Special Art Making 1

Special Art Making

Cody Thomas

ARE 6933 Artistic Development

29 January 2023
Special Art Making 2

Abstract

This research brief discusses the importance of inclusivity and development in the art room and

why it is important for educators to adapt their projects to meet the needs of students that have

impairments, developmental disabilities, and/or physically disabled. Accompanying the research

brief is collection of artworks made by K-12 students who have impairments, such as visual;

developmental disabilities; and students with physical disabilities. Some artworks are also

adaptable to bring into an art class with special needs students in mind. Twenty-three artworks

that were collected consist of a variety of mediums paper and printmaking, painting, ceramics,

and stitching. The PDF of collections can be found at

https://thomasstudio.weebly.com/collection-of-childrens-art.html. In the accompanying

collection of works, I also suggested artists that have developmental disabilities, blind or visually

impaired, or who have physical disabilities that can be of artistic influences for each artwork.

Keywords: Art; Art Process; Special Needs; Inclusivity; Blind; Developmental

Disabilities

Word Count: 1,500

Research Brief

Even at very young ages, children are fascinated by art and love to experience it first-

hand. Understanding and participating in art can help children have a greater appreciation for the

world around them and the discovery of oneself. Art also serves different purposes such as

enabling children to cultivate in self-expression, imagination, creativity, and develop critical-

thinking and problem-solving skills. For some, art may be the only way for communication or be

used as a way to control behavioral issues through mark-making. However, unlike students who

advance rapidly in their various developmental stages, children that have physical and/or mental

handicaps have barriers that impede progression within their developmental stages (Herberholz

& Hanson, 1995).

Beginning my research, I started with Google and a basic search of “art students +

special needs” and the results were endless. A lot of the image of students work appeared to be

in the scribble stages of development. I then began to refine my search and look for specifics –

with different mediums and by grades from K-12. By looking at well over one hundred different

images over a week, the more advanced in artistic development came from mediums that were

more tactile and three-dimensional as opposed to the two-dimension. This also made me think

about student’s adaptive tools and aid inside of the art room.

Many tools are available for students with physical needs. These include double-handed

scissors, larger paints brushes to allow students with gripping issues hold the paint brush. It is

imperative for teachers to find creative ways that will allow each student’s disability to not stop

them from creating. This also allows the students to not have potential emotional outbreaks or

behavioral issues. This can possibly increase the potential of the student feeling a sense of

accomplishment and success. “Teachers can identify the needs of students in relation to their
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future goals weather they desire to become an artist or an engineer, or to just use the class for

personal expression (Andrelchik & Schmitt, 2014, p. 18)”. To these students, success could be

simply not spilling water onto their painting while cleaning their brush to winning an art

completion. For example, Figure 1 shows student, Sam Borek, who is visually impaired, winning

first place within his age group by the American Printing House for the Blind with his self-

portrait that had gained local and international attention. Borek used a mixed media of board,

construction paper, ribbon, and shells to create his self-portrait.

Figure 1

Second grade student Sam Borek’s first place winning self-portrait.

Note: “Sam Borek Self-Portrait”, Keane, 2008.

While looking at Borek’s artwork and other artwork that was created by blind and

visually impaired students, I noticed the simplicity of line. “Perceptual cognition consists in the

grasping of structural features, the blind finds it easier to recognize simple abstract line drawings

than realistic pictures (Arnheim, 1990, p.64)”. With these individuals the sense of ‘self’ is

counteracted by the direct awareness of an outer world and the environment in which they are in
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(Arnheim, 1990). It is through touch that the majority of the student’s works I collected are based

on the sense of touch. With touch, builds the individual’s mobility and fine motor skills. I also

discovered the importance of allowing the students to discover and engage in mark-making as

they see fit and not to the standards of the teacher. The results were rewarding in what I had

found. Students learn by trial and error and by playing.

A project, see Figure 2, completed by third graders caught my attention with the idea of

spatial awareness, paper manipulation, and sculpture. By engaging in discovery, each student

was able to come up with creative ways in making paper sculptures intersecting and crossing

loops of other sheets of paper. This project allowed the students to develop fine motor skills,

learn colors, as well as space and paper manipulation. “Because they were individualist and

varied, their products often displayed a normality, perhaps reflecting capacities rather than

deficits (Rubin, 1975, p. 7)”.

Figure 2

Third grade class project of different lines and paper manipulation through sculpture.

Note: “Line Drawing Sculpture”, Beckett, 2015.

Three-dimensional work is imperative for all students, especially those that have mental and/or

physical disabilities or impairments. Children are living, playing, and moving within space.

“Children’s conceptual base of information related to three-dimensional forms can effectively be

developed and dealt with by actually using three-dimensional materials (Herberholz & Hanson,

1995, p. 200)”. Thus said, it is also important to allow the students the opportunity to work with

various mediums. This also allows the students to be challenged by them and discover interesting

uses for the mediums. “Only then can a child discover their personally congenial way of making

things. Thus, a broad choice of media, and an openness to the use of other, related expressive

modalities is essential (Rubin, 1975, p. 9)”.

Figure 3:

Students from the Kennedy Day School created self-portraits using various mediums of their

choosing.

Note: “Cubism Self-Portraits”, Messer, 2015.

