Yesterday I was the parent helper at a grade one class, only for the first hour of the day. My task was to supervise a small group of children as they painted their choice of picture from a story book. First they donned their art smocks, to avoid getting paint on their school clothes. Then they selected paint brushes. I explained about some of the different size brushes, when I saw one child select the biggest brush, but no, he insisted, he needed a big brush to paint a swathe of colour across his white A4 page. The children poured out different colours of the washable water colour paint into small paint trays. Splosh. Yellow, red, green, blue, white and black. One child found a premixed pink, which still had smears of red and white. He held up a dab on his paint brush and laughed and said, look, lolly colour.
I watched as a big patch of green colour was boldly and deftly applied across the bottom of one page, and grass appeared. Another child carefully dabbed small patches of colour. He announced that he needed grey, and so he tried mixing black and white until he found the right shade of grey. Paint sloshed over the edges of grey's container, escaping its bounds and spilling into nearby colours. This happened with orange too, a mix of red and yellow. I noticed one child smeariing thin water streaks of faint paint lines onto his paper, so I explained about patting the brush down on the edge of the water dish after the brush had been washed, to remove excess water. It is important to correct little mistakes if one notices them, as I could have left him and he would have discovered what to do on his own eventually, but a little help along the way speeds up the trial and error journey. Another child kept putting his paint brush back into the paintbrush jar still coated with paint, and I explained a few times about washing the brush before putting it back, and when next I looked I saw him washing his own brush and I smiled at him and he smiled back happily. Many children left their story books lying on the viewing table after they finished, and I walked over to them and handed them their books so they could put them back. It's important to remember to pack away and clean up afterwards. Some children almost put their storybooks down on the wet newspaper surrounding their blank paper, forgetting these would get damaged. This is not wilful damage, it is innocent ignorance, and a reminder will hopefully ensure this mistake is not repeated.
Each child took different lengths of time to finish their paintings. One child was there for most of the lesson, carefully dabbing colour. It looked as if he was finished but he seemed loath to leave and I left him standing there, for as long as he wanted. He was painting a map of Asia from an atlas book. Another child hurried onto the scene carrying the exact same atlas book. He swiftly turned to the map of Australia, and proudly pronounced that that was what he would paint. I was horrified when I noticed he had grabbed the first child's atlas book and was turning the map of Asia page to one of Australia, saying loudly, let's do this one together. The first child had been there painting his picture for half an hour already! I intervened and turned the page back. Later I told the second arrival that it is good to work together, which is teamwork, but that one must always ask if the other person wants to join in. I hope he remembers as it will stand him in good stead later on in life. He is an adorable child and I love him to bits, but he is an only child and perhaps not used to the rough give and take of childhood. I see in him a future leader, he only needs to learn to allow people to follow him by choice through his charisma and integrity, instead of him forcefully leading.
He boldly covered his entire sheet in a bright royal blue. I couldn't quite see the connection to the map page, but then realised he was painting a flag as big red stars appeared. He mentioned he was trying to get the right mix of colour on his page, overlaying red on blue, and I explained about mixing paint on the tray. He was enthralled, wanting to mix a few colours to see the effect. I saw that his picture was finished and when he asked if he could mix another colour, I said no, he should rather put his picture on the paint drying rack and give another child a turn. When I next looked, I noticed the child who had been there the longest had also decided now was a good time to leave. I wondered to myself, why did I allow the first child as much time as he seemed to need to stay, unobtrusively in the corner of the table, and I was so quick to cut off the second child? I made a mental note to be gentler on the second child in future. What I realised is that because he seems so eager to lead, I tend to stop him, as do most people I assume. Yet I wonder if he ever gets the opportunity to lead and to share his ideas? Do you know someone who seems full of ideas and eager to lead the way? Do you ever allow the person some leeway to take over? Probably not! Have you considered that this may be the person's natural inclination, to want to share ideas, not necessarily to be the boss, but perhaps because this is the person's natural strength? Imagine harnessing this power! Some people of course may want to lead because of a desire for power, and if such a person is charismatic and yet unethical, this is a dangerous combination. But this little boy always yields to authority, which is a good sign, and at the same time I only hope he is allowed space to share his ideas and to lead naturally, as a lifetime of always being stopped from one's practicing natural strength can lead to spirit being broken. Think of a horse which may be broken in gently and lovingly to the saddle and is willing to allow a rider yet is still proud, and another horse which is broken into the saddle roughly and loses a bit of life's light during the process. This little boy looks like nothing will ever break his spirit, and he is upright and proud and I hope he prospers.
Two little girls approached the table, giggling gently over their pictures. They gazed at them happily and smiled. They seemed so caring and genuinely enthralled by the task. These were their favourite pictures they proclaimed. One child began with small careful streaks on the page. She was painting a cat. The other little girl said she was painting the sea. There was no sea in her story book! But I left her. She hesitantly reached for a toothbrush and then put it back and I said she was welcome to paint with the toothbrush. She giggled shyly, and then began chattering as she painted. I was amazed to see swirling waves and sea spray appear under her deft hands, a seemingly alive sea. I couldn't believe this was from the hands of a six or seven year old little girl. She experimented with different textures of painting using the toothbrush. When I looked again she had painted the delicate wispy curves and textures over under a swathe of uniform blue and was dabbing red dots on top. Why did she paint over her first picture? I have noticed that some children do not like to stand out way above their peers if they have a natural talent, for fear of seeming different. I hope she continues practising her natural talent and embraces her gift.
Another boy arrived with a picture of a rollercoaster to paint. He hurriedly grabbed a smock and set to work. He painted a curving black line, and then an oval shaped brown outline. He announced that he was finished. I asked, what abut the people. Oh yes, he muttered, he forgot. He grabbed the brush, dipped it into a by now orange and yell ow mixture, and dabbed a few single streaks on top of the brown oval. There he announced, people. I took him over to a large picture of a person on the wall and explained how some people draw in detail, and will draw eyes and a nose and a mouth, and he is possibly a high level person, as a streak is enough for him to show a person. He looked at me as if I was a bit mad and then ran off. I told his teacher about what I had noticed. It might be good for him to be a bit more aware of detail, but also to be aware that he may be naturally a high level thinker.
A few children came up to me and asked if they could paint, some looking sad and anxious, some eager, and I told them to go and ask their teacher. Most didn't return, as there was not enough time. Of course I wanted all of them to be there painting! I have never supervised children at painting before and I can now see the value of art therapy. I will make sure I allow children more opportunity to paint and to be themselves in future, where I can.
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