‘I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me’…
Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954)
Tools of the Trade… |
Great art cannot be fabricated, it has to be inspired. Every artist, be it a painter, an actor or a musician, will attest to the fact that without inspiration, the creative sparks within will eventually die.
Art Enrichment Centers are a dime a dozen in Singapore and Dana have attended a few. When it comes to art schools, a good syllabus alone does not suffice. It must have the ability to empower the young artists to love and be intrinsically involved in the process of creating art, and encourage them to draw inspiration from within. For that to happen, the quality of instructions, the delivery and the environment all play such a significant part.
The affable Teacher Elma was her Teacher for these two workshops… |
Dana attended two June Holiday Art Workshops at HeART Studio this week. The first lesson was a Painting on Canvas class entitled ‘Henri Matisse’s Interior Canvas’. The children were given few paintings from the French painter – Henri Matisse – and they had to pick one which they would like to model after. This gives the young artists a sense of ownership. The children were closely supervised by the friendly but firm Teacher Elma. Discipline is an integral part of creativity and I was glad to see Teacher Elma having good control of the class. The children were also encouraged to demonstrate independence by drying their own artwork and taking a gallery walk to view one another’s paintings when they were done.
Our little painter trying to re-create Henri Matisse’s painting… |
All of them were given little tasks to take ownership of the entire artwork… |
Lots of fine details go into this piece of canvas… |
Hungry and tired after completing her masterpiece but what an accomplishment! |
The second workshop of creating tile art from air-dry clay was similarly an experience of ownership, creativity and discipline where the children were given choices, worked within clear boundaries and were given some independent tasks, all under the careful tutelage and guidance of the very experienced and pleasant Teacher Elma.
So happy to get started! |
Modelling the clay to form her chosen subject – a Dragonfly! |
First time creating Art on a tile! |
Adding more colours to the Dragonfly… |
Learning how to add details to the painting… |
The physical environment plays a big role in nurturing creativity. At HeART Studio, not only were their corridors and waiting areas clean, airy and adorned with beautiful pieces of art, I liked the fact that one can subtly draw inspiration even from the thoughtfully planned interior designs: The rectangular and square windows carved side by side with the displayed art pieces seem to suggest that what goes on within these windows (ie. inside the classrooms) are pieces of art themselves…the charcoal drawings of buildings and houses juxtaposed with the actual street scene seem to suggest that art imitates life (or could it be the other way around)?. Whatever it is, stepping into such a creative art space prepares the young artists to unleash their creativity.
Little Picassos within… |
There’s Art happening inside these windows… |
Art imitates life? |
At the end of her 2-day sessions at HeART Studio, Dana felt an enormous sense of accomplishment and was animatedly showing off her artwork to Mommy back home. We are proud and heartened that she had yet another enjoyable learning experience this school holidays and HeART Studio has ignited in her a love for Art as a medium of expression. If you are looking for a good Art Enrichment Centre, do visit their website or like their Facebook Page. HeART Studio conducts lessons for adults too, check out Mommy’s experience here.
With her completed tile art! |
HeART Studio: Teaching Art from the Heart
Heart Studio LLP
101 Soo Chow Walk Singapore 575385
Tel: (65) 6554 7563
Fax: (65) 6554 7562
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Dana attended these workshops for the purposes of this review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are ours.
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