I feel I may be contradicting myself today in this latest article. I usually encourage young artists to be free with their art and not be restricted by topics and themes. However, I realise that sometimes when faced with a blank piece of paper or a canvas a word suggestion can be helpful. This is speaking from experience.

Sometimes I wake up with a free day and just want to get into my studio and paint. I put a canvas on my easel; get out my jar of brushes and all the other bits of resources then sit and look at the blank white space in front of me. All I need is one word. I put a CD on. OK yes, I`m `old school` and still enjoy the process of placing a CD into a machine. Music can often trigger an idea or emotion.

My private tuition students always begin with one word which develops into a mind / ideas map of some description. For example, `NATURE`. This one word allowed us to discover more than thirty avenues of exploration and ideas, from seashells, insects and trees to seeds, plants and water and the elements. Choosing one word from the mind/ideas map can evolve into numerous skills and interesting interpretations. From the nature topic let`s take the word BUTTERFLY.

My nine-year-old student began by drawing a mirror image of a butterfly using pencil and coloured pencils. This led to pattern making, fabric printing, wallpaper designs, a fantasy painting, an embroidery covering sewing skills and different ways of enhancing such as padding and numerous embroidery stitches, 3D card folded butterflies and incorporating artist Damian Hirst well known for his butterfly artwork.

The list of skills is endless. Each strand of a topic involves a famous artist. There are hundreds of artists to cover every theme, as well as Van Gogh and Monet etc. suggested by the National Curriculum. Just one word from the nature topic and so much was learnt. The good factor was that the topic or theme was the child`s choice. Something they wanted to explore.

This may be difficult in a class of thirty, but discussions could take place, exploring many avenues, producing even more exciting artwork.

Here I go again emphasising why art in primary schools should be a stand alone subject. Yes, I know skills can be taught via history and literature etc but come on where`s the fun in that?

Away from the classroom children have the world at their feet for ideas and inspiration.

Looking through my files of wonderful submissions, I realised many could be placed as collectives and that offering a theme may help inspire and stimulate the children`s imagination.

I try to steer students away from religious and political subjects but explain that religion and culture are easily separated and art throughout various cultures can produce interesting diverse pieces of work, especially in the theme `Hidden Identity` as covered by the 12yr olds I tutor. Identity can include portraiture and be personal or diverse.

I chose the artwork in this week`s article as a variety of portraits and abstract pieces under the umbrella of the word IDENTITY.

Amanda`s painting was her clever end of topic piece on hidden identity. Nathan was inspired by the colours and decorations in his exciting carnival mask. Leon and Rafi produced lovely self portraits and Samson used charcoal pencils for his marvellous African Granny portrait.

I look forward to receiving lots of children`s artwork for my articles in December and dare I offer a topic of WINTER, without involving a particular Christmas theme.
Please submit via CURATORSPACE (Children`s Art) or via my email; purplegrandma48@gmail.com
Deadline 30th November