Drawing with my kids

Since we aren't going on a vacation this year there's been a lot of time to fill with the kids this summer. Time to fill may be an understatement because it feels more like there's a black hole in our planning and we're sucked down into its vortex daily, limbs flailing. Okay yes you get the picture, we're waaaay overdue for a diversion. The kids have actually had a few nice surprises. We built them a huge sandbox which makes you feel like you're at the beach. Kids who walk by our house actually STOP and stare they're so jealous. But our kids aren't all that intrigued by it. Most times they don't venture out beyond the terrace and so we've been filling mornings with art.



Charlotte is just getting into the whole world of painting and drawing. I haven't pushed her much because, it's so unfair I'll be the first to admit, but it's such a lot of work setting up art for a kid under three. I know it's terrible of me to deny her access to a place I spend so much time but I guess I'm a lazy mom and selfish too. I'll be the first to admit that the mess just overwhelms me. Usually I've been able to park her in front of some legos when I sit at the table with Little S in the morning and she's fine, but lately she wants to join in too which of course is natural at her age. I'm usually painting one minute and then watching horrified as she dumps colored water on the carpet and table the next. I guess I've lost my terrible two reflexes. We did the smart thing and got her a box of her own paints. It wasn't a "wouldn't that be cute if she had her own stuff" philosophy either but more out of desperation because she wreaks havoc on a paintbox. She's happy with her "pints" though and knows they're hers.



Meanwhile she insists on standing up when she paints. I can't get her to sit. If you think you can get her to sit I encourage you to come over and try. You'll have colored water in you hair! I know it isn't good to have her standing but everyone has their preferred way of creating and she gets really frustrated if she has to sit.



Little S has become the Still Life guy much to my delight. He draws everything within arms reach in shaky little marker drawings. I used to try to get him to do life drawing all the time but he didn't get it and he kept drawing from his imagination, and now more and more he draws nothing but real life objects. He also enjoys drawing what I draw and I have lots of copies he's done of what I've drawn. It's cute to see that he watches what I'm drawing. He likes my journal and without my pushing him he's intrigued by drawing things and keeping a journal. I still haven't bought him one since I stole his but he keeps asking me for one. I think I'll wait until he's a little older but meanwhile I paste his finished drawings, the good ones, in an oversized notebook which was a great idea I got from Amanda Soule's last book. One day I showed the book to him and he was really happy to look back at all his pictures. I knew he would be. But of course he grabbed it up and started drawing IN the book.

You don't have to push them to draw. If you draw and the materials are there they'll be passionate about it too. I'm pretty sure of it by now. I remember watching my aunt draw and loving sitting with her at my grandmother's kitchen table in the afternoon. We'd draw all together and she'd show me tricks about how to get dimensions and shawdows right. Good times and it gave me the passion to want to draw every day.