http://www.shelbycomagazine.com/2011/09/no-mistakes-in-art/
“Kids, by nature, are creative, but in today’s schools as they get older, the finished product is emphasized over the process. If we do not encourage a creative mindset, we will become a society of robots. Schools and corporations must take notice that all new ideas come out of creative thinking.” ~Tres Taylor
As Tres Taylor moved among the children holding pieces of chalk and gathered around a twelve-foot length of tarpaper, anticipatory excitement was reflected on every face.
Where to start on this enormous blank canvas? He told each child to step forward from the line (what, walk on their canvas?) and claim a spot to draw an image they liked. It could be a self-portrait, it could be a pet or a tree or a flower or even words, but the chalk would make the guiding lines that would later be filled in from the cans of brightly colored house paint nearby.
A girl with flipped up hair, a tank top and frilly skirt first appeared in chalk, mirroring her creator. The figure had her legs tucked back because she was happy and jumping up in the air. A blond girl who looked to be about five was carefully and deliberately outlining the word ART. No chalkboard scratches for this young artist.
Another young boy worked intensely on his square-headed robotic creature whose chest bore a complicated insignia.
Once the paint cans were opened and the brushes chosen, a good deal of painting of hands and noses also crept into the experimentation process. Messiness was a given.
To keep time productive, as they were painting not one, but three large panels, Tres implemented a version of ‘musical paintbrush.’ Movement/dancing and music loosened up and energized the children as they circled around the workspace. When the music stopped, each child painted the part of the mural within immediate reach.
“We live our lives afraid of making mistakes but there are no mistakes in art. Spending time with children reminds us of this,” Taylor said.
Special guest teacher/artist Tres Taylor works from his studio in Avondale and his stylized paintings are well known. He has shown internationally in Japan and at art festivals in Chicago, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Dallas. Currently his work may be seen at Art Alley in Homewood or at www.trestaylor.com.
Tres is also connected to community projects such as the Rural Mural Project and has personally mentored the seven grandchildren being raised by Birmingham’s Dorothy Ticking thus giving the family a means of support via their art.
Originally trained as a biochemist, Taylor worked in that field for nearly 12 years until a serendipitous 1998 visit with Georgia folk artist R. A. Miller. There, he believes, a “paintbrush fell from the sky” and, we assume, landed in his hand.
After the mural was carried out to dry in the sun and a wonderful group photo documented a hard morning of work and play, the children gathered with photographer/teacher Paris Farzad, co-owner of Birmingham School of Photography, working with light portraits captured by digital cameras.
They took turns operating the cameras and flashing glow sticks in front of a black background set up in a darkened room.
Even for children well familiar with cameras in our digital age, the results were unpredictably exciting.
Earlier in the week, each child created a framed collage presentation that included a centerpiece painting of a nature scene surrounded by tidbits from Mother Nature herself. Twigs, bark, pinecones, pods, acorns, twine, as well as trinket ephemera and a diverse assortment of framing molding styles cut into manageable chunks, were arranged with thought and care given to each element’s placement.
Teachers assisting with Art on a Green Shoestring included Edna Sealy, Susan Gordon, Paris Farzad, Rae Lynn Dodson, and Austin Self, a University of Montevallo volunteer.
The public is invited to come by SCAC at 104 Mildred Street in Columbiana for the 3rd Annual Juried Exhibit for artists 18 and up on display from September 8 – 29.
