It’s the mid-term break and my kids are out of school for a week. We’ve been doing a lot of fun stuff at home keeping ourselves busy. Somedays we just go out for a couple of hours to Borders or the library and top it off with a snack before heading back home. The other day we headed towards Plaza Singapura where I heard there was to be a Transformers show of some sort. We actually made it in time and V was in 'gadget heaven' throughout the show. The spunky kid that he is, he even managed to go up on stage and dance along with the characters!
After the show the kids wanted to stop by at the Art Centre. They offer stained glass painting, sand art and rubber art for kids. Both V & S opted for the rubber art. It’s a character or figure that’s outlined in rubber which the kids have to fill in with paints and finally bake it in an oven. Quite fun!
Both kids quickly settled down and I just watched and chatted with them as they got busy. Of course in their eagerness they squeezed too much or too little or spread the paint too thin or too thick. Colors merged, paint dripped and even happily escaped the rigid rubber outlines. They squealed in delight and wonder as the yellows and blues gave out magical greens and new undiscovered shades. It was beautiful to watch - their little minds choosing the colors and their eyes concentrating on not messing up and their tongues sticking out just a wee bit (mine do that when focusing)!
We were all at peace, immersed in Art when we suddenly heard a little girl next to S point at my darling daughter’s painting and say “Yuck, your picture already wrong”. Hearing this a mother sitting next to me took a peek and shook her head in disapproval!! S’s face fell. I quickly told S loudly that her picture was beautiful, special and very creative because she had used her imagination with the colors. I also told the girl that there was no right or wrong in Art and that every picture was unique. The mother looked at me like I’d lost it!
It was then that I looked around and saw that all the other kids were sitting next to their parents merely watching and some politely assisting them. The parents were doing the pictures because they were afraid that the kids would spoil them. Even when the kids were given a turn the parents were supervising them with “Be careful”, “Aiyah, see, go out of line lah”!!
So what if a wee bit of paint strays out of the boundaries? So what if the kids mess up? So what if the colors merge? It was 6 bucks a painting afterall!! 6 bucks- can it compare to the confidence, creativity and independence that was being robbed off the kids? It definitely seems to me a very Singaporean attitude. Stick to the lines or rules. Follow the norms and do what everybody does. Obey authority unquestioningly. With attitudes like that, how can we expect creativity to spring inside our next generation? How can we ever show the world that artists are nurtured even here and however can we have new thoughts, ideas and choices enter our world?
Give your kids a chance, let them mess their artwork a bit….you never know, that could be the beginning of a lifetimes interest with colors. Let them choose and let them make mistakes- they’ll learn better and will feel great!For Art’s sake, give them the freedom to express!
In the meanwhile, V& S, please mess, mix, muck about with colors. Your paintings were definitely unique that day because it had YOU in them. All the other paintings looked boringly perfect. Anybody can do perfect, it takes an artist to do pictures!
After the show the kids wanted to stop by at the Art Centre. They offer stained glass painting, sand art and rubber art for kids. Both V & S opted for the rubber art. It’s a character or figure that’s outlined in rubber which the kids have to fill in with paints and finally bake it in an oven. Quite fun!
Both kids quickly settled down and I just watched and chatted with them as they got busy. Of course in their eagerness they squeezed too much or too little or spread the paint too thin or too thick. Colors merged, paint dripped and even happily escaped the rigid rubber outlines. They squealed in delight and wonder as the yellows and blues gave out magical greens and new undiscovered shades. It was beautiful to watch - their little minds choosing the colors and their eyes concentrating on not messing up and their tongues sticking out just a wee bit (mine do that when focusing)!
We were all at peace, immersed in Art when we suddenly heard a little girl next to S point at my darling daughter’s painting and say “Yuck, your picture already wrong”. Hearing this a mother sitting next to me took a peek and shook her head in disapproval!! S’s face fell. I quickly told S loudly that her picture was beautiful, special and very creative because she had used her imagination with the colors. I also told the girl that there was no right or wrong in Art and that every picture was unique. The mother looked at me like I’d lost it!
It was then that I looked around and saw that all the other kids were sitting next to their parents merely watching and some politely assisting them. The parents were doing the pictures because they were afraid that the kids would spoil them. Even when the kids were given a turn the parents were supervising them with “Be careful”, “Aiyah, see, go out of line lah”!!
So what if a wee bit of paint strays out of the boundaries? So what if the kids mess up? So what if the colors merge? It was 6 bucks a painting afterall!! 6 bucks- can it compare to the confidence, creativity and independence that was being robbed off the kids? It definitely seems to me a very Singaporean attitude. Stick to the lines or rules. Follow the norms and do what everybody does. Obey authority unquestioningly. With attitudes like that, how can we expect creativity to spring inside our next generation? How can we ever show the world that artists are nurtured even here and however can we have new thoughts, ideas and choices enter our world?
Give your kids a chance, let them mess their artwork a bit….you never know, that could be the beginning of a lifetimes interest with colors. Let them choose and let them make mistakes- they’ll learn better and will feel great!For Art’s sake, give them the freedom to express!
In the meanwhile, V& S, please mess, mix, muck about with colors. Your paintings were definitely unique that day because it had YOU in them. All the other paintings looked boringly perfect. Anybody can do perfect, it takes an artist to do pictures!
hats off to u harini ...dat piece of writing was beautifull!!!..i really appreciate the way u handled the situation bak then wen dat girl discouraged s..n i luv the way u passed on a msg very subtly through that delightful story..of ur two golden creative outgoing atars!!..they truly are n u truly are one heck of a modern indian mum!! gr8 going..i hope odrs learn frm this..rgrds to both v & s...PS. v i hope u had fun dancing with those transformer guyzz..n shriya..u are beautiful n im sure dat reflected on ur painting..!!
ReplyDeleteoutgoing stars i meant!! :)
ReplyDeletethis is beautiful..not only do u see the little joys in all tht things ur kids do,u r also blessed with a flair to express it..super mum harin!
ReplyDelete