Featured

Art Galleries & Children

I believe in experimentation. A lot of what I do in my Creative pursuits is experimentation. It’s no different with my Art Sessions. After all, you never knows until you give it a go. On the Clifton Strengths scale, Ideation is one of my top 5 strengths. Essentially, I have A LOT of ideas. The key is taking time to think which ideas are worth pursuing.

Over a year ago, I had the idea of hosting an Art Gallery visit for the children in one of my Art Classes. The idea has been brewing for awhile. I am so pleased it finally took place and everyone, including the parents had a great time.

We had been covering “Perspectives” in our weekly sessions, practicing its application as well as looking at a variety of paintings together Online – some were ones that they were going to see at the Art Gallery we were going to.

There was a lot of anticipation and excitement about seeing each other in person. Whilst the children had met each other through their Home Ed Meet-ups, we had only met each other Online. Similarly, I had only been in communication with the parents via email. So it was not unlike meeting a Pen Pal in person.

I prepared for each child their very own Art Gallery Sketch book and an Activity Record Sheet. I informed the Gallery about our visit and arranged to borrow some folding stools as well.

It felt slightly ‘strange’ meeting children whom I had gotten to know over the weeks, some years; in person. I wonder if they felt the same. But the ‘strangeness’ disappeared as we looked at the paintings together; discussed them and went on to do some Sketches. Seeing them sit on their stools, sketching away, made my heart sing.

Sketching in front of
A Tempting Bait’ (1906) – Arthur J Elsley & ‘Her First Love’ (1885) – George Sheridan – Middle & Third Painting
Featured

Women Artists

Question time:
How many Women Artists can you name?
How many Male Artists you name?

Growing up, I don’t think I could even name One women Artist, but I certainly witnessed Creativity expressed in the form of foods & fashion.

I grew up in multi-cultural Singapore. My own cultural heritage is a fusion of cultures such that my palate was exposed to a variety of Southeast Asian Spices and tastes. Creativity expressed through culinary skills of women! It was the same with fashion. The exquisite embroidery on blouses and beadwork on shoes represent amazing craftsmanship of creative women. So whilst I could not name renowned women Artists, I enjoyed the fruit of creativity as expressed through my cultural heritage – were expressed by women, forgotten women.

Zing Tsjeng’s book Forgotten Women – The Artists reminded of the spirit of the women who created boldly. Some are unnamed, others unknown and a few stayed in the shadows of the men in their lives. Tsjeng’s book is well researched and a delight to read.

On reflecting on Tsjeng’s book; I thought – Art belongs to everybody whilst at the same it time it belongs to nobody. It belongs to us all. Creative expressions through drawing has existed through the centuries. Think Cave drawings – mentioned by Tsjeng in one of her chapters (there is evidence pointing that they were most likely drawn by women!). But at the same time, Art does not belong to anyone individual. This line sounded familiar, so I did a quick search to see if this was a quote I had seen before or if perhaps this thought had dawned on someone else. It has!


“Art belongs to everybody and nobody. Art belongs to all time and no time. Art belongs to those who create it and those who savour it. Art no more belongs to the People and the Party than it once belonged to the aristocracy and the patron. Art is the whisper of history, heard above the noise of time. Art does not exist for art’s sake: it exists for people’s sake.”

Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time

I am unsure if I have seen it but I certainly have yet to read the book. I am looking forward to reading this and appreciating the context of the above quote.

As someone involved in inspiring creativity through my various Art Classes, I am passionate about dismantling any barriers, boundaries & misconceptions of what Art is. I think of myself as a cheerleader of each Home Ed Creative in their Creative journey. My small classes enable me to get to know each child better and to see how best to provide a safe space for them to explore & experiment as they express their creativity. Each Creative piece is unique, just like it’s creator.

Featured

Drawing Prompts – March

We are already in the third month of the third year in this decade! There are lots of things happening in this month of March – World Wild Life Day (3rd), World Book Day (7th), Mother’s Day – UK (19th) to name a few. But everyday is a great day to pick up a pencil and create!

