J ART STUDIO philosophy is about opening yourself to possibilities, learning the art of observation, and seeing that structure can be fun and individual. But mostly, J Art’s aim is to give children belief in their own abilities, the confidence to communicate and the courage to try different experiences.
Art is about expressing a thought in a visual form. Expressing an idea, which evolves as it is being created, and is as unique and individual as the person creating it. Nothing is right or wrong; it is all an interpretation.
A problem arises, however, when children want to draw a realistic piece, but without being given the basic skills to do it justice. Unless they are shown the basic ground steps to take apart a subject and then create it using lines and shapes, they can become frustrated with their efforts. In many cases children proclaim “I can’t draw” and abandon art altogether – what an unnecessary feeling of failure! A few simple enjoyable exercises that help children to understand the ground work of drawing is all that is needed to get them on the right track
A key part of learning art is based on observation – in fact, it touches every thing in our lives and if we learn to harness it, our lives become richer and deeper on many levels. There is a sense of discovery in taking in the fine details, in noticing things that were previously taken for granted or not thought about.
Observation is encouraged in all manner of ways when teaching the children, from field excursions, classroom activities, art lessons, outdoor play and every thing else that they do. Sometimes observation lessons are best taught by letting children discover things for themselves, but teachers need to be aware of when an opportunity exists to better facilitate this, or to learn when and how to create such opportunities.
Engaging in conversations with the children helps greatly with their discoveries in this amazing world in which they are a part. It is easy in our busy world to just speak when needed and not discuss thoughts and ideas, but communication can be enriched on many levels, using many prompts once shown how. It is an excellent way to bring shy children out of their shells, and help more exuberant children channel their thoughts.
All types of learning methods are encouraged, things such as copying, tracing, stencils, building blocks, puzzles, collage etc, are methods that help the children learn about shapes and colours and are used as tools. This gives them something to use as a reference, and then by using their imagination they take these ideas and turn them into their own creative works of art.