The Artist Within You
"Water Lilies"
Colored Pencil Drawing
By Lois DeWitt
We all have an artist within...
Have you ever felt like creating something, doing something imaginative or visualizing something? I believe there is a balance to brain activity that contributes to our health and well being.
As the left side of our brain diagrams, charts, identifies and analyzes and this is very important--the right side, the creative one, visualizes, imagines and researches new boundaries and activities. The coordination between these two parts of our brain gives us the best options for, not only information gathering, but taking that information and making new forms, pressing against the boundaries of definition.
Finding The Artist Within You
is for those that seek to discover and invigorate their creative abilities. After over fifty years of art instruction experience I have learned that there is a large and ever-growing community of 55+ people that seek to discover and develop their creative abilities.
If you want to find the artist within, this is a course for you, regardless of your creative talent, age or disposition.
I wrote these lessons after years of teaching experience with the 55+ community and discovered than many, in this age group, desire becoming creative and need creative activities to invigorate their lives and strengthen their mental and physical faculties. At age 82, I share that need as well!
The emphasis is on self-discovery through simple visual exercises and verbal self-expression. Relaxing exercises and recommended readings are included with each lesson.
Groups of students can share their development with others, but individuals by themselves, can learn much from this class, as well. Your interaction, in any case, will be with me, your own personal art coach and the resources I can provide.
Why find the artist within you?
Creativity can help you have a better understanding of yourself. Through the Artist Within Lessons you will discover your innate creative abilities and develop your creative skills. The Lessons are not about creating “works of art," but about discovering your creative self, the artist within you, celebrating and activating that discovery.
After this course, you will be able to decide what creative direction you want to take, whether it is painting, drawing, collage, printmaking or combinations of these disciplines.
Are you inspired?
You will find the lessons fun, easy, step by step art instruction in many different areas: drawing, painting as well as exercises in visualizing, journalizing and imagining. I have taught The Artist Within classes to individuals as well as large groups. Therefore, the lessons are written for both applications.
Real Feedback
...I currently I'm working with a author for children's books and I'm doing some of the illustration. This has been a real challenge, but enjoying it. When I not at home my sketch pad goes with me and I'm practice on something all the time. I've taken my art more serious and have the time to do what I thought I would never be able to do and you have inspired me to make me realize a dream that I thought I wouldn't get to do in my life time. Will be sending a picture for you to look at and see where I need to do to improve. It may take a week or two, but you will hear from me. Janice
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I'm 60 and just getting back into art. My mother was an artist and I always wanted to be one too. I like the (acrylic) painting and I'm just finishing up the Intermediate! Never though I could paint so good! Eleanor Fuller
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Please send link to basic drawing lessons--enjoyed your blot painting! Thank you, Phyllis
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Hello Lois....In your introductory e-mail you asked about who I am. I'm retired. As I watched my triplet grandchildren drawing and creating fine looking artwork, I got to thinking about how much I had enjoyed drawing when I was about their age. My recollection is that I was pretty good but in truth probably not as good as my aging memory recalls. I do know, though, that I enjoyed it very much. So one day I sat down with paper and pencil to sketch a masterpiece only to find that all the talent I had as a teenager had been lost somewhere on my journey to senior citizenship. The desire, if not the ability, was there so I began searching the net for drawing lessons. I was surprised to find sites that actually provided free lessons. (I fully expected to pay for lessons) I was most impressed with your site so here I am....hoping to reawaken a long suppressed interest in the art of drawing.
Darrell Larson
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It's never to late to do art! I've been painting with water color and then did some little cards for my twelve year old niece.
Thank you for your art lessons,
Betty Jacobsen
Notes on Writing The Artist Within Lessons...
Five years ago, for a small business course at a community college I developed a financial plan for "The Artful Life Program," a series of art learning classes for 55+ students.
This offering of art classes could be installed in a community recreation center, a church basement, an instructor's house, or wherever people wanting to learn and do art could congregate.
I had to do the financials, figure out what would be needed to teach in a facility and project an income and expense sheet for its operation.
I came a way from the small business class with a good working plan for bringing art to the 55+ community. One of the classes I called "Finding The Artist Within." Based on my experience with teaching older people, the course was constructed to refresh, inspire and develop creative skills through a series of exercises. I made each project simple, fun and provocative and directed towards an end goal of helping the students choose an artful direction in painting, drawing, printmaking, or collage.
Through six lessons, students could develop their imaginative, visualizing and creative skills will working on projects that were fun for the group and not intimidating.
Over the years, I have taught "Finding The Artist Within," in in private classes as well as life-long learning programs. It remains today, one of the most popular class offerings I have!