Jude Harzer Artist/Art Educator
My art is a reflection of my effort to recognize and embrace the beauty in the world around me, even when it seems most difficult to find. Contact me at judiharz@aol.com or visit my website at http://www.judeharzerfineart.com
Showing posts with label art education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art education. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Kindergarten Art: Life lessons 101
Art is not a thing; it is a way.
E. Hubbard
As our school year draws to a close, I want to leave my students with something more valuable than a few aesthetically pleasing attempts at painting an oversized O'Keeffe inspired floral, papier-macheing a "talking drum" or knowledge of color mixing and identifying master works of art...which by the way most can do.My five and six year old students, all 700 of them are more savvy then one might expect. In Miss Judy's art studio (that's me), the key lessons that I share are about life. Yesterday I asked one class what they thought I wanted them to learn this past year. The responses were as amusing and diverse as these young learners but left me feeling confident that maybe they would remember and hopefully share these ideas.
Miss Judy's Lessons:
1. Be nice :) respect and empathy in life are key.Treat others as you would like to be treated.Kindness is contagious and offering a "please", "thank you" or a smile are simple ways to spread the sunshine:)
2. Seek beauty even when it seems most difficult to find. Beauty, like Art, is everywhere.
3. There are no mistakes. It is all about practice and process.It is about discovering new opportunities and the simple joy of learning.
4. Copying is a form of flattery but art is about using ideas,(even someone else's) to create something new. Think for yourself.
5. Don't sweat the small stuff. Tears are often wasted on things that simply don't matter.
6. Different is good. Do not compare yourself to others. There is only one you.
7. The best artists are not the ones that draw, paint or sculpt well, although these are wonderful skills. The artistic mind is about problem solving and thinking creatively.
8. Art is a universal language that can touch people's hearts and open people's minds.
9. Be a leader not a follower and discover what it is you love to do most, not what others expect you to do.Find a passion and pursue it with all your might.
10. "Art is not a thing; it is a way." E. Hubbard
Anything done well, with love,intention and joy, could potentially be considered as Art. Mastery of living, loving and learning is Art. A baseball perfectly pitched, a complex formula solved, a structure designed, words written,all with excellence ...although seemingly effortless, can be experienced as Art.
Wow!!! Kindergarten Art has changed since I was a kid!Great ideas should be shared. I only learned some of these things in recent years...obviously I'm a slow learner but a very good and attentive student. I love my students and I practice what I teach!
Class dismissed!
May you always see beauty in the world around you....I promise you, it is there:)
Miss Judy
Stay tuned! School's not out for summer yet. My friend Carol Saylor is visiting my school art studio next week to spend the day with my Kindergartners. She is an artist in every sense of the word. Blind and deaf, she creates and tells stories that move, inspire and excite! To read more about her, click here:
http://www.carolsaylor.com
E. Hubbard
As our school year draws to a close, I want to leave my students with something more valuable than a few aesthetically pleasing attempts at painting an oversized O'Keeffe inspired floral, papier-macheing a "talking drum" or knowledge of color mixing and identifying master works of art...which by the way most can do.My five and six year old students, all 700 of them are more savvy then one might expect. In Miss Judy's art studio (that's me), the key lessons that I share are about life. Yesterday I asked one class what they thought I wanted them to learn this past year. The responses were as amusing and diverse as these young learners but left me feeling confident that maybe they would remember and hopefully share these ideas.
Miss Judy's Lessons:
1. Be nice :) respect and empathy in life are key.Treat others as you would like to be treated.Kindness is contagious and offering a "please", "thank you" or a smile are simple ways to spread the sunshine:)
2. Seek beauty even when it seems most difficult to find. Beauty, like Art, is everywhere.
3. There are no mistakes. It is all about practice and process.It is about discovering new opportunities and the simple joy of learning.
4. Copying is a form of flattery but art is about using ideas,(even someone else's) to create something new. Think for yourself.
5. Don't sweat the small stuff. Tears are often wasted on things that simply don't matter.
6. Different is good. Do not compare yourself to others. There is only one you.
7. The best artists are not the ones that draw, paint or sculpt well, although these are wonderful skills. The artistic mind is about problem solving and thinking creatively.
