True Colors

I am not fun. My kids will tell you. I have never  been one to play blocks and Barbies, Hot Wheels or board games. I can't sit still that long. I mean, I do my best but I've got stuff to DO. Always.

However the kids and I do spend some good times in my studio makin' art. They have a little corner where they can do their projects which including creating all manner of ephemera and range from taping Q-tips together to composing notebooks full of comics. Then my son starts doing cartwheels across the floor causing my hand to shake and my daughter stands so close to my right side that I can't move my arm. I'm constantly saying, "Move over." "You can't stand there." or "Quit jumping!" I'm sure they'll look back at their crabby mom and have a good, fond chuckle someday, right?

I digress. My point to this entire post was to talk about the times in the studio when I think I might be actually teaching them something. Like today, I was painting this Westie which most people would identify as a "white dog." As usual with my paintings of white dogs I was using lots of blue, gray, even pink and yellow. My daughter was, as usual, squished up next to me offering her opinion as I painted.

"

Why are you using BLUE on a white dog?"

"Look at the picture."

"But it's a WHITE dog."

"Look at the picture."

"Show me!"

"Look at the picture."

Anyway,  a few seconds later...

"OOOOOHHHHH!"

If I teach these kids nothing else, I hope they learn how to really look at things and make their own decisions about reality. It changes your life.