“In this course, there is no right or wrong, good or bad, art.” That’s how Imogene Drummond introduced Art Sparks’ third session at San Miguel Academy. To facilitate a safe space to develop creativity, Imogene asked students to leave criticism—of oneself and others—at the door, be respectful of others’ creativity, and be generous with their positive feedback. She delineated her hope that they will experience the joy, freedom, and empowerment that come with expressing themselves creatively.
After watching the second chapter of Divine Sparks film—which celebrates the metaphorical great blue void from which everything emerged, including the Universe and us!—students discussed the film chapter and what various shades of blue mean to them. One student said that “light blue makes me feel happy and dark blue makes me feel sad.”
Then the class engaged in VTS—Visual Thinking Strategies—a teaching method that strengthens visual literacy and fosters community-building dialogue where students share what they see in an image. In the abstract painting in the film, students saw, among other images, a crescent moon, a face, water, and a flower. As Imogene brought her original painting (the one in the film!), they asked intriguing questions, such as how long did it take to paint, and what did she have in mind when she painted it. Imogene explained that she had no idea what she was going to paint. As she’d been near the sea listening to the sound of the surf, the painting turned out to be a visual expression of her auditory experience. Being inspired by sound resonated with the students!
Inspired by the film, Imogene’s blue painting, a short meditation, and discussion, the class created images about what the color blue means to them.
- Adrian G created an image of the Universe, where blue represents the sky, black smudges symbolize night and white smudges day. Yellow dots signifying stars originally painted along all four edges of the paper were overlaid with the yellow of sunlight!
- Nick created a bold geometric painting of a memory of hiking with his dad in snow-covered blue-tinged mountains. Clearly, it was a special memory!
- Juliet’ painted a poetic expression of how thinking of blue makes her feel happy.
Isn’t it exciting how some inspiration, discussion, affirmation, and opportunity to be creative in a safe environment can result in such individually expressive work?!
