On the first day of any school year, of every school year, I will begin by doing a self portrait. There are many reasons why I enjoy doing this project. Most importantly, because once early on as a young teacher, I had asked a group of Kindergartners "Who is an artist?" Every child excitedly raised their hands. when I asked a group of 8th graders later that day, sadly only 2 children raised their hands. I thought to myself.....what happened that made them lose all sense of being a natural artist. Inevitably comparison, fear, & disinterest.....seep in as we get older. what I try my best to do is remind students that being an artist isn't about how well you can paint, or color, or hold a pen. It is about how one sees the world, looking at the world from a different "perspective".
So why self portraits? The beauty of revisiting a project again and again is to be able to see the development of ones self an artist. Most people can hold a pencil and draw a straight or curved line, The problem is that no one ever pointed out where those lines fall in the sense of a real human face. By pointing out some very basic measurements on the face and body, even the youngest learners can learn to create a portrait showing a sense of perspective as it relates to the human face. There is something immensely satisfying in drawing the human form, and I am happy to begin this artistic journey with your children.