Summers are special in the Santa Clarita Valley. The hot temperatures add sizzle to our lively concerts, wonderful parades, and the hundreds of ways we find to liberate our creativity. We hesitate to call our personal creative output “Art,” but, like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. Fortunately, that beholder is you! To begin, all you need is to grab what is accessible right in front of you.
You might make a 4th of July collage from last year’s leftover holiday plates and paper cups. The kids could get creative with those clay flowerpots that have been taking up space on the gardening bench with some pictures from the garden center catalogue and glue. Adding glitter to the shells from last summer’s beach forage could have a second life when hung from the branches of an unassuming tree.
What separates this from craft? Why is this art? It is art because the inspiration, design, and execution for these creations do not come from a guide or manual. They come from inside you. That is the defining criteria for art, regardless whether a five year old or an art school graduate makes it. Art is art because it is personal. It springs from an open mind and inner soul. That expression lifts the spirit and transforms the ordinary into the lasting. It also brings one of our best summertime experiences – fun! Is there any other reason why parents cling to their children’s earliest creations and exhibit them in the most visible and stable places of honor, whether it is the kitchen refrigerator, the living room mantle, or the bedside nightstand?
Sometimes we need just a little push to bring that creativity into the sunshine. That is where The ARTree can help. This summer, TheARTree will continue to be part of the monthly Art Walk in Old Town Newhall, as well as the city’s “Senses” events. Summer art classes are just around the corner. You do not need to be able to draw a straight line or know fuchsia from magenta. The ARTree is our community arts center, where the roots of creativity are developed. Bring your creativity, connect to The ARTree community, and voilà, your inner artist can emerge. You do not have to look far for inspiration, just look around you, and use what you discover.
Visit www.theartree.org to find out more.