version of my 'The Magic of Mosaics' presentation then add their small paper cross (one per student) to the project.

It was meant to go like clock work and thanks to that very industrious and uber organized teacher it did!

Doing the quick condensed version of my presentation ...

The flag before ...

The flag during ...

The day finished with a reading of Six Owls and A Party, for the primary students, with the aid of a big screen:)

Six Owls and A Party goes to Brampton!

I spent the last 2 days at Hewson PS, in Brampton, with seven of their JK/SK classes sharing my book, and Magic of Mosaics Workshop.

It's always a good thing spending time at a school that encourages literacy like this one clearly does! Their Library! WOW! Spoke volumes. 

I couldn't stop saying, "WOW! What a nice Library". 

In a perfect world every school would have a library like this one.

I really couldn't stop saying, "WOW!".

Six Owls and A Party goes to Aurora!

I spent today at Devins Drive Public School, in Aurora, doing my Magic of Mosaics Presentation with four different classes (ranging from grades 1-6:) 

My Portrait of Kate is always a big hit:)

Six Owls and A Party goes to Toronto!

Yesterday I spent the day, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders at Transfiguration of Our Lord CS in Toronto, sharing my Magic of Mosaics workshop + author reading.

They (1st, 2nd and 3rd graders) make you feel like a Superstar:)

"You're the best artist ever"

"Do you sell your stuff for a million bucks?"

"Is your mosaics in museums?"

Working on a new version!

Travailler sur une nouvelle version de Six hiboux et une fête:)

Six Owls and A Party goes to Cambridge!

Yesterday I was at Ryerson Public School in Cambridge with my Magic of Mosaics Presentation. 

I'm always amazed with their levels of creativity:)

This artist quietly worked away with such tiny little pieces! 

It's that time of year again...

Interested in have me visit your school or library with my Magic of Mosaics presentation? Let me know!

Local Library Visit

Today I did an Author Reading at my first library ~ The McLaughlin Public Library in Oshawa.
Sharing the magic of mosaics:)

Author Visits♡

In February I had a table at The Reading for the Love of It Conference. After which I contacted (emailed) many of the Teachers and Librarians that I met with the hope of setting up Author Visits showcasing my Magic of Mosaics presentation, at their schools. I really had no idea if any of them would be interested in what I had to offer...
Since then I've visited 13 schools in the GTA and the feedback from the teachers and kids has been wonderful! Apparently I have something to offer:)
At the end of the summer I'll be sending out a new wave of emails which will hopefully lead to more invites and more visits, which means more sharing of the Magic of Mosaics.

This very big thank you card came to me thru snail mail. It made my day.

Six Owls and A Party goes (back) to Brampton!

A big thanks to Fernforest Public School for inviting me to share Six Owls and A Party + my mosaic workshop with eight grade 3 classes over the last three days (it's a big school!). Every class had a great bunch of kids - engaged, thoughtful and very polite!

Six Owls and Party goes to Mississauga!

I was at Saint Bernadette Elementary School in Mississauga today with my Magic of Mosaics presentation. Apparently I set up in just the right spot this morning😳

Location, location, location...

Six Owls and A Party goes to Peterborough!

I was at Armour Heights Public School in Peterborough, Ontario today with my Author Visit + Mosaic Workshop.
After the reading of Six Owls and A Party this grade 1/2 class had a ton of questions:)

The Batman Owl!

Accessing their work.

Clever + Enthusiastic Kids!

For the last two days I've been at Cardinal Newman Elementary School in Brampton, Ontario with my Magic of Mosaics presentation - such an enthusiastic bunch!

I loved that this girl kept using the window as a lightbox - so clever!

Six Owls and A Party goes to Brampton

Read to some big crowds today!
Thank you Saint Mary Elementary School for inviting me to share Six Owls and A Party + my mosaic workshop with your very enthusiastic audiences ranging from JK/SK to grade 4.

'Works in progress' by the JK/SKs

My Author Visits continue...

I shared my passion with three very attentive groups today. My Author Visit and Mosaic Workshop was with Junior and Senior Kindergarten classes in Whitby, Ontario. They were wonderful and such amazing sponges - soaking up every detail!!!

Highlight of the day: While packing up my stuff a little boy came over to me, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Thank you Karen Johnston, have a great weekend".

Thank you Ormiston PS, for making my work day not feel like a work day:)

Yeah! Another Author Visit + mosaic workshop

For this Author Visit I shared my passion for mosaics with three grade 1 classes and two grade 2 classes in Mississauga, Ontario. I read Six Owls and A Party, chatted about mosaics and sold some books. It was a good day made even better when the Librarian purchased a copy for the school's library:)

They were all ears while I explained my mosaic process.

They like to touch and they can:)

@ The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Exciting News!
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, in Oshawa, is selling hard and soft copies of Six Owls and A Party plus my owl note cards, bookmarks and pendants. Their Shop, full of Canadian made creations, is on the main floor and to the left when you enter (in case you were thinking of going:)

Merchandising My Owls!

I took my six owls off the pages of my book and put them on some pendants, 4x5 notecards (blank insides) and 5x7 prints. All available at in the mosaicworks shop and...

stay tuned... 

A Great Conference!

I was in Toronto on Thursday and Friday pitching/selling my book + mosaic workshop to lots of Teachers and Librarians at The Reading for the Love of It Conference.
I'm Happy to say that it went very well. I made all sorts of new contacts (nice), got some really wonderful feedback (nicer) and sold some books (nicest). Yeah!

An Author Visit

I spent a lot of January on the road (so to speak:) with Six Owls and A Party. I've been going into Junior/Senior Kindergarten classes doing 'an author visit'. My visits include a reading of Six Owls and A Party, a short discussion about mosaics, followed by a mosaic project where the kids make their own mosaic owl.
The feed back from the teachers has been wonderful and the feedback from the kids has been better then wonderful (not sure if there's a word for that?).
It's been a while since I've spent any amount of time with such young kids (some are still 3!) - I'd forgotten how unfiltered, uneffected and cute they can be.
"You're really, really, really nice"
"WOW!!!, did you make that?"
"I love you"
"you look just like my grandmother"
"Author, can you help me"
"BYE Carol!"
Then there's one of my favourites - at the end of one of my visits the teacher asked if anyone had any questions before I left. A little girl put up her hand and asked, "what colour is your car?"
I smiled and answered her.

BTW, it's black:)