Transcript

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Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids’ Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. For once, I’m not on my way to the Club for our episode. I’m actually heading off to Bill Ding’s art studio. Queenie and Chicken suggested that we hold this week’s episode at the Bill’s studio as they want to start on their art for the Summer competition. For those who missed Thursday’s announcement, our new competition is on the topic of Home, which is a nice broad topic, and can include things like who you live with, where you live now, where you used to live, what home means to you, the town or country you’re from, and your culture.  All of that got Queenie and Chicken thinking about what art to create and submit, and they thought it would be helpful to get some help from local artist, Bill Ding.

Well, I’m almost at the studio, so why don’t we take advantage of our time to do our Club registration. This is where you get to shout out your name and get a club point for being here. So, on the count of three, shout out your name so that I can hear you through your phone, computer, or radio.

Let the drum roll begin. Here goes …. One. Two. Three! ….. Excellent!

Well, we made it to the art studio. Let’s see who’s here.

SOUND – door.

Well, there’s nobody inside the studio. There is a lot of great art in here though. Ummmm … I wonder if they’re out the back?

SOUND - door

Hi? Queenie? Chicken? Anybody here?

Queenie: Hi Little Dazzy Donuts.

Oh, hi Queenie. Gosh – what’s happening here?

Queenie: Well, our drawing class doesn’t start for a few minutes, and so your timing is perfect. Chicken and I got here early, and Bill said that we could do some art while he gets all of the supplies ready.

Well, I guess that explains why you’re at an easel covered in paint. But why is Chicken over there standing on a bucket?

Queenie: Well, that may look like a normal bucket to you, Little Dazzy Donuts, but we’re using it as a … oh, what’s the word …. Plinth … that’s it, it’s a plinth. Isn’t that an amazing word?!?

Great! So, why’s Chicken over there standing on a plinth?

Queenie: Well, Chicken and I are thinking of drawing people as part of our art entry for the competition. The topic is Home, and people live in homes. But, it turns out that people are tougher to draw than we realized. Here, let me show you my early attempts.

SOUND

Ah, yes. I see what you mean.

Queenie: So, in this one here, the person’s head is so small that it looks like a raisin sat on their shoulders. And then, on this one here, the head looks right, but the arms are almost dragging on the ground like a monkey. I have more examples, but I think you get the picture.

Great – so, to get back to my question, why is Chicken standing on a bucket … I mean plinth?

Queenie: Well, we looked through some books on how people are portrayed in art, and we noticed that a lot of art consists of statues of people standing on plinths. Well, we didn’t have an actual plinth. I tried to get one from the store, but there’s surprisingly difficult to find. Who knew? Then it struck us that a bucket would do the trick.

I’m with you now. So, Chicken is standing on a bucket while you draw her. So, why’s she wearing a robe or dressing gown?

Queenie: Well, that appears to be the norm. I actually think it’s meant to be a toga – but we couldn’t find one of those. So, she’s in an old dressing gown. Back when we started, she was also holding some grapes, but we both got hungry and ate them. It was our first art lesson of the day – don’t draw anything edible when you’re really hungry.

Let’s see how your painting is going? Ummm … so, is this a painting of a pineapple?

Queenie: A pineapple? Oh my gosh! How I suffer for my art! That’s not a pineapple. That’s Chicken.

Wow! Well, if that’s Chicken then I’m glad that we’re doing this drawing class with Bill Ding.  Before he starts the class, would you like to hear a poem that fits in nicely with today’s topic of drawing people?

Queenie: Yes please!!!!

This first poem is called “My Posture”, and it’s all about how somebody stands. Although, from the description in the poem, it’s a posture that would be really challenging to draw. But how do you think this first poem will arrive? How do you think the Poetry Postal Service will deliver our first poem? Listen carefully … here it comes …

Ooooh, it came by bus. What a lovely way for a poem to travel. Now that it’s here and the bus has headed off to its next stop, let’s listen to our first poem, “My Posture”.

With my feet together but legs apart,

I guarantee I’ll look the part.

My head is down. My eyes are crossed.

My chin is up. My jaw is locked.

My hair is parted. My bottom’s clenched.

My lips are pursed, and my elbows bent.

My knees stick out, as do my lips.

My toes are pointed, as are my hips.

With my shoulders drooped, my chest stuck out.

my nostrils wide, I have no doubt,

nobody here will forget the night

I finally got my posture right.

Queenie: Oh my gosh! That person’s posture sounds soooo funny. There’s no way that I could draw that, not when my current attempt has Chicken looking like a pineapple. Yippee, here’s Bill to help us.

Bill: Hi Queenie! Hi Chicken! Hi Little Dazzy Donuts!

Queenie: Hi Bill! You’re here just in time. I’ve finished my pineapple, and I’m ready to learn to draw a person. Can you help us?

Bill: Of course I can Queenie. Here, let me put some fresh drawing paper on the easels … and why don’t you use these nice pencils.

Queenie: Oooohhhh …. This says HB on the end.

Bill: That’s right. The H stands for Hard, and the B stands for Blackness. An HB pencil is the same as a Number 2 pencil. It’s a good one to start with and then you can use other pencils that may be darker or lighter if you want to do some shading. Now, tell me more about what you want to draw.

Queenie: Well, Chicken and I want to enter the Summer competition on Home … but our drawings of people are way off. If my home was filled with monkeys, my drawings would be perfect. But I live in a monkey-free home.

Bill: Ah – so it sounds like it’s worth us looking at proportions. So, how to ensure that each part of the body is in proportion to all of the other parts when you draw them. Now, a good way to do this is to actually have someone to draw.

