Next child art prodigy?
LBD has recently taken an interest in the art of coloring. She'll sit down for up to 10 minutes (which is hours in toddler world) scribbling away before trying to color her face. After watching this evolution I got to thinking.... Am I a creativity encourager or an inhibitor (e.g. "Don't color on your face"). Should I be more concerned with cultivating creativity than teaching boundaries? ("We color on paper and not our face. Or the walls. Or the kitty cat.")
Have you ever seen this video of Aelita Andre? I would love to be able to provide a creative space like the one Aelita has. I can only picture my landlords face now if he walked in and saw a display red and blue paint globs hiding the dark wood paneling that covers 80% or our home. I don't believe L's in line to be the next child art prodigy, but I do want to be able to give her the type of environment that will allow her to explore different artistic outlets.
Is there anything special you do with your own kids or students?
For now we'll have to make due with a large pad of paper and a few crayons.
And because I can't make it through a blog post without a book list... here are a few books we like about ART:
Art by Patrick McDonnell
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leonni
Action Jackson by Jan Greenburg, illustrated by Sandra Jordon
Art and Max by David Weisner
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Salzburg
Georgia's Bones by Jennifer Fisher Bryant
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
And before you go. A gem of an outake...
Have a great weekend!
image sources: Art,
That rainbow whatever their called (afghans?) is gorgeous!! My mom made a couple last year and now I want one in that pattern, haha.
ReplyDeleteWe have family friends who are very much, for lack of a better word, hippies. They had a designated wall in their living room for the kids to use for coloring in a house they rented. I guess their landlord was also extraordinarily laid back, though they repainted the wall when they moved.
Will bought that for L at a thrift store back in Ludington. I think she was only 8months old at the time? It finally fits! Sorta...
ReplyDeleteI would like to have a room in the house designated to being a mess room or an art room. One can dream. Someday :)