Please forgive me while I stand on my soap box for a bit today.
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I never wear shoes like this but maybe I should :0) |
It's that time of year again. Your kids have either already started back to school or they will be there shortly. Does your child's school still have an art program? More and more schools across the nation are eliminating arts and music programs. If they replace them with anything at all it is sometimes with pseudo art instruction performed by an unqualified classroom teacher.
That statement is not meant to disparage classroom teachers, it is just that they are not trained arts specialists. The major justification for ending arts programs is almost always budget. School districts are constantly complaining that they don't have a enough money for basic programs, so first on the chopping block is usually what administrators and parents see as the most extraneous and unnecessary programs- art and music.
Here are some of the common myths and justifications for deeming art as unnecessary and thereby eliminating it.
Every child is not a talented artist
Every child is not going to be an artist
Training children in the arts has no application to real world (job) success
Art is meant to help children "express themselves"
Here is what arts education really gives to your kids:
The number one most valuable thing that art education provides to your child:
It teaches them to THINK critically and innovate. It teaches them to TAKE RISKS and to see the BIG PICTURE.
Making art is not just about making pretty things or providing some slapdash approach to "self expression" devoid of rules and structure. There are rules in art- Elements and Principals of Design- which provides a framework for making good art and once understood, provides a vehicle for creating good art while breaking those rules and learning to innovate.
Art history provides a cultural framework and point of reference for history and innovation throughout time. Children without skill in creating art are still given an understanding of the cultural heritage of art, get exposed to great thinkers and artistic creators (ex. Picasso, Matisse) who broke from the mold of realistic art making to devise a new way of SEEING and creating.
Art is not always about the end product. The value of art education is more in the processes of creating art and learning about it than in the outcome of making a pretty picture.
Most other disciplines only work on finding right or wrong answers. There is no room for thinking out of the box or for creating a new paradigm. Children who are only being educated in these limiting disciplines will grow to only seek the correct (predetermined) answer, never being able to consider another option and will accept as irrefutable that which is spoon fed to him as fact.
We need to keep raising generations of Picasso's, Da Vinci's, Van Gogh's, Louise Nevelsons and even more Andy Warhol's, whose art was not just pictures of Campbell Soup cans, but a shrewd commentary on our massed produced society as a whole, a concept seen through an artists ability to view "the big picture."
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Louise Nevelson |
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Louise Nevelson- Royal Tide IV-Assemblage |
The world needs both kinds of thinkers, both right brain and left. Here is a perfect example:
Steve Wozniak, a left brain tech head computer guy who, left on his own would probably have had his own small company or gone to work for IBM or Microsoft or Oracle or any other computer giant out there at the time.
Steve Jobs, a hippy dippy, right brain college drop out with an understanding of business,training in art and a devoted sense and love for beauty and good design.
It is the combination of these two very different types of talents that brought us all of the elegant and beautiful Apple computer products which many of us enjoy and other companies try to emulate.
The marriage of these two divergent genius brains resulted in something of a lightening strike which created (in my opinion) one of the greatest tech companies ever.
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Steve Jobs (standing) and Steve Wozniak (at keyboard) |
Is your kid going to be the next Steve Jobs or Picasso or Frida Kahlo? Maybe not. If given the benefit of a meaningful art education, what they can be is a well rounded human being who can think outside of the box, challenge the status quo, consider various answers to the same problem, create something from nothing, use the tools at hand in new ways and make cross cultural and historical connections.
Oh, and they may come home with a nice painting sometimes, too.
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Frida and Me- © Karen O'Lone-Hahn |
Last night we watched the Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who again and I think it may be one of my all-time favourites (Richard Curtis! Bill Nighy! Sets that look like paintings!)
It reminded me that I'd meant to show this picture (stolen from Crooked House) to our little Vincent fan.
One of these years we need to get to Mahone Bay for the
Scarecrow Festival.
Also courtesy
Steph, the following tilt-shift photo of Starry Night.
More tilted Van Goghs
here.
And as long as we're on the subject of Doctor Who, I wonder if anyone can explain to me the portrait hanging on the wall in The Lodger.
