Children are a treasure, a blank canvas open to all possibilities.As an artist, as their art teacher, I have to preserve their imagination, their vision of the world. The more they know and learn, the more challenging their art work will be. For some children, it can be intimidating, for others, a great motivation. Each child has his unique way of expression and this natural gift should be encouraged and celebrated.I am giving these children the opportunity to explore many techniques (tempera, crayola, watercolor, color pencil, charcoal, printing, etc), and also all kinds of textures such as papers, fabrics and objects. Kids love to build and work in 3 dimensions. In our art classes at the Kids Connection After School Program we do plenty of craft, cutting, gluing, beading and folding. I’m teaching them some basic skills like drawing the human body, animals, perspective and composition. We also explore the theory of colors and all their possibilities. Again, I will make sure that this information don’t block their creative freedom. I encourage them to tell stories, to think about what they like, who they are, and share ideas with their friends. We also talk everyday about respecting each other, helping each other and take good care of the material. Ultimately, I’m trying to create 45 minutes of fun and learning at the same time. After a long day at school, children are tired and need to wind down. Art is necessary to their growth and well being, it is complementary to all academics skills.Picasso was a great master because he was able to paint like a child. Let’s all think about this.
By Sylvie Muller