If you ever need inspiration for images, there is of course the actual item in your home or an image on the Web. Something that I do regularly is searching for paintings or creative pieces that have been done for a particular topic. Google Arts & Culture is a great site/App for doing this. It acts like a Search Engine for topics that are related to Arts and Culture, with links to various Museums and Institutions around the world. You can even do fun things like create an image of Selfie with a filter that mimics the style of a famous Artist. It’s a great site to get your creative juices flowing!

A Self Portrait created on Google Arts & Culture
Featured

Facilitating Creativity

When adults hear that I run Art classes for children; they on occasion tell me about their experiences with their Art Teacher when they were younger. The negative shared experiences are similar – there was no room to deviate from what their teacher had in mind. Understandably, there are reasonable intensions (curriculum, school standards etc) but at the same time, it has left a negative lasting impression.

There is no doubt we are all wired for creativity. Whether creativity is expressed in Artistic expressions or Cookery skills or Music or Literary Skills or Designing Computer Games, creativity is what we humans excel in. Our Creative expressions are woven into our cultural expressions. It brings us together. It connects us.

Daily Bread – Expressing Creativity in the Kitchen

I love facilitating the various sessions with the children. One of my key goals in each session is encouraging the children to explore the wide expanse of the ‘Creative Landscape’. Currently, we are in the middle of an Australian Theme in the Art Classes and reading Roald Dahl’s The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (illustrated by Quentin Blake). Learning about the beauty uniqueness of the Animals in Australia and discovering Art X Stories Sessions we are just warming up with creating our own supplies for ‘The Grubber’ using alliterations.

Koala Bears – Charcoal, Gouache & Watercolours

A common concern of parents of Gen Z, myself included; is how much our children are consumed by their electronic devices and social media. At the heart of all the scrolling, is a desire to connect. It is what drives FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). I think the antidote to this is allowing more opportunities for creativity to be nurtured.

Daily Drawing Prompts to Facilitate a Creative Habit
Featured

The Creative Process

This month marks the 2nd year of Home Ed Creatives. Majority of the children in my current groups have been in my classes for over a year. Each continue to sign up after a 5 week cycle. It has been a pleasure to see each Home Ed Creative’s Creative journey.

A favourite ‘warm up’ activity is asking the children what is the longest journey they have ever taken. Many are able to relate how to the feeling of just wanting to arrive at our destination. I then point out that it is inevitable that we will face similar feelings of frustration with our own creative journey. It’s normal, but the key is to keep going as we WILL grow in our creativity over time.

Quick Sketches of the Kitchen at the Servant’s Quarters of Petworth House
& introductory leaflet to the Tuner paintings,

Last month, I had the privilege of seeing two JMW Turner’s works which are owned by The Frick Collection at The National Gallery. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to see a some of the collection of his works at Petworth House, National Trust. Turner’s connection with the House goes beyond his works which were bought by the then owner – George O’Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751-1837). He also a frequent guest who stayed and was commissioned to paint the surrounding landscapes. It was fascinating to see the range of Turner’s works, the various canvas sizes (the largest being the ones owned by The Frick Collection, and to see the change in artistic style through the years.

Brief introduction in Leaflet and my Sketches to the ‘Turner on Tour’ paintings at the National Gallery (on till the 19th Feb 2023)

JMW Turner (1775 – 1851) was a talented young Artist from Covent Gardens, London. He was a child prodigy who was started his studies at the Royal Academy Schools at just 14 years of age. His Creative journey was not without criticism; but he was successful in his life time as an Artist. One of the things he is renowned for is his depiction of light. I am personally fascinated by how he skilfully includes people in his landscapes. I have enjoyed looking at his paintings over the span of his successful creative career, noticing the various ‘notes’ in his artistic voice. Observing his Creative journey through his paintings has not only inspired but has also sparked ideas as I look forward to welcoming back the various Home Ed Creatives next week.

Featured

For the love of it

I am looking forward to commencing another set of 5 sessions next week. I love the research that goes into the preparation of the session; sharing about the theme/topic and creating a piece together. Each session is planned with the children in mind thought is given to thinking about what might interest the children in the group.

