I think occasionally I need to step outside the boundaries of what I consider art.
And I consider art...quite often in fact [insert cymbal crash here]
Some days, a bottle of Elmers glue, a stack of magazines, some construction paper and some random crafties can still make me giddy.
Pulled the plug Monday and the kids got crafty all. day. long. The sad traces of dried glue puddles, construction paper scraps and googly sticker eyes still litter the dining room table and floor. Does anyone actually eat at the dining room table anymore? Ours is more a multi-purpose desk/craft station/ironing board/folding table these days. Occassionally we have spaghetti there.
So we're mid-color mixing project (divide your paper into land/water/air/mountains. Using primary colors, mix away. Kids were enthralled) and Baz looks up at me in wonder and says: "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... i get it"
"What, buddy?" Me: distracted. trying to get red paint out of sophi's eyebrow "What do you get?"
"How God did it" In that matter-of-fact voice that only kids have perfected; making me feel like a total idiot.
"You know... It"
Deep breath. searching for patience as sophie proceeds to cover her right cheek in blue... "What's It, bud? I don't follow"
"The art, Mom"
Me: Blank Stare. We are obviously operating on different wavelengths today.
In his enlightened state of being, Sebastian holds up his picture. It's effing gorgeous. swirled up sunset, deep blue mountains, yellow-green grass, sun in super-nova. I want to lay down in this picture and die with a half-smile on my face. How did my four-year-old create this? And how quickly can I get it framed and hang it up on my wall? It's not little-kid art. Well, maybe it is, but it's the kind of little kid art that freezes your breath in your chest and makes your heart squeeze out that little tattoo that feels like too much caffeine...
"ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." i say, softly. "I get it too, Baz. I get it too."
The entire exchange took less than a minute. It made my whole weekend worthwhile.
And I consider art...quite often in fact [insert cymbal crash here]
Some days, a bottle of Elmers glue, a stack of magazines, some construction paper and some random crafties can still make me giddy.
Pulled the plug Monday and the kids got crafty all. day. long. The sad traces of dried glue puddles, construction paper scraps and googly sticker eyes still litter the dining room table and floor. Does anyone actually eat at the dining room table anymore? Ours is more a multi-purpose desk/craft station/ironing board/folding table these days. Occassionally we have spaghetti there.
So we're mid-color mixing project (divide your paper into land/water/air/mountains. Using primary colors, mix away. Kids were enthralled) and Baz looks up at me in wonder and says: "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
"What, buddy?" Me: distracted. trying to get red paint out of sophi's eyebrow "What do you get?"
"How God did it" In that matter-of-fact voice that only kids have perfected; making me feel like a total idiot.
"You know... It"
Deep breath. searching for patience as sophie proceeds to cover her right cheek in blue... "What's It, bud? I don't follow"
"The art, Mom"
Me: Blank Stare. We are obviously operating on different wavelengths today.
In his enlightened state of being, Sebastian holds up his picture. It's effing gorgeous. swirled up sunset, deep blue mountains, yellow-green grass, sun in super-nova. I want to lay down in this picture and die with a half-smile on my face. How did my four-year-old create this? And how quickly can I get it framed and hang it up on my wall? It's not little-kid art. Well, maybe it is, but it's the kind of little kid art that freezes your breath in your chest and makes your heart squeeze out that little tattoo that feels like too much caffeine...
"ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
The entire exchange took less than a minute. It made my whole weekend worthwhile.