8. Art is a universal language that can touch people's hearts and open people's minds.
9. Be a leader not a follower and discover what it is you love to do most, not what others expect you to do.Find a passion and pursue it with all your might.
10. "Art is not a thing; it is a way." E. Hubbard
Anything done well, with love,intention and joy, could potentially be considered as Art. Mastery of living, loving and learning is Art. A baseball perfectly pitched, a complex formula solved, a structure designed, words written,all with excellence ...although seemingly effortless, can be experienced as Art.
Wow!!! Kindergarten Art has changed since I was a kid!Great ideas should be shared. I only learned some of these things in recent years...obviously I'm a slow learner but a very good and attentive student. I love my students and I practice what I teach!
Class dismissed!
May you always see beauty in the world around you....I promise you, it is there:)
Miss Judy
Stay tuned! School's not out for summer yet. My friend Carol Saylor is visiting my school art studio next week to spend the day with my Kindergartners. She is an artist in every sense of the word. Blind and deaf, she creates and tells stories that move, inspire and excite! To read more about her, click here:
http://www.carolsaylor.com
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A Summer of Inspiration
John D. Ressler photographer Santa Fe, NM
Joseph Standing Dancing Rock Taos, NM
I am a painter and a public school art educator.
While in the classroom, I am surrounded by my
most treasured subject matter…children. The purity of their
spirits and their natural beauty, inspires my work. I am
fascinated by their enthusiasm and their honesty.And while
I am being honest, another "joy" of teaching is the summer
hiatus. That extended period of time is a gift. Of course my
intention as an artist was to fervently create images during
this time. I envisioned sleepless nights devoted solely to
painting in solace, producing new and incredible work. As I
plan to return to the classroom in just a few days, I realize
that there was actually very little art making that occurred
this summer.
Instead I allowed myself to pause and reflect upon my recent
rediscovery of my art during these past two years. I thought
about my life, my goals and my values. Were they my own?
Were they meaningful and am I “brave” enough to continue
on this path, making a commitment to creating art? Socrates
said,” the unexamined life is not worth living.” Upon endless
examination, I know that my life is so worth living. Never before
have I been so certain of my purpose and so passionate about
my goals. I have learned to make decisions based upon my
“strengths”, rather than upon my “weaknesses” and to include
like minded people in my life who do the same.
I had the rare opportunity this summer to spend time and
correspond with artists who have devoted their lives to their
work. It became a “quest” of sorts to speak with them and
learn from them. Perhaps I was looking for guidance and
affirmation. I received that and so much more. Each encounter
was as different as the individual artist with whom I met, but
all yielded a very similar message: that Art in some respects,
"chooses you", that it has the power to "heal", to feed your
soul, to build community and that success is inevitable when
one is doing and becoming what they are meant to be...
(obviously success is relative and warrants an entirely separate
conversation). Funny, that none of this was a surprise, but
“seeing” it manifested through the lives of others, made it more
“believable.” The life of an artist is truly a life of abundance.
The inspiration, the process, the possibilities, the far reaching
connections, are endless. It is the right choice for me.
Some of the artists who graced my life this past year and
Some of the artists who graced my life this past year and
illustrator, Marcella Moreaux, encaustic artist, Jim Inzero,
other valued friends and artists. I want to thank each of them for
enriching my life and my art...and a special "I love you" to my
sister Beth Anne.
The simplest guidance of all came to me from Joseph Breza as
The simplest guidance of all came to me from Joseph Breza as
he quoted lyrics from the famed Beatle's song: “Hey Jude,
don’t be afraid…” Soon after, I found a sketch book from
nearly 2 years ago when I first resumed painting, and I
discovered a message scribbled from my daughter who left
just yesterday to begin her college career. It said “Mommy,
don’t be afraid.” She is a wise, with an artist’s soul. And so
to Christina (our Tia) and my son Robert, I am no longer afraid
and I will recognize and make choices based on my strengths
and hope that you will do the same. The joy is in the journey.
Be fearless.
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