Three different Art Mediums – Procreate App, Gel Pens and Soft Pastels

I also enjoy exploring different Art mediums and sharing my discoveries about it. I am constantly learning. There are multitudes of Art supplies available along with a variety of brands. Being able to sketch is a skill, knowing how to use an Art medium is another. Coordinating one’s observation skill, imagination and applying those skills with a particular medium in one’s hand takes time. It’s a journey.

It’s fascinating to see what that journey is like to different Artists. For Vincent van Gogh, it was a journey which entailed quite an ‘inward journey’ of introspection as reflected in his letters to his brother Theo. His paintings are celebrated all over the world. I wonder what he would have thought of this. Theo van Gogh died shortly after. It was Theo’s wife, Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger who was instrumental in getting Vincent’s work popularised.

Eric Tucker is another artist who was unknown until after his death. Even his own family did not know much about the many paintings he did of everyday scenes, particularly of the Pub he frequented. I came across him in a fascinating article about him in The Guardian. He has been likened to another British painter renowned for his works on everyday life – L S Lowry. I would have loved to know what Tucker would have thought of this comparison. I suspect he might have just chuckled and carried on painting. It’s after all about enjoying the journey, not the desitination.

Featured

Journey vs Destination

I like starting my Classes with a ‘Warm-up’ activity. It could be a question or a drawing activity. It is just a good way for everyone to relax after logging in, for some finding the right password. I have always done this and continue to do so. One of the activities I do is to ask the children some questions. One of my favourite questions in to draw destination of the the longest journey they have ever taken.

Original illustration by Pauline Baynes – illustrator of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Baynes illustrated all seven books in the series. I recently visited a special exhibit at Monttisfont House, Hampshire where I took a photo of the above illustration.

I have yet to find any child that can’t remember the longest journey they have taken. I use this question to draw parallels to how growing in one’s Creativity is all about a Journey, actually a very long one. One that can be trying, sometimes even challenging – wondering when we will ever ‘get there’. But like any physical journey, if we stop thinking about ‘the destination’; but ‘be present’ in the moment, the journey becomes more pleasurable.

Recent books I read on two amazing legendary Artists from two different eras.

I find it fascinating to see this evident in journeys of various Artists – dead or alive, well-known or yet to be discovered. They all seem to ‘bask’ the moment they were in. It was not always easy but their continual focus on ‘the present’, their creativity flourished. Claude Monet’s journey began in a some incredibly challenging moments – full of criticisms. Seeing his paintings throughout his long life or hearing about David Hockney’s recent creative ventures with drawing on his iPad; is simply inspiring.

I love sharing these insights with the young Creatives across my groups especially at their tender age. For those whom I have had the privilege of watching their journey for more than the initial 5 weeks – some for almost two years; it has been a joy seeing their confidence in themselves blossom

Featured

Drawing Prompts

One my earliest happiest memories is linked to drawing. Due to various factors I did not pursue it. During my years as a full time Home Educating Mom of two, Art was always part of what we did.

Me sitting in front of my Blackboard. I remember spending a lot of time drawing and writing on it.

One of the things that got me back into nurturing my own personal creative journey was doing Daily Monthly Prompts which were recommended to me by a fellow Home Educating parent. That sparked something in me. Whilst I did not manage to do it daily, it nurtured confidence in exploring and experimenting with different mediums. That is the whole point of Drawing Prompts – to spark motivation to invest in developing one’s creativity.

My response to the Drawing Prompt something from the ‘80s. Watercolour Pencils & Ink – July 2019

Monthly prompts are usually found on Instagram. There is something inviting about doing it with others and sharing it with others. I have occasionally organised Drawing Prompts for the Creatives signed up in my classes. One of my goals in 2023 is to publish one every month. Anyone is welcome to join in. If you are Home Educating/Schooling, how about adding it into your daily schedule.

The prompts are just tools to spark ideas for drawing. Draw them in any Art medium – pencils, biro pen, paints, collage – whatever you like! There is no pressure to join in daily, but adding a creativity session into one’s daily routine helps. You may find it useful to have a dedicated sketch book for all your drawings but a folder works as well. Do date your Art pieces as it’s encouraging to look back at the pieces you have done after a period of time. Everyone, including the great Masters start somewhere!

