Burton discusses the different phases/steps of development in children and how each step affects their art-making. One particular point I found most important is her emphasis on fostering student’s expression of personal experience with their own imagination.  By doing so, art could remain a vital part of the student’s education and life. Of course, with the current push for standardized-learning, it can sometimes seem impossible to actually do so. In this way, I feel that it is just important to push for adults to consider the freedom of art-making and show them how art-making does not have to necessarily follow specific rules and regulations, but instead can allow for great opportunities through the freedom of art-making.

For my own artistic response to Burton, I went back to some of my own artwork growing up and sought to re-create it. Though I knew it would be difficult, it was a lot harder than I initially thought it would be.  Especially in the beginning, I was having constant doubts in my head and having feelings of second-guessing, though as it went on, I grew more comfortable. I’d like to say right now that though I understand many people have issue with doing direct copies/replicas of other artworks, I find that doing direct copies actually can provide many good learning opportunities, especially when it comes to figuring out specific art-making techniques originally utilized. Many times as I was working, I stopped and thought about the logic behind how the originally image was made and contemplated on what my original thought process may have been. I found the whole process very reflective and allowed me to also consider how I can often feel limited by myself when I am making art.

Recreations (left) of the older works (right)

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a life time to paint like a child”- Pablo Picasso