Arts and Crafts

Being an arts and crafts person, I can attest to the rewarding aspect of creating something out of this and that. Often folks who are artistic are at the same time, a little bit different, and march to a different drum. If you are an art and craft person you will know exactly what I mean. Obsessed may be what your friends and family call you, but you know it is more than that. It is as necessary as bread and water, it is good for the soul, and brings joy to the heart. “I made that.”

One favorite creative pastime is Drawing and painting. Children are able to express themselves at an early age through painting, and they usually start out with simple painting projects, such as finger paint in preschool or kindergarten. I can still remember the smell and feel of that bright colored gooey paint oozing up and around my little fingers as I twirled and smeared my wet fingers around the paper. I discovered a brand new world, and also the pleasure of having my art work praised by my mother and put on the refrigerator door. In grade school we had an art teacher who came to each class once a week and taught us how to draw. She would give all of a large piece of paper and a box crayons. She would then start drawing on the chalkboard making a line, then a curve, and something else, and before we knew it we had a picture, one mark after another.

It is very important for parents, and others, to encourage and guide young minds to art, as young children are very sensitive to the opinions of their elders. Complements and praise from parents are integral to creating good feeling about one’s self, and assist in positive growth in the development of a child. It brings out an awareness that otherwise would be lacking, and of course, it follows a person throughout their whole life. I also remember sitting at the table with my grandmother, with scrap paper and scissors, pencils, glue, paint, glitter and crayons. As I grew, my mother was always aware of what my creative interests were at any given time, and made sure I had appropriate supplies to go along with it. I had a dear aunt who because a very well known artist in our area of coastal Maine, and she would teach me as she painted at her kitchen table. I learned composition, perspective and how to mix colors.

Everyone can draw and paint, if they just dare to take up the tools. It may not please everyone who values great art, but it certainly reflects on the creative mind. I will always remember my young son, who is not at all an artist, other than painting houses, loved to sit with me and watch me draw and paint, and I would encourage him to draw. His approach was to draw something, and then decide what it was! “Hey Mama, look. I drew string!