Vincent Van Gogh – A Life in Letters by Nienke Bakker, Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten – Thames & Hudson – pages 44 &45

I will be publishing the Monthly Prompts here and on my Social Media Pages. There is no obligation to share them with me or on Social Media. But if you do, do tag me as I would love to see them. Whenever relevant, I will be using the season or special commemorative day as the prompt of the day. So for example, 18th January is National Winnie the Pooh day; so Pooh Bear is assigned that day. I will be joining in when I can and I hope you will too!

The Practice of a Creative Life

Some of my happiest childhood memories was creating – whether it was scribbling with chalk on the blackboard at home or at school or making cakes with sand; I was in element. But as the years passed, I became increasingly self-conscious that I stopped drawing. However, there were glimpse of my creativity peeking out of me – story telling competitions, essay writing, school plays, cake making, cooking, baking….

I wonder if we are ALL deeply wired to create. There is something which liberates us when we express creativity – in whatever form. There is some level of personal satisfaction when one creates, even when we are unsure it may be for a fleeting moment.

Sourdough Loaf – one of my daily creations

In spite of the delight we gain when we do Create; it’s value as represented in the amount we put in for Creative pursuits wane over time. There are of course legitimate reasons – life’s season, work commitments etc. However, I think there are broader cultural factors at play.

Young children naturally lovely scribbling, exploring the consequences of the marks they are able to make, whatever the surface! But this free spirited scribbling ceases increasingly as they the years go by as children develop.

As someone who works with children aged 10 – 16 years of age, I am passionate about facilitating sessions that encourage them to embrace their innate desire to create and express themselves through mark making whatever the medium.
At the stage of being in between a early childhood & adulthood, many are self-conscious. Creating an environment that is relaxed and affirming is vital. Giving ‘new’ language that promotes positivity and creativity – not a quest for uniformity but a sense of adventure. One that empowers each creative to push back against the self-doubt and to have faith & hope. The practice of a Creative Life is a life that exercises faith & hope.

Trusting the Creative Process

My 9am Monday Morning, Home Ed Creatives Group is made up of fun, curious, creative & enthusiastic group of children. They are the youngest children amongst all the Creatives in my groups. I find myself inspired every Monday morning – energising me for the start of a work week.

We did Lady Birds this week. We always start with a fun warm up exercise before doing our main piece. In all my session, I always encourage experimentation & exploration. One the children’s pieces reminded me of a book illustration. Upon hearing my comment, she proceeded to do a search for a Quote on Lady Birds. I loved what she found – “Until you spread your wings, you don’t know how far you can fly” (Napoleon). I loved her lettering and final piece but more than that; I love how Art is subject that allows us to to spread our wings and see where we end up!

I see myself very much as a Facilitator rather than a Teacher of Art. I love my role in sensing where the children are at in their creative journey and sign posting them to avenues to explore. One of the ways I do this is through modelling for them how to navigate the creative process.

For this particular session,I decided to try using my @derwentartofficial Inktense Watercolour Pencils on a plain Cloth bag which I had bought some time ago. I had never used these pencils on fabric but had read about it. So I ventured into doing it for the first time. The pencils worked really on the cloth surface. All it needed was a wet paintbrush to blend the spread and blend the colours on it.

I did not know how it would it would turn out. It could have gone horribly wrong, of course. But if it did as it has before; I tell the children how I would have done it differently or the things I have learned from it. A response that is no different from what I would have told them if they felt their piece had gone horribly wrong.

The Creative Process is a beautiful journey. It builds confidence, self-esteem and resilience, especially when there are others along that journey to cheer you along to spread your wings.

Creativity – it’s certainly what makes us

V&A Museum Map & Sketches from My Art Gallery Sketch Book

My name begins with a ‘V’ & my husband’s name is begins with an ‘A’. Funnily in celebration of our our 25th wedding Anniversary, we found ourselves exploring the V & A together. We had an amazing time time admiring the the diverse range of creative expressions through the centuries as well as globally.

