As different as our daughters are, there are a few traits that they share and a big one is a love for the arts...any kind of art.
One of my seven year old's gifts is the ability to look at a pile of miscellaneous anything and get an idea of something to do with it...all without input from us. For example, she once took a pile of red straws and created an American flag with them. She's clever, this one is. She is always wanting to "save" packaging, wrappers, trash...anything, because she is positive she will be able to "do" something with it. Perhaps she is right!
One of her latest creations was this piece of art, created with and inspired by a McDonald's fry box. The back of the big girl is labeled "Teenager Rebecca." Rebecca is her older sister's name. In the stroller is "Baby Rachel." Interesting. Notice "Teenager Rebecca" has braces.
The next piece was some artwork she put together from stuff she found around the house. It may not be too easy to see in the small picture, but her primary method of putting this "witch riding a broom" together was staples. You just don't see enough staples in modern art! I love the detail on this one, including the buckle on the hat.
Several weeks ago, my wife and I went out for our anniversary and Rachel was going to spend the night at my parent's house....along with my parents of course! Rachel loves to make gifts for people and so she began to work on an elaborate drawing to give to my parents. She sketched it out and started working on it a day or so before spending the night. She even brought it to one of our music rehearsals and had a friend help her color things in. She is very particular about her suns, so she drew a big circle around it so her friend would not work anywhere near the sun! She didn't quite get the picture done the night before going to my parents, and was very upset when I told her she still had to get in bed as the next day was a school day. Well, she was determined, and the next morning she got herself up an HOUR early, and finished the drawing...all without any intervention from us.
She was very proud of it, just because of its size, if nothing else. She proudly told me that it was "the biggest drawing she had ever done!" As this was a gift, she also ended up wrapping the picture in paper from our rapidly diminishing stash of wrapping paper in the attic.
Here is the proud artist with her work:
This past summer, she took an art class where each week they worked with a different medium and type of project. One of the projects was a watercolor project, and I was really impressed with this one.
It makes you want to head to the beach! I'm very proud of my young artist and her ability to creatively use her imagination.
I was blown away with this picture she made us. I put it in my great area where I do my scrapbooking. I see it all the time. Right now it is leaning against the wall, but I want to hang it on the wall. Bless her wonderful, caring heart. Rachel has always thought of others.
Posted by: Rachel's Grandma | October 27, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Your pride for your daughter is bursting all over this blog. (And, incidentally, you might want to clean it off later. It's a little messy!)
Posted by: zookeeper | October 27, 2008 at 09:46 AM
These are so great!! I would have ZERO wall space if my kids were half as creative as your kids are.
Posted by: abunslife | October 27, 2008 at 04:07 PM
So she is absolutely amazing! I am so intimidated by your kids' talent that I am discouraging my kids from doing art now. "Let the real talents do it!" I actually dreamt last night that I was in a musical with all of you and I asked for the sheet music for it and Dianne looked at me like I was nuts. WHY would I need music???? LOL
Posted by: Mel | November 03, 2008 at 05:59 AM