I volunteered on Saturday to lead a little art workshop for kids at the cafe connected to our church, as a way to reach out to the community and give parents a chance to enjoy a latte on their own while their little ones made a mess under my supervision. Â I settled on Cubism as the subject matter, thinking that would lend itself to a good one-style-fits-all project, and I didn’t know whether I’d be working with 3 year-olds or 12 year-olds. Â I showed the kids several examples of Picasso’s portraits, with their offset eyes, bright colors, and angular features. Â I then encouraged them to paint their own portraits, taking advantage of the freedom that Cubism allows, without having to focus on exact proportion or shape. Â I had eight little artists under my watch, and all of them exceeded my expectations. Â It was inspiring to see kids in the act of art-making – some focused on coloring inside the lines, while some splattered paint with total abandon, but all of them walked away with a masterpiece of their own.
