It's a Joy to Teach Children

Let me tell you the story of Prussian Blue Elizabeth. Years, ago, before acrylics, I was teaching children to paint using oils. A little girl kept frantically tugging on my smock as I was helping another child paint. I ignored her and told her I would be with her in a moment. Two or three moments passed and I turned to see a little girl wiping herself with turpentine from head to toe and she was covered with Prussian Blue. I grabbed Prussian Blue Elizabeth and rushed her to the bathtub. I quickly washed her with soap and water and then scrubbed her down with linseed oil. She wasn't hurt and of course, in those days, we didn't realize the toxicity of the turpentine. Elizabeth and I were fine and of course the rest of the class thoroughly enjoyed the episode.

Although I love teaching at any level, teaching children to paint is one of the most rewarding things I do. They seldom fear paint or brushes. They are willing to try and more often than not, once one starts, the others follow with tremendous enthusiasm and energy. Sometimes it's messy, as in the case of Prussian Blue Elizabeth, and sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's very creative and sometimes it's not. Eventually, it all leads to a pleasure that will last a child a lifetime.

It doesn't take a lot of knowledge to teach children how to paint. You will discover yourself teaching without even thinking about what you are doing. You will be amazed at the results you will receive. I have taught children as young as 4 years old through teenagers. I taught them brush strokes. I taught them how to put two colors on a brush and how to blend. They brought old things from home that they wanted to redo as gifts for family members or to decorate their rooms. We had everything from a World War II army helmet to bulletin boards, guitars, flower pots, etc. You name it, the kids brought it in. We had, fun, fun, fun using color, paint, and creativity.

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