There are a lot of things that preschool art is. Art is messy, it is freeing, it is emotional, it is beautiful, it is honest, it can even be crazy and chaotic!

But, there is one thing that art is not: art is not simple. And Preschool art? Even less so. So when making art with children, it is important to remember you are not only “making art”, you are modeling to children- to think outside of the box and to capture beauty, through their own eyes, making the most of their experience. We teach children that like art, life is not always simple. We teach them through art that life is not black and white and it is alright to try something and fail.

In the atelier, we learn through different creative experiences, and when we discover new materials, new methods, or better ways of doing things to solve a problem or get to the next step, we talk about it and celebrate the discovery that has taken place! Does this always go smoothly? Of course not! As a matter of fact, not usually! But the children are learning to become comfortable with learning, being flexible and innovative, and coming to appreciate different techniques, ideas, and perspectives as diverse and interesting! Learning to cope and adapt to issues early is wonderful developmentally, as it helps to build confidence, capability, character, and acceptance for change- and art is the perfect medium for this! The children, all the while, are participating in hands on “making” activities, which are FUN!

In the art studio, we are fluid. The students work on activities in order to experiment, test their theories, and create. They range from traditional to unheard of, and their materials range from paint to wire to clay to wood. Their work often pushes their previous conceptions of creativity, and incorporates life skills and current curiosities! Our art is made not only to create, but to discover and answer questions- some questions we never even knew we were asking! For example, the students were completely taken aback when they were told that they could paint with something other than a paintbrush. They looked at me like I was crazy to even think that a marble could be used as a paint brush! One child even said, “but there are no fury parts to a marble…how can we paint with it?”

When they were presented with the task of painting with their feet, they thought Ms. Niki was so silly! “Our FEET? We can’t paint with our feet!”,“you’re crazy!”, “Now you’re just being silly Ms. Niki.” Were a few of my favorite comments. I watched their little faces scrunch up in concentration and some hands drift towards their feet to aid them in their slippery experience without without even knowing they were doing it. This was not a simple task! Yet despite the challenge they giggled, they asked questions, they made observations, and they learned to think beyond the the boundaries they currently knew. Most importantly of all, they asked if they could paint using their feet again and again!Nothing about art is simple, but its complexities make it a catalyst for endless discovery, which as the children grow in creativity and knowledge, will continue to give back to them.