Judy Bruce
With the holiday season upon us and for extra special gifts, think about presents of, for, and about art for friends and loved ones! Artful gifts are perfect for all gift-giving occasions. As I said in the last column, local artists would love to help you with your giving! Just give them a call for the perfect non-commercial personal items.
Research has proven, and I know from my teaching and personal work, that engaging in the arts can be meditative, exciting, and joyful; giving adults, seniors, and children a purpose. Having purpose leads to a life well lived! Gifts of art classes can provide socialization, which is important for brain and heart health, and can create new neural pathways as one has different experiences. You can contact the Sonoran Arts League website or call 480-488-2307 for schedules of classes, costs, and gift certificates. Terravita, Holland Center, Scottsdale, and Phoenix Art Museums all have classes. Even a Sonoran Arts League or museum membership would be desirable. What an enriching, creative, and life-changing gift an art class or membership can be!
My favorite gift as a child was a box of crayons and paper. Nothing was more exciting to me than the sweet smell of wax, the fabulous colors, the sharp new points, but mostly the promise of hours of drawing and coloring joy that the inexpensive materials provided. My parents and grandparents shook their heads as I passed up more expensive gifts for the humble art supplies. Crayons, paper, tempera, oil pastels, markers, glue, scissors, and many others can be found at local drug stores, super stores, or ordered online. The paper should be at least 80 pounds (check the label).
Top-quality art supplies are always thrilling for your artist friends or adults and teens. I love Sennelier oil pastels, Prisma colored pencils, Diane Townsend pastels, Old Holland and Gamblin oils, rag papers, cradleboards, and Golden acrylic products. Aprons, smocks, gloves, and storage containers will also be loved! The list is endless, and the items can be found at local Valley art stores or online. How-to books for collage, painting, drawing, cartooning, computer-generated art, and or art history, and art appreciation books are great gifts for anyone. It truly allows us to understand the history of mankind in a broader sense. You can remind the lucky recipients of art supplies that YouTube videos are available for any technique one wishes to learn and classes are available locally!
Happy holidays to all and do remember, “You Gotta Have Art,”and supplies, and books, and Youtube and classes!!
