Art Class

In the 4th grade, my teacher was Miss Biggert.

Once a week, we had art class.

Each week, Miss Biggert pinned up on the front chalkboard, the picture we were to draw and color that week.

It was to look exactly like the picture she posted in the front of the class...same exact colors, same size, same everything.  At the end of art class, Miss Biggert hung the "good ones" along the front of the chalkboard.  Clones - all lined up neatly.

I can remember one picture from that year; it was a child's head in winter attire.

I do not recall if I EVER had a picture hung up in front, maybe one, but certainly not very often.  I guess I didn't really ever do it just the way Miss Biggert insisted it SHOULD look like.

Leap forward many years........

Last week, I was privileged to spend time with my grandsons who are home-schooled.  We read a portion of a book they are studying about the story of the world.  Their assignment, after listening to me read one chapter, was to draw OR sculpt from clay, a scene based on what we had read.

In the midst of our reading, Miles, 7, was so excited that he jumped up from the couch, ran to the counter and began to sculpt the bow and arrow described in the reading.  I kept reading while he was engaged in sculpting.

When I saw what he had made, I was amazed; it was intricate, finely detailed, truly amazing to me, as a non-artiste!  And, it was so very creative!

Out of his head with no picture to reference, he had sculpted a remarkable weapon that was described by the author of the book.

And, I was so glad his wise mother allowed him the freedom to be creative, to envision in HIS mind what something looked like.

And, I was REALLY glad he didn't have Miss Biggert as his art teacher!