and projects provide an innovative introduction to folk art that seems guaranteed to produce a new gen eration of enthusiastic folk art and antique
Foreword by Mr Imagina tion We are born with the ability to make art When a little baby looks at lots of colors they can relate Kids start really young There's something about holding a crayon and doing a swirl Kids like to make dots and lines Lots of kids are self taught from early on It's almost as if their hands have some type of rhythm and it's amazing Lots of kids are actually geniuses But you can't force it Art has to be a very natural thing Ministry runs in my family My great great aunt told me I was going to be a minister But it turned out I would be a minister of art I have been working with kids and teenagers and parents for many many years and to this day Parents say I can't make art I tell parents just try it just try it I have taught thousands and thousands and thousands of kids Lots of kids have told me once they get older they want to be an artist I run into some of the ones I taught who are adults and have kids of their own They would say they still have their art pieces they made Lots of artists have this wonderful talent but are afraid to share it because someone might steal their ideas But I am happy if the kids I teach might go back to their neighborhoods and teach
First before doing my workshop I actually show them what I made and then I allow them to hold some of my work like a paintbrush I let them wear my bottle cap hat and they remember that Kids go to a museum and they are not allowed to touch any thing You have to put faith and trust in kids I start the workshop by telling kids that I was walking down the street to the store and I heard a sound go like Pssst Then I heard it again Pssst I ask what was that sound They say A cat or Someone calling you Then finally one kid will say It was your imagination I say That's right and that's how I start When I give them a piece of sandstone I would tell them to look into that stone and carve what they see and if they make a wrong line they can always erase that and start over When making art you can not make a mistake A mistake can make you see something in another way and you can grow from that
O Then I give them glue and art paper so they could use that sand from their carving to do sand paintings by using their imagination I feel that hands on is very important for each and every child but now there are many schools that don't teach art Art helps them to work together as a team and learn how to solve a problem Kids like bottle caps because they have a shine that's magical I use a wire hanger modeling clay and bottle caps to make a snake One time there was a lit tle girl I had flattened out a bunch of caps She got scissors and cut a diamond shape out of the cap I
