ABC Wednesday - A is For Art

This week at ABC Wednesday Round 7 begins! How exciting to begin a whole new round!.

I wanted to try something different this time. I had already begun an ABCs of Art for myself as a challenge, so have decided to combine the 2 challenges. I will restyle what I have already done and finish my challenge through ABC Wednesday.

Art is everywhere and in all we do. As the saying goes, "Art is in the eye of the beholder" .

Traditionally, the definition for art has been that it is form and content.

About .com describes form and content this way:

"Form means (1) the elements of art, (2) the principles of design and (3) the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily described - no matter which piece of art is under scrutiny.

"Content" is idea-based and means (1) what the artist meant to portray, (2) what the artist actually did portray and (3) how we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual messages.
Additionally, "content" includes ways in which a work was influenced - by religion, or politics, or society in general, or even the artist's use of hallucinogenic substances - at the time it was created. All of these factors, together, make up the "content" side of art."

Throughout history there have been so many styles and periods of art, and so many artists who have offered their own interpretations and unique styles.

Take a tour through any art museum and your senses will be touched in many different ways.You can even do it online! Here is the Met!

Each of us develops our own beliefs and feelings about art. I know that I cannot be without art in my life - whether it is listening to music, creating art or just seeing the beauty around me.

It has enriched my life in many ways.

I have been fortunate in that I get to work with young children who, for the most part, love to create. For them it is the process - they don't worry too much about the finished product. I really feel that creating art is necessary for everyone- especially children. Throughout the school year, in my classroom, we draw, paint, do collages, make masks, look at art and discuss the artwork, create sculptures with clay and papier-mache. I try to make it enjoyable and accessible for each child.
Here are a couple of examples from my students:

(We used the flowers of Georgia O'Keefe and Van Gogh as a starting point.)

One day I asked students to create a collage poster of what art meant to them. This was one boy's very perceptive work:

(at the bottom of his piece was a photo of a peacock)

 

 Be sure to visit the other great participants here.