Van Gogh: A First Grader's Account

Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Vincent van Gogh

Conversation with my 6 year old:

"What did you do in art today?"
"Watched a movie."
"A movie, in art class?"
"Yeah. It was about an artist, I don't remember his name but he did a bunch of stuff before he was an artist. Then he was so sad he cut his ear off and sent it in the mail. Then he was friends with this other artist and he went home and got so mad at his friend that he shot himself."

My husband and I looked at each other with hugely wide eyes, my 5 year old laughed and we spent the next 5 minutes explaining why that was sad and not funny and wondering why the heck a first grader needs that much background on an artist. Then when they were in bed we howled with laughter and wondered, who's next on the list?!

Art The Art Mannequin

Mr. Golden Curls, my little budding artist. He really is amazingly creative and artistic. He is always wanting to make things, always thinking of making movies, or how he can make robots out of paper that actually move, or costumes out of paper sacks and cardboard boxes. The picture above is a blackboard at our church that he spent a good chunk of time filling up with amazing drawings while I made signs for Vacation Bible School. When he gets focused on something he's unstoppable, just don't expect him to be focused on what you want him to be!

My boys may be getting big but they're still having important (to me) firsts, like brand spankin' new real live art supplies for the first time ever! A couple of weeks ago, while Pappa was gone at camp, the boys and I were suffering from some serious cabin fever. I decided it was time for a trip to Hobby Lobby for some new markers and to look for some little project for the boys to do.When we walked into the store Mr. Golden Curls declares "I know what I want and it's little!" Turned out to be a little art mannequin, which thrilled me to no end, and led to me spending a wee bit more to get him his first sketchbook, set of pencils, eraser, and blending stumps...mmmm, art supplies.

Do you see those drawing skills?! Not bad for a first attempt by a 6 year old!

Lil' Spitfire is nipping at big brother's artistic heals. At four he's already drawing things that are recognizable and loves to act things out on paper. So what starts as a picture of a guy with a thought bubble, words and all, may be reduced to green scribble when there's an unfortunate slime explosion set off by the bad guy. He loved these double sided markers with one side marker and the other side a stamp.

If my boys grow up to be bean counters finding happiness in computers, calculators and cubicles that will be fine with me, but it is nice to see some creativity sparking in their little minds!

Art On Tap: Andy Warhol

My little Ode to Andy: Marilyn Through Beer Goggles

Last night I got to go to the Art on tap event for the Andy Warhol: 15 Weeks of Fame exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. All because the Bohemian loves he's wife so very very much as to set up a wonderfully fantastic early birthday gift extraordinaire! It was so much fun! Not only did I get to see Warhol but there was an international beer tasting before the gallery opened where we got to act like the snooty artsy people we used to be and we didn't have anyone else with us, no kids, nothin', just a good old fashioned date! It was all around fantastic! Fantastic art with my favorite person in the world.