Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Do Art

Sounds like a commercial or something.  The saddest thing I see is the number of high school students that claim they can't Do art.  I was one of those students.  I was convinced by my teacher in 7th grade.  She looked at my paper that I erased a hole in it and refused to give me another piece of paper.  She told me I could not do art and don't take another art class.  Sadly, I believed her. 

Fast forward 30 years.  I was hired by the School of Art to take care of their computer lab for Photography and Animation.  I told them I had Zero art experience.  They underestimated how zero my zero could be.  They were frustrated that they couldn't talk to me because I had no idea what they were talking about.  The professors actually made me take Photography 101 as part of my job.  I literally clocked in for the day then attended art class.

The very first day the professor explained....Photography is science mixed with Magic.  All I thought was COOL.  I love science and magic.  I spent the semester learning the vocabulary needed to talk to the professors.  The first picture I shared in a student gallery some one pointed out that I was an artist.  I hotly denied such allegations.  I was NOT an artist.

Ten years later, I graduated university with a Bachelors of Art degree - Photography.  I learned that my 7th grade teacher lied to me.  I took drawing and painting and sculpture and wood working and so many different ways to create art. 

Now I teach students how to teach preschoolers ART!!!!! Yup.  I have to convince the students first.  I teach them about process art vs. project art.  Process art is you show the students how to do a technique then hand them materials and step back.  Too bad most parents expect a project to "look like something identifiable."  These are preschoolers. 

Now I encourage everyone to DO ART. 

The link takes you to a delightful book about becoming and artist. 

The Dot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5mGeR4AQdM

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