Notice how his eyes follow you around the room?
Normally I would have waited until I had a few more drawings, from my travel themed Moleskine, to post alongside this one. But, I really wanted to say a few things.
Sometime last week Blogger made my blog a 'blog of note', and since then I have had a huge number of new visitors. So, I wanted to say a big HELLO to everyone who has recently found my blog. I do hope you like what you see and that you'll return in the future.
Of course, I can't just mention the newcomers without mentioning all my old fogeys. I mean, regular visitors. Thank you for returning, commenting and generally being lovely. Big CUDDLES to all of you.
Lastly, in this stomach churning love-in, a big THANKS to everyone who has bought my zines and prints. You help keep the wolf from my door. And, that gives me the time to draw.
(I'm really annoyed with myself for adding the writing to this one. It was much better without. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.)
Click on drawing to view.
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6Today I'm starting a multi-part process series on the creation of the Flying Boat Graphic novel cover. Starting today from the earliest ideas to the final piece.
I've always been a bit embarrassed about the fact that I usually use one of my first ideas. That's bad design but I can rarely find anything I love more then the initial burst of creativity. Numbers one and two are my earliest thumbnails of the cover done in brushpen and it stayed very similar to this in composition. I try to work quickly at this stage, getting ideas out.
Three-When the idea seems to be evolving into something workable I start doing more detailed, exploratory sketches. You can see on the left side of number three I was toying with the idea of a lantern. This came back in the final design in another form. One reason I didn't like the lantern is that I didn't want to draw that type of light source all the time both for practical reasons and also I wanted the boat to be a bit stealthy looking.
At this point I have a healthy pile of loose sketches littering the floor of my studio. This is when I usually
My guest this week in Cynthia's Attic is author, Christine Verstraete
Christine grew up in Chicago, the third-generation to live in the two-story house bought by her Belgian-born grandfather in the mid-1900s. She now lives just over the border in Wisconsin.
She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Chicago's Columbia College, and has received various awards from llinois and national press associations for nonfiction articles.
Her favorite pastime, building dollhouses and miniature rooms, has served as inspiration for nonfiction stories, a nonfiction ebook, In Miniature Style, and plays a role in her just released ya mystery, SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT!
*Your "Miniature Art Mystery," Searching For A Starry Night, was just published by Quake in May of this year. Tell us...What, exactly, is a miniature art mystery?
Being a long-time collector of dollhouse miniatures, I had to somehow work that into my book. The title and subtitle refer to the search for a miniature replica of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, (The) Starry Night. You can see an actual miniature oil painting of Starry Night at my blog, The Candid Canine or at MySpace,
*How did you approach writing this book? Did the idea come from a personal experience?
I’ve always liked Van Gogh’s art. I started writing a set of short stories that also featured my character, Sam, from SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT. One was set in an art gallery, which got me thinking about expanding the theme of art, which led to miniatures, which led to miniature art…. It was a six-degrees kind of thing, I guess. LOL!
*Your miniatures are fascinating, Christine! The little girl in me is envious of your dollhouse miniatures. Did a particular dollhouse inspire your passion for making miniatures?
Growing up in Chicago, I was lucky enough to be able to see Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry more than once. Created by a Twenties film star, the castle is filled with fantasy, books by real authors, jewels, and everything enchanted. You have to fall in love with miniatures after you see that!
*You are also involved in the anthology, "Heat of the Moment," that benefits survivors and heroes of the San Diego wildfires of 2007. Can you tell us a little about your contributing story? A little about the book in general and the writers?
My story, “Fire and Magic,” involves Sam and her mother, who face a menace from the past. The story is a little more “grown-up” themed since the book included stories that were fire-related. I was thrilled to be asked to contribute a story along with 20 other exceptional authors to help a good cause.
*How did the idea for this book come together?
Echelon Press publisher, Karen Syed, wanted to do something to help those who lost, and went through so much, in the wildfires. It also recognizes those who give so much to keep all of us safe, the firefighters
*How did the idea for this book come together?