The building itself is impressive. There is SO much to take in. Then there are the impressive sculptures, paintings, furnishings, jewellery, instruments, silverware, fashion….. the list goes on.

There is something special about Museums and creative expressions. I think it has to do with Connection. An Art piece has the potential to connect with us with another human being – whether it is the person who created it or the person who owned it or used it or just a fellow Museum visitor. Whenever I visit Museums, I am always on the look out for the available Free tours that are available. It is usually led by an enthusiastic Guide (sometimes, volunteers). The insights they bring in their tour, facilitates a deeper connection, quite often through humour.

A collection of teapots from the 1700s onwards as tea became increasingly fashionable in British culture.

It is so easy to forget that creativity has a cultural context. It is a creative expression of a human being in response to their cultural surroundings. It goes beyond functionality. It exists to BE.

There was so much to take in from our visit, so much so that when I found I had to make an additional trip to London again; I spent my day there once again. I left feeling inspired, connected and looking forward more creative ventures as with the Home Ed Creatives I will be seeing next week!

Drawing Prompts – April

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is here. The bulbs are blooming! I am thankful for the pops of Yellow that are springing up. It reminds of me of the scotching sun I am used to – minus the heat.

April seems to have many special days – Easter, Eid al-Fitr, Earth Day, as well as World Art Day; just to name a few. Have a look at Calendarr for a complete list. I have taken inspiration from the site for this month’s Drawing Prompts.

Drawing prompts is a simple way to kickstart a drawing habit and nurture creativity. If you or/and your child would like to join in; here are some suggestions:

Keep it Simple
A Biro and a simple sketch book will do. Limit yourself to just 2 minutes.

I have been using a White Gelly Roll pen for drawing the Daily Prompts since the beginning of this year. Here are my drawings to the prompts from last month.

Do it Together
Do it with your child, or a friend or if you’re on Instagram or Facebook, tag @homeedcreatives so I am able to see it and cheer you along.

Explore
See if the day is a special day on Calendarr and find out more about it. Check on the sites like Google Arts & Culture to see if there are any paintings related to the topic.

I hope you and/or your child will have as much fun with the Prompts this month, as I have had making it.

Sketching in an Art Gallery

My sketch with the painting by Sir Matthew Smith (1879 -1959) – Dulcie (1915) at the Southampton City Art Gallery, UK

Why sketch when we can easily make a digital record of paintings with the mobile phone? Why bother sketching when when we can easily look up a painting on the internet? Why even bother going to an Art Gallery when virtual tours are so accessible these days?

I enjoy all the modern technologies & innovations available to us today. In fact I feel very privileged to have experienced the changes. I remember my very first instant Kodak Camera. I loved taking photos and still do. I snap photos at Galleries as reminders of what I saw, but I sketch to encounter the painting before me. Each masterpiece is a composition of the various colours and Art medium employed by the Artist to express her/his vision at a certain period and eventually point (when it is declared finished) in time. I have found sketching Art works that I am attracted to enables me to retrace some of the milestones and in doing so, discover some of the treasures. I the sketch of Dulcie (1915) by Sir Matthew Smith, I found myself appreciating his choice of bright colours and the way bold strokes were used. The whole process of acquainting and immersing myself with the painting as I sketched was such a enjoyable experience.

It is amazing that we can look up paintings, visit virtual Art Galleries and even order reprints of great artworks at a click of a button. The era of consumerism and instant gratification has certainly NOT led to lesser stress related illnesses or better mental health. Slowing down, taking time to appreciate Art by visiting places like Art Galleries & Museums can lift your spirits. Sketching has forced me slow down. I have noticed things which I would have otherwise missed had I not sketched.

The poultry in the hand of the little girl on the left would have gone completely unnoticed had I not sketched this painting by Frank Holl (1945 -1888)

Virtual Tours are great. I have benefitted from them a great deal and use them in my Art Classes. But they cannot replicate the experience of physically going to an Art Gallery, noticing the texture and engaging with others over a painting.

I had a lovely chat with fellow visitors on different interpretations of this painting by James Tissot (1836 – 1902) entitled The Captain’s Daughter – Southampton City Art Gallery, UK