Earlier this month I had a wonderful experience presenting kokeshi doll workshops to some of the 6th to 8th graders at Harford Day School in Bel Air, MD. After a short introduction to the history and making of kokeshi, I shared and we discussed some of my Kokeshi Project photographs. With most of my own kokeshi collection displayed in the classroom for inspiration, each of the students designed and painted their own doll. I was amazed by the students' creativity and focus on the project, as well as by the variety and quality of the kokeshi they produced. Special thanks to Japanese language teacher Sarah Smith who invited me to HDS and provided lots of helpful support!
Before...
In process...
After!