being fearless

One of the best things about working with kids and art is that they are fearless.  

One of my students who just turned 12 came to class and announced she wanted to do a mixed media project with Marilyn Monroe.  She knew exactly what she wanted to do based on a work she had done over the past summer with a self portrait in a camp I taught through North Vancouver Community Arts Council.

She was very clear that she wanted to write the word "Passion" somewhere in the work and that she wanted to even add some stitching with thread.  (the three "x's underneath the word passion)

She started her artwork by placing down book pages with an acrylic medium gel.   

Once finished, she added some acrylic paint on all the seams and then a wash of paint in areas she felt needed to be covered in both titanium white and ecru.

She then choose some of the paper seams to go over with a black oil pastel and then used some pan chalk pastel in blue to add color.

When finished it was time to begin the Marilyn Monroe portrait.  To be truthful, at 12 I thought she had bit off more than she could chew, but she was so passionate in her vision and her confidence was so large, there was no way I was going to hinder her with a "are you sure?" comment.

With some reference she pulled from the internet, she began her working sketch on copy paper.  I'm a huge believer in taking the time to work out sketches on scrap paper with children.  It takes away the fear of mistakes, as I show them how they can do multiple drawings by tracing what they like from the first sketch and changing what they didn't like on subsequent sketches until they are happy.  Once finished, they transfer their work onto their final paper either by rubbing a pencil over the back and then laying the working sketch over top their final paper and tracing their lines, using a light table, or tracing it onto the final paper with carbon paper.

It did not take long before I heard, "this is hard" as she struggled with the initial drawing of Marilyn Monroe.  We went back to basics and began talking about things we know to be always true with portrait drawing....eyes halfway down the face, equal space apart.  The nose halfway between the eyes and chin and so on and so on.  

It wasn't long before she had a drawing that captured the essence of Marilyn Monroe.  Once finished she used a watercolor pencil to draw the portrait on her final paper.  She went over it with water in places she wanted shadow and then took a vine charcoal to add more contrast.  She even took some yellow chalk pastel to add a hint of blonde to her hair.

When she was happy, it was time to work on the word "passion" which she wanted in RED!  I had to chuckle under my breath because I don't think she was aware of Marilyn Monroe's sex symbol status but she was definitely capturing the essence of it anyway!  Especially when she decided to also paint in the lips red too!  Which was a great choice in my opinion.

To put in the thread stitches, I gave her a piece of craft foam and a thumbtack to put under the work.  She punched holes where she wanted her needle to sew, so the work was not difficult.  We just taped down the ends on the back so she didn't really have to worry about knotting.

Finally with a couple of old book pages, she punched out some stars to put down with the gel medium and once dry, she highlighted them in places with black oil pastel.

All in all, she came out with an artwork that most people would believe was far beyond the capability of one so young.  She was so proud of herself when she finished and when she announced it was the most favorite work she had ever done, well for me, that is worth more than a million dollars.

Even when she felt like she could not do the work, she fearlessly continued forward.  She didn't let it stop her from completion even when she was afraid it wouldn't "look good" or was feeling discouraged.  And by trusting in the process, by remaining fearless, and by not letting the "I can't draw" voice take hold in her head,  she ended up with her most favorite work ever!

Being fearless.  As adults we only have to ever look to the young to remember why it is so important.