All too often we do not stop to take the time to notice the beauty of time and spaces around us. Our lives are so frenetic; running from one demand to another for work, community activities, spiritual and religious pursuits – and that is not even taking into account caring for our homes and families.
Our children also live fast paced lives; being so used to bombardment by fast images from video games, computers, smart phones, and television. They are buried in homework, racing against time to finish papers and assignments. Both young people and adults often do not know how to sit quietly and just “notice” things around them.
A wonderful exercise for the young and older of us alike is to pay attention either quietly or “out loud” when we are walking with our families, sitting on a porch, waiting in the car, or just standing somewhere. There is art all around us, if we only look hard enough and take the time to notice. Alleys are fabulous places of composition and shades and shadows, as are lampposts in the twilight, or fog sitting at the top of a mountain. People walking on the street in front of store windows, creates contrasts of colors and choreography, if looked at from the artist’s eye. Talk to each other while you wait about color and perspective, tones and composition just from how light falls on the edge of a wall, or a child moves within a space.
Once you have done this for awhile, you will see things you have never noticed before, and your children will start looking and pointing out beauty that was always there, but passed by without anyone noticing. A calmness results from taking just a moment to find the artful vision in front of you, that moments before was just another scene like the hundreds of others you pass through every day.
KidsArt is dedicated to bringing an appreciation of artistic beauty to the conscious minds of our communities. We are available to give artistic inspiration to anyone who is interested in learning.
For a free introductory drawing class call our Valencia studio at 661-260-1774 or visit on the web at www.KidsArtClasses.com. Our studio is located at 23300 Cinema Drive in Valencia near Stonefire Grill.