Kid Art

I was blessed with a little bit of artistic talent...or at least an eye for it. Somewhere around the house here, I have a "bird book" that was created in 2nd grade, and I have to admit that my bird pictures were pretty darned good for my age back then. Of my young attempts, only the bird book and two bilious attempts at ceramic art remain--an elephant sitting on his butt, and a mermaid on a rock. How can I throw them away? *Back when Megan (my daughter) was in middle school, she produced some things that have equal non-discardable status in the house. One is a piece of black plastic, diamond-shaped, that is a clock. It hangs on the living room wall and continues to keep perfect time! It isn't beautiful, but it functions as the only time-keeper in that room. I could never, ever, throw it out! Another piece of her artwork from the same era, or just before, was a multi-colored collage of theatrical masks, done in marker. I loved it! I found a frame that worked well with it, and it still graces a wall in my house. *Slightly over a year ago, after my granddaughter was sent to live with her father, I was in receipt of her "things" from her school here in Plainfield. Among them was a perfectly beautiful water-color release "wash" of sea animals that Robin had done in her art class. I looked and looked at that all that fall. It was magnificent for second grade and deserved something to make it special. After searching long and hard for a frame that would fit the picture size, I finally found an appropriate frame (wrote about it on here). The frame was a whopping $45, but I thought the art was worth it. I wasn't sure how it would be received as a Christmas gift since it wasn't a toy. Even when Robin unwrapped it, she didn't seem all that impressed, but what followed told the tale. When each faction of the family arrived at the door that day, she sat on the couch with the picture on her lap facing outward so everyone could see it. That was the best $45 I ever spent! The picture still graces the wall in her bedroom and gets comments from people who see it. "You did that???" *My grandson, Ryan, doesn't have his sister's artistic bent, but he is in awe of it. He is more into sports, but I can see his envy for Robin's talent. This Christmas, after his mother and stepfather left for California, he took some colored pencils that he got as a gift, and instead of doing the color-by-number picture he was given, he just started drawing. Ryan NEVER draws! He drew a female with blonde hair and colorful stockings like his mother had worn, but said it was a picture of his "sister". Robin reminded him that he didn't have any blonde sisters. I think he was drawing his mommy, but he wouldn't admit to it...and it was absolutely the best picture that I had ever seen from him. After the children went home, I found the picture on the living room floor, folded as if to be a paper airplane--probably part of his discouragement--but I fixed him! I sent the picture to his mother in California, so he now knows how much we loved it. *I know how stupid this sounds, but just a little faith in someone's young talent can make such a big difference. When I was in second grade and we had moved into a brand new house in Danville, IL, my mother showed me a catalog. She said something like, "You have a good eye. Which one of these two sets of draperies would you pick?" Unbelievably to me, she bought the ones I chose! I never forgot it. Such a little thing but so big an impact! It's all good. God bless the children!