Art & Brain Development in Children

Art classes have been a part of the school curriculum for decades. However, many people view these classes as mere hobbies that can only be pursued for fun. The truth is that art classes are crucial to a child’s brain development. This article will explore how art classes help a child’s brain development.

1. Improved Motor Skills

When children take part in art classes, they get a chance to use different art materials like pencils, crayons, and paintbrushes. These materials help to improve their motor skills by giving them an opportunity to practice coordination and precision in a fun and enjoyable way. Through these activities, children develop their fine motor skills, which are important for tasks like writing, buttoning clothes, and tying shoelaces.

2. Enhanced Creativity

Art classes give children a chance to express themselves through art. This expression helps to foster creativity and imagination, which are essential skills that children can use throughout their lives. By experimenting with different mediums, children learn to think outside the box and develop their unique style of art. Art classes help children explore their creativity and learn to appreciate their own work and that of others.

3. Improved Cognitive Development

Art classes help children develop critical thinking skills by teaching them to analyze and interpret visual information. When children are encouraged to study different artworks, they learn to observe and make connections between various concepts. This process of visual analysis helps to develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, memory retention, and decision-making.

4. Improved Emotional Development

Art classes also help children to develop their emotional intelligence. Children learn to express themselves through art, and this expression helps them to explore and understand their emotions. By exploring their emotions, children develop empathy, self-awareness, and self-esteem. Through art, children learn to express themselves in a safe and non-judgmental environment, which can lead to improved mental health.

5. Improved Social Development

Art classes provide a social setting where children can interact with their peers and teachers. Through these interactions, children learn to communicate their ideas and thoughts effectively. They also learn to work in a team, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. These social skills are essential for building positive relationships and developing a sense of community.

Conclusion

Art classes are essential for a child’s overall development. Through art, children can improve their motor skills, enhance their creativity, improve their cognitive and emotional development, and improve their social skills. Art classes provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can express themselves freely and develop a sense of self-worth. Therefore, it is crucial that art classes remain an integral part of the school curriculum.

Artsy Kids Need Coaches & Clubs Too…

b-humble

b-humble

It has only been a month since we started the road to creating b-artsy.com.  What fun it has been and how much has been accomplished in such a short time!  From business collateral to website, to having contractors in to create a studio, so much has happened in just one month.

There have been ups and downs of course.  Just as we were wrapping up the business collateral, (all smug with ourselves for creating it in record time) we decided to take a workshop on branding.  Wow. Had to step back and take a piece of humble pie! Not only did we have to re-create a more professional looking logo, but we had to create three!  And branding colors! And a mood board!  Oh my! We had no idea all this was needed. In the end, it was definitely worth the time and effort, we do love our new logos, fonts and colors.  It really does make anything we create look “branded.” 

main logo

Next up, this amazing workshop also suggested we update our website.  We worked through all the steps and … something went terribly wrong! The website looked dreadful!  And we couldn’t fix it!  It was extremely humbling to have to ask the company who ran the workshop for help to fix the website.  Well…they couldn’t figure it out either.  Oh yikes. We thought we would have to redo the entire website from scratch!  Thank goodness for the WordPress happy team, (yes, that is what they call themselves) because they were able to help us pretty quickly in getting it back to what it was.  Whew. Crisis averted.   

Do you recognize Buckey
“The Beast”

And just in time!  Renowned artist and children’s book illustrator, Linda Hendrickson, had just signed on to be a featured artist on our site!  With everything up and running again, we were able to get her pages designed quickly, and her works literally glow in all their whimsical color.  If you get the chance, stop by and visit https://bartsycom.wordpress.com/linda-hendrickson/. Every painting is a story to be told and a feast for your senses. Enjoy! 

Needless to say, our first month at b-artsy.com has been an adventure and we are excited to continue the journey.  The studio is almost finished, we have four local artists working with us, our name is getting out there and we will begin booking lessons next week.  So now the question we ask you- are you ready to b-artsy?

Book Now

b-adventurous

b-artsy

So…here we go…a new adventure on the horizon. So scary, so exciting! There hasn’t been much to complain about on my end during this pandemic. I was fortunate enough to be stuck inside with three of my favorite people and four of my favorite cats. Life is grand! Time is at a standstill and all I can think about is “what do I want to do when I grow up?” I want to be artsy. That is what I want to do. And BAM! b-artsy.com was born.

So, what does that mean? I will explain in another post the makings of (what I hope to be) a dream job. For now, let’s open up our inner artist and look around…

Where are you right now? Outside? Nature is artsy. Who doesn’t love the kaleidoscope of colors that nature presents to us? A myriad of greens to choose from; pale yellows to deep golds; all manner of reds; perfectly pretty pinks; even the rich tones of the earth carry their own diverse color schemes. Nature, what a gift to the artist.

Are you still outside? Maybe you’re in the city? Or a quaint little town? Or by the seaside? SO many options for art! When you are coached to see with an artist’s eye, you will look at the world through a different kind of lens. You will begin to notice secret little niches in your town. How the skyscrapers in the city are truly and appropriately named. The sails on the sailboats have such an interesting shape. Why, my little espresso pot is perfectly designed!

That is the point. Look at everything. Really see it. Art is everywhere. b-artsy.

Sheila Huyett, CEA (Chief Executive Artist)

Boys & Art

Last month I wrote (or maybe ranted) on how artsy kids need coaches and team mates just like an athletic kid. Since then, I’ve had quite a few workshops with wonderful young ladies whose parents had the “ah ha!” moment and signed them up straight away. However, I did not have one boy. Hmmm. Guess what, boys are artsy too. I’ve had many young gentlemen in camps and classes and I have to say, they are some of my favorite art students.

One of my all-time favorite art club members! A brave soul, he was the only boy in art club for awhile, but soon other’s joined him when they saw how much fun he was having.

Boys are fun because they don’t really come with any expectations of an art class. Typically, an enlightened parent has signed them up and they show up. And they LOVE the class. They really love it, deep down. The brave parents that have committed their boys to an art class, surprisingly find themselves signing their boys up regularly. The art work they produce is spontaneous, fun, and exciting!

Why don’t we think about boys and art class? Maybe traditional art classes aren’t made for boys. Recently, I had two teen age students actually tell me that their art class in school was SO BORING. (And yes, with an eye-roll.) If art class is boring in school, how in the world is any healthy, active kid going to be enticed to explore their creative side?

Let them PAINT! Get them in an art class that allows them to dig in the ooey-gooey paint, mix exciting colors, slap the paint on with all different brushes. Let them be PHYSICAL when they paint! Wiggling around with a paintbrush and color truly creates some exciting brush strokes! Let them EXPLORE, art is not about being perfect in any way. It is all about the exploration of space, line, shape, color, environment, etc. Let them CHOOSE! I had a male student who chose to paint a basketball and hoop and it was FANTASTIC!

One of my favorite paintings!

As a mother of two awesome young men, I loved to see my sons’ artwork. I have paintings hanging in my studio for other kids to see. The comments I’ve received range from, “Is that the Geico gecko?” (why yes it is, because boys choose to paint interesting things) and “Wow! A boy painted that?” Oh and by-the-way, my boys are athletic too! No reason to only allow one type of activity at our house! Why not expose both sides of their brains to all the great things the world offers?

So, please, let your boys b-artsy too!