Artist Charles Chavannes offers summer classes
For too long, art classes for kids have been Friday afternoon affairs at school when children got out the crayons and doodled until the bell rang. But now the House of Culture is saying, “No more free period”. Thanks to some local artists like Pamela Bruan and Charles Chavannes, Belizean children are getting a more technical grasp on the art of drawing. We caught up to Chavannes and his students at the Government House earlier today.
Charles Chavannes, Artist
“All of us have the ability to draw; it’s just a matter of learning what you can do to initiate or instigate the part of your brain that likes to draw. So this is the whole thing right now. They’re going through some tedious tasks and they suck their teeth and they moan and they groan but eventually they end up doing it. And then they’re keeping a record day to day of what they’re doing. At the end of the course I hope they’re going to have an exhibit to do one of these before and after and we should be able to see some dramatic results at the end of 10 classes.”
Dominique Aguet
“Once at school, when we were painting trees, snow trees, trees with snow on them, some people laughed cause they said the trees were too big but I didn’t care.
I’m here today to learn how to draw and from my drawings that I did before and how I am learning how to draw better.”
To help the children handle their frustration when drawing, Chavannes used quite a different method of teaching; he made them copy a picture that was upside down. By turning the picture into a bunch of lines, the artist has an easier time creating a better overall effect.
Charles Chavannes
“The course that I am giving them right now is an art learning how to draw based on controlling certain capabilities that the brain has. Normally people don’t like to draw; they’d rather speak. The types of exercises that I am giving the kids to do right now are exercises that allow them to make a shift from their left, left dominant half of their brain to the right sub-dominant side of the brain. I know this is a bit technical but this is what happens, then they are able to see better, they have a better ability to take in more.”
This is the second week of the class at the House of Culture. It’s not too late to sign up your child. The registration fee is ten dollars and all materials are free.
