I read a post today on our superintendent"s blog that had me thinking about art, creativity, and it's place in the digital world. As one who taught art, and someone who has enough art and craft supplies to sink a ship, I realize that there has been a shift in how we teach art and how we create art as well.
Many of my supplies are now gathering dust. It's not because I am not creating, it's because I am creating differently. I am an avid scrapbooker. I taught classes and spent embarrassing amounts of money in stores on paper, stickers, embellishments, tools, etc. I have not bought anything in a scrapbook store in probably two years. But if you click on the Photoshop tab on this website you will see I am still scrapbooking-from my computer. All my supplies are digital. I save a lot of money and there are no more messes to clean up. Yes, I miss the feel of paper and using my hands but I have found that this actually works with my lifestyle much more than traditional scrapbooking. I realized this when my husband got sick and I was home caring for him. I just couldn't start a page and have the mess only to leave it at a moment's notice. Easier now to just hit "Save."
However, I still occasionally feel the need to create in the traditional way. There is something about losing yourself in the flow of paint and taking pencil to paper to draw something original. The musical bird on this page is an example of something I drew and water colored. The only thing digital is that I scanned it.
I have a ton of art and animation apps on my iPad that I have yet to master. I have bought different types of stylus' and still can't seem to draw or "paint" with the same ability that I can with non-digital tools. I am determined to get there only so I can use them when I travel.
So, do I think art and technology integrate-absolutely. Do I think my digital work is as beautiful as my "classic" work? Yes, but I appreciate their beauty in a different way. I think that technology opens a whole new world for art in the classroom. Students can now visit the Met at any time (another post entirely on virtual field trips) and see paintings in 3D. Yet the smell of construction paper and crayons will never be replaced by a digital device.
Many of my supplies are now gathering dust. It's not because I am not creating, it's because I am creating differently. I am an avid scrapbooker. I taught classes and spent embarrassing amounts of money in stores on paper, stickers, embellishments, tools, etc. I have not bought anything in a scrapbook store in probably two years. But if you click on the Photoshop tab on this website you will see I am still scrapbooking-from my computer. All my supplies are digital. I save a lot of money and there are no more messes to clean up. Yes, I miss the feel of paper and using my hands but I have found that this actually works with my lifestyle much more than traditional scrapbooking. I realized this when my husband got sick and I was home caring for him. I just couldn't start a page and have the mess only to leave it at a moment's notice. Easier now to just hit "Save."
However, I still occasionally feel the need to create in the traditional way. There is something about losing yourself in the flow of paint and taking pencil to paper to draw something original. The musical bird on this page is an example of something I drew and water colored. The only thing digital is that I scanned it.
I have a ton of art and animation apps on my iPad that I have yet to master. I have bought different types of stylus' and still can't seem to draw or "paint" with the same ability that I can with non-digital tools. I am determined to get there only so I can use them when I travel.
So, do I think art and technology integrate-absolutely. Do I think my digital work is as beautiful as my "classic" work? Yes, but I appreciate their beauty in a different way. I think that technology opens a whole new world for art in the classroom. Students can now visit the Met at any time (another post entirely on virtual field trips) and see paintings in 3D. Yet the smell of construction paper and crayons will never be replaced by a digital device.