[Woodcarver] inborn art

[cynda douglas]

Is the artist born or trained/developed.

In our family we have several with strong artistic abilities.  My sister 
has put it in the background for her intellectual pursuits and it does seem 
for many, it is pushed back possibly til being older, with children grown 
and more time and less distractions allows it. There are the few that have 
such a drive, nothing can get in its way, hence the driven and maybe 
starving artists.
   When I was in grade school I was fortunate as the grade school was 
connected to the teacher's college and art was a scheduled class.  I can't 
remember if it was once or three times a week.  I do remember Miss Cocking, 
the college's art instructor.  By 6th grade we had had several basics in 
art, the one I really remember is perspectives in drawing, and "trees 
aren't solid lollypops , they have holes for the birds to fly thru."  I 
always loved to draw as did some of my friends.  Of course, my drawings 
were mostly horses!

When I went on to teach country schools I passed some of that along.  Some 
children were good and interested, and some weren't. But they 
knew  perspectives and depth, and basics when they saw it.  But the, young 
teachers were all taught some basics in teaching art.  It was just part of 
school, as was music. (One community where I also taught music to my 13 
kids in 7 grades still talk about how they could sing.  When they learned, 
those kids were really good!  They even amazed me. )

When my own children went to school, riding the bus to Ashland Mont, on the 
edge of the reservation in Mont they had no art.  What the school called 
art was something taught now and then by teachers who had no art 
training.  They made a spider out of an egg carton, and that wasn't very 
often.
  Alan, my son, loved to draw airplane, tanks, guns, war and guy stuff, and 
his drawings were surprisingly good.  I tried to encourage it but he was 
far more interested in mechanics and electricity.   His drawing quit 
completely, and
he had real talent,  but the interest just wasn't there. The same with music.

My daughter, on the other hand, also loved drawing horses, and I supplied 
her with drawing books, etc.  But that is the stage where she stayed.  Tho 
I was painting in later years after they got to the age where they didn't 
eat the paints,  they just had no desire to go to it.  But that is when I 
actually really got started.  I took classes etc.   Earlier, I had tried 
painting, but needed to know more and small children came first.  When 
Kelly got into my oil paints, ate some,  and a call to poison control about 
Paris Green pigment,I put them away for years until I could finally I could 
indulge myself.

I think there are TWO important aspects of it, and they don't necessarily 
go together.  First the hand eye coordination, ability,   and the drive and 
desire
  to produce art.  They can have one and not the other.  Some want so much 
to produce it, but don't have the ability.   Would they have had it  if 
taught early?  Some yes and some no.  But some still could have/had the 
desire but got discouraged,  because no one cared or encouraged it,  or 
they just were  not able do it.   They are the non painting buyers of art, 
perhaps.

I feel so much goes into it,   inborn ability genes, inborn drive 
genes,  and that followed up  with  encouragement, exposure, 
teaching,  etc.  I really feel many artists are being lost in our present 
school system.  Not just great artists, but the ones who could be doing it 
for the love and satisfaction and joy of it.  Maybe some of those turned 
out to be crafters, eggers, etc. from the desire to produce something 
beautiful.

Well, I keep thinking about it as I read your responses. I finally had to 
put my two cents worth in.
Cynda http://woodneggs.tripod.com.
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