shiso mama

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past three years worrying about Otis’s lack of interest in art. It’s such a large part of my life that the thought that it might not be an important part of his has caused me no small amount of distress. It was as troubling as if he suddenly discovered a passion for pleated khakis, button down oxford shirts and non-ironic penny loafers. But I was determined not to push or force any art-making on him. We’ve let him discover his own interests, and on his own time, so I would offer him art materials once in a while and let him decide whether he was interested or not (usually not).

Now I’m happy to report that he has lately discovered his love of drawing and sculpture. And wouldn’t you know it? He doesn’t draw or sculpt anything except animals. Watching his developing interest in art has been really interesting. In the beginning, he rarely wanted to attempt to make anything himself - he was never a doodler, and rarely took much pleasure from just making lines or exploring. Rather, he wanted to watch us draw or sculpt whatever he requested (animals, of course), which I quite honestly was reluctant to do. I never tell or show any of my students the “right” way to make anything, and I didn’t want to do this for Otis, either. As a result, he usually grew quite frustrated with not being able to make things as he thought they should look, and gave up quickly, despite all encouragement. Now he is much better able to translate what he sees into what he makes, and it makes art-making a more satisfying experience for him (although he does still become frustrated if he can’t make it “right”).

It is one of my greatest pleasures watching him create now, illustrating his elaborate animal narratives. My current favorite drawing is above, which he describes as “Giraffes - bird giraffe, eagle giraffe, giraffe with big ears, giraffe with short hair and giraffe with long hair.” We’ve been steadily making our way through the roll of paper on his art table and our pencils are getting shorter and stumpier by the day as his portfolio grows thicker (what can I say? I’m sentimental and save everything). I’m excited to see how his interests and his artwork develop.