Catching the Light: “Doing Art” and Education

Drawing upon the author's experience as a painter and visual art consultant in a public elementary school, this paper describes how “doing art” applies to the artistic thought process. The artwork of Joseph Beuys provides an historical perspective. The author shows how Beuys' use of three-dimensional form parallels her own work with color; like Beuys, she identifies an educational value behind “doing art.” She also reviews cognitive-science literature in light of her experience. She hopes that this paper will encourage scientists to design research projects to explore the artistic thought process and ultimately demonstrate the relevance of how we learn to what we learn.