Joy In Art

Art has never really been my thing... But there are a few treasures in this farmhouse who LOVE art... and there is something about art that brings out the "who" in each of my kids... I love that. And  I love the internet and the way that it helps me see that I can truly do anything, even be an "art teacher" when I have little to no experience in art.

The Cowboy and I were just about to put the littlest one to bed (he still sleeps in the school room at night), when the day's artwork that was hanging on the wall caught the Cowboy's eye. I asked him if he could tell which kid drew which picture. Right away he knew the Spunky Girl had drawn the one on the top left. She's always willing to do any project but it is impossible for her to do it without her own special flare. She'll switch up the colors and draw the flowers differently than the rest of the kids. She's got her own ideas and she's proud of them. I love her confidence. I love her creativity. I love the joy that comes out of her when she's found her own special way of doing things.



My Dancing girl is the one on the top right. She sticks closely to the instructions, she wants her art to look just right. When we do art projects here at the one room school house, I spend a lot of time trying to encourage the two older ones to branch out a little bit, to be brave, to know that the best thing about art is that no two pieces ever need to look alike. That's the beauty of art. Art can so often reveal the blueprints of our children, of their passions, their gifts, their unique sides.

My Siah is the one on the bottom left. The truth is, he really doesn't care to do art. He'd rather build something with his hands. I love that about him. I still make him do art, not because I care about the skill of art itself, but because there are so many character lessons that come with pressing through things that are sometimes more difficult for us. Him and I, we talk often about life and the way that it often brings about tasks that aren't our favorite, but we always have a choice; we can do the tasks in bitterness which neither blesses us nor the people around us, or we can choose to do the task set before us in joy.

And I am the one on the bottom left. I have found that as we do projects, I absolutely adore doing them with my kids. We usually do art when the two littlest boys are napping so that I can get right in there with the oldest three.

My Siah is a self proclaimed non-lover of art.

This morning when I came into the kitchen I found him sitting on the floor by the front door.

"Hey bud, watcha up to?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd try to draw the farm as if I was looking down on it from an airplane."

"That's awesome bud. It looks great."

He beamed that killer smile of his at me and kept on drawing.



So much of raising up these kiddos is simply giving them opportunities to discover the things the Lord has already made them to really love. And when they find what they love, they can spend a lifetime using those gifts to live joy-filled. And when we lived joy-filled, we bring glory to God.

I love that too. :)