Artists for Kids

Teachers of art education will be interested in Sophie Harding. She is a creative model role for children. Harding is a British artist and was raised in Southern England. She was the eldest of seven children and she was encouraged to study art by both sides of her family. She gained a diploma in General Art &Design and later a BA degree in fashion and Textiles at central St. Martins.
Harding is a blend of creativity and diverse types of artist media. For a while she worked in NY as a textile designer. She is now a successful illustrator of children’s books, magazines, greeting cards, giftwrap, calendars, diaries, tableware and textile designs. Her painting style is called Naïve Art. It is a primitive art style of art that is used by self taught artists. Harding brings art to kids by painting with bright colors and simple shapes.



What Kids Can Learn From Harding
(Art for Kids)



Art education should be about creativity and originality. Sophie Harding brings creativity to children with her simple shapes. She is inspired by animals and nature. Children can learn to paint their best friend or pet by using basic shapes. They can draw ovals for heads, circles and triangles for eyes, and squares and rectangles for bodies. Later they can paint with bright colors and add more details.

Young children can use stencils of shapes or animals. They can trace the forms and then paint with complementary colors. Harding teaches art for kids with simple elements all while they learn about creativity and Naïve style.

Sophie Harding: Painter, inspired by "Zara de Zebra", "Nellie the Elephant", "Quirky Animals II and IV:

Art Education

Process Art is the best approach to art for kids

When art for kids entails experimentation and imagination, then children can derive the greatest possible benefit and enjoyment. There is actually a name for this type of experience: process art. The idea behind process art is that a child’s finished product is not nearly as important as the self-satisfaction and discovery involved in creating it. Creativity is a cornerstone of process art, as children work with a variety of art materials and learn from trying out their ideas.

Process art is essential to children's art education. Children begin to delve into real time problem solving, and they see cause and effect as they experiment with visual expression. They can get comfortable with their own ideas, which results in their very own outcomes. They can also find great joy and take pride in their own creations.

In the process of playing with paints, children might mix orange and green resulting in a muddy shade that may or may not be what was intended. This active discovery is a wonderful, hands-on way to learn. While a heavy hand with the paint brush may overwhelm a design, children will become increasingly adept at applying art technique that suits their vision.

Process art truly engages children’s creativity as they explore design, shapes, color, balance, form, techniques, depth perception and so much more. They learn that there are many solutions to challenges they face and that uniqueness is good. Very importantly, children who practice process art know that there is no right or wrong way to create art and that they can always create something fresh and new. Process art helps children develop confidence, imagination, and an appreciation for the visual arts born of personal experience.

Rev up your child’s creativity at home by offering art experiences that enable your child to explore and to create freely. Remember not focus on the end product but instead on the process: “How did you do that?” “What happened when you mixed those colors?” “Tell me about this creation?” “Did it turn out like you expected – why or why not?”

Artists for Kids

Art education not only improves children’s creativity, but it also educates them about other countries and cultures. Art for kids should engage children to think in new ways. Elisabeth Estivalet invites children to travel with their imagination. Her artwork depicts hills, villages and roads from her beloved adopted Provence region, in France. Estivalet is a famous Polish artist, but she is well known for her landscapes inspired by Provence where she moved in 1978.

Estivalet was trained in philosophy and economics, but she decided to follow a career in creativity, reflecting her longstanding passion for painting. A self-taught oil painting artist, her artworks can now be found in collections worldwide, including the U.S., Switzerland, France, Germany, South America, Japan and Australia.

What Kids Can Learn From Estivalet

(Art for Kids)

Elisabeth Estivalet’s style incorporates basic shapes and lots of color. This is helpful when you’re talking about art for kids, because children will feel capable of creating their own original works in her style. Estivalet creates landscapes inspired by the south of France. A landscape painting is artwork that shows an outside view. Estivalet’s artistic expression inspires creativity and imagination in children. She uses lots of simple shapes, lines, angles and curves. Children can close their eyes and imagine that they are traveling to Provence. They can visualize a landscape and create a collage of their vision with basic shapes. They can use semi-circles for the hills, squares for the houses and rectangles and circles for the trees. Her artwork is an invitation to travel..

Estivalet uses warm colors such as red, orange and yellow and cool colors like blue, violet and green in her art. Her art teaches children about colors. Children can draw hills, houses, bushes and trees with a pencil. Then, they can use tempera and choose warm colors or cool colors to paint the picture. Her style lends itself to art education at its best!