Creativity and the Visual Arts Diane M. Wilcox, Ph.D

Creativity and the Visual ArtsDiane M. Wilcox, Ph.D.

Children and Artistic Ability

• The arts are essential to a child’s intellectual development• Drawing and

painting can be taught to any child

Visual/Spatial Intelligence

• All children have the ability to express themselves visually, but there is great variability in this ability• Howard Gardner says that all people have

some degree of “visual/spatial intelligence”

Multiple Intelligence Theory (MI)

• Linguistic• Logical -

Mathematical• Visual-spatial• Kinesthetic

• Musical• Naturalist• Interpersonal• Intrapersonal

According to Howard Gardner, humans possess eight intelligences:

MI Theory, cont.

• There is no “artistic” intelligence

• The Visual Arts use visual/spatial, kinesthetic, and intrapersonal intelligences

MI Theory, cont.

• Visual/Spatial Intelligence – the ability to perceive the visual world accurately and to use mental imagery to perform transformations.

MI Theory, cont.

• Kinesthetic Intelligence – the ability to use one's body in differentiated ways for both expressive and goal-directed activities.

MI Theory, cont.

• Intrapersonal Intelligence – the ability to self-appraise, self monitor, self correct, set goals, and manage one’s emotions.

Children and Artistic Development

• Children go through different developmental stages in visual expression• Although all children go through these

stages, there is some variability as to when they go through them

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

Scribbling Stage

Disorganized scribbles

• 2 years old

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

Pre-schematic/Symbols

Children try to draw a person

3 years old

4 years old

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

Schematic/Landscape

• The child uses a “schema” to portray what he/she understands about the world

• 6 years old

The Gang Stage: Complexity/Realism

• Children are concerned with trying to draw how things really look

• They compare their work to others

8 years old

10 years old

Pseudo-Naturalistic/Crisis Period

• Children strive to create “adult-like” images

• 12 years old

Artists that Inspire Children

Diego Rivera

• Famous Mexican Muralist

• Was a child (12 years old) when he painted this

Rivera – painted at Age 18

Jacob Lawrence

• A famous African American painter known for his narrative paintings

Georgia O’Keefe

• Famous female artist• Known for her

sumptuous flower paintings

Pablo Picasso

• Born in Spain• Displayed

exceptional talent as a child

• Started the cubist movement with Georges Braque

Color TheoryPrimary Colors

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

After this activity, you will be able to:• Make a color wheel containing 3 primary

and 3 secondary colors

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Blue, Red, and Yellow are the primary colors

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Blue and red make purple

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Yellow and red make orange

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Blue and yellow make green

Primary and Secondary Colors

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Add white to make tints

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

Add black to make shades

Activity: Make a Color Wheel

• Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel– Blue – Orange– Red – Green– Yellow – Purple

• When complementary colors are mixed, they make gray

Activity: Crayon Resist

After this activity, you will be able to:• Use paint and crayon resist to create a self

portrait

Activity: Stencils

After this activity, you will be able to:• Use stencils and paint to create a landscape

Questions?

References:

• Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century by Howard Gardner

• http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html