Every time Summer sees me painting, she gets excited and urgently asks for her “pepper (paper), bash (brush) and cowers (colours).” I used to let her use my very old watercolor set until her Ninang gave her an Art Attack kiddie set for her birthday last month. She loves it. She enjoys using the paint brush like Mommy and — as expected of a two year old — loves getting the paint all over her body. At first, I was hesitant about letting her play with paint at such a young age because of Summer’s mess-making capabilities, with which I am ever so familiar. But then I realized, it’s what she sees me doing all the time so she’ll always be curious about it and will not be able to resist playing with the colors if the opportunity presents itself in a less controlled environment. So as long as the paint is non-toxic, I let her go nuts. I also believe there’s something good about her being exposed to the medium at this early age .
Most of the time, I admit that I do get frustrated because of the mess, especially when she gets paint all over her clothes and on some of the furniture. She even spreads the paint and water on her face like it’s moisturizer! So I tell her off and store her paint away where she can’t get to it. I figure that at least this way, she understands that there are rules that she must obey if she wants to keep painting. But the next day, I let her have her paint set back. I know I’m enabling her to make more mess. I just can’t help it. I enjoy seeing her make things and have fun doing it. At the end of the day, it’s quite entertaining!
Everything she creates makes me happy even if her paper is all ripped up from too much water. She still can’t draw or paint actual objects but she’s getting good at painting lines, swirls and dots. Even her choice of color combinations is interesting to me. I love seeing her drawings or paintings evolve and take shape. Soon enough, she’ll be able to draw and paint actual things and that makes me so excited! I can’t help but wonder what kind of artist Summer will become. If not a painter or illustrator, will she be a dancer? A chef? A movie maker? I just hope our little painting sessions together help her appreciate art and fall in love with it the way Mommy and Papa are.
Some of her drawings and paintings used to be posted on our fridge but today I moved them and taped them on our bedroom wall, just above Summer’s bed. She’s so happy about it!
These are my favorites: 1) Her very first watercolor painting…
2) A very angstsy drawing using crayons and colored pencils. What were the feelings she was trying to express? 😛
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