Vincent, Theo, painting and self-esteem.

Vincent van Gogh's life and work was greatly influenced by his relationship with his brother, Theo. One often wonders how his life might have been different if he had been appreciated and loved by others during his lifetime. We will never know. But, what we do know is that a person's self-esteem is linked to almost every aspect of one's life: relationships, successes, failures, happiness, sadness, achievement and development.

Developing a high level of self-esteem can be achieved in art. Art is an area in which all who participate with effort can achieve. Students who put forth their best efforts will produce artwork of which they can be proud.

The influence of Relationships

Our lesson began with a brief synopsis of van Gogh's life and his relationships with others. Van Gogh was close to his brother, Theo. Their relationship was so close, in fact, that because of their frequent correspondence, the painting of van Gogh's "Postman" is very well known.

Van Gogh's earliest paintings were dark and somber and depicted people in hard times. He later was influenced by Japanese paintings, which led him to experiment with brighter colors, such as the ones we find in his paintings of sunflowers. His brightest and most cheerful paintings were done when he was having positive relationships with others and when he felt good about himself.

Brush Strokes of Many Colors

After showing my students examples of van Gogh's paintings, we focused on his fascination with sunflowers. The students drew a flower pot with stems. They painted their flowers using thick brushes and thick tempera paint. We discussed the thickness of the paint and the color forming the picture rather than the drawing making the picture. The flower pot vase was painted with brush strokes of many colors, as was the table and the background.

This exercise can be a mind expanding experience for most. To paint a painting for the painting's sake and to not use paints to embellish a drawing is an exciting challenge. Some students are so used to drawing and filling in the spaces with colors that this exercise sets up new possibilities. The exciting part of the lesson is watching the students relax and enjoy the flow of the paint. It is wonderful to see the smiles on their faces and to sense the pride they feel about their paintings and themselves.

Building Self-esteem through Art

Art is such an important part of a student's education. Not only do students learn skills, techniques, use of varied media, art history and art appreciation, but also they learn about themselves and relationships. Art is a very important factor in building students' self-esteem. In a supportive environment, students can feel free to express themselves and to feel good about themselves.