Ish is my all time favorite art book about not feeling like your work has to be perfect. We've all heard the phrase, blueish or greenish but may not have given the true meaning of "ish" much thought. This story is about a boy who gets teased because his artwork doesn't look like what it is intended to be. Naturally, he shuts down and nothing he draws is good enough anymore. That is, until his sister helps him see his artwork in a whole new light. She shows him that his artwork doesn't have to look exactly like what he intends it to be, that having it look art-ish is good enough. Thinking "ishly" opens up a whole new world of creativity and feeling of content for the boy.
The best moments in the art room for me today? When students were practicing facial features for our upcoming Self portrait wall mural and I would overhear "I don't like the way this nose is looking" to which a fellow table mate would reply, "I don't know, it looks pretty nose-ish to me." Awww!
We could all use a little more "ish" in our lives.
Really enjoyed reading your blog! Can't wait to read more about what students are doing in the art room this year!
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