In miniature or in writing? ha! I write fiction and nonfiction, so it keeps me busy. And when I’m not writing, I’m planning a new miniature scene. I tend to have quite a few projects going in both miniatures and writing.
*What are your upcoming plans for the release of Searching For A Starry Night?
This is among several blog appearances I’m doing to promote Searching For A Starry Night. I also am setting up in-person appearances and will be giving away a miniature scene and some fantastic prizes to visitors to my website, and to book purchasers in the coming weeks. So please be sure to stop at my website or check in at my Candid Canine blog, to see what’s new!
Mary, thank you for hosting me!
By: Stephanie,
on 1/9/2008
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By Anatoly Liberman
Everybody seems to resent buzzwords, and everybody uses them. It may therefore be of some interest to look at the origin of those universally reviled favorites. Language consists of ready-made blocks. When we want to express gratitude, we say thank you. The reaction is also predictable, even though the formula changes from decade to decade. At one time, people used to respond with if you please, don’t mention it, or not at all. All three yielded to you are welcome, and now I constantly hear no problem, which irritates me (of course, no problem).
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And I'm one of those new followers of yours, and yes I found you in BLOG of NOTE. I admire you so much, your so professional on your sketches..!! I love everything..
I'm a newbie too! Thanks for the greetings :) Congrats on being a blog of note and on all your new followers. You blog rocks - not only is it full of great wor but it's also easy to use and well designed. Can't wait to see more from the moleskin!
It's simply a pure pleasure to discover all new treasures you have the kindness to post "us". Lovely "hommage" to Van Gogh we have here. I love Van Gogh and have studied his work for some time... it's interesting to get stuck with one artist for a period to get "into" his work and try to "feel it". I have done the same with Cezanne and Bonnard and it's amazing how much better I understand their work after, at least that's the impression I get. Nobody could tell me other than themselfs, I guess, how they realy were and how they realy worked. You have your world and way of doing, very personal too... and it's lovely to have the possibility to watch even from a distance. So see you soon...
and we say a big HELLO to you as well! your work is amazing! have a nice day and enjoy the attention of your new followers ;) D and V
I'm so glad I found your site. Love your work!
no way!! I love it just as is :) awesome composition and drawings.
Well, now I know why I couldn't get to your door...
Hey, also new! I'm a fellow artist and I love how you don't just draw, you kind of design your drawing space on the page. Lovely! Subscribed, will keep coming back.
Hi Andrea,
I'm one of the old fogies, er, long-time subscribers.
I like the writing on it and really like all the little sketches.
xoxo
I am also a new follower and find your drawings very inspiring. This one brings back special memories... I LOVED the Van Gogh museum when I visited Amsterdam!!!
Hello Andrea- I'm new too. Really like your artwork. I'm an artist too and find your work inspiring. Now I will get my first blog set up... off to work with me!
These sketches are really great.
Congrats on being featured on Blogs of Notes!
I love looking through your zines.
Sophie
Congratulations Andrea! You and your blog certainly deserve the recognition. It's been ages since we've chatted, lets chat soon.
I want girlfriend.Call if you are interested
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van gogh is one of my favourite artists!! really liked your work with this one...and also liked the writing on it!:D keep it up!! hellos!
Ha..ha..funny
we metioned you in our blog. if you find the time pls check it out!
have a nice day!
D and V
http://designupcomers.blogspot.com/2010/09/illustrators.html
This is the first blog I have chosen to follow from setting up my account today.
Thanks for helping turn around a day where I was feeling pretty uninspired. Now need to go sharpen my pencils (^_^).
I love your travel sketches- such a lovely alternative to the endless tourist snaps.
Normally I try to sound at least semi-intelligent in my comments, but you're artwork is awe inspiring, there's nothing more to say.
Ellen
Keep up the good work!You art works is beautiful.
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Thank you thank you thank you.
I'm so pleased that you like my work. I really can't think of any better to say. I'm just so pleased.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Wow! Your sketches are absolutely amazing!! It makes me want too try it out haha =) Beautiful work!