Every child an artist?

I took my children to galleries with me and told them that art was a way of explaining something, a special idea, to other people with a picture, or words, if it were poetry.........doesn't have to be proficient really, just a way of conveying a message. How pleased were we when Tracey Emmin and Banksy showed up.

Schools do tend towards the obvious when kids are young, expecting their art to be representative not emotional. We rather liked a yellow triangle painting called 'Saturday Morning' and a frozen chicken in some pants entitled 'Chicken Knickers' both at the Tate I think.......not sure what the school teacher would have thought if we'd done those in homework.

I am absolutely shocked that parents/grandparents would deride/make fun of/criticise a child's work of art.

To me that is child abuse. It is a denial of all the joy that child has put into their own creation.

If I were working in that environment this would signal a very worrying red flag for me.

First year into infant school we had to draw a picture and write sentence underneath. Teacher wanted to do wall display for patents evening. She cut my drawing off and another boys writing off keeping my writing and his drawing and pinned up on wall. My writing had my name on. I can remember trying to explain to parents who knew I could not draw how picture looked so good.

I was told at school I was tone deaf by a teacher who set me, at 13, very shy and lacking in confidence, to a sing a song by themseleves in front of the class.
It took years to get over that. I have been in a choir for over 12 yrs now and my confidence is begining to build.

The first community choir conductor never did anything to getting us warmed up and breathing exercises which can really help you go for the right notes.
I would hope teachers now would do better.

No certainly not me. I cannot draw well at all. Now may be I could be one of those artists that make paintings by splashing paint on canvas and selling it for millions .!!!

As someone who was an art teacher, I love the enthusiasm of children's art, and hope all schools and parents encourage and facilitate anything creative.

However there are many adults who believe they are artistic but are not. This does not really matter as their enjoyment is important.

I'm from a family of artists and at 11 was told by the art teacher my painting was awful. I'd so enjoyed painting my representation of a night star - yes I was so discouraged I stopped. I took to visiting art galleries in my 30's and developed a fascination with art and social history. If I ever did a degree in my dotage, I'd love to do that.
As for encouraging children, others may have seen comments from some 'experts' that we are reducing our children's ability to succeed and aspire by praising every thing they do. Humph
Children need us to be interested in their art work, to ask about it and praise something about it. We can all enjoy the arts throughout our lives. Good families and educational establishments encourage a love of the arts (unless of course, all the departments are being cut due to austerity)

I’ve always said that if you go into a P.1 class and ask who can draw ( or sing!) nearly every hand in the class will be raised. Somewhere along the line this confidence is lost.

When I was 13 the art teacher at secondary school told me not to bother choosing Art in my options because I'd simply be wasting mine and her time.

I took that to heart and dismissed art and all things arty until I started my degree with the OU. The first year was a sort of introduction to all sorts course and two of the things were art history and understanding the processes involved. That's when I rediscovered art and realised that I might not be able to paint, draw or sculpt but I could appreciate it and understand how things like perspective work. I also understood how art developed. I was fascinated and hooked.

For over 20 years I'd written myself off and never went into an art gallery. Now I love galleries. I may not always understand it (just seen the Turner Prize exhibits in Hull and was very, very ) but that didn't matter. Other things in Feren's Art Gallery leaped out at me and I could relate to them.

I also take photographs. I may not be able to draw a flower but I can take brilliant (even if I say so myself )

Teachers and adults need to be so careful because one throw away comment can affect the child for years.

My DS was always very keen on painting and drawing. He was never going to be wonderful, but I encouraged him. However, when he was at school his art teacher derided his efforts and gave him little in the way of guidance, to the extent that he stopped trying altogether. DD was never interested in art, and neither, it appears, is my grandson, although we try and encourage him to draw and paint and never belittle his efforts. We keep them all. It has taken me the best part of ten years to get him to draw arms and legs that bend at the knees and elbows!! I remember my adult older brother being very artistic. He could draw very well, and he could fold paper into the most amazing geometric designs without a pattern of any kind. He was an engineer by trade. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

Very true, I was always very enthusiastic about my children's
scribbles creative work. Sadly it didn't work, neither of them has an artistic bone in their bodies
My mum couldn't draw a matchstick man but could knit the most amazing garments and adapt patterns to her own liking.

I agree and one of the things that prevents people using their creativity is that they feel they must produce a finished product of a certain standard. What should be emphasised is the creative process that benefits the whole person. It helps with so many things including depression. You may create something you want to keep but just creating something is so valuable

I agree. We as adults are quite hard on ourselves, aren't we?
There is something wondrous about the possibilities open to you when you're young. And I think we often are the culprits in shutting our own doors, rather than others doing it for us - though that may be the case too of course.