a line is a prompt

A blank sheet of paper can be liberating or intimidating. It can open the doors of perception, or lock them up and toss aside the key. That’s why I love to use prompts. I’ve never seen a child hesitate to begin a drawing, if a line or a shape is presented to them first.

The portraits below were created by kids aged 4-6 in one of my summer ArtLab workshops:

The interest in hair bows began with one girl, and one blue bow. It spread like a quiet little fever around the room. But not everyone caught it. Like the gumball machine artist. Or the young girl who created the compelling work on the lower right. Or the little boy who made the portrait at the upper left…

It was hard to watch these leave the room at the end of the day. This is a collection I would love to own.