I started to consider myself a ‘real’ artist after my daughter asked me why I didn’t think of myself as an artist when I am often telling her that if she dreams something then if she is willing to work hard there is no reason she cannot at least attempt to live her dreams!
We bond over artwork, always have – it is our special ‘mummy and daughter’ thing. You can often find us painting together. Her passion and skill is improving so rapidly (and yes I know this is her mother talking so I may be biased). That being said, I can see her watching me, learning from observation and often she will sit and watch and then blow me away with some great insight of what she has noticed I am doing and then try it in her own work. She is currently BEGGING me for grown up paints like mine (she is still using the $5.00 water colour set from the warehouse that I started with and what ever scrap paper I can find (because lets me honest, she does about 10 paintings in a session while one piece takes me multiple sittings).
You may recognise this image below (it features on the website in the background in some places) this is one of Miss B’s most recent masterpiece’s and there is a reason why I have included it in my website, to have a little piece of her within the design personality because she was the one who inspired me to start on this journey.
I was blown away by the creativity and awareness of use of space and colour – not bad for a 7.5 year old. The next thing for us to work on is birds, she has been asking me to help her with her birds, and she often uses youtube to find drawing tutorials…. I really enjoy supporting the creative flair she has, it reminds me about growing up spending hours in my Grandmother’s art space just watching! I often think back to those days now as I am painting and wonder whether some of the things that feel like they were just installed somehow in the back of my brain are really distant memories that have already set a program in my brain of who shapes and colours should work???
Whether she decides she wants to be an astronaut or a artist or a doctor, I know that I will be proud no matter what, but for now, I am going to enjoy her wanting to spend time with me painting and I hope that I never forget the reason I started this page.
Thanks for taking the time to read my little reminiscing session. If you have not had a chance to check out the home page for the website and view the shop with current artwork, please don’t hesitate to hit the home link in the menu bar at the top 🙂
Colleen 🙂