• About
  • Online Art Teacher

theartofpatriciaallinghamcarlson

~ Paintings of nature & spirit, dreamscape & imagination

theartofpatriciaallinghamcarlson

Category Archives: art eduction

How to Encourage a Teen aged Artist

13 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by artbypallinghamcarlson in art, art and the teenager, art eduction, art teacher, artist, artwork, creating art, meaning of art, the artist's life, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, art education, communication, teaching

I heard a tale from a 16 year old art student recently, and it disturbed me. He said he’d brought an artwork of his to class to show his art teacher at school. The teacher gave him very little reaction; nothing negative nor positive. Just the barest acknowledgement that he’d shown her his work.

blg6

I asked how this made him feel, and he said ,causally, not so great.

What he did not say- it hurt him badly. He had created a work that he was proud enough to expose himself to an adult opinion. This made him extremely vulnerable; a turtle out of his shell. The teacher’s lack of response was like a harsh wakening. It said you are not a good artist. You stink. And many other things the teen made up to himself.

This is not what you want to do when a child shows you his creations. Absolutely wrong.

blg1

This age of a person generally holds a secret self, one guarded carefully to not appear unacceptable and “normal” to others his age. Talents and intelligence are sometimes covered up just so as not to stand out. But the secret self dreams of being successful and fitting into an adult world someday because of those talents and dreams.

Teachers, parents, trusted adult friends all have a duty, an obligation to support those dreams. To uphold the hidden secret talents and support the talents as they emerge. If the adult is too busy at that moment, he should say so to the teen. And to state that he is very interested, could he see later? After class or other time? And follow through.

If the trusted adult is indifferent to the very vulnerable teen, it can have devastating consequences to the child. A more confident child can fall back on his own core; while the most fragile can just give up on a dream as a result.

listperson3_640

But what if the presented work of the teen, is apparently of poor quality? Find something in it good. A thought, a line, a color combination. An original aspect, an interesting point- find it and tell the teen.Then give him some ideas to improve the work. And thank him for showing you.

I believe this is a more general position as well. A talented dancer, an invention presented with some thought and planning, a technical skill or handcrafted item, a story or poem; all deserve the attention of the trusted adult they are divulged to.

Across the ages as well- a young adult or an older one learning a new skill both deserve attention for their aspirations when presented to an instructor. Opening yourself up to scrutiny for an other is always a difficult position to place yourself in, and consideration is a kindness that is much needed.

 

Putting yourself in the position of a teacher or mentor brings this responsibility. And that is that.

 

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 103 other followers

About the artist

Throughout Patricia's adult life she has been painting and enjoying presenting images of the world as seen and imagined. The paintings you see these blog are frequently textural, suggesting multiple layers of images through time. Ancient scenes, structures, people from long ago, and other realms weave through many of these paintings.

Art for Sale
My Shops have an assortment of unique contemporary Watercolor and Mixed Media Art Gifts for your Home or Office. These products also make great Gifts for your family and friends.
Please take a look at the on line painting galleries. Contact me if there is a painting that you would like to see as a poster, card, T-Shirt, or other Zazzle product.

For contact info please go to the "ABOUT" page

admin login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

The Art of Patricia Allingham Carlson on Facebook

The Art of Patricia Allingham Carlson on Facebook

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy