RE: Going back to basics with watercolors
I can appreciate and have total respect for your method and approach in stages like that - and my late mom used to do something quite similar with her students. You are quite right - you are encouraging confidence and confidence in learners is what makes better learners... in any subject really.
Art, as a form of expression - should never make a person feel like they "failed". To my mind, that literally goes against the entire purpose and benefit of art itself.
In particular I was impressed that without prompting from me, the student added shading from the sun and where the shadows would be. This is something we worked on earlier in the year and I intentionally didn't remind them to see if they would remember.
Those are the kinds of moments which a nurturing environment will produce!
It is not my goal to make money from these classes but instead to inspire young minds to be creative and to pursue art in the traditional sense. While some of the parents use these classes as free babysitting, most of the kids actually want to be there and this makes me happy.
I don't think you should change anything about the way you are doing what you are doing! Whether the parents see it as baby sitting or not - you are giving your students something invaluable!
it's always nice to get a response from you. I really enjoy doing these classes and most of the kids do as well, even the ones whose parents don't take much interest in what they are doing - these are the ones I classify as using the "free babysitting."
I have found out that most schools have had much of their art funding cut or drastically reduced so for many of the kids this is the only exposure that they get to this sort of thing. It's like society is driving them to all just get stuck into smartphones so it is nice to give them some other outlet.
Always a pleasure @mikeville :)
Yeah I would say that has a whole lot more to do with the adults than anything else. Sadly, I think that this is more and more common these days. Parents often don't take much interest in their kids lives at all - some of it being because of financial burden and obligation and the other because they are simply self-involved... sadly.
This is truly very sad :( Art is such a wonderfully healing practice and we are in a time when the people of the world need it more than ever if you ask me.
I am glad you are doing this for them. They do need more of it.
Hope you have had a wonderful start to you week Mike :)