The West Harlem Art Fund is building a new initiative. And we are reaching out to local art schools and programs. It's meant to be inclusive and diverse. Key scientific benefits are the following:
Cognitive & Memory Development
- Active Perception and Memory Retention: Drawing directly from nature serves as one of the single best ways to permanently internalize visual memory.
- Mental Generalization: Practicing en plein air forces students to master the skills of typification and generalization, allowing them to define common properties between complex, chaotic objects.
- Pre-visualization: It develops the specific creative ability to fully project a finished drawing in the mind before laying down media.
Decision-Making under Environmental Constraints
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- Decisive Composition Planning: The threat of shifting light and unpredictable outdoor elements requires lightning-fast choices regarding picture composition and color scores.
- Overcoming Hesitancy: The time constraints naturally eliminate artistic second-guessing, improving overall drawing speed, assurance, and efficiency.
- Simplification Mastery: Because nature provides too much detail, artists learn to make rapid, intuitive calculations regarding which features are essential and which must be discarded.
Our natural environment can help us grow and deepen our humanity. It's not all about flash but slow and consistent engagement. Please support the various groups that will try to draw and paint outdoors. It's important that these efforts are independent so we can build trust and develop our community in meaningful ways.
