[AntonayPina]

Norb, I think it must be their training, the materials or books they learn from when they are studying to become art teachers.

[jacknates]

Whenever we saw paintings by Thai children, we were amazed by the vibrant strong colors and expressive scenes like nothing we've ever seen before. I put together an album of pictures taken in different places, a Nakhon Sawan school, competitions shown in exhibits at Prado Thapae in Chiangmai. Themes include water conservation, festivals and daily life.

http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/album.php?albumid=348

[diseeKeythilt]

They are brilliant. Very talented children. I especially like the water conservation theme. It shows great imagination as well as artistic talent.

Nice pics, thanks for sharing Norb.

[n2Oddw8P]

In my M.5 art class, we were going to learn to draw a lotus flower graphic. The training was maticulous. Much like learning ¡. ä¡è we had to draw the same petal on the paper over and over again.... at least 100 times a day. Then we would move on to the next petal and so on. It was at the end of my stay...the last day, that I was able to put it all together and create the final flower. (and I have a sinking suspicion I only got to do that because I was leaving).

The results? I can now draw that same flower with precision. I also tattooed it to my leg so I'd never forget!

So let's see . . . A tattoo on the leg . . . and one on the wrist (see your avatar) . . . Just how many tattooes do you have?

[AntonayPina]

oh yes. don't get me going on this.
you know what usually happens, especially with pictures preparing for exhibitions? you won't like this. the teacher draws the scene on a paper, and the child copies on another paper, then the teacher tells them what colours to use. or, the teacher draws the picture and the children only colour it. now this style seems to be in, and ALL teachers are teaching ALL children to paint and draw like this. at the end of a class, children end up with 40 copies of the teacher's idea. seeing that all exhibitions around, on tv, on the internet, in newspapers etc feature exactly the same, I suppose the same is happening everywhere, not only in our school. you cannot see artwork in any different style - I tried to find it!
as a class teacher, I ended up kicking out our art teacher from my class after seeing what a devastating effect it has if he shows them what is correct and what is not. (with the smallest ones, he does not even let them touch the paintbrush or paper, he makes something for everyone, writes their name, and all the poor buggers are doing is watching him. he says they cannot do anything so they are not allowed to paint. huhh?) we let them use their own ideas and only guide them (e.g. teach them how to use paintbrushes, cotton buds, sponge for painting, how to mix colours, how to rinse the brush, etc, encourage them whatever mess they come up with). of course, they are not quite this spectacular anymore and don't win competitions.

[cinggooft]

When I was starting out as a teacher, I was given this poem.

Creativity?
One morning,
When the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said:
Today we are going to make a picture.
Good, thought the little boy.
He liked to make pictures.
He could make all kinds;
Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats.
He took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.

But the teacher said, Wait!
It is not time to begin.
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
Now, said the teacher,
We are going to make flowers.
Good! thought the little boy.
He liked to make flowers.
And he began to make beautiful ones
With his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said, Wait,
I will show you how.
And it was red with a green stem.
There, said the teacher,
Now you may begin.

The little boy looked at the teacher's flower.
Then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher's
But he did not say this.
He just turned his paper over
And made a flower like the teacher's
It was red with a green stem.

The following year,
The little boy went to another school.
This school was even bigger
Than the other one,
And there was no door from the outside
Into his room.
He had to go up some steps,
And walk down the long hall
To get to his room.

And the very first day
He was there,
The teacher said:
Today we are going to make a picture.
Good, thought the little boy,
And he waited for the teacher
To tell him what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything
She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy
She said: Don't you want to make a picture?
Yes, said the little boy,
What are we going to make?
I don't know until you make it, said the teacher.
How shall I make it? asked the little boy.
Why, anyway you like, said the teacher.
And any colour? asked the little boy.
Any colour, said the teacher.
If everyone made the same picture,
And used the same colour,
How would I know who made what,
And which was which?
I don't know, said the little boy.
And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.

- anon

[n2Oddw8P]

Good pictures, but like Betti said, the style looks very familiar.

Here are some paintings from Primary 5 & 6 students at my school:

http://www.thaischoollife.com/art-ga...ound-town.html

Those are lovely, Richard! I really love the way children express themselves in visual arts. It's more interesting to me than the "more-refined" art that adult artists often create.

As for the paintings that Norb posted, it is pretty evident that children didn't do those. How sad that "quality" (or conformity to a supposed ideal) is valued above creativity.

[agiopwer]

Many.

[jacknates]

oh yes. don't get me going on this.
.

wow, believe it or not, this never occured to me. I thought I discovered something special. Thanks for enlightening me. I still like the pictures. Strange that the style in Nakhon Sawan is so similar to the one we found in Chiangmai. In a way, the ones Richard has from a different school may all show similarities with each other but I still see commonalities with the ones I posted, for example the color combination. Are art teachers in different cities have similar ideas?

[Gogogo]

Very nice and those children has a wide imagination.

You can express everything and anything in a single art. Thanks for sharing.

[agiopwer]

In my M.5 art class, we were going to learn to draw a lotus flower graphic. The training was maticulous. Much like learning ¡. ä¡è we had to draw the same petal on the paper over and over again.... at least 100 times a day. Then we would move on to the next petal and so on. It was at the end of my stay...the last day, that I was able to put it all together and create the final flower. (and I have a sinking suspicion I only got to do that because I was leaving).

The results? I can now draw that same flower with precision. I also tattooed it to my leg so I'd never forget!

[Gubocang]

Good pictures, but like Betti said, the style looks very familiar.

Here are some paintings from Primary 5 & 6 students at my school:

http://www.thaischoollife.com/art-ga...ound-town.html