"Paintings With Personality"

In this photo, a mother bear is sharing her food with one of her cubs. The other cub is behind her

Honey and I share our woods with bears, or better spoken, the bears share their woods with us.  Not long ago, my grandchildren and I sat on the deck watching a mother bear teach her two cubs to climb a tree. It was amazing to see her patience and gentleness in teaching them, as well as her methods. Bears aren’t alone in the teaching department, we all want to teach our children (and grandchildren) what we have learned, hoping they will build better lives.

Children learn a lot through art. They usually learn to draw or paint before they learn to write. They begin with scribbles first learning how to hold a fat crayon or pencil in their little fists. Eventually, they graduate to holding the implement between their thumb and forefinger. These scribbles of children are ways of learning. As your children get more control over the muscles in their hands, they begin to use their art materials with a purpose and goal in mind. Let them choose what they want to create, decision making is part of the learning process. Children don’t need a finished or a recognizable product. To them doing is more important than the end product. Take pleasure in their creation, that’s all the direction they need.

Every artist has heard the expression, “It’s the process, not the product that matters.” That is true in children’s art as well. They are learning to think and problem solve as they go and are likely excited by their discoveries. When a child shows you their work, look at it, nod and smile. Try not to say anything, and give them a chance to tell you what they want to say about the work, and (very important) listen to what they say. If they don’t say anything, ask them what they were thinking and feeling. Thank them for showing you their work and for sharing it with you.

We were sitting in a restaurant with two of our grandchildren and I was, as usual, drawing in my sketchbook. I handed the sketchbook to our 14 year old granddaughter and said draw that man over there, pointing to a man a few tables away. The result is above. The back of his head went over to the other page, so you can see where I pasted it on.

We can learn a lot about our children through their art. Free exploration with drawing materials often lead children to some say some interesting things, so don’t forget to listen. Their art work will be different and certainly their own.

Most children are creative and curious. It is important that they be allowed to use their creativity and experiment with different art materials. Keep materials and working surfaces available for your children or grandchildren. Honey once gave our grandchildren an old pair of tennis shoes which they covered in paint. Honey was so pleased with the results he continued to wear those shoes for years. Our grandchildren’s favorite painting surface was my feet and legs using “washable” markers. They covered me with ink which I had to wear until time for a shower, but we had a wonderful time.

Beginning with toddlers, make art a regular event. They don’t need any instructions, let them experiment and explore. To be creative, they need to express themselves in their own way. Value their work by displaying it.

Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

Have a great week, and comment below, Judy

www.judyballance.com