Tag Archives: paint

Play, Paint, and Learn

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Lately, I’ve been painting in a 6.5 inch square watercolor sketchbook. I’m able to do a good bit of playing and still finish in a comfortable amount of time. When I feel like doing more, I use both sides of the page to create a 6.5 x 13 inch spread. I like having the option of the two sizes, as well as my previous art for provoking ideas and bringing me joy.

I played with circles the last few days. I did the one with the colored shapes first. It was a multi-day process:

  • Tape the edges and paint the circles.
  • Look, enjoy, and wonder, “What might I add?”
  • Draw the flowers.
  • Add the splatters of paint.

I unintentionally got paint on the other page of the spread. It’s what happens when you forget to cover it before splattering paint. It was, at first, a bit annoying. When I let go of the annoyance I saw the opportunity to play.

  • How else might I make circles?
  • How might I use my mistake in a new piece?
  • How would it look to add a border and paint the inside with payne’s gray?

I’m pleased with how the two images look. There’s something quite satisfying and entertaining to have them next to each other, supported by the round-ish rocks gathered on a previous hiking trip.

My playing, painting, and thinking — was fantabulous and fruitful. I’m struck by how important my playful exploration was to me as a creative, a thinker, a watercolorist, a designer, an educator, and a learner!

  • How I hold my brush makes a big difference in the quality of my painting.
  • Even though I’ve painted for quite some time, I continue to experiment, notice, learn, and perfect how I hold the brush.
  • The very same paint yields wildly different results depending on the combination of water and paint.
  • As I play I develop and deepen my relationship with the paint, the paper, the brush, myself, my brain, and what’s possible.

As I played and reflected, I thought of my young learners. I want to create space, time, opportunities, routines and rituals that afford them the same opportunities I have as I sit at my kitchen table, or out on my patio, with plenty of paint, paper, markers, pencils and time at my disposal.

Here are some things I’m wondering about:

  • How else might we store and use our sketchbooks, markers, paint.
  • How might we integrate art (painting, clay, drawing) writing and reading.
  • How might we engage in intentional reflection — self reflection and reflection together — about our noticing, thinking, and playing.
  • How might I make time to regularly join my Kindergartners in these things.

Inviting Kindergartners Into My Process and Musing

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My hands will soon be covered in paint –  like hand in this photo. YAY! I cannot wait!

It is super important for me, as a person, and as an educator, to: get inspired, try new techniques, play, and make things. The whole process – anticipating, enjoying, searching, looking, researching, talking, trying, learning, failing, fretting and succeeding – teaches and touches me as a person and an educator.

The preparation is a time of excitement, joy and anticipation!

I relish the trip to the art store! Paper, paint, stencils, cutting tools, canvases, paint brushes invite me to explore, imagine and buy. I usually end up in line with much more than my original shopping list. If I’m lucky, my cashier is an artist. We kibitz over my choices, and share our passion and ideas. On my last visit, I discovered there is 300 pound watercolor paper! 300 lbs! The clerk said it is “Delicious!” (You do know I will soon be purchasing some, don’t you?)

I love scouring bookstores for art books or magazines. It’s a treasure hunt. If I’m lucky enough to find one or two that inspire me, I’m a happy girl! Just thinking about being creative makes me happy. It doesn’t bring me as much joy as actually creating, but it is pretty awesome.

And, of course, after all the prep, I love the doing! Surrounded by supplies. In the zone. Hands covered with paint. Mind buzzing. Spirit soaring.

But, occasionally, I notice less than positive emotions. Sometimes there is a vague sense of angst. Usually it’s when I’m faced with a technique that is new, outside my wheelhouse, or that doesn’t easily mesh with my usual sensibilities. It’s always somewhat surprising to notice the less than positive emotions. I love being creative and artistic, and I’m pretty talented. And yet, I still sometimes feel apprehension, the worry of not being good enough, or the fear of messing it up.

As I notice all my experiences, thoughts and feelings, my mind turn to my students. I want them to experience it all. The positive and the less than positive emotions. I want them to struggle, to think, to fail, to learn, to succeed. I even want them to experience the angst, and the truth that angst can be overcome.

Wondering how I might do that, I am considering these questions:

  • How might we facilitate anticipation, discovery and joy?
  • How might we participate in the excitement of the treasure hunt for ideas and/or supplies?
  • How might we provide inspiration?
  • How might we find the time to allow ourselves to savor the process?
  • How might we structure our time together, to enable more conversation, as artists, regarding our passion, our work and/or our materials?
  • How might we give each other the freedom to adapt a particular technique or project to better fit our own sensibilities?
  • How might we be more aware of thoughts/feelings of angst and fear?
  • How might we better support each other in angst and fear?
  • How might we continue to encourage belief/knowledge of ourselves as capable, awesome artists?

I’m not sure, but I’m wondering ….

 

Note:

My first draft of this blog post had a list of “How might I …?” questions. As I re-read my post, the I was in glaring opposition to the we of creative teams.  Yes, I am the teacher, so, yes, much is up to me. But, we are a creative team – my kindergartners, my colleagues, and I – and it is better that I ask “How might we …?” 

My students teach me, inspire me, problem solve with me, and often see things from an insightful prospective much different than mine. Inviting them into my musing will be beneficial for us all!

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