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art and learning/important

updated fri 15 dec 00

 

Karen Sullivan on thu 14 dec 00


Earl,
I think it is critically important to encourage students.
NEVER extinguish the desire to create.
An attitude on my part, that critical evaluation is only
an opportunity for the student to see what is happening with
the work, NO value judgements.
What does it matter what I think...What if the student, given
the time to develop their work, is the next genius that contributes
valuable work...What if...is a major consideration.
Encouragement is the rule...even if the work is clumsy...always
encouragement...Earlier I mentioned that I thought naieve, unskilled
beginning work was really beautiful...taken as pure form...looked at
as it exists...next time one gets the opportunity to look at
beginning stuff...soak it up...see if you can capture some of it's
qualities.
I am sorry for your friend, mostly that he did not value his gifts
more...
bamboo karen

on 12/13/00 8:23 PM, Earl Brunner at bruec@ANV.NET wrote:

> I have a friend, a wonderful gifted individual. Great with his hands.
> Built his own house from the ground up. Worked for him as a laborer for
> almost 5 years. (Kids in school need to eat etc.) I found out talking to
> him one day that he had gone to the same college I had, taken course
> work from some of the same "teachers" that I had. One of them told him
> he didn't have what it took to be an artist. My friend believed him,
> quit school, went home and got a "real job".
>
> I guess the art teacher was right. My friend in a sense didn't have
> what it took to be an artist. He either wasn't driven, or didn't
> believe in himself enough. My friend's problem was, he respected the
> "professional opinion" of a bonifide "art professor". The arrogant twit
> in the ivy tower. Anyone can be a twit.
>
> CINDI ANDERSON wrote:
>
>> You did it Mel. After 2 years of reading every ClayArt post, I cried. I
>> will
>> never forget this post.
>> Cindi
>>
>> mel jacobson wrote:
>>>
>>> i have spent a million hours watching big kids blossom into creative
>>> souls. have watched them learn, try, cry, and then...success. just
>>> a tiny success, but none the less, success. and god knows where that
>>> will lead?
>>>
>>> i have learned art by being a bulldog....grab tight and don't let go.
>>> for most of us, that is the only way.
>
> --
> Earl Brunner
> http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
> mailto:bruec@anv.net
>
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