While dropping Layla off at daycare one day I was stopped in my tracks by some really beautiful children’s art. The teacher had taught them about abstract art and let them have a go at it. I had never realized how inspiring kid’s art is, but it has children’s abstract art is my new favorite composition inspo. There’s no hesitation or fear in their work, but it’s not all messy and muddled either (though some are, of course). Some paint with a clear order and shapes, while others are loose and expressive, but regardless, there’s always a raw energy that emanates. The kind of untarnished exploration that only kids maintain. As many parents of today know, it’s a hard fought battle to maintain a child’s innocence, but one that many people are passionate about. When we’re young we’re able to create freely without fear of rejection, financial gain, and environmental impact. It made me wonder if I could capture some of that energy on my canvas to make the environmental discussion more personal
Incorporating Kid’s Art Into My Paintings
As a mother of a daycare child we accumulate a lot of art that is…bad. Not all! But by sheer quantity alone there’s no way (or desire) to keep it all. I keep the art I do like and whatever can’t be recycled is now incorporated into my own work.
I want Layla to grow up knowing how to see past her own needs to the effect she has on her environment, but I want that connection to be built over curiosity. And a powerful lesson I’ve learned from parenting so far: if it works with kids, it will probably work with adults.
The composition I make with the paint acts as introductory small talk, but the recycled materials that create the uneven surface are really the meat of the conversation. I want it to emit a sense of playful creation, but also bring attention to our responsibility as consumers. The earth is our true home, and without a healthy planet none of the other matters we fight passionately for will matter.