In Figure 3, special needs art students from ages of three to twenty-two, learned about

work of Picasso and art movements of Abstraction and Cubism. They then were introduced to

various media such as fabric, paints, googly eyes, markers, yarn, and more to create a self-

portrait that resembles Picasso’s artwork. With three-dimensional work and variety of mediums,

tactile sensory is important for students with special needs (Messer, 2015) One of the best

mediums that all K-12 students enjoy is working with clay. Today, many educators refuse to let

children to work with clay due to the being in the carpets, floors, or in the sinks. There is also the

problem with school budget cuts and fire codes that may not allow some art classes to have a

kiln. Despite these concerns, special needs and clay are indefinite.

Children spends a lot of time manipulating pliable mediums, rolling into balls, making

tiny pinches of people and monsters. Working with a tactile medium such as clay, students can

feel “the roundness, the depth, the overall wholeness of a figure, head, or animal, and through

this tactile intake, they can refine, better understand, and communicate their knowledge of

physical forms (Herberholz & Hanson, 1995, p. 201)”. It is suggested that students, in K-3

grades should not be forced to make recognizable objects until they are ready and when they are

ready allow the students to use their creativity and imagination (Herberholz & Hanson, 1995).

Figure 4 shows monsters made by pinch pots, coiling, and clay manipulation like making balls

for eyes and coils for appendages. “If students have many opportunities to play with the clay and

other modeling materials, their growth will proceed rapidly, and representative symbols will

begin to emerge (Herberholz & Hanson, 1995, p. 201)”. Through the use of clay, that personal

narratives and little in terms of artistic skill, discovered positive influences in their lives while

increasing their confidence and ability to represent ideas through material (Carrol, 2006, p. 20).

By learning how to use different mediums in more than one way, for example, using slip-and-
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scoring or water to join to pieces of clay together, can allow the student to gather that info and

form new ideas and ways of using the media as Piaget’s theory of manipulating matter (Fogarty,

1999). Lastly, it is important for these students to review their artwork and processes, especially

in three-dimensional concept (Herberholz & Hanson, 1995).

Figure 4:

Monsters from clay.

Note: “Pinch Pot Monsters”, Heath, 2014.

When students discuss their finished piece, it is also important to talk about their process.

“Students perceptions and knowledge increase and unfold with repeated experiences (Herberholz

& Hanson, 1995, p. 201)”. With critiquing work, it is also imperative to keep the classroom a

positive and safe space for the students. Securing a classroom setting where students engage in

critiques and reflections, presents the opportunity for students to get comfortable with each other

- as they are having conversations discussing their art with their peers (Killian, 2012). Through

creating, this will allow conversations and interactions between peers whether each student is in
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a special needs class or a special needs student who is mainstreamed can take down their

“physical and mental barriers (Herberholz & Hanson, 1995, p. 95)” that will help the student

interact successfully within their environments.

While looking over my collection of artworks, it had made me wonder about the

student’s ability in completing such projects. Everyone is different – even with disabilities;

students are on different spectrums and abilities. Further research shows that a lot of the students,

regardless of disability, are placed into special education due to outside stimuli. This can

negatively have an impact on their social and emotional actions. “By using stimulating physical

and mental creative activities, increase of awareness of the environment (Herberholz & Hanson,

1995, p. 95)”, it is imperative that teachers offer alternative ways of communication. Art is that.

Everyone has the ability to engage in mark-making. Students that have disabilities and

impairments encounters setbacks and problems each day – that other children will never face.

Through these collected art activities, and more, they can help ease frustrations and provide a

healthy valuable form of expression of self and to encourage improved muscular control, fine

motor skills, and a sense of success with personal achievements.

References

Andrelchik, H., & Schmitt, R. O. (2014). Students' perception of success in the art classroom.

International Journal of Education & Arts, 15(13), 1-23.

Arnheim, R. (1990). Perceptual aspects of art for the blind. The Journal of Aesthetic Education,

24(3), 57-65.

Becket, M. (2015, September 15). Line Drawing Sculpture [Digital image]. Retrieved January

20, 2023, from https://www.artisbasic.com /2015/09/paper-line-sculptures- with-

kindergarten.html

Carroll, K. L. (2006). Development and learning in art: Moving in the direction of a holistic

paradigm for art education. Visual Arts Research, 32(1), 16-28.

Fogarty, R. (1999). Architects of the intellect. 1-17.

Heath, A. (2014, February 14). Pinch Pot Monsters [Digital image]. Retrieved January 18, 2023,

from http://missartypants.blogspot.com/2014/02/pinch-pot-monsters.html

Herberholz, B. J., & Hanson, L. (1995). Early childhood art (4th ed.). Madison, WI: Brown &

Benchmark.

Keane, K. (2008, December 14). Sam Borek Self Portrait [Digital image]. Retrieved January 16,

2023, from https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/education/2008/12/15/blind-scituate-

boy-wins-national/40129971007/

Killian, J. (2012, January 01). Child development and arts education: A review of current

research and best practices (2). Retrieved January 24, 2023, from

https://scholars.ttu.edu/en/publications/child-development-and-arts-education-a-review-of-

current-research-5
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Messer, S. (2015, July 17). Cubism Self Portrait [Digital image]. Retrieved January 23, 2023,

from https://franciscanchildrens.org/blog/creativity-at-work-the-kennedy-day-school-art-

show/

Rubin, J. A. (1975). Art is for all human beings especially the handicapped. Art Education,

28(8), 5-10. doi:10.2307/3192065