Teaching Philosophy

All children do art naturally.  Put a pencil in their hands and they start scribbling on any available surface.  Put a guitar in their hands and the result is even more astounding, strings start strumming and songs spring forth from who knows where.  It is now a well-observed phenomenon that as children get older, they are often taught how to do art the ‘right’ way by a well-meaning teacher or parent, and somewhere in the process they lose the ability to think for themselves and to trust their own hands and instincts.

Picasso is known to have said – “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Children can be incredible when it comes to art - they have a super self-confidence, novel ideas, and tons of energy.  An empty sheet of paper or canvas does not faze them like it does many adults.  They can make a mark quickly and change it as the drawing moves forward.  They can have a vision of what they want their piece to look like and self-correct with ingenuity while keeping their piece fresh and original.

So how to teach art – how to assist, guide, encourage, and put forth ideas which would help kids grow and flourish in an increasingly cutting-edge world?

Most kids (certainly not all) do need exposure to further their skills and ideas.  Once they see a door open, then they start to apply their observations and visual knowledge to new possibilities.

A mother asked me – what was my philosophy about teaching art? That got me thinking – about how to convey this idea in my head –  to incorporate art in the daily lives of children.   So I looked at examples of lessons and projects I have done over the years with kids to illustrate 'process over production'.

Here are some ongoing things I try to incorporate in regular classes and workshops -

Share with  them the basic arts of drawing and painting. 

Drawing involves depicting people, nature, and other things around you.  Really looking at something – really observing.  Van Gogh said ‘Drawing is the root of everything’.

        

Painting consists of first drawing and then learning about color, and what color can do for you if you could just figure out what to mix with what, what to put next to what.  It’s a lot of trying different things and seeing what you like.  

Exposure to different styles, mediums, and art philosophies

 o   Abstract art

o   Including writing with visual art – Introducing them to making handmade books, collage using words, comic strips, and many other uses of words in artistic expression.

o  Development of recycling items found around the house to make something beautiful – this piece below is made with cereal cardboard boxes.

 o   Incorporating other skills like sewing, etc to make  toys of various kinds, mobiles.  Starting with design and doing all the steps in one's own style.

 Most of all I try to teach the fundamentals.  How to see and draw.  How to hold a brush to make a stroke.  How to mix colors and how to use many of the learnt skills while working on larger projects.  Its not so much about finishing and producing wonderful work as it is about developing the imagination. 

It is like learning to play a musical instrument or learning to dance or even like playing soccer.  Practice makes perfect. 

In an ideal situation, children would have have quiet time to draw regularly (turn off that TV). They can be given many things around the house to look at and draw (fruits, veggies, cooking spoons, their clothes, shoes, furniture, rooms of the house, stuff in the garden, shapes of leaves, flowers etc) they can develop observation routines to call upon when needed.

Art stays with you long after you grow up and find other vocations and hobbies.  Talent is over-rated, enthusiasm and interest and focus is much more important.