SPECIAL FOCUS
Older Adult Artists
Art instructor Beverly Ellstrand adds many colors to the palettes other "Golden Year" students
BY BEVERLY ELLSTRAND
In the Zen of Seeing, Frederick Franck writes: "In this 20th Century, to stop rushing around, to sit quietly on the grass, to switch off the world and come back to the earth, to allow the eye to see a willow, a bush, a cloud, a leaf, is an unforgettable experience."
For those who make a late-life commitment to study art, their lives and the world around them will be changed forever in many ways. Not only will they learn the myriad skills that will help them use pencils and paints, but they will learn to "see" as they never have before. Learning art is much more than learning a skill; it is a process of learning to really "look" at one's surroundings with a new eye and with a creative point of view.
Learning to Look
This decision is usually not made lightly. Most of the students in my classes are people who have waited a long time for that golden moment when they could unlock their creative side and study drawing and painting. Adult learners soon discover the joys and agonies of studying art.
I promise my students that they may not become Picassos, but they will learn the basics of drawing. It does not take too long. I have taught drawing to students of all ages, from 8 to 80, and find that learning the skills of art is about the same for all age groups. I do find, however, that my mature students bring a different dimension to their art than that of their younger counterparts.
Pushing the Limits
My approach to teaching goes beyond learning to draw or paint. I try to involve students in experiences that open new horizons. They not only study a skill but unfold a world of "seeing" in the external sense and the inner sense as well. I use a variety of concepts that help students find subject matter as they learn technique.
Several years ago, for instance, I gave my watercolor painting class a project entided "A Personal Statement." I asked each individual to look within and to make a visual statement about any aspect of their life that had great meaning. I explained that the project would help them to understand that art indeed mirrors life. I said that after the paintings were finished each student would write a short statement about their work.
Initially my presentation was met with silence. But once students had a chance to think about the possibilities in-depth, they were enthusiastic. Each
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session began with group discussion, which enabled the students to relate to one another, offer much needed support and even make suggestions.
It was a learning experience for all of us. We saw another, deeper side to each of the classmates. One of the students was just recovering from an illness and described how the medical procedure of a CAT scan had affected her. Her painting became a puppet stage with body parts - hands, feet and so on - as the puppets.
One man chose to do a portrait of his father, mother and himself as a loving family unit superimposed on symbols of his life. He explained in his statement that these symbols and portraits were a metaphor for the moral values instilled by his parents.
Students are not the only learners in my classroom. I have learned to see my own artwork in a new light and with a maturity that I never had before. And I have learned to see each student as a very unique individual. My interaction with older adult students has given me satisfaction and a deeper understanding of the link between art and the psyche. •
BEVERLY ELLSTRAND
is on Off instructor in the Emeritus Program at Oakton Community College in Skokie,
III. She has been employed as on Oft instructor for the Pork Ridge Recreation and
Pork District since the early 1970s, teaching classes for children and adults. This
article was reprinted with permission granted by the American Society on Aging
horn its publication The Older Learner.
|
Art & Adult Learners • Learning to draw is more than learning a skill-it is learning to SEE. • I always tell my beginner students: "If you can write your name you can learn to draw." My 30 years experience in teaching adults proves that this statement is true. • Adults learn the skills and techniques of drawing and painting at the same pace as the younger student...sometimes even faster. The adult learner brings another dimension to their work...the maturity of Life Experience. • Besides teaching the basic skills, I try to bring out their "Creativity" and so their work can show the true meaning of "Self Expression." • I find that my students prefer art projects that may involve interaction with others in the class thus encouraging an exchange of ideas. • After all the years of teaching, I still get excited seeing the talent and professional quality of the finished artwork that my students produce. They are truly remarkable. — Beverly Ellstrand |
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