Pendulum Drawings

In our exploration into new and exciting ways of mark making I have come across the use of Pendulums as a means of making marks. It ranges from Arduino and robotic pendulum drawings powered by programming and coding (something I endeavour to try out soon) to simple tripod pendulum paintings.

So we constructed two pendulums – one with a horizontal pole held by two vertical stands and another that stood as a tripod. On the pole held by two stands we attached felt tips and Oscar gently rocked the pole for five minutes, creating delicate scribbles on the surface of the paper. With the tripod we attached a squeeze bottle filled with ink/paint – producing lines, or what was supposed to be lines of ink which in turn created patterns (in this case the ink didn’t flow smoothly, it came out as blobs due to the air in the bottle not being displaces – a hole in the upright side of the bottom should do this).

The principle of using a pendulum to make marks transcends art and creativity in that it is also teaching children simple physics – in this case the changing displacement of ink and the amplitude of oscillation (the marks gradually getting smaller/closer together).

In any case, this was a fun experiment, that allowed us all, as a family to take part in. Here are some of the patterns we made!

Paintums

Today’s homework was to encourage Oscar to be spontaneous and gestural with some large brushes and paint. He likes to have a running commentary whilst making the marks on the page – making Richard and I very aware that he is doing “Paintums.” Ultimately I want these paintings to transpire into a medium I am comfortable using – print perhaps. However, for now, I am just revelling in my son’s delight in making some paintings.

Stages of Art Making

Children explore the world around them through intellectual, physical and emotional methods – all of which play a part in their art.

Several studies have established a series of stages of development in a child’s art making process – simply stated as:

SCRIBBLE – LINE – OBSERVATION – REPRESSION – POTENTIAL ARTISTIC REVIVAL*

(*stated by art historian Herbert Read, co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts)

I have explored the first few that Oscar has either worked or is working at…

SCRIBBLE (around 14 months) ✔︎

• shapeless and purposeless;
• The primitive cell from which all graphic art grows;
• little muscle control needed;
• sweeping movements of the arm from elbow or shoulder;
• tangled movement like a pen attached to a pendulum or string.

VIKTOR LOWENFIELD’S 4 STAGES OF SCRIBBLE: 

• Disordered – uncontrolled markings that could be bold or light depending upon the personality of the child. At this age the child has little or no control over motor activity.
• Longitudinal – controlled repetitions of motions. Demonstrates visual awareness and enjoyment of kinaesthetic movements.
• Circular – further exploring of controlled motions demonstrating the ability to do more complex forms.
• Naming – the child tells stories about the scribble. There is a change from a kinaesthetic thinking in terms of motion to imaginative thinking in terms of pictures.

SCRIBBLE AND CONTROL (around 18 months) ✔︎

• Mark making change to include circular movements, interspersed with lines – basic lessons are being mastered;
• Initially chance, watching another child/adults/teachers/parents drawing, slowly brought under control of mind and body;
• control of muscles in hand, wrist and arm;
• collaboration of mind and body.

SCRIBBLE AND PRECISION (2 years) ✎

• more demanding lines, angles, zigzags and crosses;
• use of arm, wrist and finger muscles;
• challenges to perception, memory and co-ordination of hand and eye movement;
• building of a store of knowledge about motions and products with varying results;
• can continue alongside gradual increasing skill in formal, recognisable pictures…

Other stages that Oscar should progress to in the next few years are: line, descriptive symbolism and realism; and eventually reach: visual realism, repression and artistic revival.

“The only true source of art is our heart – the language of a pure childlike spirit. A creation, not flowing from these springs, can only be mannerisms. Every true work of art is received in  consecrated hours and born in jubilant – to the artist often unknown – inner urges of the heart.”

– Casper David Friedrich, 1830.