Week 12: Try.... try again!

It seems that when you are out of the practice of art-making, the frustration of tackling a new painting or creation can be very overwhelming.  I am often met with many obstacles when it comes to creating a new piece but the biggest roadblock and frustration is the mere act of “starting”.   I am an “idea” person.  I walk through my day-to-day life with oodles of ideas swimming through my head.  I also collect.  I collect bits and pieces of fabric, paper, found objects…. in anticipation of carrying out one of my creative visions.  In this sense, I do not have any trouble collecting materials and ideas… it is the follow through that I struggle with. 

When I am painting and something just does not look quite right, I step back, look at it from different angles, take a break and come back.  Sometimes just waiting and starting at another time can help me see a piece with fresh eyes.  Other times, I just scrap it and start anew. 

Our students can often become easily frustrated when they can’t seem to get a project to look how they have envisioned it.  We have to be patient with them and remember how frustrating it would make us if we invested time and thought into a project that just wasn’t working out.  PATIENCE… PERSIST… PERSEVERE.  I encourage my students to sketch out their ideas so that I can have a visual of what they are considering.  I also work on techniques next to them to show them new ways of tackling an idea.  I also like to show the students examples of my work that I have “reworked”.  For example, if a watercolor painting did not turn out exactly the way I envisioned it, I could go over it with chalk pastel to add more vibrant color.  Sometimes, I suggest that students re-work a project by refining it with another art media. 

Walk away.  I often encourage students to set their work at against the wall and stand back to get a fresh look at it.  If that doesn’t help, sometimes it works to try something else for a few minutes and come back to the project.  Each student is unique.  If we are observant of their behaviors and talents in the art room, we can have a better idea of how to intervene when they need or assistance. 

Allow opportunities to learn the media.  I know that personally, when I experiment with an art material, I am more confident when using it for a completed piece.  This is also true of my students.  I often give the kids opportunities to try out materials – the process being more important than the product.  This gives them more practice and new techniques to apply to their projects.