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Do you often wonder how to talk to your wonderful little girl or boy about their artistic masterpieces? How do you react when you may not even know what you are supposed to say, or what they have tried to make? We have a wonderful piece here by one of Brooklyn’s best! Valeen Bhat of Private Picassos has some thoughts on the matter…
Many parents have experienced that fateful moment of truth, when faced with a piece of paper covered with scribbles. Your child looks up with large eyes, wondering what you think of their drawing; most of us have made assumptions about what we see. Inevitably, the smile on your child’s face fades into disbelief as they wonder how you could possibly think their drawing of themselves playing outside was a picture of the sun.
This is a common moment that I’ve experienced as an art teacher and one most adults can relate to. It can be frustrating as a parent to not understand what your child has created or where their motivation is coming from. But keep in mind that most children develop artistically in a similar manner, albeit on their own timeline. As they grow and develop their skills, they continue to move from one artistic level to the next. That means the self portrait your child created that resembles a sun will eventually morph into a recognizable figure – with a clear head, torso and limbs evolving from the original circle with radiating lines.
When talking to your child about art they created at school, try to avoid guessing or assuming what something is. Its best to simply ask open-ended questions about your child’s artwork and have them tell you the story behind their creation. By making observations about their artwork, you leave it up to your child to fill in the blanks.
A great open-ended question is “I see you used a lot of _______ here, can you tell me about that?” Most children under the age of four are still in the naming stage, which means they will create something by responding directly to the materials. Afterwards, they’ll see what their art resembles and name their creation. Kids at this stage are more concerned with the tactile experience of creating art and exploring art materials rather than the finished product. This is different from the next schematic level where kids think of a subject matter first and then set out to create it. You’ll soon become attuned to your child’s development and also hear endless, creative stories from about their artwork. Once you hear their version of the story, you’ll definitely see the masterpiece behind the scribbles!
Valeen Bhat is the Founder and Director of Private Picassos. She received her BFA/MS in Art and Design Education, with a minor in Art History and a concentration in printmaking from Pratt Institute. After working at various educational facilities, including museums, early childhood education centers and community centers, she founded Private Picassos ten years ago! Valeen crafts the core values and philosophy of PP, drawing inspiration from her education, experience, and background. In addition to running Private Picassos Mobile, she has also opened a bricks and mortar Art Studio & Shop in Park Slope Brooklyn and welcomed a beautiful baby boy in May!
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I just found this super useful advice from a few years back and thought it would be great to share it again so people could find it! The article is originally from 2016, but classic.
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