I have to confess that I have been lazy about art/craft time with Elise. She begs to “actibitees,” but most days, I can’t be bothered to drag out the mess of paints. Bad mom. Especially bad mom who loves to paint herself and wants to raise a creative child. Bad mom.
But thanks to a recent trip to a local children’s museum (St. Louis’ Magic House), Elise made a painting, and I was reminded why I should make the effort for more art time at home.
I love her paintings. I don’t even think she likes them as much as I do. This one is just tempera on paper. I know every mom probably loves their own kid’s artwork, but I just want to gush about her expressive brushstrokes and how she doesn’t overwork the paint. When finished, she shouts “done!” and puts down the paintbrush like a timer went off.
I was going to put it in the artwork frame in our dining room, but I still love that painting too much to cover it up, so I folded it and put it in a different frame.
I was searching our living space, looking for a place to put it, when I realized the best spot would be in Elise’s bedroom. I put it on a high shelf so she can see her painting while she’s falling asleep at night.
Her room still kind of a disaster because I painted her closets and then started working on the adjoining stairway (think, stacks of paint cans and furniture pushed aside), so no whole-room photos right now. But the space is calling for a few more of her paintings and I’ve got some blank canvasses. Maybe it’s finally time for mama/daughter studio hours.
