Self-Portrait 1907 by Pablo Picasso Yesterday's post, "Wild 'n Crazy Picasso Portraits", left me inspired to write a little bit more about this amazing artist... Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), is often under-appreciated by people who don't know much about him.... I usually have to remind students of "Rule #1" when teaching a class about Picasso for the first … [Read more...]
Fighting Perfectionism? Picture This…
"The Persistence of Memory" by Salvadore Dali One of my lifelong goals has been to become less of a perfectionist. They say that a goal should be specific and measurable. And this "goal" is neither of those. I don't expect to completely conquer perfectionism, but just to become more and more okay with "not perfect". It's more like a target to be aiming for than an … [Read more...]
Inspiration for a New Year
Copyright 2008, Simple Truths I love a good quote! It’s amazing how words can inspire, encourage, motivate, and even change lives. Here is one of the many quotes that has done this for me: “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault Whether you spend your time teaching Art to kids or doing something entirely … [Read more...]
And He Thought the World Didn’t Make Sense Then!
"Sylvette" by Pablo Picasso"The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" ~Pablo PicassoBy the way, this painting sold a few months ago in Sydney, Australia for 6.9 million.... Maybe when it comes to art, making sense is not the point???! … [Read more...]
Creativity takes courage!
"Creativity takes courage."~ Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954)Still Life with Fruit by Henri MatisseFrench painter, Henri Matisse, is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He tells us that "Creativity takes courage," and he should know! His flat shapes, expressive abstractions and vivid use of color was highly controversial in his day, earning him … [Read more...]
What Is Art??
So what is Art, anyway?? Not to get all philosophical or anything, but you have to admit that's a good question! If you ask 100 people, you're likely to get 100 different answers. I recently attended an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum titled, "What is Art?". This question was posed to exhibit viewers who responded on sticky notes that covered an entire wall. Reading … [Read more...]
A Case for Creativity and the Arts in Schools
Creativity and the Arts are often not given the attention they deserve in schools today. As a result, kids miss the important lessons that creativity and the arts provide. Many of them develop unrealistic standards for the work they create. They expect perfection and struggle to allow themselves to fail, missing the learning opportunity that failing provides. Then these kids … [Read more...]
The Colors of the Rainbow
Kids love rainbows! And kids in grades K-1 tend to be almost obsessed with them. And why not?? After all, rainbows are fascinating! A rainbow is a multicolored arch that forms in the sky when the sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the air. Rainbows span a continuous spectrum of colors in a specific order; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. "Roy G. … [Read more...]
Every Child is an Artist
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." ~ Pablo Picasso Art Phobia....many adults have it, but it doesn't seem to be something we're born with. Have you ever seen a three year old intimidated by a big piece of white paper and a huge brush loaded with gloppy paint??? Art Phobia appears to be an acquired deficiency, … [Read more...]