Cicely Mason Artistic Development Self Study of My Own Art Practices Autobiographic Paper
Introduction My development in art has been a long and arduous process. Different motivations and opportunities yielded artistic learning experiences that have helped to shape me into who I am today. Such a process was aided and guided by some very important influences who made a large impact in my life and my art. Art is Everywhere: The Early Years My first artistic experience that I can remember came in kindergarten. I walked in to the Art room for the first time and something bright caught my eye at the back of the room. The art teacher had painted a mural along the back wall and it looked like a sky with clouds. On it, the words “Art is Everywhere” were painted in white. I remember asking my mom what that meant when we got in the car to drive home that afternoon. She explained that everywhere around us you could see beauty, just like in art. That night I remember looking at everything and asking her if it was art. This is an artistic experience that I hold dear. Art as Motivation In the years to follow, I grew to love art. I wasn’t as socially outgoing as my classmates, but art was where I felt accepted. In art class, my classmates loved and heralded me. They wanted to be just like me. They were jealous of my abilities and this made me feel very special. It motivated me to succeed in art. However, I was succeeding the wrong way. I wanted to draw what other liked. I remember drawing pictures of dinosaurs for a little boy that I wanted to like me. I do not remember having my own desires where art was concerned. In “Artistic Perception as a Function of Learned Expectations,” K.A. Hamblen states that “art educators can facilitate