I loved this album as a child. It was obvious back then how much better a singing group the French kids were than the American group - obvious to me as an 8 year old child. Kids CAN sing well as a group.

This morning our local public radio aired a production of kids singing those Munchkin songs from Wizard of Oz... Oww it hurt my ears. But the message sent out was "aren't they cute, aren't they talented?".

We need to take our kids seriously instead of infantalising them and continuing to give them inflated praise. Without accurate feedback they don't know what to trust. As kids we sense something does not jive but we are not in a position to stand up against this. False feedback keeps our kids on unsure footing and continued dependence on  their sense of self worth coming from outside rather than within. It does nothing to develop true self-confidence.

Have tried googling for this lp to no avail. If someone can find a clip of this music to post.... Perhaps I remember it better than it was!

Posted by Catinka Knoth at 1:55 PM EST

Updated: Thursday, 20 January 2011 2:12 PM EST

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Press Release:

Rockland - Catinka Knoth will give a free demonstration on painting evergreen trees in snow.. Participants may join Knoth at the  "Messy Art Room" studio at 11 a.m.  on Monday, January 3rd, Lincoln Street Center for Arts & Education, 24 Lincoln St. Attendees will see how snowy trees can appear from the end of a brush using a watery flow of pigment over white paper.

The demonstration introduces  the four part watercolor workshop series, "Painting Winter Scenes", that Knoth will teach on Tuesdays 10-Noon, January 4 - 25, at Lincoln Street Center. Participants will explore painting scenes such as evergreen trees in snow, lacy snow covered branches,  buildings in a snowy landscape, winter animals, and winter sports. Each week will be a different subject. The workshops are available by suggested donation of $25 per lesson. Contact Knoth to confirm space, at 596-0069 or 542-7317.

Posted by Catinka Knoth at 3:36 PM EST

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Press Release:
Rockland -  Children will draw winter animals and scenes this January, at Rockland Public Library's ongoing drawing workshops led by artist Catinka Knoth. Participants draw along with Knoth as she demonstrates how to draw a variety of subjects. Winter subjects may include arctic animals such as polar bears, penguins, snowy owls, hares, and foxes; houses in a snowy landscape, and winter sports.

Sponsored by Wendy and Keith Wellin, the workshops, for age 6 and up, are free and open to the public, with all materials provided. Children age 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Classes meet every Tuesday, 4-5 pm, in the Community Room, Rockland Public Library, 80 Union St., and are hosted by Friends of Rockland Library.  FMI - Jean Young, children's librarian, 594-0310.

Tuesdays; 1/4, 1/11, 1/18, 1/25;  4-5 p.m.  "Let's Draw Winter Animals and Scenes!"

Posted by Catinka Knoth at 12:01 AM EST

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Christmas Poem

Moment by moment
All springs forth into being.
From where does it come,
As it goes on and on;
Each single spot, and tinyness, and being, it's own,
While together makes the grand?

From the invisible within,
Where nothing is seen,
The ever font wells up
Reaching beyond the furthest star,
Sparkling it's life light.

Could we but see this start
Even if we were it.

We wish so much to know it out there.
Might we instead look within
To feel the ever springing light
 And let forth - this which must out?

And, perhaps it is always so, whether we
See, think, like, believe it or not!

We gather to celebrate the story
That tells us we are both -
Forever more and yet a moment.

Catinka Knoth
Christmas, 12/24/2010

And a papercut with watercolor background:

Download a printable pdf of this to print out and fold into a frenchfold card, (art with poem). Print on regular paper and fold in half the short way, then half again. It is about a 2 MB PDF.
Papercut and Watercolor with Poem, notecard to download
or the lightweight version, in black (grey) and white here:
black and white frenchfold notecard pdf

Posted by Catinka Knoth at 2:25 AM EST

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