Pages
When it comes to parent’s questions about the progress of their students, there are no one-size-fits-all answers. At KidzArt, we are often asked, “When will my child improve her drawing skills and begin drawing at home like she does in a KidzArt class? “ or “Why does my child only like to draw eyes and animals?”
Some children are not willing to step out of their comfort zone and try new things–and that goes for drawing too. At home, they will draw what they have always drawn. This is OK! The parent shouldn’t worry or express their concern to their child.
Just know that like anything else, drawing skills improve with practice. It is different with every child. Some will continue to draw the way they always have when they are outside of a KidzArt class. Then suddenly, they understand how to SEE, and their drawing skills take a big leap forward. You will see this happen. Sometimes this ”ah-ha!” moment occurs after one class, sometimes it takes months or years, depending on age level and willingness to try something new.
Drawing is a result of learning how to see. When you learn how to look at things with an “artist’s eye”, you learn how to draw. This means that you learn how to interpret line, shape, volume, shadow, tone, color and spacial relationships. It is like learning a new language. Some learn faster than others. If a student is enjoying the class and having fun, they WILL learn. If there is pressure from the parent to have a “perfect drawing”, then learning is more difficult in my opinion. Creativity takes many forms. We cannot dictate how it must be for each person. We are all unique.
As for those who only like to draw certain images like eyes and animals, parents should be happy that their child is inspired! Let them draw what inspires them! Our aim is not to prohibit, but to inspire. Not to dictate, but to assist. Not to criticize, but to catalyze.
Drawing is the same process regardless of the subject. Practicing a landscape is just as valuable as practicing an animal. Drawing a mountain can improve perception just as much as drawing an eye. Each will help the student be a better artist–more skilled.
For example, if you find your student or child only wants to draw eyes, suggest she include an eye or an animal in every picture that she draws in KidzArt. This could be a challenge. How to include an animal or an eye in everything she does. Maybe even HIDE an eye somewhere in the landscape. We want to take what children love and use these things to help them be creative thinkers. Learning how to draw is just part of the process.
Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect, the online resource for parenting advice and community, is allowing parents to pick the best of their local communities with its Second Annual Parents’ Picks Awards. KidzArt was nominated Best Art Class in St. Louis. Users can vote online for us at http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks until July 15th, and ParentsConnect will announce the winners online on Aug. 17. The 2009 award winners will be featured on ParentsConnect throughout the year.
Thanks in advance for your votes!
This week, seventy third graders from Concord Elementary in Jackson, MI, took part in a free KidzArt class in order to raise money for their school! Click here to read all the details.
International home furnishings giant, IKEA, invited KidzArt to play a part in their 25th anniversary celebration in Kuwait last week.
As part of IKEA’s social responsibility program and the anniversary festivities, KidzArt was asked to provide art classes for children in a gallery at the main entrance of the IKEA store. The KidzArt classes were surrounded by transparent partitions plastered with the KidzArt logo, so parents and the public could view the children’s creativity in action!
With over 10,000 visitors passing through the store over the weekend, hundreds of children took part in the drawing, painting and activities that KidzArt offered.
Check out this photograph and more details from IKEA on KidzArt’s part in the celebration.
Admit it. You’re creative. Now is the time to flaunt it!
World Creativity and Innovation Week, held April 15 - 21 every year, is a celebration of our ability to get new ideas, use imagination and make new decisions to make the world a better place and to make your place in the world better too. Why not organize activities in your classroom, school, business or home? Here are some ideas:
-Invite a motivational speaker to present during lunch hour at your business.
-Write a song
-Get your family together and create a colorful mural to hang in your living room!
-Try a new science experiment in your classroom
-Try writing with your other hand- all day!
Express your creativity this coming week and write a comment below to let us know what you’re doing!
A teacher’s greatest reward is being on the receiving end of appreciation and gratitude from current and past students as well as their parents. During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8th), take the time to recognize or do something special for a teacher that you or your child are fond of or one that has had an huge impact on your lives.
Here are some ideas of how to say “Thanks”:
1. Encourage your child to write a poem or a song about his or her teacher.
3. Help your child show his or her gratitude by giving a one-of-a-kind gift. Put your child’s artwork on a fun product to make the perfect Teacher’s gift. Check out the selection of customizable Teachers gifts at www.KidzArtProducts.com. It’s a unique way to say “Thanks” for all that teachers do!
As families across the nation struggle in the current economy, many are tightening their belts when it comes to how much they spend on their kids’ summer camps. The joys of kids’ summer camps can still be within reach.
In their search for shorter or less expensive camp alternatives, parents will find that they have many options. Affordable, inspiring, unique day camps that stimulate kids’ brains and allow them to explore something new and have a ton of fun are certainly available. A program with a sound curriculum and a caring, experienced staff is the formula for a great summer program.
KidzArt is excited to announce two new Summer Day Camp programs (where offered):
· “Famous Artist Adventure“- Learn from the “masters” by painting, sculpting and drawing based on the works and styles of famous artists such as Monet, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and others.
· “Eco-Friendly Expedition”- Go eco-friendly and create mixed media masterpieces made from recycled materials, including paper made from elephant poo!
Visit your local KidzArt Web site to register or find out more about summer camp offerings in your area.
In honor of Youth Art Month, I wanted to share my list of favorite art materials that we use in many of our art projects at KidzArt. If you haven’t used these before, give them a try:
1) Liquid Watercolor Paint- Washable, economical and can be used straight from the bottle!
2) Scratch Art with scratch sticks- Scratch the black coating with a wood drawing stylus to reveal multicolor holographic colors
3) Oil pastels (water-based) – Create beautiful works of art using a kid-friendly medium that stands the test of time. We recommend the Portfolio brand because they can be blended by simply adding water.
4) Mr. Sketch non-scented markers- These watercolor markers featuring bright, vibrant non-toxic colors are great for pre-schoolers and are washable.
5) Air dry clay- Sculpey brand holds fine details and comes in many colors
6) Patterned and colored tissue paper
7) Watercolor crayons- The Caran d’Ache brand is soft, easy to work with and provides great coverage.
Vine Charcoal- This medium is messy but it is so much fun. You can easily manipulate the tones and create drawings that could never be done with other mediums.
9) Scrap Booking Paper- bristol cardstock, multicolors in 12” squares Give your child the chance to work on this format (square) with an array of beautiful colors. Use the darker colors with light colored pencils and oil pastels.
10) Prismacolor markers for ages 6 and up- We use these in KidzArt as the standard. They make the kids feel like real artists. They are a bit costly, but even a pack of 12 would do the trick.
“Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence,” sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it’s closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.
Taken from Fran Smith’s article “Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who’s Doing It Best” in the February issue of Edutopia, this paragraph is a timely lead in to the purpose of March’s Youth Art Month.
I know that the tide is turning and innovative art initiatives are emerging in more and more schools. I’m thrilled to see the efforts and insistence that kids be exposed to the arts as a central, not peripheral, element of their education. This goes back to one of the reasons why KidzArt was started to begin with. I wanted my son to have the visual art exposure that I knew was necessary but not always readily available in school.
With the events and activities of Youth Art Month as reminders, let’s all be advocates of our children’s exposure art and cultural training in school, after school and at home.