A "New" Life!

It has been about a year and a half since my last post. I have restarted a career that I left for ten years: that of Preschool Teacher! I was hired as Atelierista for the center and am working toward a full understanding and development of that role. ( I just read that Atelier is French for workshop...I was sure it meant studio...in which case my job is "workshop leader".)

My job description, as I see it, includes the observation, understanding and furthering the artistic abilities of our young children in order to make art an essential part of their learning process. Their art has included making plans and maps for their projects; designing crowns for their castle play, making collage fire trucks and modern art like the Kandinsky prints we looked up on the computer.

I am learning so much!

In a previous blog I mentioned the importance of play to my work as an artist. Perhaps there's a chicken and egg situation here...what came first the play or the art? For children it's all the same...their play is their work and within it they are constantly trying new things just for the sake of the experiment...to learn. Observing the children has given me a fresh perspective.

For children art is about exploration, it's based on the senses and absorbs their attention completely for whatever length of time they invest. Some children dabble while others immerse themselves totally in the process. Preschool children are like sponges and they love to learn and practise "techniques" over and over. One little fellow made a shape that looked like a leaf. "Look! I made a leaf!" He was so excited that he had made a recognizable, name-able shape that he made about twenty more of the same shape in many different colours.

To apply that to my own process: I need to explore more, be fully aware, involve more of my senses and go deep! I realize it's ok to sometimes dabble and ok to sometimes get thoroughly involved as long as I'm mindful. I ask myself, " what is really important to know about this piece right now?" and I remind myself to practise, practise, practise! Or maybe that should read play! play! play!

What a privilege and wonderful responsibility to observe and guide children as they learn to express themselves through art.

What a joy to be involved with their exploration of art, their experimentation with materials and in their increased awareness of their senses, abilities and imaginations.

I am truly blessed on this journey.