Last week, as we kicked off a new art project inspired by Antoni Gaudí, one of the kids walked into class and asked, “Why do we have to learn from an artist?”
It’s such a great question and one that made me pause.
The truth is, learning from artists can teach us far more than how to draw or paint. It teaches us how to observe, experiment, fail, and try again, skills that are just as important in life as they are in art.
Mosaic wall design by Stephanie age 8.
The Process:
Even a five-minute sketch has a beginning and an end. But when you’re looking at something as vast as Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, it’s easy to wonder if the end will ever come. That’s the beauty of it; it’s a reminder that big ideas take time.
When kids (or adults!) are learning something new, they often want to skip to the final result. But there’s no shortcut to mastery. Sometimes your hand needs training. Sometimes your idea needs to evolve. Sometimes you need to start over.
In one of our lessons, we looked at Claude Monet’s famous water lily paintings. What many people don’t realize is that he didn’t just paint his garden, he designed it. From planting the flowers to the final brushstroke, every step was intentional. He made many studies before he ever arrived at his finished works.
To bring this idea to life, we divided our garden into sections and recreated it using oil pastels. The kids got to “dissect” the scenery and build it back up one patch of colour at a time. The learning happened in the process, not just the product.
Water lilies by Stephanie age 8 and Dennis Age 9.
Techniques & Styles
When students copy or interpret another artist’s work, they’re not just copying, they’re analysing. They’re asking:
How did they do this? Why that brushstroke? What colours did they use, and why?
By doing this, kids begin to build their own creative toolbox. They gather references and styles that they can use later in their own way.
Say a student wants to make a mosaic of a night sky. If they’ve studied how others have approached night scenes or used mosaic patterns, they’ll feel more confident in shaping their own vision. Inspiration becomes a guide, not a limitation.
Sculpture by Omer age 8.
Making sense of the Present
Art is more than decoration, it’s a reflection of the time, place, and people who made it. Throughout history, artists have helped shape and express cultural identity. And many times, they weren’t working alone. Movements like Art Nouveau brought together artists who explored similar themes and styles in powerful ways.
In class, we explored Emile-Allain Séguy´s antique butterfly designs and the principles of Art Nouveau. We studied butterfly wings, recreated their patterns, and used Klimt-style motifs to bring our backgrounds to life.
Through this, the kids learned something important: artists help us see the world differently. They find beauty in the ordinary, and in doing so, teach us to pay attention, to colours, patterns, and stories hidden in plain sight.
Butterflies by Maria age 9
So, Why Learn from Artists?
Because artists teach us more than how to make something beautiful.
They teach us how to think creatively, embrace mistakes, and look at the world with fresh eyes.
Join Our Art Classes!
No experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and we’ll guide the rest.