Gift of Art

I've seen this many times, our artists make their artwork as gifts. Mostly for their classmate, friends, and parents. I am always touched by their beautiful mind.
A girl made her a clay-work as a surprise gift to her aunt. Since it took time to dry, fire, glazing and go into the kiln again, she had to hide it every time before her aunt came to pick her up.

Take myself as an example, when I was preparing a gift to someone, I usually couldn't help imagining how happy a person would be when she get it. I wondered how she felt while making this zebra to her aunt. It reveals her patience and attentive energy. It is very treasurable that she made a plan to surprise her aunt. From this, I also learned how powerful a child's thoughtfulness and appreciation can be.

How Does A Plan Help in Making Art?

Each of our artists has their own sketch book, and we encourage them to make a plan of their goals in art on the day. I would like to show three examples during the same session.

A girl drew what she planed to paint on her sketch book.

After exploring all other materials for this day, she picked up a paint brush, starting to paint this flower without her "blueprint."

Another girl also made a plan on the sketch book. She put it on the floor in order to check whenever needed. 

In the end of the session, the girl who carried the plan with her surprised me. She shared with us that her plan was not applied in her artwork, so she painted it into another artwork. Though it was not successful, she still read her plan, a diamond poem, to us. This was my first time to know a diamond poem and I was so excited to see how it would be transformed into painting! It is interesting that they had different strategies in planning. The previous example shows that making plan can be just a way to organize our thoughts out. However, the second example shows that, sometimes a plan may not be fulfilled but it leaves a record for us to try again for the next time! 

The Importance of Listening

"Respect for children's opinions is expressed through listening and interviewing in a way that encourage them to express their own thoughts and associations about both process and product."--- Judith Rubin (2005)

We encourage children to share their artwork and have been amazed by the wonderful stories in their art. By speaking out their ideas, they learn to organize their ideas and share in public. It is not only beneficial to identify their self consciousness but also to build up empathy to others' opinions.

Children at times feel comfortable to talk about their thoughts while making art. Before that happens naturally, we can just be an observer until children finish their artwork.

Through hearing interesting ideas, artists become curious. Sometimes being further inspired by peer's art.

If we feel getting attention and respects when we are sharing, we will pay our attentions in return. It is a learning process of respecting others.

In this studio, I am glad to see how they explain their ideas, not for please others or draw our attention, but for explore themselves to form their unique artistic styles.

mixing paint 

Look! I made a smiling face!

Imagine how many great stories wait for us to learn from children's artwork!

References:

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

Does freedom Mean That I Can Do Whatever I Want?

This week I started a new group colead with Cassie. We are just start to build a new atmosphere interaction mode in group, thus it is normal to happen some "interludes."

A girl took the paper on the table which near another girl's personal space, and the latter  insisted that she owns the paper. The girl ignored her objection and started to draw on the paper, thus another girl began to cry.

I paused their argument and listened to their explanation of "who should own the paper." then I let them know we have more paper but wish they could simply ask for permission before picking up a paper from other's space. Because everyone needs to be respect and doesn't want this happen to him/her in the future. She promised me she will do that next time, and another girl was willing to accept this result and allow me to bring her a new paper. I heard the girl who took the paper said sorry to another after I left for taking a new paper. That's how kids learn to respect and forgive. I saw them talked together happily after a while, I knew they did not put the dispute on mind anymore.

Though we hope children have free choices and independent thinking in art, we do have to educate them the social skills with positive approach. In order to maintain every child's freedom and security in art exploration, children need to learn how to interact and show their respect and empathy to others. I feel I also learn from those girls. Once facing this kind of situations, I wish I can try my best to empathize others perspective and never give up fixing the mistakes rather than stuck into a small misunderstanding. Look what a truly forgiveness kids show to us!

Learning From Children's Art

An exhibition displays our artists investment in the end of the session. It is also great for them to examine their art adventure through time. The artwork hold in store the precious moment in which children put a great energy!

"I did splater paint"

"Where did the magic ducks go?"

"Something starts small and gets bigger"

Children are so focused on writing the title and story for their art piece.

"'What do you see?' This is a Picasso inspired picture, I [tried] to add as many things as I can. What do you see?"  

I wondered why we adults forget the pleasure of making art by hands, forget the freedom of making our own stories and chasing our dreams.

What a lucky person I am- in that I am able to witness children's art "experimental" process. There is no fear of making mistakes or worries about other's judgment. Want to start an art adventure? Just immerse ourselves into this moment, making art with children. 

All You Have Learned Contribute To Such A Beautiful Piece!

We have learned drawing, painting, collage and clay-work. In this class, they apply all the skills they learned in order to create what they want!

Collage and drawing together built a beautiful house surrounded by cats.

She put lots of efforts in tracing the margin of the elephant, using materials with various textures.

It was like a 3D knife!

As she glued these multimaterials on this paper, this artwork became more vivid! Look, it was just like a real cloud!

Wow! What a creative way to make this background in red! 

She said, I want to sew a pocket for my dog! 

More amazing artwork in this session is as follows:

Their creativity will never be limited in one single material. Child development is like infinity as long as we are willing to provide them what they need!

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.