Teachers have a passion for art in all its forms

Art has the ability to stay relevant while also encouraging creativity and unity.

This is the belief of Ferrum High School’s Art Department, which is keeping learners actively engaged through drawing during the lockdown. This was the outline for the Grades 8 and 9 ‘Lockdown Art’ project.

Visual Art teacher for both grades, Natasha Nienaber explained the artworks would be keepsakes the learners could use to look back on the lockdown part of their lives.

“We wanted the learners to continue drawing while they are at home and thought of keeping it relevant to what they are currently experiencing, to make it more appealing to them.”

Read on to learn more about this dynamic teacher below, and learn more in this week’s edition of the Newcastle Advertiser:

Natasha Nienaber is a firm believer in exploring the creativity of children.

Asked if art instils life skills in children, she replied it gave them confidence, as they could express themselves in another way and learn about themselves and their interests.

“In the classroom, learners are exposed to many other learners’ ideas and how they express themselves in their own unique way, which helps them appreciate each other’s differences and experience a sense of freedom of expression.”

Beyond teaching Visual Art to Grade 8 and 9 learners at Ferrum High School for the past two years, Natasha is also inspiring a love of drawing in her five-year-old son.

“I have many folders filled with pictures and ‘paintings’ he has made over the last four years.”

Another Newcastle native, Natasha attended Drakensberg Primary School and Ferrum High School, then completed a Bachelor of Arts: Drama degree at the University of Pretoria. She also earned an Education Qualification through the University of South Africa.

While Natasha stated she did not have a favourite art medium, she preferred drawing and using mixed media to create something.

“I am too impatient for oil painting,” she laughed.

Natasha is especially fond of using bright colours and small personal messages in art, but has a passion for other forms including performance art, literature and music. Her hobbies and interests are also a true mixed bag!

“I enjoy taking part in adventure endurance races like the Warrior Race. I also play guitar and bass guitar, and I love to write!”

Natasha’s five tips for parents wanting to get their children interested in creative pursuits:

• Provide children with good art materials.
• Allow them to watch drawing tutorials to learn new skills and do research on careers in art.
• If they feel they are no good at drawing, for example, try something else like drawing with watercolour pencils.
• Give them feedback on what you like about their artwork.
• Never discourage art as a career.

More tips and advice from art teacher, Elize Bekker:

Elize’s advice for parents who want their children to become interested in art and design:

• The most important tip I could give parents to let your child enjoy art! Let them express themselves and enjoy their own creative minds.
• Secondly, realise that art is a skill that can be taught, learned and developed.  Obviously artistic talent exists, but all this does it to make it that much easier to learn all the skills. ’Natural’ artists draw a lot, because they like it, so they practice more!
• Thirdly, we live in a visual world and this creates so many opportunities for someone trained in visual art, graphic design, photography, fashion design, industrial design and a host of others.  Realising that art can be a ‘serious career’ that pays well, will motivate their children without even actively encouraging them.
• My fourth tip would be to ‘get with it’! Drawing always remains the building block of any art career, but encourage your child to use that phone in their hands for more than idle gossip and approval in the group! Let them take their own photos, edit and play around with them.  This will teach them about composition and colour and a host of other principles in a practical way.  They will learn to develop their own style and become creative!  Suggest they follow a few visual artists they admire on Instagram or Facebook. Discuss the visual images in your lives. What do they like about the slogan or logo on their T-shirt? Why does she like that new phone cover? Art is all around us -enjoy it.
• Lastly, buy the best art supplies you can afford. Quality over quantity: buy one medium-priced set of watercolour pencils and if possible, a sketchbook with pages slightly thicker than photocopy paper. Add a good pencil sharpener and eraser and your artist is set! I have seen too many children become despondent because they have to use the cheapest stuff with very low levels of pigment, and a lot of wax or other binders. You can only be a good as the tool in your hand and remember, no teacher requires a child to have a new set of pencils until they have made the most of last year’s.

ALSO READ: Newcastle matric learners go digital during national lockdown

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Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za

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