I visited a friend this morning and noticed a really cool new sculpture sitting on her shelf. It was an asymmetrical house with deep blue exterior walls, random windows through which red interior walls shown through – the roof was multi-hued brown and umber – very cool. I asked her where she got such a fabulous piece.
Her son made it, she said, and then asked “would you tell him you like it because he got a C and didn’t want me to display it.”
This set me off – who do these damn art teachers think they are? The color coordination and contrast, the windows, the roof were very wabi sabi – organic in flow and visually appealing. Much more interesting than if it had been symmetrical and boxy. But I guess he/she couldn’t see that.
Blue House S.M. copyright 2008
In my opinion high school, middle school and elementary school art teachers are responsible for killing the creative spark in countless children. Son No. 2 drew the most fantastic and creative stories and pictures until his 3rd grade art teacher threw a cat he had created for a school mural into the garbage, IN FRONT OF HIM, because the proportion was off.
He stopped drawing that day and I have never forgiven her.
Art should be a joyful expression for children. It shouldn’t be graded at all.
Please enjoy this gallery of scribblings from Son No. 2 titled:
Things My Son Drew for Me
Before His Third Grade Art Teacher Killed His Spirit
Cat: marker and white out on legal pad – date unknown but definitely before third grade
Pointillism: water color on construction paper – date unknown but, again, definitely before third grade
