My Art, My Boys and How They Make It Better
It has always been a dream of mine to be a full-time working artist. And as dreams go, some never come to fruition and some do, if you’re willing to work hard for them. Honestly, if I hadn’t become a mother, I’m not sure my dream of being a working artist would have happened or at least not in my younger adult years. My two boys have opened my eyes to what could be and have greatly influenced my signature style.
As an art student in college, I had all the time in the world to create. After college, all that creative time was then spent on work projects, excessive amounts of time in the car (like 3+ hours most days) and the mental fatigue usual made me just want to veg on the couch during my down time. Basically, zero creating happened from the time I walked off the campus of Michigan State University to the time I became a mother.
It wasn’t until after I was pregnant with our second son and had a huge surge of inspiration and drive to create, that I started really thinking about becoming a working artist and sharing my paintings with all of you. At this point, I had been a mom long enough to realize a few things. One, I was finally comfortable in the flow and rhythm of our day that I felt capable of finding time and energy to create again, consistently. Two, I had wholeheartedly thrown myself into all thing’s motherhood. Raising my son was my main focus, my only focus, leaving nothing and no time for myself. This I know is a common occurrence for new mothers, but I had lived it for almost 2 years and I was tired of missing my essential self. Thirdly, I wanted my boys to see their mom work hard to turn a dream into a reality and to grow up with a strong creative background.
It was always a goal of mine, that when I became a parent, I would provide my children with ample opportunities to explore and have fun creating. I feel it is important to instill a strong creative background when children are young. Creativity helps to increase problem solving skills, independence, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem. At least, it has done all those things for me, so why couldn’t it do the same for my kids? With this thinking, I introduced both boys to painting at an early age. I have paintings saved that J created at 6 months!
So far, both boys still enjoy painting and their love for it has greatly influenced my own style. I involve them in the first steps of the creating process by having them paint the first few layers of each painting. This leads to open and expressive mark-making, unusual color choices, and the over all feeling of joy that I don’t believe I could recreate on my own. My boys are also my main inspiration, as my current work revolves around the feelings of joy and love that manifest once you become a parent. There really is nothing like the love a parent has for a child. At times, I still try and bask in that glow I remember feeling when I held each of my boys for the first time. Those rich, life-giving feelings are the ones I try to instill into each of my colorful paintings.
So, do you want to see how it all begins and where it all ends? Want a peek at how those layers my boys create look and where I take them? Check out the pictures below for some Before & Afters!
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