| Art education in Saudi Arabia focuses mostly on beauty and harmony but rarely fosters individual expression and creativity. While graduate training in art therapy is largely focused on studies in psychology as they relate to the analysis of art and training in art education largely on classroom teaching, the two employ similar visual skill sets, techniques and methods in their respective professions when they work with their clients, be they patients or students. Researchers have shown that elementary art educators throughout the world could benefit from using certain art therapy techniques and processes to encourage the above; that by incorporating art therapy processes and techniques in the Saudi elementary art classroom in particular, art teachers may be able to encourage individual expression and creativity among their students. By doing so, it is hoped that those attending elementary schools in Saudi Arabia may be better able to explore their thoughts, feelings, desires, imaginations and experiences through their own unique forms of visual representation. This thesis provides a background to present day art education in Saudi Arabia. It also provides grounding in art therapy and its application in the United States as well as its present day minimal use in Saudi Arabia. This paper identifies the nature of the relationship between art education and art therapy and focuses on three art therapy processes and techniques: expressive painting, expressive collage and a visual journal, before demonstrating how each of these techniques can encourage expression and creativity in every art classroom, not only in those which are focused on children specifically engaged in art therapy programs.;Keywords: art therapy techniques, Saudi Arabia elementary art classroom, art education in U.S.A, art education in Saudi Arabia, expressive artwork, expressive painting, visual journal, expressive collage, children's expressive artwork, children's creative artwork. |
