BLOG CHALLENGE: Masterpiece

"Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an
artist once he grows up.
-Pablo Picasso

My beloved Uncle Eli collected whales. Plastic toy whales, knitted whales, whales carved from driftwood and bars of soap. As a child, I loved visiting his house and standing before his vast collection, trying to memorize each piece. Each time I did so, the first one I sought out was perhaps the ugliest: an awkardly pieced-together navy polyester "whale", sloppily hand-stiched with white embroidery floss around the edges, and featuring a huge red smile made of buttons. Its stuffing was bumpy and uneven, and on the back, a piece of notebook paper was stitched to the fabric. It read: "To one WHALE of a guy, my Uncle Eli! With love from Stacy". I made it when I was 8 or 9, one summer after my Mom taught me how to embroider. I remember drawing the pattern out on notebook paper over and over until I settled on a whale shape I liked, then cutting out my fabric and stitching it together. I didn't even know enough to stitch it wrong side out and turn it, and so all my raggedy-cut edges were frayed and exposed. I didn't care. I thought it was a masterpiece. I stole stuffing from my pillow and filled up my whale, added the tag on the back, and sent it off in the mail to Kansas.

Several years ago, when my own daughter was 8 or 9, I took her to see Uncle Eli's collection. He'd long since purged most of it - only one small bookcase of whales remained. My eyes darted here and there until I saw it - my crude polyester masterpiece, sitting proudly among the elegant stained glass pieces and elaborately carved wooden whales. It made me smile.

Today, it's my second child - my Aidan - who's the artist. He specializes in "found art", often pulling things out of the recycle bin and the trash can to make something. He draws all the time, and he's quite good. Yesterday was the last day of school, and he came home with the painting you see above. He was so very, very proud of it. Holding it behind his back, he asked, "Mom, what's that guy's name who cut off his own ear because he was very, very sick?"

"Uh, Van Gogh?" I answered.

"Yah!" he exclaimed. "I painted a Van Gogh for you at school. It's called 'Sunflower'." I didn't have to fake my enthusiasm; I was GIDDY with delight. I told him that truly it was the most beautiful painting I'd ever seen, and that I couldn't wait to frame it and hang it in our house. Later, when Grammy came to pick him up, he showed her his masterpiece and I overheard him say, "Mom's gonna frame it and hang it in our house!" I know just where I'll display it, and someday, when Aidan brings his own newly-graduated Kindergartener over, it'll still be there. I hope it makes him smile.

(the challenge:

"Every child is an artist.The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."-Pablo Picasso
Reflect on this quote. What was the first piece of art your created? Were you artistic as a child? Did you love to color? Did you learn any art forms - needle arts, painting, sculpting? Did anyone nurture your creativity? Were you drawn to any specific type of art? Has your child created something that he was proud of? Are you still an artist today? In what way? Do you consider scrapbooking an art? Choose any aspect you like, but incorporate a childhood artist somehow into your story. Dig deep, and have fun discovering your forgotten childhood artist!)