Artistic ménagerie...

So, I whipped out my easel this weekend and I actually used it to paint a picture.

It is no longer a virgin...after 2+ years!

I said i would paint my friend something out of gratitude for her generosity. And i did. But i am not pleased with it. It should be beautiful. I think its an awful attempt, but i dont want to fix anything...it might make it look worse off. Which makes me question my ability. Thankfully, im not an artist by trade...i wouldnt make any money from it! Luckily i have a degree to fall back on, right?

*sigh*

I know im being self critical.

I should accept that it was my 3rd attempt at actually painting something!

Although, its a painting on primed canvas stretched over a wooden frame...the fact that i painted it, backed on an easel...the idea that i used acrylic paint with a variety of paint brushes...Does that make it a "painting"? Does this make me an artist?

I felt a lot of pleasure in bringing the picture to life...but i dont know...maybe im not seeing dark and light as the way it should be seen. My portrayal of dark and light is, well, a bit more dark than it is light.

The picture that i based the painting on, I feel as though I havent done it any justice. The only comfort that i have, is that i can say my 4 year old niece knew what it was supposed to be. She looked at it and said "Ooo...Aunty, thats a flower..." So, at least its recognisable. I mean, kids are brutally honest. If she didnt know what it was, she would have just asked "Aunty, what is that?"

I spent most of my weekend painting. If my nieces didnt come over on Saturday, I might have finished it earlier. But they popped over on Saturday afternoon. So, I packed up shop at that time to play with them.

I thought it would be good to see if they could paint. I mean, they enjoy drawing...why not let them try painting?

I grabbed my palette of watercolours. Its easier to work/clean up with and less messier than acrylic. While i was setting up, i grabbed some paper and asked them to draw the outlines of things they wanted to paint. I showed Chloe, for instance, the sun...she could just draw the circle and then later she can fill it in with paint.

I left them both to their own devices and got some water and some brushes that would be easier for them to use. I set some newspaper to line the floor and put the palette, brushes and water down. Then I showed them how to wet their brushes and dip the brush on to a colour they wanted to use on the palette.

They both loved it.

Aimee, being 2.5 y/o, didnt quite grasp the water dipping and the changing of colours...so i did that for her, and every time she wanted to use another colour I would ask her which one? She would then start with an "ummm..." *thinkingthinkingthinking* "...this one...no no...this one!" She was absolutely adorable! (Mind you, were talking baby voice here! It just melts your heart!!!)

They both love colours and try to use every colour on the palette. Chloe painted the rainbow with some rain and flowers in a garden...she even painted an underwater feature...she painted a clock...then she painted something that looked abstract to me. Aimee, I helped draw a fish, so she also had an underwater feature...then she painted something on her own...i have no idea what it was meant to be, but she knew what it was. I just dont quite understand her mix of english and baby gibberish sometimes. But i think the variety of dots were supposed to represent our family. Her mother, father, sister, grandmother, grandfather, aunty and uncle.

After they painted a few pictures, we went outside to play badmington. It was fun, they laughed so much...its a delight to have them around when they are behaving! (Obviously!)
=P

After i completed my painting on Sunday, the girls came over again. The first thing Chloe said to me was "Aunty, i want to do some more painting." Unfortunately, my eyes were tired from adding the final details on my picture. So, in true "Aunty" form, i promised her that we would have another painting session next weekend. And knowing Chloe, she wont forget the promise. So, i better make myself available to paint with them.

Its fun playing with my nieces...as they get older, its gets easier, because i understand them more, as they understand me more. I actually played Barbie with Chloe the other time. And the fact is, i didnt even play with Barbie when i was a kid. I actually spent my time making clothes for some other dolls. This is probably why i thought i was going to be a fashion designer...because i was making clothes for my dolls. Mum taught me how to sew with a needle and thread.

Its not that i didnt have a Barbie. I did, but i liked the free accessories and stuff that came with Barbie, not Barbie the doll. Like, Barbie - the Rockstar, came with a cassette with some songs on it. I was more into the cassette than the doll. Then I got this Barbie "Architecture's Desk" that had a lamp attached to it that actually worked! It was the best birthday present that year, because i could use the light during the night - not because my Barbie had a desk! (The light was bright enough for me to see in the dark, but not bright enough for my parents to know that i was awake).

Being with my nieces, they bring me back to my childhood. Most importantly, they make me laugh. Aimee, when she is feeling fiesty, goes up to her dad and suggests that they go into her uncle's room and "smash her uncle"!!! By smashing, she means, tickling, poking his tummy and fake punches. They recruit Chloe and the three of them go nuts when they attack their uncle! I laugh, because were talking about 2 little girls and their father here.

My brother has brought up two little girls who like bashing their uncle up. And its funny, because they are the cutest little girls you could ever meet! They are the type of little girls that if you saw, you'd want to give them lollies. And people do. Take them to a restaurant and the waitress will give them lollies - just because they are cute. Take them to people's houses, they bring out cakes/biscuits/lollies for the girls. We took them to my mother's boss' place and she gave them lollies because they were cute! I see a trend.

So, if you ever witnessed how they bash their uncle up...its hilarious!!! They are like a pack of monkeys. *LoL*

Hmm...i think i went way off course with this post. Too much gushing.

I'm going to end this abruptly, right about now.