The Art we’re not looking for
I really enjoy doing art projects with the boys; it may be messy but it is always fulfilling. What occupied my mind today, though, wasn’t the end product of the wet on wet watercolour painting we did, but the bi-products of our session. The feeling in the room as the mood changed, as both boys settled down to their work, exploring the process in their own way and revealing so much of their unique selves in the process.
Walking his own path, his mind oblivious to boundaries or the ‘right’ way.
Exploring his vision, a clear goal and the determination that it be just right.
In each boy I see a shift since the last time we painted like this, a move towards their future selves, a hint of who they might become. Each boy displayed a little more refinement than the last time we worked together and, I hope, we each found a little more acceptance of where we are right now.
Then there is the art that came about by accident, the art we created simply by our perspective. We see not water on a table but an inverted version of the painting just lifted away. Proof that something took place here, proof of our creativity, however ephemeral.
And there was the exciting exploration of performance art as Neirin created his new masterpiece Stickers On Carpet Near Potty, Unused.
The real beauty, of course, was in the peace of the moment. That peculiar mixture of silence combined with the sound of intense concentration. For those moments we were all present, together in the now of our own creativity. Walking not the same path but alongside one another and stealing glances at each others work, taking inspiration for each other’s methods. I am reminded, once more, that the real art is in not the paintings but the moments that we create. The art of living.
2 thoughts on “The Art we’re not looking for”
So beautiful. I really need to settle down and try creating alongside my guy. I often wonder if the reason that I have put it off is that I’m afraid it won’t have the same, lovely & peaceful results. But, of course, how will we know if we don’t try. Of course, the mess is my other deterrent. But, it’s summer now…painting en plein air time! Thanks for the inspiration.
I have found that if I can ‘produce’ something along with the boys I am more likely to create opportunities for all of us to paint and draw. I am also seeing the art projects as part of our homeschool which gives me more of a feeling of accomplishment and helps me get past the mess deterrent as it is the product of a learning experience rather than plain old family mess! I will definitely be working on some outside projects too this summer, that is the big advantage of this weather I think!
Also just want to add that ‘peace’ may be a relative term! I remember once going for a nature walk with my lovely friend and our 4 kids, at the end she was saying she found it pretty chaotic and had hoped for a more peaceful experience, my feeling was ‘Oh no that’s as good as it gets!’ I had seen it as successful because my definition was different and basically my standards are quite low! For me, with two busy boys in the house, a few minutes of no arguing, screaming, running and toys hitting the ground is sheer bliss! I often wonder if we would have a very different perception of the images we see on blogs if there were a soundtrack!