Learning Art.

A bit about Big T. 

 I AM ART. IT IS ALL I KNOW. I KNOW VERY LITTLE.

art [ahrt]

noun

1.the quality, production, expression or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

2.the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection. See fine art, commercial art.

3.a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.

4.the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.

5.any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.

Art in school has upset me since I was a very small child. I would go to galleries with my mum, and see magnificent works, or look in books and be awed by simple pencil drawings of aesthetic proportions that would blow my mind, and then I would be at school 'learning art'. You do not learn art at school You learn to blob paint around in a format set out to cater to a half hour slot.  True art requires immense skill and knowledge, and does not come about by colouring in a picture of a bilby with coloured pencils. Art requires planning, mathematics, understanding of colour, of depth of field, of ratios, more planning, understanding of physics, chemistry and now also computers. Art requires practice, courage and insight and the capacity to translate from the inner eye to reality and hard copy.  But none of these are taught in school. Art is treated like poo at school. A boff off easy subject, a time to rest from 'real' learning. 

My first day of pavement art at 24or25. I had just quit doing visual arts at tafe because it was such a load of rubbish.

As a child I taught myself. No one else would teach me what I wanted to know. My mother helped me at home, she was a pretty good artist herself. We had a fantastic room with sesame street characters painted on the walls. But for the most part I taught myself, I was resourceful that way, still am. Trial and error and hours every day learning the hard way, painstaking observation. I was teaching myself how to make something of 'more than ordinary significance'. I started this when I was eight.  I wanted to be a master painter. Eventually I was good. Very good. I have not yet reached my potential, the fun part is that I never will!

 A rather bad photograph of one of my last works of pavement art and one of my last works of art. She was about 8ft tall! Summer 2005/6.

I am actually glad I never studied art at University. I have learnt that they teach aspiring young artists to cheat. Yep, to use projectors to translate photographs into paintings. What they haven't worked out yet, is that this totally messes up the proportions of the portrait, causing bulbous noses and large foreheads. A projector doesn't understand foreshortening. It just makes things big, and it doesn't work. I can pick a projector painting a mile away. They can look flashy, because the kids are great at colouring in, but they are missing something, something integral, something I can't yet pinpoint, inner soul perhaps? Oooh, I am such a b*tch.

Over the last 8 years I haven't produced much work. I did a few lame sketches of my daughter sleeping when she was a baby and that is about it. I will get back to it eventually of course. I have just been doing other things! 

 

So here is the first art project that Lil't has done at home. This project required a paper draft, to plan pattern, colour and layout and measurements. Also important to the plan was the order of colours to be painted, as acrylic tends to have a shadow bleed effect. The project is a complete one. Not a slap of sticky tape and pipe cleaner. It took two weeks to compleat. Some of it I helped with, especially the lining (which was really hard) but then my mentors would get their hands in with my art too. Teachers at school can't teach art this way, because there isn't the time to teach art properly at primary school, especially to kids who show a disposition toward it, which is a travesty and let down to the future culture of the human race.

Planning. Integral to learning to be an artist.
 This can be executed as a million drafts or in the head,
 but it has to be done.

Each colour required several coats of paint, which in turn requires patience. Patience is awesome.

The finished box, ready for display!

Music, friends and photographs.

Every Wednesday eve we head over to Ash and Em's house for lil't's music lessons. It is a fabulous affair that usually includes cups of tea, biscuits, lots of chats and a lot of music. I met Ash and Em through my mum, who does play readings with them, and I was super excited when they started their own wee music school. I had been looking for teachers that were self employed as I find it irksome that many teachers don't get paid their full dues or have appropriate autonomy when teaching for a school or institution. Initially lil't was just doing piano with Ash, but in the last few weeks has begun singing lessons with Em. Next term guitar and music theory will be added to her classes.

Cups of tea and biscuits form an important part of our time together. We share cooking tips and ideas and ecological awareness and a love of locally made goods!

 un-edited pic by Big T of lil't drinking tea.

Ash and Em have incredible and varied backgrounds in music, theatre, film and television.

 Ash is currently performing in a show where he breaks into renditions of Flight of the Valkyries on piano accordion, an instrument he has only learnt to play in the past few weeks. He has written curriculum for music teaching - theory I think, and is a most interesting and excellent songwriter, with an album or two under his belt. He also is quite the actor, though apparently untrained. Ash likes to teach a broad curriculum to lil't , which includes the use of percussion, improvisation, reading, mathematics and even good ole' fashioned scales.

Em has a background in musical theatre, film and television. She studied at NASDA and WAAPA. Em has been in some big shows, like Guys and Dolls and Jekyll and Hyde and bazillion films and adverts. She teaches singing and drama and has had several of her current students accepted into a BIG musical! Awesome! Em is an animated and exciting teacher with an immense understanding of the human body and the mechanics of singing along with being a kick arse actor and singer and is amazing with children, she should make some - with Ash preferably.

They both star in the excellent very short promotional film The Melbourne Appreciation Society.  They are both from New Zealand. Their music school Ash & Em's Home Studio is going from strength to strength as is lil't's progress! They are wonderful passionate teachers and our lovely friends.

Singing with Em

An instant rapport. Em is infinitely likeable and a total sweetheart.

In both Ash and Em's classes there is a lot of laughter. Music is such a joyous experience who wouldn't want their kid to experience that!

Em firmly believes that if she gestures emphatically enough the right sounds will come out. This is the big finale. It actually worked!

 Tallulah has had an affinity for music from a very young age, it may have something to do with me blaring Aladdin Sane and the likes in the car to cover up her crying as a baby! Grandma Mo bought her a weighted keyboard for her 3rd birthday and she has been able to jam it out with muso's since she was four. She has a great ear for pitch and is a very passionate and sincere songwriter! Lil t is by no means a prodigy, but I do think she will be a fine musician/singer/songwriter given half a chance and given her current dedication and love of music. It is a passion that I believe every child/person is entitled to enjoy and I have shared it with gusto. She is yet to appreciate Kate Bush the way I do but she is a firm fan of 'Daddy' Bowie.

 Are there any cultures on this planet without music or song?

  Piano with Ash

The vibe is very different with each of her teachers. Ash has a dry cheeky wit. Its all very business like when these two pals get together!

Ash has incredible patience, never condescending, and extremely aware of lil't's ability to understand concepts. So Rad Eh!

Lil't has made huge leaps since beginning lessons with Ash and Em, I am so proud of her and I think they are too!

So I got me a camera. A Canon Eos30D. I am thrilled to bits, and this is my first piece using it. Some of the pictures are kinda fuzzy, but they show the energy of the classes. I am looking forward to learning more about photography. Its something I enjoyed a great deal at Tech and Tafe and High school. My aim is to take fewer fuzzy shots and be able to concisely document my world in picture form. It's so much faster than painting!

For more info on Ash and Em follow these links Ash's Music Blog and Em's Acting & Singing blog.