This year in China has been a trying experience for me in many different ways as I have been challenged personally and professionally more than in previous years. With my recent experience In Dubai, I had grown accustomed to a certain level of comfort that I did not become fully aware of until stepping in to this current venture in the Far East. As I faced some of the difficulties that came with adjusting to this new situation, I found ways to deal with them through creating and teaching art. To me, art is truth. It bares life’s greatest triumphs and deepest pains. It opens our heart to interpretation and criticism as it acts as a window to the soul. It gives a physical medium in which to express and convey the thoughts and feelings that otherwise remain buried inside. And most importantly, it pushes our imaginations toward great passion and desire in life. It’s difficult for me to explain the emotional and spiritual experience that comes from observing and interacting with a great work of art. Human creativity never ceases to amaze me. This is why I consider it a tremendous pleasure to be able to teach art and interact with it every day.
In a recent project with my middle school art students, I pushed them to put their own hearts and emotions on display. We looked at the paintings of a well known pop artist, Jim Dine, whose work used the familiar heart symbol as a way to express human emotions in our modern world. The only requirement for each student’s interpretation was that they, in some form, use the heart symbol. I felt this was a great way for them to take something that seems like a cliche and project their own unique perspective on the shape to give it new life.
I loved the the results of this project as each painting brought its own original variation and interpretation to the assignment objective.
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-isaac
