I had my first opportunity this past year to do something I have always wanted to do…work with youth.
Through a series of events, I ended up being an art instructor for a private middle school art department. It was a very rewarding experience. The fearlessness of the kids sparked a fearlessness in me to try things I had always wanted to try but hadn’t. One of the projects we did included a short series on the DeStijl movement in art and architecture which included the work of Gerrit Rietveld, Theo Van Doesburg, and Piet Mondrian. One of the major benefits of this project? It was my first time actually putting paintbrush to canvas myself…Very liberating. (that’smy composition, below right.)
Each of the students learned about the colors and compositions of Mondrian’s work and then translated his work to their own style. They learned the skills of presentation, critique, and the strength of the backstory, how our preferences change when our knowledge about something increases.
I am trying not to be biased here, but I think the work they produced is pretty “gallery-worthy” !! Check out their masterpieces below….
