Who was it who said “The path of true art never did run smooth?” Oh wait, no one did -- that was love they were speaking of. Still, many could say the same holds true for art. For some art, the appreciation or creation of it, is something as simple as breathing. For others, the thought of having to be “creative” causes a panic attack. Don’t worry, I’m here for both of you -- the art lovers and the art....O.K.ers.
The purpose of Small Pictures is to show you a way to encourage artistic exploration in your children -- even if you aren’t artistically inclined yourself. This blog will feature art projects for children, for parents, for parents to
share with children and an approach to teaching art appreciation. I'll present the projects in a way that's accessible to everyone.
The projects themselves will include sewing, painting, knitting, and drawing with a smattering of book binding here and there. I’ll also share Web sites which have great resources for you to explore. And of course, we live in a city where there are so many places to see art, from works by local artists to pieces that centuries old so I’ll recommend a few things here and there.
First things first -- it’ll be helpful if you have a designated art area where you keep your supplies. This can be anything from a small table for your child, to a box with supplies you take out for projects. You don’t have to spend a lot to have cool art supplies your child will use again and again. A 24 pack of crayons, a pack of construction paper, some Elmer’s glue, a thin paint brush for the glue, scraps of color paper, some pencils, rubber and ink stamps and you’ll be on your way. You can get specific items for projects later on.
An art desk for any young aspiring art maker!
I hope you’ll enjoy this blog as much I look forward to working on it. Children seem to have a natural inclination towards art, whether it be the colors, the never ending choices of media, or the entire creative process; children see there is a certain strength and independence in being able to make something. We’ll have fun together and foster that creative process for everyone.
Incidentally, the name "Small Pictures" is inspired from the Ernest Hemingway quote "Eschew the monumental. Shun the Epic. All the guys who can paint great big pictures can paint great small ones." I think that’s great advice. We don’t have to shoot for a masterpiece, we can make something meaningful and terrific and have fun in the process.