So the question is, is this structure or stricture? That school art class is not going to change. Rules are rules and the teacher has to meet curriculum requirements. Seeing this to be the case, we personally have art time at home. My only rule, clean up your mess when you are done. My statement is, if you didn't make a mess we didn't have enough fun.
I give my daughter and her cousin access to all my supplies and I encourage their adventuring. I just ask that they are used properly and returned in good shape. (Yup I know that is a rule...LOL) Go ahead and fling that paint, go ahead and color outside the lines, go ahead and break that art rule! Explore, let your spirit guide your work, and love what you did. No don't compare each others and don't judge the others work. It's OK if their work is not your taste, but realize that their work is a piece of their heart on paper. This should also be done by adults...go ahead and draw that stick figure...do it with passion...fling some paint, draw some oddly shaped things...enjoy it and then take pride in it.
Breaking the "rules" and allowing true artistic freedom builds and encourages a persons spirit. I do hope in the future art class will build in self expression lessons. It would go along way to nurturing the love of art for that child's future. Let me show you an example of what we do in my home:
This is my daughter, she loves doing abstract art. This was completely done in acrylics as a finger painting. She calls it "The Resurrection" As in Jesus' Resurrection. It might not be art to you, you might not get what she is expressing. That's OK. The only person who needs to understand the art piece is the artist. In watching her create this, she was lost in the process, completely expressing a moment from her soul . It was not random or without care. It was planned, methodical and executed as her spirit guided her through the process. That's the beauty of art, and the lesson too. Art is self expression and self acceptance. This type of art (no rules) builds pride and self worth. That is priceless.
I remember when my oldest son started drawing, about 4 years old. The more he drew, the more talent was displayed and we finally did realized he had a gift for it. Fast forward 7th grade art class, after he had many beautiful pencil drawings of animals and birds under his belt. I went to conference to see his art teacher about the D grade he had received...I could not understand how that happened. It happened because the teacher said my son did not put his 'all' into drawing faces, so he felt he had no talent. I whipped out his very beautiful, very detailed drawing of a moose's face. You could have heard a pin drop...the teacher was speechless. I hoped he learned a lesson on that day. My son's drawing interest was in animals and buildings, and landscapes not peoples faces. We should put kids in a box on where their gifts and talents lie. Encouragement and giving them resources to figure it out, I think works much better. Great post Angela. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience with me. I found in art class that it just stunted peoples growth and sometimes crushed artistic abilities because the view of what art is was too limited. Art is self expression. Techniques are meant to be helpful tips to help you achieve certain looks. It certainly has its purpose and place, but no one should limit a child's creative expression.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that...and I meant to put 'we should NOT put kids in a box...
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