Get messy, be happy

Weekly art classes nurture the creativity of younger children

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Tiny tots are finding their inner Picassos, Monets and Rodins at weekly art classes in Kailua and Aina Haina.

Some are just 18 months old, so that inner artist is deep inside, but who knows - perhaps Picasso started out making bright purple hand prints in finger paints.

"My First Art Class" is a weekly one-hour art exploration designed for ages 18 months to 5 years, covering media from paint to clay to collage. Four-week sessions cost $60, which would buy a lot of crayons. So when you're talking about kids so young, why not just sit them down at home with some paper?

The mess is one big reason, says Renee Ramsey, founder of "My First Art Class." "Making a mess is part of the process. The kids get to make a huge mess, and the parents don't need to clean it up."

The social interaction of the group activity is also a plus, Ramsey said, as well as the sheer variety of art activities that advance fine motor skills and attention spans.

Ramsey has taught similar classes in the San Francisco area for 20 years, establishing classes in Hawaii about a year ago.

"We focus on the process rather than the finished product," she said. "We nurture the child's creative side by allowing them to explore art in a flexible environment."

Melanie Ajolo began taking her 2-year-old daughter, MakanaokeAkua, to class a few months ago. "Once a session ends, she wants to go back. She is definitely more in tune with her creativity. She can cut better and blend colors."

Saving money on supplies is a bonus, Ajolo said. "When I go to the art store, I'm thinking about paper, glue and glitter. We don't need to worry about buying all (those) things and don't need to clean up, so we can be really creative."

And the class approach is rubbing off on Mom, too. "I used to tell her to stay in the lines when coloring," Ajolo said. "I've learned to be a little more easygoing about how she plays. I've learned to let my kid go."

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Three-year-old Isabella Ford bounced around the room as she played with clay, tried out printmaking and painted rocks.

As a participant in "My First Art Class," she can roam the classroom to sample various creative outlets. Her mother, Kathy, is thankful for the opportunity. "I'd spend a half-hour setting up everything. She would do it for five minutes and make a disastrous mess ... and she painted her entire body."

The Fords have made the class a family activity for a year, now bringing their 11-month-old son, Aiden. Although he is too young to participate, he plays with the other children, Ford said.

Renee Ramsey's "My First Art Class" for ages 18 months to 5 years is offered in Kailua and Aina Haina, focusing not so much on technique as on exploration.

"Many people are under a misconception that art needs to be taught. If children are taught to trace or stay in the lines, they are not using their own creativity," Ramsey said. "During class the kids come in and freely explore art - a hands-off approach is best."

Besides, she said, "sticking the paint brushes into the wrong color paint helps them discover colors."

Five stations are set up at each session following a new weekly theme. For "Nature Week" the scheduled activities were rock painting, nature collage, a play clay table, minigardening, pot making and leaf prints.

One of Ramsey's driving forces is the fact that art programs in schools are dwindling, even at the preschooler level, replaced by more academics.

Elizabeth Park, director of early childhood education at Chaminade University, said children learn many skills through art and play, making those activities important in the early years.

These days, she said, "there is definitely more academic emphasis because of the No Child Left Behind Act. Art, music and PE are precursors to reading and learning readiness. By eliminating them we are weakening the foundation to build the house."

To pursue only academics brings lasting effects. "Children will expect more direct instruction," Park said. "We want to teach them how to think more creatively and work with new technology - it's really about processing and thinking outside of the box."

Ramsey's class ends on a musical note, with some singing and dancing. "Both children and parents learn how to express themselves and have a good time in the process."

Two-year-old Avery has been taking classes for about five weeks with her mother, Kristi Mapes, who says the socialization at the end of the program is a highlight for them. "We sing and dance. She really looks forward to that. We just moved here, so it's a nice way to get to know moms in the area, to make connections."