Children and art

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said, 'You mean they forget?' (Howard Ikemoto)

Children are natural artists. They take pencil or paint, clay, or an instrument, and put everything their little bodies have, into "making art". There are a few reasons for this, one is that they are not interested in judging their work. Their work is who they are! If you've ever had a child run up to you and noticed the look on their face when they proudly give you their fingerpainted masterpiece, you know what I mean. The global mind is at work- and not enough time on this earth thus far has spared them from their own critical eye. So they dive in- whatever it is, without fear- and create! Children's "play" is creation! In fact it is the very essence of what it means to create. To lose yourself completely, in allowing the art to take over. Watch how a child plays the next time and see if this observation does not ring true.

Teaching kindergarten and first graders art, and 7th - 9th graders art, gave me a clear understanding of the process that happens over these 6 or 7 formative years. Small children already have a "style". You begin to know each kids artwork because there is something recognizeable in all of their works. It might be the way they use bright paint, the soft way that they color, the bold design decisions they make. These things are already imprinted at this young age. And they are excited! Excited about creating! About sharing their work with others, seeing it in the hallway.
 By the time these kiddos enter 7th grade, a huge metamorphisis has taken place. The same kids have many times stopped doing any kind of art. They have usually decided that there are a couple of kids with a lot of talent who are "artists", and that they do not fall into that category.  Getting over the fear of creating is the thing you must address first and foremost with this age group, or you will get nowhere. That means making sure they have a lot of success at first and get up the nerve to try something new. Art goes from being fun and exciting and stimulating ; to a scary and vulnerable place of self criticism.
Thankfully, these preteen aged kids start to understand that they can find that childlike place again when they immerse themselves in art if you give them the opportunity. And the longing to do it has never dissapeared, it's just been snuffed out somewhere along the way. It's the same for 40,50 ,and 60 year olds- they come to lessons wanting to find that place they loved, but they have forgotten how to get there.  That is really all my job entails; to help them find their way back, to ignite the passion and fun of creating, wherever that may lead. When they remember that they still have the ability to "play", to lose themselves in the process of the artform without judgement - when they realize the freedom they have had inside all along- they won't ever leave it behind again. For more on creativity and how to be more creative, visit http://grinnin1.hubpages.com/_1f0tbzjtr9ejm/hub/How-can-I-be-more-creative

My husband and I went to the art museum the other day. I love the St. Louis art museum, and every time I go am amazed at the quality and quantity of world famous art, and the fact that there is no admission fee!
We walked around in the impressionists area first, both having just read the newest biography on Van Gogh, we wanted to see some of his work up close. We've seen it before, but each time you look at his work, its as if he has just finished, you can see it in it's unframed state, leaning up against the wall drying. His work is truly alive, and the photos never do it justice. The thick paint, the swaths of vibrant, intense color, the movement - it's as if all that he couldn't "be" in his life, is there in his painting. The friendships he wanted, but couldn't sustain, the love and family he ached for his entire life, but could never quite reach. His quest to follow Christ, to do his work, to help the needy; and his fall from grace. His drive to observe and record people, an observation that most of the time took the place of genuine interaction in his life. This need to draw people in their daily activities, the quest to unearth what was underneath the facade; Van Gogh relentlessly worked at portraiture and people- It's what he always went back to but was never able to get the recognition or satisfaction from it that he needed. And although the "potato eaters"- the painting of a peasant family sharing potatoes and tea around a table- was seen as the earliest in expressionistic painting, that's not what he was striving for. He wanted to do it "right" - he wanted to capture people, but could never do it the way that he wanted, in life or in his art.
So I guess it is with all artists, what we strive for in life, we strive for in our art to some degree. "Who" you are comes out in your work- peeks through, sometimes taunting, sometimes celebrating, but always present and alive in what we put on paper or canvas. The soul of the work is the soul of the artist and creator, as it is in life. So the next time you get out your paints , or clay, or graphite, or whatever it is that you utilize in your art, be looking for the clues that you leave about yourself, some you may not even be aware of.

being an artist: allowing yourself to be an artist

being an artist: allowing yourself to be an artist

allowing yourself to be an artist

The one thing I come up against constantly in my private lessons with students is how to help them let go. Let go of preconceived ideas about how they should paint, or what a final product should look like. I try to help them see that it is okay for the process of art to be messy; not just making the studio or their clothes messy, but the process of creating and "playing" is messy. Its not always pretty, it doesn't always look good, you dont even come out with a final product a lot of times. It is in the creating and the playing and making mistakes that we learn who we are as artists. What we want to say, and struggling with how we want to say it are a part of the process. Just as one cannot learn to speak another language fluently after a few days, one cannot learn to be an artist quickly or cleanly. It takes time for the artist to put themselves fully into their art, whether that is playing an instrument or picking up the brush. The easy part is the technical part. Learning brush strokes and washes, terms and new techniques. The difficult part is when you begin to try to infuse that brush with some of "you". The line that embodies a feeling. Knowing the intensity of the color that describes most beautifully what you are trying to set free in you painting. These are things that can't be taught. They must be experienced, felt, nurtured and practiced freely. In doing so, the artist and the artwork become one, and I know after my students have felt that for the first time, they will never put down the brush again.

being an artist: experimental watercolor

being an artist: experimental watercolor

experimental watercolor

Today my student and I did some watercolor "pouring" , always interesting, and messy and wonderful!! Did some atmospheric paintings, painting wet in wet circles of yellow, red, and blue, then spraying and rotating until getting a beautiful, glowing, transparent atmosphere. This can be used as a backdrop for a street, lake scene, or any scene where the light and atmosphere are the focal point.
We then did some wave and sea scenes, starting with dabs of pure color, in dark green, blues and even some alizaron crimson- then spraying some areas while leaving some areas dry to create wave patterns. Finally, pouring color washes and moving the paper around so that some wave-like patterns occur. The hardest part while doing these is stopping to let dry before going to far. It is in the drying and watching that inspiration comes and then adding detail to bring into focus your vision.

being an artist: teaching art

An article on why it's important to teach drawing to children and adults alike. http://grinnin1.hubpages.com/_1f0tbzjtr9ejm/hub/teaching-watercolor-to-adults