Product Description

"The little baby first perceives light and color as differentiated shades of brightness. Only when light and color work upon the eye does it become a perfected organ of sight."

The stimulation of active imagination and creativity is a vital factor in a child’s development. This essential, practical guide for parents and teachers is filled with colorful examples and shows that painting with children is more than just a form of self-expression. Müller encourages and attempts to understand children’s fantasies through their artwork.

Painting with Children contains sections on the "moral effects of color," the experience of colors, preparation, color stories and poems, panting with plant colors, painting the moods and seasons of nature, and much more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80869 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Review
"When we paint with colours we should paint in such a way that we are conscious that we are calling forth life from what is dead" Rudolf Steiner

Customer Reviews

wonderful introduction to watercolors
This wonderful book is fundamentally academic (presents research and writings from Rudolf Steiner and Goethe; recommends poetry by Shakespeare and Wordsworth) yet warm and practical.

Brunhild Muller explains first the effect each color has on a child. This is because children experience color in a more vivid and emotional way than many of us. Most adults have lost what they knew about color as children, having been taught that what there is to know about a color is its name and nothing more. The seemingly simple task of preparing to paint is divided into five steps which are discussed in detail; tips for materials are also included. Later chapters give ideas for setting the stage for a painting experience -- such as stories, poetry, seasons, or the moods of nature. Innovative ways to introduce color mixing are also presented.

The entire theory of how children perceive color, and its ramifications for introducing painting, is well expressed. I found this book inspirational and would especially recommend it to any homeschooling parent.

wonderful little book
a great resource for parents and art teachers.
inspiring paintings by young children. a must for anyone who wishes to start their children on a lifelong exploration of color. i'm an artist and father who found this book very helpful!

Not as Helpful as I'd Hoped
When I was new to Waldorf, wet watercolor painting was one of the first practices I added to our family life. I bought this book as it is recommended by just about everyone in Waldorf. I was surprised by how incredibly short it is! The how-to section is NOT more detailed that what you can access for free online on various waldorf sites. I was able to correct some problems with my technique by trial and error and by asking questions on various yahoo groups, instead.

In my opinion this book's main contributions are showing color paintings created by children at various ages and including a very short collection of some nice seasonal poems that can inspire one's painting. Really, not as helpful as I had hoped!