Sunday, March 12, 2006

I went to an art workshop today. Kira and I had a lot of fun slinging paint across canvas paper in Lisa Marten's abstract painting workshop. There is something quite liberating about not having to worry about detail and precision.

The other workshop was fun, too - I learned a new technique that promises to be quite usable. I'll have lots of fun experimenting with it later.

I have to confess though that I absolutely don't like it when the instructor comes over, simply takes whatever I am working with out of my hand, and starts making corrections on my paper. If you want to show me how to do the shading, use a separate piece of paper, or just tell me; I can usually figure it out. But somehow, it feels like it isn't mine any more once someone else starts messing with it.

When I was teaching art class for our homeschool co-op, I tried my darnedest to not correct the kids' art work -- give them tips, demonstrate, but not touch their art. I want them to feel ownership over what they created, even if it isn't up to perfectionist standards. It's still creation. It's still good.

But no matter, the end result turned out nice, and I'll just try a different piece some time next week -- it definitely is a cool technique! :-)

posted by Birgit
1 comments at 12:37 AM