Celebrating Creativity: 2nd Place Winner in the 2025 Amb. Aduke Alakija National Art Competition!

I am delighted to celebrate one of my talented Art students, who has emerged as the Second-Place Winner in the Art Category of the 2025 Amb. Aduke Alakija Memorial National Art and Essay Competition! Responding to the theme “Heal Our Earth: Proffering Solutions for a Better Planet,” the student’s artwork stood out for its creativity, originality, and a powerful message of environmental harmony. 🎨 Artwork That Speaks for the Earth The featured piece portrays a symbolic handshake between a human hand and a flourishing, nature-like hand — a striking visual of unity between humanity and the environment. Blooming flowers, vines, and rays of sunlight symbolize hope, renewal, and the urgent call to restore our planet. This artwork beautifully demonstrates how art can advocate for sustainability and inspire us to protect the world we share. 🏆 A Remarkable Achievement The competition organizers described the piece as “exceptional, inspiring, and impactful.” I am incredibly proud of this achievement, which reflects both the student’s dedication and my ongoing commitment to nurturing artistic excellence and environmental consciousness in young creators. 🌱 Congratulations to My Young Artist This success marks another milestone worth celebrating. I look forward to witnessing how this young artist’s creativity will continue to inspire positive change in our world. Together, we can help heal our Earth — one artwork at a time.

Beyond Fabric: The Art of Dyeing and Bleaching

When most people think of dyeing and bleaching, they picture everyday tasks—changing the color of clothes or removing stains. But in the hands of young artists, these techniques become creative tools that bring fabric to life in exciting and unexpected ways. At the school where I currently teach, our Art and Design students are exploring dyeing and bleaching in ways that go far beyond their usual use. They aren’t just changing colors—they’re telling stories with fabric, using color, pattern, and texture to express ideas and emotions. Even bleach, which is usually seen as a cleaning product, is turned into an art material. Our students use it to create contrast, draw patterns, and experiment with light and dark areas on fabric—almost like painting, but with a chemical brush. It’s always exciting to watch these young artists take something ordinary and transform it into something completely unique. Their work reminds us that art isn’t always about using expensive tools or materials—it’s about seeing new possibilities in everyday things. From bold, colorful dyed fabrics to dramatic, bleached designs full of contrast and texture, their projects show just how creative and imaginative textile art can be.

Abiola M. Samson, *Cambridge Certified Art and Design Educator *Ohio State University, U.S.A Trained Teacher, *Official Judge, World COBIS Art Contest *British Council Trained Teacher

Why Teachers Should Learn Basic Artistic Skills for Classroom Displays 🎨📚

Why Teachers Should Learn Basic Artistic Skills for Classroom Displays 🎨📚 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A classroom isn’t just a place for lessons—it’s an environment that inspires curiosity, focus, and creativity. One of the most underrated ways to achieve this is through visually engaging displays. When teachers learn basic artistic skills—such as color harmony, layout balance, lettering, and simple illustration—they don’t just decorate walls; they create learning spaces that capture attention, reinforce learning, and spark imagination. Benefits include: ✅ Boosting student engagement – visually appealing displays draw learners in. ✅ Enhancing retention – visuals make concepts easier to remember. ✅ Fostering creativity – an inspiring environment encourages students to think outside the box. ✅ Showcasing learning progress – work displays celebrate student effort and achievement. Even a few simple skills in composition, hand lettering, or display arrangement can transform a classroom from functional to inspirational. After all, every teacher is also a curator—of knowledge, of inspiration, and of the environment where learning happens. -------------------------------------------------------------- hashtag#Classdisplay hashtag#Schooldisplay hashtag#Colourfulclassroomenvironment hashtag#Learningenvironment hashtag#Education hashtag#ArtInEducation hashtag#TeachingTips hashtag#CreativeTeaching hashtag#TeacherDevelopment

POTTERY MAKING

Pottery refers to objects made from clay that are shaped, dried, and fired in a kiln to create durable, often decorative or functional items such as pots, vases, bowls, or sculptures. It is one of the oldest human crafts, often categorized into three main types: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain, depending on the type of clay and the firing temperature used. Some of the techniques in making Pottery are: 1. Hand-Building: A traditional method where pottery is made without a wheel. Sub-techniques: - Pinching: Using fingers to pinch and shape the clay. - Coiling: Rolling clay into long ropes and stacking them to build forms. - Slab Building: Rolling out flat sheets of clay and cutting or molding them into shapes. 2. Wheel-Throwing: Using a potter’s wheel to shape clay by spinning it and molding with hands and tools. This method allows for symmetrical and precise forms. 3. Slip Casting: Pouring liquid clay (slip) into plaster molds. This is commonly used for mass production or intricate designs. 4. Molding: Pressing clay into pre-formed molds to create shapes or patterns. This can involve press molds or hump molds. However, these techniques can be combined or used independently to create both functional and artistic pottery works. The images attached is a display of the Coiling method through hand building, carried out by one of my wonderful mentees in Art. -‐------------------------------------------------------------------- #Handbuildingmethod #Pinching #Coiling #Slabtechnique #WheelThrowing #SlipCasting #Molding