AND IT GOES WHOOOSHHH!!!

Remember my other child? The boy child? The one who seems to endlessly need his bottom wiped and can only walk along the street if he's tripping over me or the stroller? The one who has such beautiful observations like 'why can't I feel the ball world rolling around in the sky?' and 'mummy do you have angry eyebrows now? let me see, show me!'. This is the child I imagined I would spend afternoons and mornings doing craft, painting, drawing, etc with. And the same child who really doesn't like doing much of that organised activity at home. Happy to do it at daycare. Not so happy at home. I have to accept he will do things when he wants to, and we have everything there ready to go if he ever asks.....and I have to admit,  I'd much rather he did it at daycare where they can clean it all up. Not a politically correct mother thing to say. But, there you go. See, particularly when it comes to painting, when Max gets the paints out, it usually descends into a fairly colourful full body experience. It starts out all nice and lovely, and then somewhere I turn my back for even a split second, and he's stripped off naked, and is rapidly covering himself with paint. He has a penchant for green paint in particular. Usually followed by a fairly gleeful romp through the house. Fabulous. I'm hoping he doesn't do the naked strip at daycare. I'm sure they would have told me if he does.....wouldn't they? And I have to admit I am a little shocked when Max does ask to do any drawing or painting at home. And even more surprised when I see what he draws now. I have a lovely 'man walking through a tunnel, with knee caps' pencil drawing I love - partly because of his detail in both the neck and the kneecaps which were very important to his story, and partly because I had not seen him draw a true person before. I feel rather ashamed to say that. Like somehow I forgot to foster that side of him - which couldn't be further from the truth. But it's a reflection on how little we see of his artwork that it surprises me.

And I love the red train above, which has a coal truck behind it and fire which goes woooshhh!!! (there is even a woooshhh!!! line which you can just see at the bottom of the two circles which are windows). For most people it's a pretty basic painting, and I know kids doing far more elaborate things at the age of 4, but to me it says much, much more. So much so I went out and had it framed.

And then he got the blue paint out.

And then the green came out.....

And you know where that led.

Comments

[Heidi]

I love that he focused on the knee caps, such a funny part of our bodies, all knobby and bony...as for the naked freedom streak, kind of reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes comic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes

[Shan]

What a lovely post!

[kate]

Ohmygod. I can't wait to paint and craft with my little one. She's fun now, but I can't wait until we have *things* to make and do.

[Nicole]

AAAh how nice to be that uninhibited. Hmmm where did I put my paints, I feel a naked, rolling in the paint session coming up ;)

[Shula]

Let me guess:

Supernudie!

[stacy]

I just love children's artwork. I'm taking some of my daughter's messiest finger paintings in for framing this week too. There's something so free and lively about it all, that I just can't look at quite enough. Love that little train work. It's sure to bring you many smiles..

Also wanted to drop a line of thanks as I received some super fun mail today from Stardust shoes. Those fabrics are yummy and I'm a tea fanatic. It certainly wasn't necessary - but a really exciting surprise from the both of you. Thanks very much. I guess it does pay to have an uncanny ability to remember creative ideas and sources. :)

Be well, and thanks again..

[cari]

Whooosh!!!

I love this post.

[zose]

I think one of the trickiest bits of being a mother (and a creative one) is when your vision of what your children will be keen on doesn't fit.

I too had visions of long afternoons spent painting with my daughter (4 in 2 weeks!) but she prefers a brief encounter with a (water soluable thanks) texta on my lounge. Or biro on her best (homemade) dress.

We have several nice works of "mummy with lipstick and flowers and handbag" and one of grandma with a full A4 of curly hair (actually quite lifelike).

We bought her a pair of tap shoes a couple of weeks ago and she is now giving us 3-4 brief concerts a night, complete with dress ups, wings, and a woody herman cd. The shoes are actually very pleasant to listen to on the old floorboards, and she does some strikingly spot on 1920's flapper arm things.

But yes, art and nudity seem to be linked so closely, don't they?

[Gemma]

The image of a small green streaker has put a smile on my face this morning! I really needed that, excellent!

[Marie]

I loved the story about the green nude painting! Not at all that different from the painting sessions my three year old has! I love to watch her drawings as they develop almost from day to day, with the funniest little details. This week all the people she draws have big earrings and spotted faces (the chickenpox)!

[Kirsten]

you are very funny! i got quite a few conspiratory chuckles! altho' i have trouble getting my 4 year old son to play outside or on his own... he only wants to do art, draw, read, write, create with me right next to him constantly. priceless, i know, but tiring nonetheless. in 10 years, i'll be wishing he would play with me! love the nude green story. hee hee.

[Ali]

I think we could all benefit from a spot of full body painting now and then.

[Nichola]

I know what you mean, Mia likes to paint herself AND her sister, then the furniture and the house. This lasts all of about 10 minutes and ends in chaos.

[filambulle]

Thanks for the great post. I loved the story and the photos. :)

[Zoe]

Oh bless him. I'm hearing you with the stripping off and painting the body thing. Mine does that too (although, not ususally at the same time :})! He hasn't seen the incredible hulk by any chance?

[Stephanie]

I laughed out loud...stripping naked and painting himself green.

Truthfully, wouldn't everyday be better if we could get a little 'naked painting' time in each day? :-)

[KT]

What a lovely post. I had a very similar reaction the first time I saw Angus draw a person. It was oddly touching. And yes, we have many pictures of the boys covered in paint (and that is all). Should be very useful when they are teenagers!

[Dacia]

too cute. body painting is fun too. :)

[shiso mama]

we had work done on our house before we moved in, so the thought of painting sessions gives me heart palpitations. that's always made me feel rather guilty. fortunately our neighbors are waiting until their kids are older to do ANY work on their house so he's allowed to go over there and roll around paint, which he does rather gleefully. thank goodness for neighbors without OCD impulses!

[Amanda]

In this regard, my Max is the opposite of yours. If mine got that much paint on his naked body, he would probably become comatose. He's never liked fingerpainting, he hates to touch the paint!

[africankelli]

If everyone worried about being politically correct, we'd never say a thing. I am so happy Max is being creative at home and away. Sounds like a wonderful time you two are having together!

[amisha]

love the whoosh. hope you had fun with the green :)