Day 26 of 31 Days of Art:
Making Art and Painting with Kids

The Painted House  wrote a great post on Tips for Painting With Children.   So go there.  She's done such a wonderful job writing this!  I may do a follow-up documentation on art-making here at home later.   TPH makes it very clear that in order for art to be part of our kids' lives there has to be a place to do it.  The dining room table won't make for worry-free expression for the kids or parent. 

Here are two artworks by my older son:




Here are some pictures my younger son has made a while ago:


When he was two, above.


When he was eight.  He has a great sense of humor.


7 comments:

Brenda Rothman (Mama Be Good) said...

I love his paintings!! Wow! Totally blown away.

I love art and have always tried to get Jack interested. It was hard with his level of fine motor skills BUT even HARDER given his sensory problems. He wants nothing to do with paint. Or markers. 'Cause they get on his hands. We've finally gotten to crayons, though we still don't love drawing.

Sigh.

Dixie Redmond said...

Thanks for commenting, Brenda.

Yes, this is an issue. If something is new there's not much motivation to try it for my son with autism either. My son with autism (who did Bear Paw and Dr. Suess) has only been interested in art-making later - after ten years old. He has fine motor issues, too. These drawings were made after he was ten. Although he did occasionally draw before that.

I think mark-making with crayons is a great way to make art. Sometimes giving a structure for kids on the spectrum is important. They don't know what to DO with that blank piece of paper. I want to think about this some more. There might be some ways to engage but not be dealing with so many sensory issues. Like blowing watercolor bubbles on paper?

Kimberly said...

I adore kid's art. It's so authentic:) I wish I could capture a child's imagination and humor in my art (writing) as naturally as they do. Love it.

JDConwell said...

Dixie, I still look forward to the wall you had planned to paint with your boys...

Dixie Redmond said...

Me, too! I've been waiting for that rare weekend day when it's sunny and there is no soccer. I think this weekend will be it. :-)

Dixie Redmond said...

Kimberly - me, too! I don't have ANY drawings I made as a child and I would love to see some of them. I save a lot of my kids art. If it's really large I take a picture.

The best abstract artists (or other folk artists for that matter) have an immediacy to their work that is child-like. They're not worried about the *product* they're just enjoying putting colors on paper or expressing their ideas.

angela | the painted house said...

Thank you so much, Dixie, for the link and mention! I LOVE the "no skinny dipping!" :)


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden