Today waS very exciting going up to G.O.M.A the glasgow museum of modern art. I was looking forward to this all week thinking that I would learn new things and I did. In Art teaching there is so much perspective!

My focus on the use of art in the Primary School has helped me to be very aware of how art is sneaked in through different subjects and then classed as part of language and not a subject in its own right.For example children are assessed for language skills if they can illustrate a story in detail.

This week had some very hot weather. The children at the special school I worked at for one day - were out to play as usual in their purpose built playground. The playground is a green open space with climbing frames and secret hideouts and is well supervised. At one point a group had become involved in mark making using sticks that they had found in the open space. The children were writing their names and making patterns quite happily on a patch of bare ground where the grass had worn away.This basic need to express who there are and  to identify themselves I likened  to cave painting and  street art.This is the curriculum for excellence in operation said one member of staff.

Last week there was a sheltered area in the Nursery School in which  I worked  which shouted '' PAINT ME ''  It seemed sad that such an area which was used to play nursery games in- should have bare walls instead of children's art illustrations and text of nursery rhymes. Who would facilitate that and encourage the covering of that area??

After watching the Street Art slideshow from the American expert James Daichendt  and listening to his talk. I was impressed that A FREE WALL space is set up in L.A. - to encourage street artists to use their talents by improving and enhancing bare walls  in the city with their art. This initiative serves as a constantly changing art gallery which could be adapted to include for example a whole school. I like the idea of using free spaces to involve the community of the school.

At another special school they bought in a willow artist who made shapes of familiar objects from a metal frame and the whole group worked on weaving willow to make the sculpture complete. It was a great experience to see the pupils try to do art and maybe the only chance they would have to do this.I liked to see the sketch book of the artist as they showed his intense observational skills and his different ways of viewing objects.

So there was plenty of interesting art thinking going on in my mind along with a hope that one day all the schools in this area would be encouraged to use their empty wall space to create art on.

Today I was working at an nursery and was aware of how important art activities are at every stage.Well there is playdough , paper pens , paint and junk construction and collage. Every day the children are given the opportunity to use these materials. While they are engaged in the above activities they are learning how to manipulate their environment. They are building confidence and making things which are a record of their lives.They are using pictures to tell stories. They are also inmproving their fine motor skills an essential part of pre - writing skills.

When I was at teaching training college the art specialist told us that art is the centre of the curriculum and I have always believed that to be very true.

Maybe it is just me- but maths seems more interesting when you can draw pictures to represent sharing etc. or cut a circle decorated like a pizza in halves or quarters etc. Well I know I am a visual learner and so that is my preferred teaching and learning style.

The point I am trying to make though- is that the art seemed to stop at some stage in Primary school and left gaps in my life..sob- however I was blessed with having a granpa who was a cartoonist and who encouraged and inspired me.

Art can increase children's confidence and can even act as a therapy.
In the bigger picture Art is everywhere advertising , music and media furniture and fashion.

We need creative people to enhance and inspire us and art teaching should provide the relevant structure to do so.