Queenie: Ah – you mean that we need someone on our plinth. Well, Chicken and I are both drawing …. And you’re the teacher, Bill …. So, Little Dazzy Donuts, would you be willing to stand on the bucket please?

Ummm … well, if it helps the class. Chicken, you step off the bucket and use this easel here, and I’ll see if I can balance on the bucket for you.

SOUND – Chicken

Queenie – Little Dazzy Donuts, Chicken wants to know if you want to wear the robe?

Ummm … I think I’m fine. I’m not sure the robe is my size anyway. Okay, well, let me get on the bucket for you.

Queenie – Excellent. So, now you’re on the plinth, could you please stand as still as a … as a … as still as a pumpkin. Okay, we’re ready, Bill. What happens next?

Bill – well, let’s take a look at all of the different parts of Little Dazzy Donuts, and how those parts compare in size. Let’s start with his head.

Queenie – I know what you mean. His head is definitely an interesting size!

Bill – That’s not quite what I meant, Queenie. Let’s measure Little Dazzy Donuts’ head from the top of his head down to his chin. Okay, now we’ve done that, you can see that it’s the same distance from his chin down to his chest. Then, the same distance again from his chest down to his navel and elbows, and the same again from his navel to his hips and wrists.

Queenie – okay … so it’s one head down to his chin, two heads down to his chest, three heads to his navel and elbows, and four heads to his hips and wrists. I’m with you so far.

Bill – That’s right. Then the bottom of his knees are 6 heads down, and his feet are 8 heads down.

Queenie – This all makes perfect sense. Who knew that it was all about heads!?

Bill – Oh, and one more thing to note. His eyes are halfway down his head.  It’s a common mistake that people draw the eyes too high up the head when they’re actually halfway between the top of the head and the bottom of the chin. So, now we’ve looked at that, why don’t you try doing a rough outline of the main parts. Don’t worry about getting it perfect – just try doing it all in proportion. Here, it will help if you have this piece of paper - I’ve put a long line down the middle, and then I’ve put 8 lines to show the distance of one head, two heads, and so on down.

Queenie – Thanks, Bill. Little Dazzy Donuts – can we put this in the activity pack for the episode so that people can use it to draw their own people?

Of course, Queenie. I tell you what, why don’t I read a second poem while you draw me? I brought one with me just in case as I thought it would fit perfectly with today’s topic. Seeing as I’m standing here on a bucket, it feels right that this second poem is called “Make A Stand”, Here I’ll read it to you while you draw me.

I’m following your instructions –

at least the best I can –

to first stand here,

and then stand there.

Now I don’t know where to stand.

You told me not to stand too close -

a problem I’ve surmounted

as I stand up straight,

to accept my fate.

I’ll stand up and be counted.

If we have a stand-off,

I’ll want you to be proud

of the stand I took

when you came to look

at me stand out from the crowd

It appears I’m at your beck and call,

and do what you command,

but the time will come -

as a shock to some -

when I finally make a stand.

Queenie: Oohhhh … I like that poem! Who knew there were so many phrases and terms that used the word stand? And I really like that the person eventually makes a stand.

Talking of making a stand, it’s getting more difficult to balance here on the bucket. How’s it going with the drawing?

Queenie: Well, the good news is that my drawing of you doesn’t look like a pineapple, or a monkey. So that’s real progress. Bill – can you come to take a look at my drawing?

Bill: Well, Queenie – you’re right. This is a significant improvement. Well done! You have all of the body parts the right length, which is wonderful. Now, I think the next step to focus on is how broad people are – and so how wide people are at their shoulders and hips.

Queenie: Ah, yes. That could explain why Little Dazzy Donuts looks a little like a triangle in my first drawing. I think his shoulders are too narrow, and his hips are too wide. So, how wide should they be, Bill?

Bill: Well, Queenie, it varies by person, of course. However, as a rough rule of thumb, a man’s hips are one and a half heads wide, while a woman’s tend to be wider — about 2 heads wide. Then, it’s the opposite for the shoulders, so a man’s are around 2 heads’ wide, and a woman’s around 1 ½ heads wide. Now, remember that these are just rough guides, and everything varies by the person. But it’s a helpful place to start.

Queenie: YIPPEE!!!!! Okay, well if I can get the length and width right, the end product shouldn’t look like  pineapple, a monkey, or a triangle.

Bill: Great. Well, I think that’s enough for one class. Next, you need to do lots of practice. Try drawing as many people as possible – the more you draw, the more you’ll learn.

Queenie: Well, I have until July 30th to get this right, so I’ll try drawing a person every day until I feel like I’m ready to send my drawing into the competition. Thanks so much, Bill! Seeing as we’re wrapping up, why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea with us while Little Dazzy Donuts reads his final poem? Here, I have one in my pocket.

I like that idea too. It means that at least I can get off the bucket now. I’m not sure I could have balanced on there much longer. Oh, I like this final poem Queenie. It’s funny because you were all just talking about me having eight heads. Well, this final poem is about me having four arms! Here’s the poem. It’s called “My Forearms”

Someone told me I had forearms,

which is definitely news to me,

as I’ve only seen two when I shower!

So where could the other two be?

I checked every part of my body,

using mirrors to look at my back,

but apart from the two either side of my head,

I can’t find two others attached.

Having concluded I only have two arms,

to go with two feet and two legs.

I’m worried that I’m still missing something:

hang on… don’t people all have foreheads?

Well, sadly, that was our final poem for this episode.

SOUND

Don’t forget that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you’ll see a wonderful drawing by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch. You can also see the PodSnack video for the episode and download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club, including how to enter your poetry and art into the Summer competition on the topic of Home. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, Bill Ding, and Chicken. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you’ll be back for more next time the Club meets. Join us again next week when we’ll have a new topic and more fun.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

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