"Sometimes, if you want to really see, you need to first close your eyes." - Jill Saur
THIS IS A POST FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I COULDN'T RESIST!
So, I've been studying the lives of several amazing artists who are blind. They find great success with their work through feeling deeply and using physical touch to identify the size and shape of what they're drawing and painting.
Since I've been talking with my students about not being a slave to their photograph that they're working from, and because I want everyone to connect more with what they're doing, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to have my students wear a blindfold and draw an object through sheer touch. I told them that they are so much more creative than they realize and they were about to experience it first hand!
So, I let them pick from an array of things such as pine cones, apples, bananas, and soap dispensers. Then, when they were ready, they tied on their blindfold and held their object in one hand and drew it with the other. I only took a few photos of their initial experiment (the first two photos below.) Everyone loved it and I think they were pretty surprised as to how well they did working completely blind!
Everyone had so much fun with the apples and pine cones that they thought they would try their hand on something a little more complicated. :)
Okay, so if you've gotten this far, I might have exaggerated a little as to the group experimenting with something that's a little more complicated! Everyone thought they would have a little fun with the blindfolds and possibly make the other classes a little jealous as to how fast they picked up on this new way of "seeing".
However, the first experiment was real and perhaps a little bit life altering. Sometimes, you hear the expression, "Don't try this at home." But, regarding drawing blindfolded, I am say, "TRY THIS AT HOME." You'll be surprised at what you're able to do just by the use of touch and your inner feelings!
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