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| Christine's philosophy of art education |
My philosophy of art education is that children are natural artists, and it's my job to foster their unique abilities, creativity, and confidence as
they grow. When young children create art, they exclaim things like: "This looks so good!" But as we grow older, we become more self-
critical. Adults tell me regularly, "I can't draw.". Somewhere along the way, making art loses its joyfulness and most of us stop doing it.
My goal is to help children maintain a relaxed, confident, joyful attitude toward making art into the teenage years and beyond.
How is this done? By teaching strong craftsmanship skills and encouraging creative decision-making. I'm always striving for a balance of
structure and freedom in my instruction, to challenge my students with open-ended, intriguing lessons while giving them a strong foundation
of technical art skills so that they can make creative decisions confidently.
contour line drawings of hands from observation
In my opinion, drawing is the most important fundamental skill an artist can develop. I teach students how to draw both from observation
and imagination. Both types of drawing are more about seeing than producing. I teach children to examine the world like an artist does,
which means comparing shapes and sizes, noticing things like detail and perspective, and taking note of value, texture and color. When we
learn to see like an artist sees, it's much easier to make lines on the page that match what our eyes are noticing. Then drawing from the
imagination develops naturally from this enhanced view, because the mind's eye is accustomed to registering the richness around us.
I introduce lessons with motivational materials like Power Point presentations, art reproductions, books, props, and lively group discussions.
I try to expose my students to as much art as possible, and I teach them to analyze and discuss what they see. With many projects I'll have
students start by sketching, which is a form of visual brainstorming. As students put their ideas on paper during the sketching phase, I
encourage them to experiment. They choose their favorite sketch to expand upon for the final project. When we move on to finishing
materials like paint or clay, I demonstrate techniques and give advice about the properties of the material and how to use it most effectively. I
watch my students use the materials, because they often come up with techniques that I never considered, and I share these with the other
students as well.
I never show my own finished sample for a project because children tend to copy it rather than come up with their own interpretations.
Many art teachers present a finished sample they created themselves, then dictate the steps children must follow to achieve the same results.
This approach underestimates the creative abilities of children and leaves no room for independent decision making or discovery. Instead of
showing students my finished samples, I show strong student work in progress throughout each lesson. If a child isn't sure what to add in
an empty part of a page, for example, I'll show the different ways that several classmates filled their background space, or maybe how the
artist we learned about in the introduction solved the problem, then we brainstorm ideas for his or her own picture. The student is armed
with different ideas for inspiration and is free to make an individual choice about how to proceed. I have found that these methods result in a
wide variety of visual solutions. "Copying", while having its place in an artist's bag of tricks, is not the same as making original art.
Making original art involves facing a blank page without knowing exactly what will happen next, which can be a very uncomfortable feeling.
But that uncomfortable feeling is an important one to sit with and explore, because it provides a chance to make new discoveries and learn
from mistakes. Some mistakes go in the recycling bin, but others can lead to visual solutions the artist never dreamed possible. I call that
event a "happy accident" when I'm teaching, but really it's the miracle of creativity. And it happens regularly when making original art. By
focusing on craftsmanship and creative problem solving skills, students learn to express themselves with highly individual artwork. It's my
pleasure to be part of that creative journey.
Sincerely,
Christine Thornton
they grow. When young children create art, they exclaim things like: "This looks so good!" But as we grow older, we become more self-
critical. Adults tell me regularly, "I can't draw.". Somewhere along the way, making art loses its joyfulness and most of us stop doing it.
My goal is to help children maintain a relaxed, confident, joyful attitude toward making art into the teenage years and beyond.
How is this done? By teaching strong craftsmanship skills and encouraging creative decision-making. I'm always striving for a balance of
structure and freedom in my instruction, to challenge my students with open-ended, intriguing lessons while giving them a strong foundation
of technical art skills so that they can make creative decisions confidently.
contour line drawings of hands from observation
In my opinion, drawing is the most important fundamental skill an artist can develop. I teach students how to draw both from observation
and imagination. Both types of drawing are more about seeing than producing. I teach children to examine the world like an artist does,
which means comparing shapes and sizes, noticing things like detail and perspective, and taking note of value, texture and color. When we
learn to see like an artist sees, it's much easier to make lines on the page that match what our eyes are noticing. Then drawing from the
imagination develops naturally from this enhanced view, because the mind's eye is accustomed to registering the richness around us.
I introduce lessons with motivational materials like Power Point presentations, art reproductions, books, props, and lively group discussions.
I try to expose my students to as much art as possible, and I teach them to analyze and discuss what they see. With many projects I'll have
students start by sketching, which is a form of visual brainstorming. As students put their ideas on paper during the sketching phase, I
encourage them to experiment. They choose their favorite sketch to expand upon for the final project. When we move on to finishing
materials like paint or clay, I demonstrate techniques and give advice about the properties of the material and how to use it most effectively. I
watch my students use the materials, because they often come up with techniques that I never considered, and I share these with the other
students as well.
I never show my own finished sample for a project because children tend to copy it rather than come up with their own interpretations.
Many art teachers present a finished sample they created themselves, then dictate the steps children must follow to achieve the same results.
This approach underestimates the creative abilities of children and leaves no room for independent decision making or discovery. Instead of
showing students my finished samples, I show strong student work in progress throughout each lesson. If a child isn't sure what to add in
an empty part of a page, for example, I'll show the different ways that several classmates filled their background space, or maybe how the
artist we learned about in the introduction solved the problem, then we brainstorm ideas for his or her own picture. The student is armed
with different ideas for inspiration and is free to make an individual choice about how to proceed. I have found that these methods result in a
wide variety of visual solutions. "Copying", while having its place in an artist's bag of tricks, is not the same as making original art.
Making original art involves facing a blank page without knowing exactly what will happen next, which can be a very uncomfortable feeling.
But that uncomfortable feeling is an important one to sit with and explore, because it provides a chance to make new discoveries and learn
from mistakes. Some mistakes go in the recycling bin, but others can lead to visual solutions the artist never dreamed possible. I call that
event a "happy accident" when I'm teaching, but really it's the miracle of creativity. And it happens regularly when making original art. By
focusing on craftsmanship and creative problem solving skills, students learn to express themselves with highly individual artwork. It's my
pleasure to be part of that creative journey.
Sincerely,
Christine Thornton
Rousseau-inspired jungle landscapes
