Clay and Beneficial Glazing!

Clay is a therapeutic material in which also promote children development. Sholt and Gavron (2006) points out the three major therapeutic features of clay-work in their literature review and clinical experience as art therapists. 

(a) procedural expressions through the experience of touch, movement, and the three dimensional aspect of clay-work

(b) construction and deconstruction processes through clay-work

(c) the regression process ( In art therapy, children use clay to represent food and engaging in symbolic acts of nourishment, Sholt & Garvon, 2006)

So what are the benefits glazing bring to children in Art at The Center?

Glazing is a complicated step that require patience and intelligence. You have to put colors separately, for they are not like painting color mixing together. Moreover, you have to carefully paint two layers in order to see the bright and shiny color after firing.

Sometimes the colors look like just what they are. 

Sometimes it is hard to imagine what the glaze will be after firing. See the glazed artwork on the left. 

It's actually brown. 

I think the greatest advantage of glazing is to make clay-work a complete production. One thing is that children's ideas are able to take place in clay gradually. In addition, by engaging the process and expecting for the product being done, they definitely can't wait to create more artwork with clay! What a good circle of art making!


References:
Sholt, M., & Gavron, T. (2006). Therapeutic Qualities of Clay-Work in Art Therapy and Psychotherapy: A Review. Art Therapy: Journal Of The American Art Therapy Association, 23(2), 66-72.

What Do You See From their Art?

Guess what's on their mind? All you have to do is to await patiently.

I have been surprised a lot for what they have done in art session so far. It is a blessing for me to see the wonderful process.

In our Saturday Studio, see what a girl made with collage:

 

Magically, she built a 3-D space with papers!

Learning art making skills for them is a very natural process. Since they always have plenty of great stories in their heads, they feel like learning how to present their idea better! Like the example above, she was trying to make the "walls" attach to the floor.

Let us see another girl's art:

At first, I wondered why this girl made the funnel shape, but I had better to be patient waiting. While this art piece was done, I saw there was something in the center of the picture.

She told me "It's a Rainbow Angel." 

Productivity-Look What They Made in One Session!

For Most children, several products emerge spontaneously from a 1- hour session, the average being two-and- one-half. Younger children tend to be more prolific, while older youngsters tend to spend more time on individual products (Rubin, 2005).

A seven year old girl started with color mixing with OIL PASTEL. She not only named each of them but also made them in different design of strokes. 

Prolific drawing in another girl's own sketch book.

Painting allow children to show their affect and response to color. It gives the evidence of child's capacity for conceptual thinking (Kramer, 1983)

   

The girl did painting of butterfly and a clay-made jewry box in one session. Both artwork had lots of details on them.

In only one session, children are able to elaborate their thoughts and artistic talent in diverse materials. As long as they are organized with these materials during 1.5 hour, we provide least restrictive class for children to reveal their own unique reaction.

a boy was creating his second page of his hand-made story book.

References:

Kramer, E. (1983). An art therapy evaluation session for children. American Journal of Art Therapy, vol 23, 3－12. 

Rubin, J.A. (2005). Child art therapy—25^th anniversary edition. Hoboken, New Jersey:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Self Portrait-How to Build Yourself on Paper?

Like we saw in children's painting last week, some of them were inspired by the mirror hanged next to the paper. I found that they noticed the characteristics among themselves or started to create a character on the paper. This time we provided a mirror, paper and a black marker for kids. We were going to draw a self-portrait!

It was good for them to start with a black marker that they could focus on drawing the forms and lines. Once children were almost finished the outline of their artwork, they put on some colors. I discovered some interesting point from their art.

A six-year-old boy put different colors in separately on the face he draw.  

This girl has great sense of color combinations. We found that she enjoyed creating character in a scene rather than building a self image.

See? some of them created not only themselves in art, but what they are "doing"  in a scene!

