Erica Michaels Orange Block Art Research Paper

Art is a subject that many people take for granted. Many people think that art is a tool that won t affect how a person grows and de!elops. "owe!er# art is a fundamental part of growing that has a impact on students. As a class we were all gi!en separate drawings# each of which represent one of $owenfeld s stages of de!elopment. "e stresses the idea that students are continually going through different stages as they age and it is important to keep teaching these children the importance of art. %he piece of art that & recei!ed is a picture drawn of a girl with a t'shirt on that says# (& lo!e music.) &n the background of the picture is a bunch of different music notes scattered about that relates back to the shirt the girl is wearing in the picture. %he drawing is represented by the *chematic *tage which is typically between the ages of +', -$owenfeld# .+/0. "owe!er# & feel that the skill le!el of this child is more towards the end of the *chematic *tage. %he reason & say that the girl is around the ages of +', is because in her drawing you are able to to see different characteristics# space representations# and human representations. &n the book#1reati!e and Mental 2rowth#it says# ( %here is a two dimensional organi3ation of objects#) -Brittain# .+/0. *he demonstrates this in her drawing by using specific characteristics of the human in her drawing# making it look realistic using proportional si3ing of the different parts of the body. &n the book it also mentions how at this stage# (%he body is made up of geometric shapes...arms and legs show !olume and are usually correctly place#) -Brittain# .+/0. %he facial features of the girl are proportional to each other. %he face and body are made up of se!eral different geometric shapes that gi!e a realistic and accurate look of a human. %he si3e of the head is proportional to the body# the arms are proportional to the si3e of the torso# and so on. %he stage of !isual e4pression that the artist is at would be organi3ing a picture along with relating two symbols. & first noticed how the picture was put together in a particular manor

that worked well together. *he drew a girl with a heart necklace on and a shirt that read# (& lo!e music. &n the book# it says that in the relating two symbols stage# (%he child begins to group two symbols to show their relationship to each other#) -Art E4perience 5e!elop 6isual Perception # ,0. *he related the symbols of the shirt to the background she designed. "er body positioning also ties in with the organi3ation of the picture in which her arms look turned out. By doing this# it makes it look like the girl is singing. My job as an educator is to make sure to ha!e the child e4press the idea s of what the artist is trying to present in the drawing. & would ha!e the child use more specific details in the drawing to make the audience get a clearer picture to be able to understand what the artist is trying to show or tell. As a teacher# it is also my job to make sure that the student masters e!ery skill that the child should know at the end of the stage. &n the book & found a 7uote to be !ery interesting that & feel is necessary to keep in mind when it comes to my students and it said# (Anticipate the direction of the child s ne4t possible de!elopmental steps#) -"orn# 890. %he thing to keep in mind is how to approach this. & would ha!e to think to myself as a teacher how could this artist turn her drawing into something more elaborated and detailed for the ne4t stage without ad!ancing too 7uickly. My job is to progress to the ne4t stage at an appropriate rate to make sure the child is grasping e!ery concept that e!entually should be mastered. & should ask the child 7uestions like what details could be added to e4pand the idea of the drawing. %o do this & would ha!e to ask the child what the picture is supposed to represent and if the artist feels the message of the drawing is able to be figured out by the specific details they currently ha!e. %o make sure my student understands the skills that are to be mastered & would start by practicing and e4press the importance of the skills one step at a time.

:nderstanding the different stages of art de!elopment play an important role as an educator. ;ot just to see how well a child can draw a picture# but it also gi!es us knowledge on a student. &f you see a child using lots of dark colors# there may be something going on with the child. &t s important for teacher s to continue teaching art throughout a child s life. <e must open opportunities and encourage students to continue on. Art opens up creati!ity and imagination and for some students# art class may be the only time where they can think freely and e4plore who they are as a person. Art is not just scissors# crayons# and paper. Art is e!erything.

<orks 1ited

Brittain# <.$. = $owenfeld. ->,+?0. Creative and Mental Growth. ;ew @ork# ;@. MacMillan 1o. pgs .+.'.+,.

"orn# M.# = 2iacobbe# M. E. -A??+0. Talking, drawing, writing: Lessons for our youngest writers. Portland# MEB *tenhouse# 8>'/+.

Maryland Board of Education of Baltimore 1ounty. ->,+.0. Beginning stages of !isual e4pression of young children. &n Art Experien e, !evelop"ent of #isual $er eption, >'..