This article was published in The New York Times eight years ago, but it is still relevant. My son, Brian Bomeisler, was interviewed in a wide-ranging discussion about how training right-brain skills can help corporations as well as individuals. Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, Drive, and To Sell is Human, who took a DRSB 5-Day Workshop from Brian, is also quoted in this article. Worth a read!
Dear friends of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain®,
Welcome to our new Website! I hope that you will find it up-to-date, full of useful information, and easy to use.
We made special efforts to make sure that the new site provides quick and easy ways for you to learn about the theories behind Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain®, to review our workshop schedule and sign up for a class, and to peruse our offerings of instructional drawing supplies and materials.
I’m very grateful to Robert Palmer of Honest Code, San Diego, for all his help in developing the site, as well as to my daughter, Anne Farrell, who worked on the design for many months. I’m also grateful to my son, Brian Bomeisler; son-in-law John Farrell; and to Rachael Thiele, my colleague of many years, and Sandy Manning, who runs our office. If you have any questions, click here to email Sandy, or use the Contact form on this new site.
There are now many convenient ways for you to communicate with me and my colleagues, and this new blog gives me a chance to share with you relevant articles and ideas. I hope you will make our communication a two-way street!
A new website is a great way to start the New Year, and I look forward to bringing the joy of learning to draw to many new friends.
Betty
Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Igor Stravinsky, c. 1920. Stravinsky and Pablo Picasso collaborated on Pulcinella in 1920. Picasso took the opportunity to make several sketches of the composer. In Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, you will learn how this wonderful drawing by one of the greatest artists of the 20th century can help YOU learn to draw.
Jamie, Lauryn, Cornelia, and Katie with Brian Bomeisler and Betty Edwards, at the final drawing critique following a DRSB 5-Day Workshop in La Jolla. Click to see the Before & After Examples of self-portraits by these students in early January 2016.
An extraordinary look at Rembrandt's self-portraits through the years.
I morphed a selection of Rembrandt's self-portraits. The song is Breath of Light, by String Theory I am complimented by the many requests I receive regarding this video showing Rembrandt's life in self portraits. I am sorry to say that I do not provide the original files for use.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are the center of attention in most U.S. public schools today. The focus on STEM fields was initiated to increase global competitiveness and the project does have its merits. However, it has left the arts (the "A" in STEAM) languishing far off in the periphery. This is quite unfortunate, as art education is known to improve academic performance.
Of the elementary schools with arts, the most common subjects revolve around music at 94% and visual studies at 83%. Only 3% offer dance instruction while 4% provide theater arts.
Training in the arts has been shown to improve creativity and innovation. Students learn to approach issues with a critical mind and a positive attitude towards problem solving. Exposure to the arts enhances communication skills, which are essential tools for collaboration. It develops flexibility and adaptability. The government recognizes these and, indeed, 48 states have adopted standards for art instructions.
However, 51% of art teachers are unhappy about what they see as the decline in art education brought about by the shift in focus. The difficulty in measuring art’s contribution to academic performance has led to its under-appreciation.
STEAM could be an answer.
Human brains may be self-aware, but most are hazy on the details. To help you wrap your head around this enigmatic organ, here's an illustrated blast of mind-blowing brain facts. http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/33-things-your-brain-doesnt-know-about-itself
Published in 2012 in the Detroit News-Press. The "Speed Bump" comic strip by Dave Coverly. (With thanks to Mike Bignell in Brighton, Michigan, who shared the cartoon.)
Jeremy Tarcher, the original publisher of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain in 1979, passed away in September 2015. He was always a champion of Dr. Edwards' work, and his faith in her had tremendous results: her book has remained a best-seller up to the present day. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/business/media/jeremy-p-tarcher-publisher-of-nonfiction-best-sellers-dies-at-83.html?_r=0