They have different way to express their own style in a self-portrait. I found it is not necessary for children to REALLY draw a face. Through a mirror, they see their mind and they are able to use art to represent the inner world of themselves. I imagined that if I were not here this week, I probably know who made which one!

From the first class of Art in the Afternoon, I saw their development in art. Judith Aron Rubin(2005) points out "the differential responses and associations stimulated by different media-tactile, kinesthetic, and visual, as well as verbal." I think material and environment settings are very important for promoting children's development in all aspects, thus we adults must see their progress in art in order to provide all they need!

References:

Rubin, J.A. (2005).  Child art therapy—25^th anniversary edition.  Hoboken, New Jersey:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

From Gross Motor To Fine Motor

painting activity last week

    I was so surprise that this little girl was well-prepared to do collage! She gave full play to her ability required in collage. Last few weeks she had playing the paint on the paper and seen what they look like after melting together. She used to enjoy making art with two big basting brush in hands. It requires the gross motor control to make paint this way. Making collage needs fine motor ability like finger dexterity to pick the  tiny pieces of materials up and stick on the paper. As we can see the picture below, she also used the little brush very well.

collage activity this week

more focused on sensory exploration in art materials

When children recognize making art as their own job, they really take it seriously; meanwhile, they realize that they are going to make a serious art project. This little boy used to play the paint with water. He did not consider what he made as his own artwork. This two weeks he not only paint with a brush more constantly but also being careful while holding the clay-made camera. Again, for little children, we have to be patient and supportive, thus when they are ready we are able right away provide them the best for them. 

protect the clay project as his precious toy

I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

This week I found there were huge progress in children's art. Comparing with their artwork two weeks go, I will just take three of them as example. They were the three pieces in the center of this picture:

Two weeks ago 

The girl who made the upper painting with three people made this self-portrait this time. She has had good observation of the features among people. With a mirror next to her paper on the wall, she add the colorful letters of her T-shirt to her portrait.

The girl who made the lower right picture two weeks ago created  a story in her art this week. There was a firefighting dog in her art piece. She not only made a main character in her art with a story background, but also distributed the painting over the different area paper. It was like unveil process, and we gradually get the chance to know the story inside of her art.

As for this 3-year-old girl who painted the artwork on the lower left two weeks ago made those various colors separated from each other in this art piece.

handprints painitng

In a nurturing environment of art, children progress dramatically. As a witness, I have been so lucky to see all these precious process and record every moment of it.

Collage Collage Collage!

Here in the Art at The Center, children are free in creating art which is based on safety. It was fun to see their first time to approach the new material. I saw some of them really into using the brush. Like painting with glue, they dipped a large amount of glue and filled up the paper. It is a process of problem-solving, children gradually understand the relationship between glue and the various qualities of materials. If they want to use buttons or strings, they would have to put more glues; on the other hand, tissue papers only need a small amount of glue. 

The spirals in collage

Later when we moved to drawing, it showed up again.

Trying to make layers with collage and controlling of the amount of glue.

Clay-Time to Make It Serious?

    Back then to the first few times playing with clay, we were in a stage of exploration. Through this process of building, ruining, and rebuilding, we got to know the texture and characteristics of clay. Since clay is three-dimensional, it stimulates another kind of thinking (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987, p.289).

While cleaning, the 5-year-old boy asked his dad, " can we say goodbye to your bike rack?" "Good bye, bike rack" the dad replied.   

Playing with clay is a kinesthetic activity. It helps children develop both gross and fine muscle control while manipulating clay.

    It is also a good chance to provide them the positive way to separate with their own stuff. How the parents react to separation make them feel comfortable to say good bye. 

    As for the older children, we save their artwork as below:

Glazing

    As Children get more and more familiar with this material, we keep their artwork for drying and firing. Because they treasure the artwork so much, children really pay attention to glaze every detail in their art. I cannot wait for seeing their facial expression when they see the final outcome!

Reference:

Lowenfeld, V. & Brittain, W.  (1987).   Creative and mental growth.  (8^th edition) London:  Macmillan.